Worried about whether you’ll need a visa to study? Here’s where you can find out!
You do not need a visa to study in the UK if:
If you have 'leave to remain' in the UK under a different category, please check the Home Office website to check whether or not you need to apply for a visa.
If you do need to apply for a visa to study with us, there are two types to consider:
If you are planning to study for less than six months (for example, if you are a semester exchange student), then you should apply for a Short-term Study Visa before you leave your home country.
This visa does not allow you to take paid or volunteering work during your stay, and you cannot change to another type of visa whilst in the UK. If you want a different kind of visa, you would need to return home and apply from your home country.
If you will be studying on a full-time course which lasts longer than six months, you will need to apply for a Tier 4 visa.
Once you have an unconditional offer, have paid your deposit and provided evidence of your finances, we will issue you with a CAS. This is an electronic record of the university’s commitment to sponsoring you to enter and remain in the UK for the purpose of studying. You can then use this electronic record to apply for your visa.
More information on visas, immigration and working in the UK is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).
Before you apply for your Tier 4 visa, you must provide evidence that you have enough money in your bank account to pay any outstanding tuition fees, plus £1015 for each month of study up to a maximum of 3 months.
For example, if your course lasts 12 months, you need to show your remaining tuition fee and 9 x £1015 = £9135. The amount must have been in your bank account for a minimum of 28 days before we will issue you with a CAS.
If your biometric residence permit or decision letter says that you need to register with the police then you must do this, normally within seven days of arrival. If you arrive before Welcome Week, do not delay your police registration.
It is a privilege to hold a Tier 4 visa. It is your visa and your responsibility to protect your right to remain in the UK. Your responsibilities include:
If you are studying on a Short-term Study visa, you are not allowed to take any work, paid or voluntary. If you are on a Tier 4 visa, the amount of work you may take is written on the visa. This will normally be 20 hours per week during term time, so if you work for more than one employer, or undertake some voluntary work alongside paid work, the total hours of work must not exceed 20 hours. Exceeding 20 hours is a very serious breach of your visa conditions and you will be reported to the Home Office and may lose your right to remain in the UK.
No. Your Tier 4 visa does not allow you to travel to Europe. You will need to apply for a Schengen visa.
Any travel must be undertaken during university holiday periods. If you need to return home because of a family emergency or illness, you must discuss this with your tutor and the CIP. We may recommend that you take a break in your studies (intercalate) and return to study at a later date.
You cannot remain in the UK on your Tier 4 visa after you have graduated. Our sponsorship finishes on the final day of your leave to remain. In order to avoid the risk of staying in the UK illegally, you must leave the UK or submit a further visa application before your current visa expires. If you have achieved a good degree and have a business idea you wish to pursue in the UK, we can help you apply for sponsorship under the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route.