Making a Student visa application

 Nationals of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland became subject to UK immigration control following the UK's departure from the European Union in 2021. This means that immigration permission to enter or remain in the UK i.e. a visa needs to be applied for (dependant on certain factors). 

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their eligible family members who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 could apply to settle in the UK under the government’s EU Settlement Scheme. You may have already applied for and obtained EU Settled Status.

 If you have not obtained EU Settled Status and/or are outside of the UK, you would require a visa to enter the UK. You will need to apply for a Student visa to study at Brunel as explained below. If you need a Student visa to study in the UK, then we will sponsor this and provide you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

If you are applying for a Student visa, please ensure that you do not travel to the UK before you have been granted your Student visa (which will be in a digital format). If you enter the UK as a visitor beforehand (just using your passport), your Student visa would not be valid and you would have to leave the UK and return to 'validate' it. 

You can make a Student visa application inside the UK (known as permission to stay) if you currently have valid immigration permission in most categories. However, please note that you will not be able to make a valid application if your current visa is in one of the categories below: 

1. Visitor

2. Short-term Student

3. Parent of a Child Student

4. Seasonal Worker

5. Domestic Worker in a Private Household

6. Leave to remain outside the Immigration Rules.

You can apply for your visa online using the UKVI website. You can apply up to three months before the start date of your course. 

Please visit the UKVI website for details of how to apply. You will submit your application online and may then be asked to attend an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) Centre. At the appointment, you will be required to submit your biometric details (fingerprints and a facial photograph). However, if you have made an immigration application in the UK before, you may not need to attend an appointment if you can re-enrol your biometric details using a ‘UK Immigration: ID Check' App on a mobile phone or computer. This will be confirmed after your online application has been submitted. 

If necessary, you also have the option to scan your documents as part of your application, although this can also be done prior to your appointment through the online form. 

Please be aware that during the busiest months of August and September in particular, it may be very difficult to book appointments within a short time, particularly in London. It is very important that you allow enough time to apply for your visa to enable you to register for your course in time. Please visit our website for further details of what you need to do in order to register. 

Important: Although your passport will be returned to you after your appointment, you should not travel outside the UK until you receive a decision on your application. If you do so, your application may become invalid and you should withdraw the application if you need to leave the UK.  

You must submit your Student visa application before your current visa expires. If your visa expires more than 28 days before the start date of any new course, you must return to your home country and apply from there.

Please also note that, under current immigration rules, you can only apply to extend your Student visa inside the UK if you meet the UKVI's 'academic progression' requirements. For example, if you have not successfully completed the course for which your current visa was issued, you may have to apply outside of the UK. Please bear this in mind if you have needed to change courses during your time studying in the UK and need to extend your Student visa. 

If you are applying from outside the UK, the UKVI website has information of where and how to apply, and the cost of the application. The application form can also be found at the UKVI website. If you need help with your visa application, British Council offices and the British High Commission can provide assistance.

 If you are applying for your student visa in the USA, please visit our website for latest immigration updates, as there has been a significant change to how student visa applications will be handled in the USA from July 2025. 

You can apply for your visa up to six months months before the start of your course and it is strongly recommended that you apply as early as you can within this period (noting you will first need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies as listed below). 

You will be given the option to apply for your visa using a Standard, Priority or Super Priority Service. It is expected that a decision on the application should be made within 15, 5 or 1 working day/s respectively. The priority services have an additional cost. Generally, if you are applying for your visa at least several weeks before the course starts, you may be advised just to use the standard service. But you may wish to consider priority services if there is less than a month before your course starts to ensure you obtain your visa in time. Please note that once you have selected and paid for the appropriate service, you cannot change it. 

After submitting the online application, please look out for further communication from UKVI that will instruct you on the next steps to progress with the application. This may include a need for you to attend an appointment at a Visa Application Centre and/or attend a video interview (see below). Please regularly check your emails, including your spam/junk folders, for communication you may be sent from UKVI in relation to your application. 

Important Information for 'Non-Visa Nationals' - Do not travel to the UK while a Student visa application is pending

If you are applying for a Student visa, it is very important that you do not travel to the UK before your Student visa is granted. This would be possible if you are a non-visa national (i.e. you are NOT of a nationality on the list at this website) as you could enter on your passport to visit for six months. This may apply if you are a national of the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan or any EU/EEA country (as well as many others). 

The problem with doing this is that your Student visa is not 'activated' until you enter the UK after the issue date. If you enter the UK before the issue date of the Student visa, it will not be valid, and you can only stay in the UK for six months. We would not be able to register you on your course if this is found to be the case as your Student visa will not be valid. The only solution would be for you to leave the UK and re-enter on your Student visa, which would likely be expensive and inconvenient. 

Please do not travel to the UK while your Student visa application is pending, even if it means you may be late for your course. Please contact us for further advice if this happens. 

Please visit the UKVI website for details of how much a visa application will cost.

In addition to the application fees, you will also need to pay the Immigration Health surcharge as part of your immigration application (see section below). 

 Student visas will be in a digital format - known as an electronic visa or eVisa. You will be given information on how to access and display your eVisa when it is issued. For example, you will need to be able to show this in order to register at Brunel University, to rent property, or to work in the UK. 

Further details about eVisas can be found at: Online immigration status (eVisa) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Information about how to prove your visa status where required is available at: View and prove your immigration status: get a share code - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 

Please note that if you are already in the UK with a Student visa in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which may expire on 31 December 2024, you will also need to create an eVisa to replace this documentation. Details of how to do this can also be found at: Online immigration status (eVisa) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

It is very important that you take steps to set up your eVisa online once your visa is issued, certainly before you travel to the UK. You must also keep the personal information attached to your eVisa up-to-date at all times, especially your passport details, as this is what will be linked to your eVisa when you travel in and out of the UK. 

As part of your visa application, you will need to achieve 70 points to be successful. 50 points are awarded for having a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number. The remaining 20 points are awarded for Finance (10) and English Language (10).

Brunel University can only send you a CAS once your offer has been made unconditional. If you have a conditional offer, you will need to meet the conditions of your offer first. Please visit the Admissions Office website for further details about the application process. Please note that we will not issue you with a CAS if there will not be enough time for you to apply for your visa before the registration deadline for your course, so you must meet the conditions of your offer as soon as you possibly can.

The Admissions Office will send your CAS statement to you by email. You do not need a hard copy of the CAS statement (such as a letter) because the CAS details are also electronically sent to UKVI. You will have to input your CAS number into the online visa application form and they will then be able to see your CAS when your application is assessed.

The CAS email will include the course details you need to include in your visa application such as the course dates, academic course level and our sponsor licence number. You may not need to submit the qualification certificates/transcripts listed on the CAS when you apply for your visa, but you should keep them safe as UKVI reserve the right to request them. 

Please check your CAS carefully when you receive it, and inform us if there is an error of any kind. In most cases, we should be able to electronically correct your CAS. We can do this by adding a 'sponsor note' to correct any of the CAS details, or we can update the tuition fees. We will not need to issue you with a new CAS - we will confirm we have corrected the live electronic document. 

The first CAS we send you is free of charge. However, if you need us to issue you with a new CAS (for example if you decide to change courses) then there will be an administration fee of £55. This covers the cost charged to us by UKVI. Please note that if your visa application is refused, you will also need a new CAS if you wish to make a new visa application.

 A CAS number will expire if not used within six months, so we will not issue a CAS more than six months before the start of your course. A CAS can only be used in a visa application up to six months before the course start date (for applications outside of the UK).

Joint CAS' (covering both a Pre-sessional English and main degree course)

If you will be studying both a Pre-sessional English and a degree course at Brunel, in certain circumstances you may be able to receive a 'Joint CAS' to cover both courses. This will enable you to make an application for a single student visa to cover both courses. You should receive this information when you are offered a place, but please visit the Language Centre website for further details of the requirements for a Joint CAS. 

The Finance requirement is a very important part of the visa application. You should check your financial documents very carefully before applying, as the visa application will be refused if these are not met. For full details of the requirements, please refer to the Student Visa Guidance. You should also refer to the 'Financial Requirement' section of Student Immigration Rules (Appendix ST). 

The finance requirement is to evidence that you have enough money to support yourself while you are studying in the UK. You need to demonstrate that you have funds available to cover the remaining tuition fees for the first academic year of your course, as well as an additional amount to cover your living costs. 

Brunel University is classified as being in London for visa purposes, so the funds that you will need to show will be higher than someone who is studying outside of London. You must show that you have £1,529 per month for each month of your course up to a maximum of nine months. Therefore, for most of our degree courses that are more than nine months long, this would come to a total of £13,761. If your course includes part of a month, you must always include that month in the calculation. 

 Please note that this is in addition to your remaining tuition fees. Any money that you have already paid towards your tuition fees will be listed on your CAS. This amount of money can be deducted from the total amount that you need to show.

Any money that you have already paid towards on-campus accommodation will also be listed on the CAS. A This can also be deducted from the funds that you need to evidence but only up to a maximum of £1,529. Please consider this if you have paid more than this for your on-campus accommodation at the point of your visa application. 

Please note that you will still need to evidence these living costs regardless of where you may be living in the UK i.e. even if you will live with family or friends who may cover your costs in the UK. Please also remember that any financial documents that you use in a visa application must be in the name of yourself, a parent or legal guardian. You cannot use the financial documents of any other family members or friends in a Student visa application. 

One of the other really important things to remember about the financial requirements, if using banks statements, is that the funds must have been held for a minimum of 28 consecutive days. 

If the currency being held in the relevant bank account/s is not in UK Pounds (£), it must be converted using the OANDA website, which is what UKVI will use when assessing the documents. However, if the currency is in Syrian Pounds or Iranian Rials, the currency must alternative be converted using the FCDO Consular Exchange. 

As an aside, please be aware that the living costs that need to be evidenced in a visa application may be significantly different to what you will really need to support yourself in the UK. In recent times, the cost of living and inflation in the UK have increased significantly, and the UKVI finance requirement may not be reflective of the actual amount of money you may need to live in the UK. Please plan your finances accordingly - useful guidance on this can be found at the UKCISA website. 

Finance requirements if applying in the UK 

If you are applying for your Student visa in the UK, and have had permission to stay for at least one year on the date of application, you will not be asked to provide these financial documents in your application. However, you should still maintain your finances according to the requirements, as UKVI reserve the right to request them. 

Low Risk Applicants - Differentiation Arrangements

Some students do not need to evidence their finances in a visa application depending on their nationality. This is known as 'differentiation arrangements' for 'low-risk applicants'. It includes nationals of the EU, EEA and many other countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia China, Brazil, as well as several others. Please refer to paragraph 22 of Appendix ST of the Immigration Rules to check if you are subject to the differentiation arrangements. However, you should again still maintain your finances according to the financial requirements, as UKVI reserve the right to request the documentation.

Depending on what country you are from, you may need to have a Tuberculosis (TB) test before you can apply for your Student visa. This only applies to visa applications made outside of the UK. 

If the test is negative, you will be given a certificate that needs to be provided in your visa application. This is valid for six months so you need to take the test less than six months before you intend to apply. 

If you are from a country that ordinarily requires a TB test, you will not require one if the following applies to you. You have lived for at least 6 months in a country where TB screening is not required by the UK, and you’ve been away from that country for no more than 6 months.

For full details of the requirements for TB testing including the applicable countries, please visit the UKVI website.

UKVI have set limits on the amount of time a student can study in the UK with a Student visa. This also includes studying under the previous Tier 4 (General) visa system. 

For undergraduate study, this limit is typically five years. 

Some courses are also exempt from the five-year limit, including medicine degrees, postgraduate degrees and PhD programmes. .  

A Student visa application will be refused if the time limit is exceeded. Therefore, as part of your application, Brunel University will assess this. Regretfully, if you would exceed the cap, we would not be able to sponsor your visa and would not issue you with a CAS. 

You should also always check that you will not exceed the time limit yourself before making the visa application. 

Please refer to the Student Policy Guidance for more information. 

You may be selected to attend an interview as part of your visa application, either inside or outside of the UK. The interview is designed to ensure that you have a genuine intention to study in the UK and that your English language ability is suitable for you to do this.

You are more likely to be interviewed if you are making the visa application overseas. However, you may also be interviewed if submitting a visa application (permission to stay) in the UK, which may be because the caseworker requires further information about your education history and desire to study your chosen course in order to make a decision on your application.

What will my interview involve?

If overseas, you will be interviewed via a video-link i.e. Microsoft Teams to a UKVI officer based in the UK. If you are in the UK, the interview may also be conducted in this way, or you may be invited to attend an in-person interview at a UKVI centre. These are located in many cities across the UK and your interview should take place at the nearest location to where you live, although this cannot always be guaranteed. The interview will typically last around 30 minutes. 

Do not be alarmed if you are selected for an interview. This is part of the standard visa application process. You must ensure that you attend the interview as it is compulsory unless you have a valid reason why you cannot attend. If you need to rearrange the interview then instructions will be provided in the invite letter from UKVI. Your visa application will automatically be refused if you do not attend without good cause.

As the purpose of the interview is to ensure that you have a genuine intention to study in the UK and are prepared to do so. Therefore, in your answers to any questions, you will be expected to demonstrate that you have undertaken suitable research to finalise your study plans in the UK. Be assured that there are no trick questions or model answers but iplease be prepared to be able to explain this in your answers. 

What type of questions will I be asked?

If you are asked to attend an interview, make sure that you answer the questions as clearly and honestly as you can. The questions will generally cover the following areas:

1. Your reasons for choosing to study in the UK and how you researched different study options: You will be expected to answer questions about why you have chosen to study in the UK, as oppossed to in your home country or other countries that offer a high standard of education i.e. USA, Canada and Australia. You will likely also be asked about your chosen degree course, and explain how and why you made the decision to study this specifically at Brunel University, in comparison with other UK universities that offer similar courses.

Therefore, before you attend the interview, you should think about why you specifically chose to study at Brunel instead of in your home country or at another UK institution. What does the UK education system provide for you that other countries may not? What does Brunel University and our course offer that made you choose this instead of other UK universities that offer the same course? You may be asked about what kind of research you undertook in order to come to these decisions. 

You may wish to refer to our website for information about the campus. It is likely that you will be asked specific questions about the content and structure of your chosen course so you may wish to prepare for this by reviewing your relevant course page on our website. .    

2. Your education history: You may be asked about what you have studied in the past and how this relates to your chosen course at Brunel. If you have previously studied in the UK, you may be asked to explain why you wish to return to the UK and how the combination of these courses support your future plans. If there have been any gaps between your periods of study, you will need to explain these carefully.

3. Your career plans after you have finished studying: You need to carefully explain what you intend to do after you have finished your course and how this supports your career plans. How can the knowledge gained on the course be applied to your intended profession? You may be asked about how much you would expect to earn in your chosen career and how the cost of studying in the UK justifies the financial commitment you will be making in coming to study in the UK. 

4. Your financial circumstances and UK living arrangements: The financial cost of studying in the UK is considerable, so you are likely to be asked why you have made this decision when the cost of studying in your home country or other countries may be a lot less. Your financial details may be discussed at the interview to check that you have access to enough money to support you while you study, including tuition and accommodation fees and living costs. Although you may have supplied the correct financial documents in your visa application (see the section on finance requirements above), you may still need to explain how any subsequent years of the course will be covered. You will need to be prepared to answer some quite personal questions, such as how much you or your parent/s earn (if they are funding your studies) and the source and availability of your funds. If you are being financially sponsored by your government or an international company, or are receiving an education loan, you will need to be able to provide details of this. You will also need to confirm where you intend to live in the UK, and why you have decided this based on the cost and proximity to the University. 

The interview will also be checking your ability to speak in English. You must be able to communicate in basic English, regardless of any qualifications you may hold. You will not be allowed to use an interpreter. 

So please remember, if you are selected for an interview, please note the following points:

• Do not be alarmed - it is a normal part of the visa process.
• Be prepared to answer questions honestly from your own experience and in as much detail as you can using information we have provided to help you. Please do not be tempted to use memorised or any form of scripted answers.
• Please inform your interviewer if you experience any problems during the interview, for example, if you cannot hear them clearly on the video.

As part of the assessment of a student visa application, UKVI will often want to know the reasons for any prolonged gaps in a student's studies. If this applies in your situation, please do not be alarmed by this. However, you may be required to supply an explanation for any long gaps in study, for example, because of employment you may have undertaken or a change in your career plans that requires further study. 

If you have had a long gap in your studies (especially if over a year), you are advised to provide a supporting letter to explain these. This can be uploaded with your online application with the other required documents. Please provide a clear and detailed explanation to account for any gaps in study. As mentioned above, if you are selected for a visa interview, you may be asked questions about this. 

 If you are not a national of the EU/EEA/Switzerland or one of the exempted countries below, and you will be studying a postgraduate taught or research course, you may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate if you require any kind of visa to study in the UK.

Please check your offer letter carefully as this will explain if you need to obtain an ATAS certificate as a condition of your offer. 

It will depend on the subject area of your course. Each course subject is given a unique HECoS (Higher Education Classification of Subjects) code. Courses linked to some of these HECoS codes will need an ATAS certificate, most commonly in the fields of Engineering, Biological Sciences and Computer Sciences. 

Please note that the following nationalities will also be exempt from the ATAS requirement: United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Canada. EU/EEA nationals also are exempt. 

If required, you must obtain the ATAS certificate before you can be issued with an unconditional offer. If you need to make a student visa application, you would be required to submit the ATAS certificate in your application and this will be stated on the CAS. You also would not be allowed to register for your course without an ATAS certificate if required.

You can apply for your ATAS certificate up to six months before your course start date. ATAS applications are made online at the ATAS website, which also provides further information about the process. Applications typically take at least six weeks to be decided. However, in peak times such as August and September, the processing times can increase significantly. It is therefore very important that you apply for your ATAS certificate as early as possible before, but within six months of,  your course start date. This is to ensure the certificate remains valid if you need to make a Student visa application.

ATAS certificates are issued only for a specific course and institution. Therefore, if you change courses or move to another University, you will need to obtain a new ATAS certificate. This will apply even if you change courses at Brunel University London. You also need a new ATAS certificate if you need to extend your permission to stay (visa) in order to continue with a current course, or if your primary research supervisor changes.

If you are asked to obtain an ATAS certificate in your offer, but you believe you do not need one based on the ATAS guidance, please contact the Admissions Office to clarify this. You do not require an ATAS certificate if you have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. But please note that ATAS is required for most other temporary visa categories, including refugee status or for asylum applicants. Students coming to the UK for relevant courses of less than six months will require ATAS, even if with a Visitor Visa. 

In order to submit a student visa application, you will have to pay an additional fee called an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Although it does increase the overall cost of making a visa application, the money raised contributes to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). This gives you the right to receive medical care while you are in the UK without any further cost.

The current fee for student visa applications is £776 for each year that the visa covers. For example, if you apply for a visa to enter the UK for three years, the fee would be £2,328. The annual fee reduced by 50% (£388) if your visa covers part of a year but less than six months. However, the full annual fee (£776) will be payable if the student visa covers a period of more than six months, even if less than a calendar year. Any dependant application is subject to the same charge. 

All students who apply overseas for a visa of more than six months will be charged. This includes the Short-term Study Visa. However, students coming to the UK for less than six months do not need to pay the IHS. This will mean that you will not be charged if your Student visa application is made for one of our Pre-sessional English courses of less than six months. Please note that you will be charged when you extend your permission to stay (visa) inside the UK in order to undertake your main degree course. The IHS is payable for any visa application made in the UK. 

Your visa application may be rejected if you fail to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge when you apply for your visa. However, if your visa application is refused, the fee should be refunded.

For full details of the Immigration Health Surcharge, please visit the UKVI website. There are a select few visa categories or nationalities that are exempt from the charge, as listed on this website. 

In order to stand the best possible chance of making a successful Student visa application, you must ensure that you do the following:

• Take time to read the Student Visa Policy Guidance available at the UKVI website in addition to the information supplied by Brunel University to support you in the application process. Please ensure you understand the visa requirements before proceeding with your application and contact us if you need any help with these. 

•  Ensure that you supply the correct supporting documents in your application. This can be done by following the policy guidance and the information available as you make the application. In order to meet the financial requirements, you may need to prepare your finances at least 28 days in advance of your application.
  
  
• Please take time to complete your application carefully. You may allow other people, such as an education agent or immigration advisor, to help you with the application. However, your visa application is your responsibility and you must ensure all of the information supplied is correct.
  
  
• Submit your application as early as possible. You are more likely to make a mistake in your visa application if you are rushing to complete it. You can make your application up to six months before your course start date. If you are making a student visa application inside the UK, you must ensure that you apply before your current visa expires.
  
  
• If applicable, be prepared for a credibility/visa interview and answer the questions as clearly and honestly as you can (please see the section on Credibility/Visa Interviews above).

Unfortunately, some students will have their student visa application refused. This sometimes happens because the student fails to meet the financial requirements (see section above) or supply other required documents. Students are sometimes also refused because they fail to demonstrate that they genuinely intend to study in the UK in their interview.

What happens if my visa application is refused?

If your application is refused, you will receive written notice of this from UKVI in a letter/email. The first thing you must do is carefully read this letter in order to understand the reasons given for your refusal.

You should then send a copy of this letter to us by email. We can then help advise you of what your options are. These may be:

• Obtain a new CAS and submit a new student visa application: If the reasons given for the refusal are valid and you still want to study at Brunel University, you will need to make a new visa application. You will have to ensure that you do not repeat any errors or omissions in the second application, which will hopefully lead to the application being successful. In order to reapply, Brunel will need to issue you with a new CAS. We shall only do this if we are confident that a second application would be successful and that there is enough time for you to obtain the visa before the start of your course. Also, if your application for further permission to stay in the UK has been refused, you may only be able to make a new application provided you still have valid leave and you have not 'overstayed'. We will take these factors into account and may ask to check some of your documents before we agree to give you a new CAS. Please note that you will be charged £55 if you are issued a second CAS. You always need to declare any previous visa refusals in a new application.

• Administrative Review: If you believe that the decision to refuse your application is incorrect, you can submit an Administrative Review. This means that your application will be reconsidered by UKVI. If it is found that a mistake was made, the refusal decision may be reversed and your visa granted. Instructions about how to submit an Administrative Review will be supplied in the refusal letter. You will only have a limited time period to submit this Administrative Review if you choose to do so.  There will be an £80 fee for an Administrative Review. We would only advise you to do this if you genuinely believe a mistake has been made in refusing your application. This is another reason why you must inform us if you receive a visa refusal, and we can offer advice on this. Please refer to the UKVI website for further details about how to submit an Administrative Review.
  
  If you are not in a position to make another visa application or submit an Administrative Review, you may either need to withdraw your application to Brunel University or choose to defer your place to the next available course intake. If you withdraw your place, your course deposit will be refunded (if applicable) upon receipt of the visa refusal letter, provided the refusal was not on the grounds of false representation.