Student Visa - Academic Progression and Time Limits
Find out how you can meet the academic progression requirement for a Student visa application from inside the UK.
Elsewhere on Ulster
Find out more about applying for a Student visa.
You should apply for a Student visa if:
You may also apply for a Student visa if you will study at Ulster University for less than 6 months and you would like permission to work part-time during your stay with us. If this is the case for you, please contact the Compliance team for advice.
You can apply for your Student visa as soon as you have received your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from us.
If you are applying for a Student visa from inside the UK, please note the following important information:
Your CAS is an electronic document that confirms to the UK Home Office that Ulster University has made you an unconditional offer of study.
You cannot submit a Student visa application without your CAS reference number.
You can only use your CAS for one Student visa application.
If your visa application is refused, you must not try to use your CAS to make a new Student visa application. We can only issue you with a new CAS when you have sent us your full refusal notice and if we are satisfied that you will be able to meet the requirements for a new Student visa application.
If you apply for your Student visa from outside the UK, we will issue your CAS up to 6 months before your course starts.
If you apply for your Student visa from inside the UK, we will issue your CAS up to 3 months before your course starts.
When you have met all the conditions of your offer to study at Ulster University and you have paid your deposit (if applicable), we will ask you to complete a CAS request. You will receive an email from ulster@cas-shield.com asking you to create a CAS shield account and complete your CAS request. The email may go into your junk/spam email folder, so please check this if you do not receive your CAS Shield email after you have been issued your unconditional offer letter. You must confirm your details and upload all requested documents to your CAS Shield account to complete your CAS request.
As part of the CAS assessment process, you may be invited to a Pre-cas interview via CAS shield, you will receive the invite from ulster@cas-shield.com. A CAS will only be issued if the Pre-CAS interview is complete and successful.
The questions in the interview will ask you about your plans for study, your reason for choosing to study at Ulster University, the course, and your finances. Please ensure that you do not have any notes or websites in front of you during the interview.
Your CAS is an electronic document that includes:
We will email your CAS to you from CASStatements@ulster.ac.uk.
It is important that you make sure that all of the details in your CAS are correct.
Please email us immediately at compliance@ulster.ac.uk if you notice any errors on your CAS. We will need to correct any errors before you make your Student visa application.
We recommend that you make your Student visa application as soon as you have received your CAS. You must enter your CAS reference number in the relevant section of your Student visa application form.
If you have any questions about your CAS, please contact the Compliance team.
If you are making your Student visa application from outside the UK you must apply in your home country or normal country of residence.
You must apply for your Student visa before you travel to the UK.
You will need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) in order to apply for a Student visa. You should apply for your visa up to 6 months before the course start date on your CAS.
If you are applying for your Student visa in August or September, we recommend that you use the priority service to ensure that you receive your visa in time to travel to the UK and start your studies at Ulster. You will not be permitted to enrol and start your studies after the latest date of enrolment.
UKVI aims to process Student visa applications submitted through the standard service within 15 working days. You should allow an additional 5 working days to obtain a biometrics appointment. However, it can take longer than this depending on when and where you make your application. We recommend that you submit your Student visa application as soon as you can.
Check the current visa processing times at: Visa Processing times
If you would like your visa to be processed more quickly, you can pay an additional fee to fast-track your application. This is known as:
The Priority/Super Priority Service is not available at all visa application centres. You will find out if you can get a faster decision when you apply for your visa.
Find your nearest visa application centre and check what services are offered.
Step 1 - Check the Student visa guidance
Step 2 - Apply online for a Student visa
Step 3 - Follow the instructions to either:
Step 4 – Receive your documents and your visa. You may be able to choose to collect your documents or have them delivered to you by post or courier.
Check the advice and different services available for a Student visa application from your country.
The cost of a Student visa application is £490. You will pay more for additional services.
Application Type | Time for a decision | Cost per person |
---|---|---|
Standard | 8 Weeks | £490 |
Priority | 10 Days | £990 |
Super Priority | Same Day | £1,490 |
You will pay an Immigration Health Surcharge when you pay your Student visa application fee. You may also need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.
You may be asked to attend an interview as part of your Student visa application process. Failing at interview is one of the main reasons why Student visa applications are refused.
The interview will be conducted by a member of Home Office staff who will assess whether you are a 'genuine student' and have the required level of English language proficiency.
You may be asked detailed questions about your new course of study, your previous UK study and immigration history, how you will fund your studies and the reasons you have chosen to study your course in the UK and at Ulster University.
It is essential that you answer all questions at your interview clearly and in detail.
If you need help to complete and submit your Student visa application, please contact isas@ulster.ac.uk
If you are already in the UK with immigration permission, you may be able to apply for permission to stay in the UK on a Student visa from within the UK.
Please note:
Application processing times and cost varies depending on the service you choose. The standard processing time is 8 weeks. If you want to get a decision more quickly than the standard 8 weeks, you may be able to apply for:
Check the options for getting a faster decision on your visa application.
Step 1 - Check the Student visa guidance.
Step 2 - Apply online for a Student visa.
Step 3 - Follow the instructions to either
Step 4 - Make an appointment to attend a UKVCAS service centre (you will receive an email if you do not need to do this).
Step 5 - Attend the UKVCAS appointment.
Step 6 – When your visa has been processed, you will receive your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) by post or courier.
The cost of a Student visa application is £490. You will pay more for additional services.
Application Type | Time for a decision | Cost per person |
---|---|---|
Standard | 8 Weeks | £490 |
Priority | 10 Days | £900 |
Super Priority | Same Day | £1,290 |
You will pay an Immigration Health Surcharge when you pay your Student visa application fee. You may also need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.
The Home Office has announced a scheme that will allow Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) to request an interview with students in order to ascertain that the student's intentions to study in the UK are genuine.
The process is carried out in two stages; students will be given a short interview lasting around 5 minutes at the point when your biometrics are taken. Students may then be called back for a further in-depth interview.
It is essential that if you are called for interview, you are able to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) in the following areas. (This is not a complete list and is only intended as a guide. You can be questioned regarding any aspect of your background or study plans):
If you are called to interview you must attend. Remember to prepare carefully and request a transcript at your interview appointment.
During your application process please ensure that you check your junk mail as this could be an email from the Home Office asking you to attend an interview. If you fail to attend an interview your application could be refused automatically.
If you need help to complete and submit your Student visa application, please contact isas@ulster.ac.uk
The UK has a healthcare system which is paid for through taxes. All UK nationals and most residents have equal access to the National Health Service (NHS) without being charged each time they visit a doctor or hospital.
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) helps fund the NHS, and will give you the same access to the NHS as UK citizens. You will pay the IHS when you apply for your visa.
If you make your visa application outside the UK, you will have to pay the IHS when you apply for a visa for a period of longer than six months. You do not need to pay if you are applying for a visitor visa.
If you are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you only need to pay if you are applying to come to the UK from 1 January 2021.
If you make your visa application within the UK, you will have to pay the IHS when you apply for a visa of any length.
As a Student, you will pay £776 for each year of your visa.
Please note that If your visa is for more than 12 months but less than 18 months, you’ll have to pay the yearly cost plus half the yearly cost. However if your visa is more than 18 months but less than 2 years, you will have to pay for two years.
Dependants usually need to pay the same amount as you.
You can check how much you will have to pay using the IHS calculator
You will make your payment as part of your online visa application. If you are making an immigration application by post, you must make your payment before you complete your application.
You must pay the IHS by debit or credit card.
For more information on the IHS, please see link below:
Your financial documents are one of the most important parts of your Student visa application. Submitting incorrect financial documents is one of the main reasons why Student visa applications are refused.
To receive your CAS and meet the Student visa financial requirements, you must be able to provide evidence that you have enough money to pay for:
You must provide evidences of your funds before we can issue your CAS.
To meet the Student visa financial requirements, you must be able to provide evidence that you have enough money to cover:
Note: if you have been in the UK with valid immigration permission for 12 months on the date that your CAS is issued, you will not need to demonstrate evidence of your finances when you apply for your Student visa.
Study location | Amount per month | Maximum amount required (9 months) |
---|---|---|
Outside London | £1,136 | £10,224 |
Inside London | £1,483 | £13,347 |
If your course duration is less than 9 months, you must provide evidence that you have enough money to cover your living costs for the full duration of the course.
If your course duration is more than 9 months, you must provide evidence that you have enough money to cover your living costs for 9 months.
If you meet the conditions below, you do not need to provide evidence of your finances to us before we issue your CAS.
You do not need to provide evidence that you meet the financial requirement (or provide documents used to obtain an offer) when you submit your visa application if:
The list of nationals is updated regularly so please check the Student immigration rules (ST22.1) for the most up-to-date list.
Please note that these nationals are often referred to as 'low-risk' nationals.
If you meet the conditions above, you must confirm on your Student visa application that you have enough money to meet the financial requirements. You could later be asked to provide evidence of your finances and your qualifications by the Entry Clearance Officer. You should not apply for your Student visa if you would not be able to provide this evidence if requested to do so. If you are asked to provide evidence and you are unable to do so by the given deadline, your Student visa application will be refused.
If you do not meet the conditions above, you must provide evidence that you meet the Student visa financial requirements before we issue your CAS.
UKVI will no longer issue visa vignettes from 31st March 2025. This will be replaced by an evisa,you can use an eVisa to travel to the UK together with your current passport which must be linked to your UKVI account. You should also get a share code to prove your immigration status before you travel.
Your full Student visa will be an Online Digital Immigration Permission Status as UKVI moved to a digital immigration system on 1st January 2025.
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa.
You will not receive a BRP (Biometric Residence Permit), or any physical documentation for your visa. Instead, you will receive an email from UKVI, which will include details of your immigration permission. The email will detail your visa start and end dates, the conditions of your immigration permission (what you can and cannot do whilst in the UK) and if you have been granted a visa under the Student Route. The email will also state that your sponsor is Ulster University and the name of the course you will be studying.
More information can be found on the gov.uk website.
Please ensure you carefully check the email making sure the length of your course, name of your sponsor and course are all correct. If any of the details are incorrect, please contact compliance@ulster.ac.uk.
Check your visa vignette carefully when you receive it. If there are any errors on your vignette that would prevent you from entering the UK as planned, you must get the errors amended before you travel to the UK. This includes errors with your name, nationality or ‘valid from’ date.
Please contact the Compliance team for advice if you notice mistakes on your visa vignette.
UKVISA provide additional information and guidance on Passport, visa and BRP problems.
If your visa vignette is lost or stolen outside the UK, you must report this to the police. You will need to apply for a “vignette transfer” as soon as you have received your new passport.
You can apply to have your visa vignette transferred to a new passport online. This will cost £154.
When you complete your online application, please select the following:
Confirm your visa type: BRP Vignette Transfer
Category of application: To transfer or replace your visa (vignette)
You do not need to provide a CAS or evidence of funds or qualifications etc. (unless this is requested by UKVI). However, you must submit a letter from Ulster University confirming you have been accepted to study with us, in addition to a photocopy of your evidence of Leave and your police report.
UKVISA provide additional information and guidance on vignettes which are lost, stolen or damaged outside the UK .
There are limits on how long you are permitted to study in the UK on a Student visa at different levels.
You are permitted to study courses below degree level in the UK with a Student visa for up to two years.
You are permitted to study a course at undergraduate degree level with a Student visa for up to 5 years unless you are studying an exempt course (e.g. architecture, medicine).
There is no limit on study at postgraduate degree level and above.
The time limit is linked to the duration of your Student visa rather than the duration of your course/s. The time will normally be calculated from the start date of your first Tier 4/Student visa, until four months after you expect to complete your new course (i.e. the expiry date of a new Student visa). Any time during which you did not hold a valid Tier 4/Student visa will be discounted.
As an international sponsored student, it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with the conditions of your Student visa at all times. Failing to comply with the conditions of your Student visa is an offence and could result in your visa being cancelled.
You must enrol and start your studies on or before the latest date of enrolment.
If you do not enrol within the enrolment period, we will report your non-enrolment to UKVI and your Student visa will be cancelled.
You must engage in full with your course. This means that you must:
We will record and monitor your engagement and any absences.
If you regularly fail to engage with your course, we may withdraw you from your course and withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa.
If you are absent from any engagement point of your course (as listed in 2. Above, you must provide a satisfactory explanation (and/or evidence) to your tutor/supervisor. If you do not provide a satisfactory explanation (and/or evidence), your absence will be considered to be ‘unauthorised’.
Repeat ‘unauthorised’ absence will result in withdrawal of sponsorship of your Student visa.
You must progress through your course and undertake all assessments, including examinations, submission of coursework, class tests, viva, and practicals, relevant to your course.
If you fail to progress at a satisfactory rate, you may be withdrawn from your course.
You must provide us with a copy of your current passport and visa (or letters from UKVI if applicable).
If you receive a new passport or visa, you must provide copies of these to the Compliance team within 5 working days of receiving them.
If you fail to provide such documents your registration will be suspended, and you will be unable to access University systems. This may result in the University withdrawing you from your course and withdrawing sponsorship of your Student visa.
All students are required to upload evidence to demonstrate their right to study in the UK.
Once you have arrived in the UK, you must upload a copy of your immigration permission. Instructions on what documents you need to provide and how to provide these, will be sent to you as part of your joining instructions.
Once these documents have been uploaded, please allow 2 working days for the Compliance Team to review and check these.
Once the Compliance Team have checked your right to study documentation and are content that it meets UKVI requirements, they will provide you with access to the On-line Enrolment System.
If you fail to upload these documents before the latest dated of enrolment, you will not be permitted to enroll onto your course.
You must complete any International Student Check-In when asked to do so. If you fail to complete a check-in, your registration will be suspended, and you will be unable to access University systems. This may result in the University withdrawing you from your course and withdrawing sponsorship of your Student visa.
You must keep your contact details up to date. This includes your term-time address, email address, and mobile (cell) phone number. You can update your contact details through your Student Portal (Student Records section).
You must not work more hours than you are permitted to work. Your visa vignette and BRP clearly states how many hours you are permitted to work in any one week during term-time (10 or 20 hours depending on the level of your course). It is your responsibility to check that this information is correct.
You must not engage in any work that is prohibited for Student visa holders.
If you work more than the permitted hours or you work in a prohibited area, you will be in breach of your immigration conditions. It is our responsibility as an international Student Sponsor to ensure that all our students comply with their Student visa conditions. Therefore, if we receive information that you are working more than the permitted hours or in a prohibited area, we will withdraw your sponsorship and your visa will be curtailed.
For information about working in the UK as a sponsored international student, please look at: Working during your studies - Student Visa Holders
University regulations do not permit research students to work more than 6 hours per week.
You must pay your fees by the due date. Failure to pay is considered to be a breach of the terms and conditions of your enrolment. If you are having difficulty paying your fees, you should contact the Fees Office urgently. We will not accept failure to pay on time as a reason for unsatisfactory attendance.
Please refer to the following links for further information:
UKCISA – for detailed information and advice on issues such as protecting your Tier 4 status; Tier 4 work; Dependents; and Passport, visa and BRP problems
Your Student visa – guidance on Student Visa Rights and Responsibilities; Your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP); and Passport, Visa and BRP problems.
As a Student sponsor, it is our responsibility to ensure that we comply with the conditions of our Student sponsor licence.
Failing to comply with the conditions of our Student sponsor license is an offence and could result in our sponsor license being withdrawn.
Find out how you can meet the academic progression requirement for a Student visa application from inside the UK.
Find out if you need an ATAS certificate to get your visa, how to apply for your certificate and what to do when you have it.
If you live in one of the countries/regions specified by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and you wish to come to the UK for more than six months, you will need a certificate to show that you are free from infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The list of countries/regions is subject to change depending upon local conditions.
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