Immigration Lawyers

Student - Immigration Lawyers - Cole & Yousaf Solicitors

Student

Student writing at a desk

If you wish to come to the United Kingdom as a student you will need to have a Visa Letter from an approved education provider. Education providers are approved by the Home Office which gives them, a licence to teach international students in the United Kingdom, and add them to the Tier 4 register of sponsors (the Tier 4 register can be checked here). 

You can do courses that lead to an approved qualification and are:

  • approved at level 3 or above on the National Qualifications framework (NQF);approved at the same level in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF);
  • approved at the same level by the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC);
  • approved at the same level by the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland; 
  • are short-term study abroad programmes in the United Kingdom as part of your qualification at an overseas higher education institution, as long as the qualification is confirmed as the same as a United Kingdom degree level by UK NARIC. You can find contact details for UK NARIC on the right side of this page; or
  • an English language course at a level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you want to do another English language course after your first course, you will need to show a formal assessment of the English language level you got.

You must show that you have enough money to pay your course fees and to pay your monthly living costs. The monthly living costs needed depends on where you are studying.

Length of course

Where will study 

Money needed

Nine months or less 

In London  

Course fees

and

£800 for each calendar month of the course

Nine months or less 

Outside London 

Course fees

and

£600 for each calendar month of the course

More than nine months  

In London 

First year of fees

and

£7,200 to cover living costs the first nine months in the United Kingdom

More than nine months 

Outside London

First year of fees

and

£5,400 to cover living costs the first nine months in the United Kingdom

 

To show that you have the necessary money you must provide bank or building society statements, a building society passbook, a letter from your bank confirming money or a loan, a letter from a regulated financial institution or a letter of official financial sponsorship confirming that you have enough money available to cover your course fees and monthly living costs for up to one year, at the time you submit your application. You must be able to prove that the money you need to apply has been in your account for 28 days before you submit your application.

If you are granted a student visa, then you can work in the UK part time for up to 20 hours per week in term time and full time during holidays.