Visa Information

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Visa Information

Which visa application method should I employ?

Depending on the country where you live, you may need to make your application online or using application form VAF9. You can find out which procedure you should employ on the UK Border Agency Applying for a student visa from outside the UK webpages.

Do not apply for your Tier 4 student visa more than three months before your course start date. Even if you receive your CAS statement earlier than this, you cannot use it until you are within three months of the start date of your course or your visa will be refused. Your course start date will be noted on your CAS statement.

As a part of the visa application process, you will be required to supply biometric data. This includes scans of your fingers and a full-face digital photograph. In order to provide this information, you will need to visit a UK visa office or a visa application centre in person. Your visa application will not be processed until you have provided the necessary biometric information.

What supporting documents do I need to submit with my visa application form?

Please include the following documents with your application form:

  • Passport/Travel document
  • 2 recent passport-sized photographs
  • Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
  • Original certificate(s) or transcript(s) of results for any qualifications used to determine your application
  • Evidence of your English language ability as specified in your CAS statement
  • Evidence that you can meet the cost of the tuition fees and maintenance
  • ATAS certificate (if required)
  • TB screening certificate (if required)

It is mandatory that the documents you submit are all original and you should also submit a photocopy of each document. Where a document is not in English or Welsh, the original must be accompanied by a fully certified translation that can be independently verified by the UK Border Agency. You can find further information in the UK Border Agency Documents required section. You will be required to pay a £289 non-refundable application fee in your local currency.

What are the English language requirements of the UKBA?

Amity Univeristy in London needs to assess your English language ability as part of the academic admissions process. We will state on your CAS statement how we have assessed your English language ability and the level of ability that you have obtained in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

As of 21 April 2011 Amity can only issue a CAS for you if you are able to demonstrate that your English language proficiency is at a minimum of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) level B2 in each of the four components of language learning - reading, writing, speaking and listening.

You may be required to take one of the UKBA's approved secure SELTs (English language tests) as evidence of your English language ability.

The new list of the approved English language tests is available on the UKBA website. 

We will not need to assess your English language competency if:

  • you are the national of a majority English-speaking country
  • you have completed an academic qualification at degree level or above, which was taught in a majority English-speaking country.

Majority English-speaking countries  are currently defined by the UKBA as: Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Canada; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Jamaica; New Zealand; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; United States of America. UKBA will assess your nationality using your passport.

Who is considered to be a "low risk" country national?

If you qualify for the UK Border Agency differentiations arrangements because you are considered to be a "low risk" country national, you will be required to provide fewer evidential documents when applying for a Tier 4 student visa in order to enrol on a course at Amity University in London. Where you are exempted from having to provide a document - or a group of documents - under the current differentiation arrangements, this is specifically stated in the  Tier 4 Policy Guidance, version 04/2012. However, the UK Border Agency reserves the right to request the complete range of documents from you. 

If you are requested to submit supporting documents, you need to do this within the period specified in the request. If you fail to do this, your application will be refused.

At present you are considered to be "low risk" if you are a national of:

Argentina, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan in it), Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America or a British National Overseas

Your passport will be used to determine your nationality.

The UK Border Agency will review the list of low risk nationalities on an annual basis.

What is a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)?

A CAS is a 14 digit number given to you by Amity University in London and it confirms to the

UKBA that you are a genuine student.  A CAS is valid for 6 months from the date it is issued.

You should use your CAS to apply for a Tier 4 student visa no earlier than 3 months before the start date of your course.

How to receive a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)?

You can apply for your visa up to three months in advance of the start date of your programme of study. The UK Border Agency will not accept visa applications prior to this.

In order to ensure that your CAS is produced in a timely manner, it is essential that you provide evidence of meeting any outstanding conditions of entry on your offer letter as soon as possible. 

An email will be sent to you containing your CAS number, alongside details of the information used to obtain the CAS.

How to meet the UKBA maintenance criteria?

 As a Tier 4 student you will not have access to most state benefits. You will, therefore, need to be able to demonstrate to the UKBA that you have sufficient funds to pay your course fees and maintenance while you are in the UK. 

The amount you need to pay for course fees will be stated on your CAS statement. If you are starting a new course this figure will be the fees for the first year of the course, or for the entire course if the course is less than a year long.

Your maintenance is made up of accommodation and living costs. Amity University in London is based in inner London and you will need to demonstrate that you have £1000 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months. The maximum amount you need to show is £9000.

In some circumstances, when you have previously studied in the UK and are applying for entry clearance to continue studying in the UK you may be able to qualify for the reduced maintenance levels due to your "established presence" in the UK. 

To see if you have established presence studying in the UK, please refer to Tier 4 Policy Guidance

If you are in receipt of official financial sponsorship, this sponsorship can be used as evidence of the money you have. Official sponsors can be: the UK government, your home government, the British Council, any international organisation, an international company, any university or an independent school.

How long will my Tier 4 student visa last?

If you are coming to study on a course which will last for six months or more, or a pre-sessional course which will last for less than six months - your entry clearance will start one month before the start date of the course.

Your entry clearance will end:

  • Four months after the end of the course, if your course lasts 12 months or more
  • Two months after the end of the course, if your course lasts six months or more, but less than 12 months
  • One month after the end of the course, if your course lasts less than six months and is a pre-sessional course
  • Seven days after the end of the course, if your course lasts less than six months and is not a pre-sessional course

It is essential that you check your entry clearance carefully upon receiving it, to ensure that all the information stated on it is correct. Please pay specific attention to whether you have been granted the correct length of leave.

If any of the information is incorrect, ask to have it changed immediately, before you travel to the UK. It is very difficult to make changes to your immigration permission once you have arrived in the UK.

Can I work during my studies?

If you have a Tier 4 student visa and are sponsored by Amity University in London you are not allowed to work during your stay in the UK.

Do I need to register with the police?

You only have to register with the police if there are instructions to do so on your student visa. You must register within seven days of arrival in the UK.

In order to register with the police you will need to take:

  • Your passport
  • Registration fee (currently £34)
  • Two passport photos

Once registered, you will be given a Certificate of Registration.

You must inform the police of any change to your address within seven days and of any changes to the other details on your certificate within eight days.

If you are granted an extension of stay you must report to the police to have your certificate renewed. There is no charge for renewal.

Failure to register with the police, if required to do so, is a criminal offence and could lead to prosecution.

Will I need to be screened for Tuberculosis?

Students from certain countries coming to study in the UK for longer than six months now require a certificate to show that they are free from infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The countries that this applies to are:

  • Bangladesh
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cambodia
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Eritrea
  • Ghana
  • Kenya
  • Laos
  • Niger
  • Pakistan
  • Rwanda
  • Somalia
  • Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Uganda

Further guidance including information on how you will be screened for TB can be found on the UK Border Agency Applying for Visa webpage.