2. 2
• Study Group Licence Structure
• PreCAS checks and documents
• Academic Progression and Applying within the UK
• 2 & 5 Year Cap
• English Language Proficiency
• Short term study visas
• Financial Documents
• 15 MINUTE COFFEE BREAK
• Tier 4 out of country visa application
• Appendix H (UKVI Low Risk Nationals)
• TB Tests
• ACL - BRP Collections
• Visa Refusals
• Evidence of leaving the UK
• UKVI Updates 2019
• Office for Students (OfS)
6. Pre-CAS Checks
Recruit students who:
• intend and are able (academically and financially) to complete the course
• are able to make a successful Tier 4 application
• Financial requirements
• Immigration history
• Credibility
• Academic progression
Students MUST be made aware of the need to adhere to conditions of their Tier 4 visa
Ensure student provides the relevant documents for Assessment and CAS have been provided
• Official transcripts/certificates according to the entry requirements
(student must have the originals to submit with the visa application) +
certified translations (if applicable)
• Valid passport ( preferably to cover the full duration of the course)
• SELT or equivalent English qualification
• Previous UK Visa and refusals history
6
7. Requirements for CAS
REQUIREMENTS FOR A CAS:
• Unconditional Confirmation
• Pre-CAS Payment
• Academic documents
• IELTS
• Pre-CAS interview (if applicable)
• Financial documents check (if applicable)
UKVI NO LONGER REQUIRE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED WITH THE VISA
APPLICATION.
• Pre-CAS interviews and FD checks are conducted for students from mainly high risk
nations where we have seen record numbers of visa refusals based on credibility and
financial documents.
7
8. Academic Documents for CAS
All documents need to be official and the UKVI should be given as little reason as possible to suspect they
might not be. So, all documents used for assessment must:
• Be dated, signed and/or stamped by the school, and preferably be on official school letterheaded paper
• Make it clear what qualification they have achieved, or were studying for
• Must NOT have the wording ‘provisional, temporary, interim’ or any reference to the grades not being
final*
If a certificate is not provided, the transcript must state that the student passed the course. If this is not
stated on the transcript then a letter of completion confirming that the student passed the course must be
provided in addition to the transcript.
The Visa Compliance Team should always be consulted if you are not sure a document is valid for
the CAS.
*Bellerbys students applying for GCSE/Pre-Foundation and some nationalities for A Level courses will
often not have completed high school in their home country, so we can accept their overall grade up to that
point. – please ensure to refer any such cases to our admissions team for final assessment. This
might not technically be their ‘final grade’ for their overall schooling if they haven’t finished yet, but the
results and documents must still be official. See entry requirements grid for more information on this.
8
9. Letter of Completion
If a student has completed their studies but won’t receive their final official certificate in time for the visa
application, we can accept a letter of completion from the institution and list this on their CAS that we
issue to the student.
This is normally the case for many students who are applying using their GCSE or A Level qualifications.
We cannot use a document where the grades are provisional, interim or preliminary for the CAS.
A letter of completion must;
• be written on the institution’s (i.e. the school’s…) headed paper
• dated and confirm the course/subjects and the grades achieved on the headed paper
• have approval from the institution by an official stamp or signed by Head/Official member of staff from
the institution, or that we’re able to verify the letter online via a school portal
• confirm that the student has ‘completed/finished/concluded’ and passed their studies
Must NOT have the wording ‘provisional, temporary, interim’ or any reference to the grades not being
final on the letter
9
10. Courses for Tier 4 General and Child
• 2 types of Tier 4 visa:
– Tier 4 (General) = 16 years old and over
– Tier 4 (Child) = under 18
• Foundation and International Year 1 students (Bellerbys and ISCs) must apply as
a Tier 4 (General)
• Pre-Masters students apply as Tier 4 (General) as all 18+
• GCSE students (Bellerbys) must be under 18 and must apply for Tier 4 (Child)
• A level students (Bellerbys):
– if under 18 can apply as either Tier 4 (General) or Tier 4 (Child)
– If over 18 must apply as Tier 4 (General)
10
11. Courses or Tier 4 General and Child
• Pre-Foundation (3 term) 15.5 years students (Bellerbys Brighton & London) must
apply as a Tier 4 (Child)
• Pre-Foundation (2 term) 18+ years students (Bellerbys London) must apply as a
short term student
11
13. Academic Progression
• The academic progression rule is in place to ensure that students are progressing
academically if they wish to study a further course in the UK, and are not merely
seeking to extend their stay in the UK
• Tier 4 General students who meet academic progression are eligible to make their
next Tier 4 visa application for their new course from within the UK
13
14. Academic Progression &
Eligibility to Apply Within the UK Criteria
Students in the UK currently on a Tier 4 GENERAL- Applying for a NEW course
From 1 August 2019, all our students studying on a Tier 4 GENERAL visa can apply
from inside the UK, however thy must meet ALL the following criteria:
- be applying to study a HIGHER level than the previous course and;
-. have SUCESSFULLY COMPLETED* the previous course
- new course must start within 28 days of the expiry of the current visa
*in order to qualify as having “successfully completed” the previous course the
student must have achieved the qualification for which they were studying and
providing an award or certificate – Must be referenced on the CAS
If any of the above criteria is not met, the student must apply from
the Home country
14
15. New Course Start Date vs Visa Expiry Date
• For students making an application from within the UK, the new course start date
must be no more than 28 days from the expiry date on the previous visa.
• If the student has overstayed and have provided a plausible reason which was
beyond the control of the student (which must be reviewed by the VCT), the course
start date must be no more than 14 days from when the period of overstaying
begun.
• Students must however ensure they always submit their visa application before
their visa expires
**If a student has overstayed for any period of time (even for 1 day) on their previous
visa, or no longer has any valid leave to remain, please contact the VCT before
proceeding with the students course application
15
16. Exceptions to Progression Criteria
• Student already on a Tier 4 Child visa or making a Tier 4 (Child) Student application
• Student making their first Tier 4 (General) application within the UK (from a Tier 2 or
Tier 4 (Child) visa);
• Student making a first application to move to a new institution to complete an existing
course commenced at a Tier 4 sponsor that had its licence revoked;
• Student applying to resit an examination, repeat a course module or repeat an
academic year,
• ** ALL SCENARIOS IN GREEN CAN APPLY FOR THEIR VISA FROM WITHIN
THE UK
**Student making a Tier 4 (General) application from overseas is also exempt from
academic progression
Students who are not required to meet the progression criteria must still still be
assessed based on credibility
16
18. 2 Year Cap
• All students at the age of 18 and above are only permitted to spend a maximum
total of 2 years studying any course(s) below degree level.
• The two years is applicable whether the student is applying from within or outside
the UK.
• The full duration of the visa is counted (from the issue date to the expiry date of the
visa), unless the student is issued with a curtailment letter to curtail the existing
leave.
18
19. 2 Year Cap
• The two-year cap only includes time spent in the UK on a Tier 4 (General) and Tier
4 (Child) visa from the student’s 18th birthday.
• Any time spent on a pre-Tier 4 student visa, or any other type of visa is not
counted towards the 2 year limit.
**The rule is not applicable to any Tier 4 students under the age of 18.
19
20. 2 Year Cap (Exceptions)
2 years 11 months
• New A level students applying for the first time as Tier 4 GENERAL are allowed an
exceptional maximum study limit below degree level of 2 years and 11 months (35
months) instead of the standard 2 years (24 months) for all other Tier 4 GENERAL
students.
• This extended study allowance is only applicable to students who have never
studied on a Tier 4 GENERAL visa before.
20
21. 5 Year Cap
• All students at the age of 18 and above are only permitted to spend a maximum
total of 5 years studying any course(s) at or above degree level. **The rule is not
applicable to any students under the age of 18.
• The five years is applicable whether the student is applying from within or outside
the UK.
• The full duration of the visa is counted (from the issue date to the expiry date of the
visa), unless the student is issued with a curtailment letter to curtail the existing
leave.
21
22. 5 Year Cap
• The five year cap only includes time spent in the UK either on a (pre-Tier 4)
student visa or on a Tier 4 (General) visa from the student’s 18th birthday.
• Any time spent studying on any other type of visa is not counted towards the
5 year limit.
22
23. 5 Year Cap (Exception)
5 years 11 months
• This can be applied when student cannot complete their degree course studies in
the 60 months given
• Student must be sponsored by HEI and be able to complete the 5th year within the
11 months concession (including the additional leave)
23
25. UKVI IELTS
• Must be taken at approved centre
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-approved-english-language-tests
• Valid for 2 years – Must be valid at the time student makes the visa application
• Student does not have to submit paper copy with Visa application as the visa officer will verify scores
using the UKVI number referenced on the CAS – But if student has the IELTS, we advise them to
submit the test
– Appendix O: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-o-approved-english-
language-tests
• Minimum IELTS requirements for visa purpose
• Minimum 4.0 in all sub-skills if course is below degree level (International Foundation, International Year 1, ELP/EPM)
• Minimum 5.5 in all skills if course is at degree level (Pre-Masters) **New OfS provisions also apply
**Course entry requirement might be higher
No Combined CAS for EPM + PMP for EPM course that is longer than 12 weeks!
25
27. SELT Exemptions
• Student applying for a Tier 4 Child visa
• Student is a national of an English speaking country
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, UK, USA
But not Dominican Republic!
• Student has completed successfully a previous course in the UK on Tier 4 Child
Visa in the last 2 years. The course must have been longer than 6 months.
– Must achieve the qualification for the course
– A levels – 1 pass grade is sufficient
– AS levels – if there is an official certificate
27
28. SELT Exemptions
• Student who has successfully obtained an academic qualification (not a
professional or vocational qualification) from an educational establishment
in the UK, which is a Bachelor’s degree or above
• Student who has previously completed an academic qualification
equivalent to a UK degree which was taught in a “majority English-
speaking” country:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,
Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St
Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA
Statement of Comparability from NARIC is required for any degree that is not from
the UK – Must be referenced on the CAS
28
29. NARIC Statement Of Comparability
• Students using a degree from an English speaking country to qualify as SELT exempt
need to apply for the Statement of Comparability from UK NARIC (£59.40).
• Students must apply online and send off a scan of their qualification an NARIC then
issue the certificate confirming its equivalent to a UK degree. The student then
submits both the original of the academic certificate AND the original of the Statement
of Comparability.
• Further details regarding the Statement of Comparability can be found on the
following link ;
• https://www.naric.org.uk/naric/Individuals/Compare%20Qualifications/Statement%20o
f%20Comparability.aspx
29
31. Short Term Student Visa
3 TYPES OF SHORT TERM STUDY VISAS
– short-term student (6 months) – for applicants aged 16 and over for a
maximum of 6 months’ study
– short-term student (11 months) – for applicants aged 16 and over for a
maximum of 11 months’ English language study only
– short-term student (child) – for applicants aged under 16 for a maximum of
6 months’ study
**Students must leave the UK within 30 days after their course end date or before their
leave expires, whichever is later.
31
32. Short Term Student Visa
PROOF OF FUNDS
Although not an official requirement, similar financial requirements to the Tier 4 visa
must be met for a successful short term student visa application
32
34. Finances (Overview)
• Total required must be held in account for minimum 28 days consecutively
• Evidence only valid for 31 days from closing balance date
34
35. Finances (Documentary Evidence)
• Financial evidence can only be in the name of:
– Student
– Mother
– Father
• If using evidence from father or mother, they must be biological parent or have full
legal guardianship of student (e.g. legally adopted student)
• Not accepted (**unless account is in joint names with the student):
– Step father/mother (if not official legal guardian)
– Brother/sister
– Auntie/Uncle/Grandmother/Grandfather
35
36. Finances (Documentary Evidence)
• If using funds in parents name additional support documents must be included
together with financial evidence:
• TIER 4 GENERAL
– Consent letter signed by account holder confirming student is authorised
to use funds in account and that account holder will be covering all tuition and
living costs fees
– Birth certificate proving relationship between student and account holder
– If not biological parent, must submit court documentation/adoption
certificate proving legal adoption of student
– If using joint account – consent letter from joint account holder approving use
of funds (however student must be part to joint account)
– Any document not in English must include a translation from a certified
translator
36
37. Finances (Documentary Evidence)
• If using funds in parents name additional support documents must be included
together with financial evidence:
TIER 4 CHILD
• Tier 4 (Child) Student who are using funds in the name of their parent/legal
guardian must now submit for their visa application a letter confirming;
– who is providing the maintenance funds for their use in studying and living in
the UK;
– that the funds will remain available to the student unless used to pay for
course fees and living;
– the relationship between the student and their parent(s) or legal guardian(s);
– that their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to the student
using their funds to study in the UK.
– .
37
38. Finances (Documentary Evidence)
• Types of financial evidence (most common):
– Bank statement (showing required balance maintained for 28 consecutive
days and not dated older than 31 days)
– Bank letter (confirming required balance maintained for 28 consecutive days
and not dated older than 31 days)
• Bank statement/letter must show:
– Account holder name
– Account number
– Bank logo and details (headed paper or signed and stamped – each page)
– Balance clearly maintained for 28 days
– Date, statement period, running balance
38
39. Finances (Documentary Evidence)
• Electronic bank statements are accepted provided they are stamped on every page by
the bank or are accompanied by an original letter from the bank confirming authenticity of
electronic bank statements
• Ad hoc bank statements printed on the bank’s letterhead are acceptable as evidence (this
excludes mini-statements from cash points)
39
40. Finances (Documentary Evidence)
40
• Other types of financial evidence
– letter from an official financial sponsor
– letter from a regulated financial institution confirming that they have a loan
from the national government, the state or regional government, a
government-sponsored student loan company, or an academic or educational
loans scheme (see “d” for further guidance)
– statements of a passbook from a building society
• Where the funds are in a currency other than pounds sterling, the amount
considered will be based on the exchange rate for the relevant currency on the
date of their application, taken from the rates published on www.oanda.com
41. Finances
(Official Financial Sponsorship)
41
TYPES OF OFFICIAL FINANCIAL SPONSORS
• Her Majesty’s Government
• Student’s home government
• The British Council
• Any international organisation
• Any international company
• Any university or a UK independent school.
43. Finances
(Official Financial Sponsorship)
Financial Guarantee Letter
• The letter must show:
– student’s name
– the name and contact details of the official financial sponsor
– the date of the letter
– the length of the sponsorship
– the amount of money the sponsor is giving or a statement that the official
financial sponsor will cover all of the tuition fees and living costs
– the letter needs to be printed on the headed paper and have the official stamp
of the organisation on it
43
44. Finances (Loan Letter)
• The letter must show:
– The loan is provided by their national government, their state or regional government, a government
sponsored student loan company or is part of an academic or educational loans scheme
– the letter(s) must be dated no more than 6 months before the date of the visa application
– the letter(s) must be the original and not a copy
– student’s name
– the date of the letter(s)
– the financial institution’s name and logo
– the money available as a loan
Loans held in the name of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) cannot be accepted. It must be under the
name of the student
• There must be no conditions placed on the release of the loan funds to the student, other than their Tier 4 application
being successful
• If applying from overseas, the loan must be available to the student before they travel to the UK with only two
exceptions:
– it is an academic or student loan from their country's national government and will be released to the student
when they arrive in the UK
– the loan funds are or will be paid directly to their Tier 4 sponsor before they travel to the UK and the living
costs portion of the loan will be released to them on or before their arrival in the UK
Where a financial loan (not a student loan) is provided, the student must separately confirm in a letter
when the funds will be available to them.
44
45. Finances (Bellerbys Colleges)
Tier 4 (Child) and T4 (General) staying in Bellerbys Residence or Host Family:
– Must show outstanding balance from:
• Course fees (first year) + accommodation fees (first year) – total paid
= outstanding balance to show in bank account
• If course fees (first year) and accommodation fees (first year) paid in
full and no outstanding balance then student is not required to show
any financial documents
• No monthly Living costs calculation
Course fees (first year): £15,000 + Residence (first year) £10,000 = £25,000
Total paid: £7000
Total to show in bank account: £18000
45
46. Finances (Bellerbys Colleges)
All Tier 4 (General) students and Tier 4 (Child) not in Residence or Host Family
• Must show outstanding balance from:
• Living costs calculation:
Course Fees (First year) + monthly living cost (up to 9 months)
Inner London (Bellerbys London only)
• £1265 per month up to maximum 9 months
Outside London (all other Bellerbys Colleges)
• £1015 per month up to maximum 9 months
46
47. Finances (ISC)
All Tier 4 (General) students living in accommodation provided by the Centre
• Must show outstanding balance from:
• Course fees (first year) minus total paid towards course
• Plus monthly living costs (up to 9 months) minus (up to maximum
of) £1265 if student paid money towards their accommodation
* £1265 – is the maximum deduction amount set by UKVI
• Living costs calculation:
– Inner London (RHUL ISC, Coventry ISC and Kingston ISC)
• £1265 per month up to maximum 9 months
– Outside London (all other ISCs)
• £1015 per month up to maximum 9 months
47
48. Finances (ISC)
All Tier 4 (General) students living in accommodation which is not provided by
the Centre (privately arranged accommodation)
• Must show outstanding balance from:
• Course fees (first year) minus total paid towards course
• Plus monthly living costs (up to 9 months)
Living costs calculation:
– Inner London (RHUL ISC, Coventry ISC and Kingston ISC)
• £1265 per month up to maximum 9 months
– Outside London (all other ISCs)
• £1015 per month up to maximum 9 months
48
49. Appendix P
Pease check if bank statement from financial institution is on Appendix P
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-p-lists-of-
financial-institutions
Please make sure you do not send bank statements from financial institutes that do
not satisfactorily verify financial statement as listed by the UKVI.
Equally, please make sure you only send bank statements from financial institutes
that are accepted by the UKVI.
**The VCT will not be checking this so please make sure this information is
checked before you send any financial documents to the financial documents
inbox.
49
50. Source of Income (Credibility)
Students from high risk regions must be ready to provide evidence of source of income
upon request.
This can be in the form of (but not limited to):
• Parents/family company documents
• Confirmation of sale of land
• Confirmation of rent income from parent/family property
Failure to provide this information upon request may result in the rejection of a CAS
application
50
51. Official Translation
• If the application includes any documents which are not in English (or Welsh), the
student must also include an original translation of each document. Each translation
must contain:
• confirmation from the translator / translation company that it is an accurate
translation of the original document
• the date of the translation
• the full name and original signature of the translator, or of an authorised official of
the translation company
• the contact details of the translator or translation company; and
• (if student is already in the UK and is applying for further leave) certification by a
qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company’s credentials
51
53. Under 18 Consent Letter
Under 18s Consent Letter must include the following:
• the relationship between parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and the student
• parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to the application
• parent(s) or legal guardian(s) agrees to their living arrangements in the UK
• parent(s) or legal guardian(s) agrees to the arrangements made for their travel to and reception in the
UK (for students applying from outside the UK only)
• if they have sole custody, it needs to be stated on the letter and they are required to submit an
additional document (e g court document) confirming this
For students 16 or 17 years old and living independently, the letter of consent must also include the
following:
• parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to the living independently in the UK
IN ADDITION TO THIS LETTER STUDENTS MUST ALSO SUBMIT A BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR COURT
DOCUMENT/ADOPTION CERTIFICATE TO PROVE RELATIONSHIP WITH PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIAN
53
54. Templates – Keep it simple
Under 18 Consent Letter
54
We full names of both parents are parents of full name of student and we agree to the
following for our son/daughter (please state accordingly):
to make a visa application to study in the UK
to the living arrangements in the UK
to the arrangements made for travel and reception in the UK (for students applying
from outside the UK only)
(In case of student being aged 16/17 and living in a private accommodation the
following also needs to be included in the consent) – remove this if not relevant
for our son/daughter to be living independently in the UK
Name: Relation to Student:
Signature: Date:
Name: Relation to Student:
Signature: Date:
Please tick to confirm if one parent/legal guardian has a sole custody of the
student. Please note that evidence of sole custody will need to be provided
57. Tier 4 Online Visa Application
(Outside UK)
Student can apply for a visa 3 months prior to the course start date
• Find an application centre: https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre
• Submit online visa application: https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/apply and chose
required service: https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/kw/en/premium-services and book an
appointment
• Visa application cost from outside of the UK is GBP 348
• Priority Visa Service – decision within 5 working days – USD 288
• Super Priority Visa Service - decision next business day – USD 1254
Standard processing time is 3 weeks for a standard application.
57
58. Tier 4 Online Visa Application
(Outside UK)
• Pay Healthcare Surcharge (GBP 300 per year): https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-
immigration-application/pay
In case where there are issues with Healthcare Surcharge payment please contact :
visaquestions@studygroup.com
• Attend appointment with your documents, please arrive 15 minutes prior you your
appointment time
• Documents supporting visa application are scanned at the VAC (visa application
centre) and biometrics features are taken
• Wait for visa application outcome (usually via email)
• If there is a delay with getting decision on the visa application please contact your
admissions contact – VCT can request update on visa application
58
59. Tier 4 Online Visa Application
(Outside UK)
• After getting visa from VAC (visa application centre) please check if the visa vignette
issued is correct and there are no mistakes
• Student can only travel within the validity of the 30 day vignette, not before the start
date and not after the end date, as student would not be allowed to enter the UK.
• Errors on 30 day vignette – please contact the VAC (no need for a new CAS)
• Expired 30 day vignette – please contact the VAC to get the expired vignette replaced (no
need for a new CAS)
• Update your admissions contact with the visa outcome and provide copies of the visa
outcome (i.e. visa vignette copy, refusal letter – all pages)
59
60. Tier 4 Online Visa Application
(Outside UK)
• Visa applications withdrawals – where a student withdraws their application (i.e. mistake
in visa application) which was made out of country then student receives full refund
for the visa application paid. Please note this is not applicable to applications made from
within the UK – there will be no refund.
• Update your admissions contact with arrival details
• Student arrives in centre for registration
• Student collects their BRP card from allocated collection point (i.e. post office or ACL
registered ISC centre)
• Police registration (if required)
60
62. Tier 4 Visa Application
(Immigration Health Surcharge)
• The Immigration Health Surcharge increased from £150 per year to £300 per
year.
• All Tier 4 applicants must pay a sum of £300 per year for health surcharge.
• So if a student is doing a 2 year course, the students must pay a total sum of £600
• Students will pay half of the yearly amount if their application includes part of a year
that is less than 6 months.
• Students will pay for a whole year if their application includes part of a year that is
more than 6 months.
• This amount is paid in the process of completing the Tier 4 visa application.
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
62
63. Tier 4 Application
(Immigration Health Surcharge)
Who needs to pay
• For visa applications made outside the UK, students need to pay if:
• • they are a national of a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
• • they are applying for a visa to study for more than 6 months (but not applying to remain in the UK
permanently)
• For immigration applications made from within the UK, students need to pay if:
• • they are a national of a country outside the EEA
• • they are making an immigration application for any length of time, including applications for 6 months
or less (but not applying to remain in the UK permanently)
NOTE: Students still need to pay even if they have private medical insurance.
63
64. Tier 4 Visa Application
(Immigration Health Surcharge)
When you students start to use the NHS?
• You can start using the National Health Service (NHS) when both:
• you’ve paid the healthcare surcharge (or are exempt from paying it)
• your visa or immigration application is granted
• You’ll still need to pay for certain types of services, such as prescriptions, dental
treatment, eye tests and assisted conception.
• You should bring your biometric residence permit with you when you access
healthcare in the UK.
*FOR THE TYPE OF TREATMENTS THAT CAN BE DONE UNDER THE NHS,
PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE https://www.nhs.uk/ and
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide
64
65. Tier 4 Visa Application
(Immigration Health Surcharge)
A full refund of the IHS fee will be given if:
• the visa application is withdrawn or cancelled
• the visa application is refused
• The student has paid twice
65
67. Appendix H – Document Exemption
Students from countries listed on Appendix H are not required to submit their
academic and financial documents however, they are still required to meet both the
academic and financial requirements for their visa application.
Students are still required to have the documents to hand as the UKVI may
request them at any time during the application process.
67
68. Appendix H (updated 6th April 2019)
On 6 April 2019, the UKVI published a new list of low risk nationals which can also be
obtained from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-h-tier-4-
documentary-requirements
Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Oman, Peru and Tunisia have been added to this list.
Argentina, The Maldives and Trinidad and Tobago have been removed from this list.
• Australia
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• Canada
• Chile
• China
68
69. Appendix H (updated 6th April 2019)
• The Dominican Republic
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Kuwait
• Malaysia
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Oman
• Peru
• Qatar
• Serbia
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America
69
70. Appendix H (updated 6th April 2019)
Where a student is a dual national, and only one of their nationalities is listed above,
they will be able to apply using the different documentary requirements that apply to
these nationals, provided they are applying either for entry clearance in the
country or territory where the student is living, or for leave to remain in the UK.
A student will also not be required to submit all of the mandatory documents with their
Tier 4 visa application where they are the rightful holder of a passport, which has
been issued by one of the authorities listed below,
• British National (Overseas)
• Hong Kong
• Macau SAR
• Taiwan (those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes the number of
the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan).
70
72. TB Tests
• Students stated by the UKVI to need a TB test certificate for their visa application
need to have a tuberculosis (TB) test if coming to the UK for more than 6 months.
List of countries can be found on the following link;
https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa/countries-where-you-need-a-tb-test-to-enter-the-uk
• A certificate which is valid for 6 months from the date of the test will be issued and
the student must Include this certificate with their UK visa application.
• If a student has lived for at least 6 months in a country where TB screening is not
required by the UK, and the student has been away from that country for no more
than 6 months then they will not need a TB test certificate.
72
75. Alternative Location Locations
(ACLs)
• This means that students going to these centres can enter the centre’s ACL Code
on their visa application and their BRP will be delivered to the centre.
• Students who do not enter the centres ACL Code on the visa application will have
their BRPs delivered at the Post Office for collection.
• The VCT are working to have all ISCs registered as ACLs. More information will be
provided once UKVI approve all applications.
75
77. Reporting a Visa Refusal
The visa team must be informed immediately after a visa refusal is received – please
send the email to the visaquestions@studygroup.com inbox.
Bellerbys, UKISC (including iCAS refusals) and UCDISC visa refusals must be sent
to the visa team
A copy of the refusal must be attached to the email sent to the visa questions inbox.
Depending on the reason for refusal, the visa team will advise on whether the
student should apply for admin review or to issue (or not to issue) the student with a
2nd CAS.
77
79. Evidence to obtain when a student
withdraws or terminated from SG course
79
EVIDENCE TO OBTAIN WHEN:
A student is withdraw/terminated from an SG course post arrival and returns back
home
Home country entry stamp; and
Air ticket; and
Boarding pass
• If student entered their home country using the electronic entry system;
Immigration entry record; or
Police report confirming the student is currently in home country
• Government Sponsored Students
Official letter from the official financial sponsor confirming that the student returned to their home
country
• ** If student cannot provide an air ticket and boarding pass then we can accept the entry stamp only
• ** Students from low risk counties (Appendix H) can provide the air ticket and boarding pass only
80. Evidence to obtain when a student
withdraws or terminated from SG course
EVIDENCE TO OBTAIN WHEN:
A student obtains a visa but LAD has passed and student can no longer travel to
the UK. If student wishes to join the next intake they must provide the following
evidence that they did not travel to the UK before we can issue them with a new
CAS for their new visa application
Full copy of the student’s passport with the 30 day vignette/visa
80
83. 83
Study Group is currently the
1st and only
private pathway provider
on the UK gove
rnment’s approved register.
Study Group appears on the
register under the company
name Bellerbys Educational
Services Limited, including
all of our International Study
Centres (ISCs) in England
and Scotland
84. Benefits for Our Students
• Students will be accepted with a wider range of
qualifications as part of their English
assessment for NQF6 level courses*
• No additional IELTS test required for
progression from English for Pre-Masters (EPM)
to Pre-Masters Programme (PMP)*
• Opportunity for a single visa for our Pre-Masters
programmes with English language preparation
course (up to 12 weeks)
• Paid and voluntary working rights for students
during their pathway programmes
• Students can extend their visa in the UK to
continue their course or study a new one
• Students can bring dependant family members in
certain circumstances.
84
*These privileges varies between ISCs, and we’re currently liaising with our UK partner universities to seek further
agreement. See the upcoming slides for more information.
85. Accepting a range of English language qualifications for
direct Pre-Masters entry
85
• For our Pre-Masters Programme (PMP) students
starting in September 2019 and onwards, we now
accept a wide range of IELTS equivalent
qualifications as part of the English assessment
including*:
• IELTS Academic
• Pearson
• TOEFL
• Cambridge Business
• Cambridge Main Suite
• The following ISCs currently comply with this new
condition:
Did you know?
Study Group also accepts
alternatives to IELTS for UKVI for its
PMP at the following ISCs as part of
the combined visa offering (covering
students’ pathway programme and
postgraduate degree study at the
University). Check the University’s
website to find out which qualifications
are accepted.
*The standard of English language required varies between ISCs, and we will keep you updated as and when other ISCs
comply under this new condition.
86. Accepting a range of English language qualifications for
direct Pre-Masters entry
86
*The standard of English language required varies between ISCs, and we will keep you updated as and when other ISCs
comply under this new condition.
87. EPM students can progress to their PMP without taking an
additional IELTS test
87
• As we can now assess English for direct entry to
PMP, this also benefits our English for Pre-Masters
Programme (EPM) students who can progress to
their Pre-Masters Programme (PMP) without
taking an additional IELTS test.*
• Students will be assessed on their Academic English
Skills (AES) grade at the ISC (they will be required to
achieve a minimum of 40% in all areas).
• Currently the following ISCs comply under this new
condition for its EPM studies of June 2019 intake and
onwards.
• Tier 4 students applying to study EPM (or Pre-
sessional English) still need to submit a UKVI
Secure English Language Test (SELT) as part of
their visa application (i.e. Academic IELTS for UKVI).
*This privilege varies between ISCs, and we’re currently liaising with our UK partner universities to seek further
agreement.
88. English for Pre-Masters students benefit
from a single visa
• After 1st August 2019, students who will study an English
language preparation course for the Pre-Masters
Programme will be eligible for a single CAS covering
both the English language course and main pathway
course of study (Pre-Masters Programme).
• This will be applicable to 1 term/semester EPMs at all
UK ISCs with the exception of:
– The University of Sheffield (where the EPM is
delivered by the University and is longer than 12
weeks)
– Kingston University London (EPM is not currently
included within the iCAS agreement)
****The CAS issued for EPM + PMP will be issued at RQF level 6
so the student must provide a SELT with no less than 5.5 in all
subskills for visa application purposes (course entry
requirements might be higher)
88
89. All ISC students can work for up to 20 hours per week
during term time
• For courses starting from August 2019, A Tier 4 visa allows ISC students to
work for a maximum of :
o 10 hours per week during term-time for any course below degree
level (IFY & IY1*)
o 20 hours per week during term-time for any course at degree level
(PMP)
o 40 hours per week outside of term-time (this includes students
studying an English language course).
This includes paid or unpaid work and for one or more organisation. A 'week' is
defined by the Home Office as a period of 7 days beginning with a Monday.
• At our ISCs, we want our students to become confident, self-aware, highly
skilled and extremely employable graduates.
Study Group’s CareerAhead activities are designed to give students
a head start, and the paid and voluntary working rights open more doors
for our students to further improve their employability skills, as they now
have the possibility of working a few hours per week to gain relevant
experience.
89
*Please note students who’s eligible for a combined visa for their pathway programme and University study can work 20
hours per week as it’s the University’s CAS.
91. Graduate Visa
91
SEPTEMBER 2019
The UKVI recently announced that they intend to re-introduce the Graduate Visa for degree
graduate students who study at an HEI or institutions registered with the OfS..
The scheme should be available in the summer of 2021 however this might change after the
December 2019 General Elections due to a new government.
The visa will be valid for 2 years. Students can apply for the visa in the UK and also switch to
the Tier 2 or back to the Tier 4 in the UK.
Post Brexit, there should be more jobs available so students will have more opportunities.
The new Graduate visa will not count towards ILR
Once more information is available we will let you know.
92. E - Gates
JUNE 2019
Tier 4 Students using eGates
• Nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the
United States of America can now use the automated eGates on arrival into the UK.
• This means they will not be required to see the immigration officer at the border and so
their vignettes or visas will no longer be stamped with an entry stamp upon arrival and
entry into the UK
Short Term Study Students (6 months stay) using eGates
All short term study students are required to see the immigration officer upon arrival to
receive their passport stamp which ensures that they can do the activities they are coming
to the UK to do
92
93. Appendix H
93
APRIL 2019
• Changes have been made to the list of ‘low risk’ countries whose nationals benefit
from not being required to submit all of the mandatory documents with their Tier 4
visa applications.
• Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Oman, Peru and Tunisia have been
added to this list.
• Argentina, The Maldives and Trinidad and Tobago have been removed
from this list.
List of low risk nationals can be obtained from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-h-tier-4-
documentary-requirements
94. Immigration Health Surcharge Fee
94
8 JANUARY 2019
• Immigration Health Surcharge increased from £150 per annum to £300 per annum for all Tier 4
students
Who needs to pay?
For visa applications made outside the UK, students need to pay if:
• they are a national of a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
• they are applying for a visa to study for more than 6 months (but not applying to remain in the
UK permanently)
For immigration applications made from within the UK, students need to pay if:
• they are a national of a country outside the EEA
• they are making an immigration application for any length of time, including applications for 6
months or less (but not applying to remain in the UK permanently)
NOTE: Students still need to pay even if they have private medical insurance.
More information can be obtained from the following link; https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-
application
95. Other Updates
95
• UKVI SELT Procurement exercise, Ended 2018. Potentially four new UKVI SELT
providers covering more locations.
**UKVI are yet to release the list.
• UKVI E-visa, Trial now with USA Tier 4 visa applications
97. Immigration White Paper - Students
• EU students will require visas to study in the UK. They will receive no special
treatment within the immigration rules.
• Students studying master’s degrees at any institution and undergraduate degrees at
an institution with Degree Awarding Powers will be granted 6 months’ leave at the
end of their course (up from 4 months currently). Students completing PhDs will be
granted an additional 12 months.
• Students completing study at bachelor’s level or above will be able to apply for a
Tier 2 work visa up to three months before the end of their course and from outside
the UK for up to two years after their graduation and retain the current exemptions
for students.
• Non-visa nationals coming to study on short term visas will require an electronic
travel authorisation.
100. Visa Support Team
100
• The team can assist with;
• Pre-CAS interviews
• Funds checks
• Financial document questions
• Provide general and specific advice on visa and immigration issues
• Support with visa refusals and Admin reviews
**Based at the Head Office in Brighton, UK
Feel free to refer any complex visa issues to us!
The points I am going to cover today are these 3.
How to calculate the 2 year time limit, key points on how to check financial evidence and whether your student is eligible to apply in the UK.
I have provided some examples in each section but if you have any specific questions please let me know.
I can answer at the end of the session or I will get back to you later through your main Study Group contact.
