Making a student immigration application in your home country

1 February 2010

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Warning: The UK Border Agency makes regular changes to the guidance it issues on student applications. Before you make your application, check the UKCISA information sheets [www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php] to make sure you have the most up-to-date version of this information sheet.

Does this information sheet apply to me?

This information sheet explains what you need to do about immigration if you want to come to the UK to study. If you are currently in the UK, do not read this - instead, first read Making a student immigration application in the UK [www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/immigration_uk.php].

Special rules apply if you are less than 16 years old, or are over 16 but are going to study in a school rather than a further education college or university. Ask your school for information about immigration, instead of reading this information sheet. This information sheet does not explain those special rules.

If you are a national of the European Economic Area, or of Switzerland, then this information sheet has no relevance to you. The procedures described do not apply to you. Instead, you should read the information for EEA and Swiss students [www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/eea.php].

You are a national of the European Economic Area if you are a national of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.

In this information sheet there are references to the UKBA's Tier 4 Policy Guidance. This is referred to in the rest of this information sheet as the 'policy guidance'. You can find out how to download the policy guidance below (paragraph 2 of the section headed ‘How to apply’).

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Introduction

If you want to come to the UK to study, you will have to make an immigration application to the UK immigration authorities in your home country for permission to come to the UK as a ‘student’. Permission to come to the UK is called ‘entry clearance’. You should wait until you have obtained entry clearance before you book any non-refundable travel tickets.

Note: If you are coming to study for a maximum of six months, you may have an alternative, which is to come as a ‘student visitor’ or a ‘child visitor’. Student visitors and child visitors are allowed to study part-time, but have to leave the UK at the end of six months, and are not allowed to do any kind of work or work placement (even if it is part of a course, or is unpaid). They are not allowed to apply for more time in the UK if their studies are extended.

If you want to find out about coming to the UK as a student visitor or as a child visitor, see the UK Border Agency leaflet Guidance – Visitors (INF2) [www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf2visitors]. The rest of this information sheet is all about coming to the UK as a student (not as a student visitor or child visitor).

You will not be granted immigration permission as a student unless:

1. The college or university that you want to go to has a ‘Tier 4 sponsor licence’. This is a licence from the UK immigration authorities to teach people who come to the UK to study. You can check who has a sponsor licence by looking at the Register of Tier 4 Sponsors which is available to view or download online. [www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/registerofsponsorseducation]

AND

2. If you are 18 years old or more, the course you want to do is at a high enough level. This means it must fit one of the following descriptions:
   • It is approved at level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework (or at the same level or above on the equivalent frameworks that apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). An example of a course that is at level 3 is an ‘A’ level course.
   • It is an English language course, at a minimum of level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. You can check with the college or university whether the course you are interested in is at this level or higher.
   • If you are studying for a qualification at a higher education institution abroad and are coming to the UK on a study abroad programme as part of it, the qualification you are studying for abroad must be at the same level as a UK degree.

AND

3. You satisfy strict financial requirements.

Immigration permission is given to students either as ‘Tier 4 (General) Students’ or ‘Tier 4 (Child) Students’.

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If you are 16 or 17 years old when you make your immigration application

Ask your college or university if they have a ‘Tier 4 (Child) licence’ as well as a ‘Tier 4 (General) licence’. If they have both types of licence, and if your course is at a high enough level, you will be able to choose whether to apply as a ‘Tier 4 (Child) Student’ or as a ‘Tier 4 (General) Student’. (As long as you are under 18 when you make your immigration application, it does not matter if you will become 18 during your course - you can still apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student.)

Your course is at a high enough level to give you this choice if it matches one of the levels described in the list at point 2, above. If your course is below these levels, you do not have a choice, and must apply as a ‘Tier 4 (Child) Student’ (but first check that your college or university has a Tier 4 (Child) licence; and note that the course they are offering you must be taught in accordance with the National Curriculum or the National Qualifications Framework, or be of an equivalent academic status).

If you want to study an English language course you must apply as a Tier 4 (General) Student, as stated in paragraph 53 of the Policy Guidance. This means that you must be studying an English language course which is level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or above. If you want to study an English language course which is below this required level, you must enter as a Student Visitor which enables you to study for a maximum of 6 months, after which time you will need to leave the UK.

If your course is a degree course, you will be better off applying as a Tier 4 (General) Student, because you will be given immigration permission for the full length of the course plus four months after the end of your course. If instead you apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student for a degree course, you will only be given immigration permission for a maximum of two years and five months to start with, and will have to pay for an extension later, to finish the course. [The 'two years and five months' is made up from: one month before your course starts, plus two years for your course, plus four months after the end of your course.]

You cannot apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student if you have your own children who you are financially responsible for, or who live with you.

You will have to provide a letter from your parents

If you are under 18 years old when you make your immigration application, you need to show that your application is supported by your parent or parents or legal guardian. This is the case, whether you apply as a Child Student or as a General Student, and for any level of course. This means that you must provide a letter from your parent, if one parent has sole legal responsibility for you, or from both parents or your legal guardian, confirming a number of matters, including:

• their relationship to you
• their consent to your application
• their agreement to your living arrangements in the UK
• their consent to your living independently, if you are 16 or 17 years old.

If one person has sole legal responsibility for you, this must also be confirmed. See the policy guidance (paragraphs 218-224) for full details of what is required.

The above requirement applies to you because you are 16 or 17 years old. There are precise instructions about the format this letter must take, see paragraphs 218-224 of the policy guidance. Make sure the letter complies with every one of those instructions.

The financial requirements that apply to you

The financial requirements that apply to you are those described below in the paragraph headed 'The financial requirements'.

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If you are 18 years old or more when you make your immigration application

You must apply as a ‘Tier 4 (General) Student’. The UK Border Agency sometimes refers to Tier 4 (General) Students as ‘adult students’, in its documents.

If you are a postgraduate doctor or dentist and want to do a Foundation Programme

There are special requirements you have to meet:

• you must have already successfully completed a recognised UK degree in medicine or dentistry from a UK publicly funded institution of further or higher education, or a UK bona fide private education institution which maintains satisfactory records of enrolment and attendance, or an institution that has a ‘Tier 4 (General) Student Licence’; and
• you must have had immigration permission as a Student or Tier 4 (General) Student for the final academic year of those studies, and also for at least one other academic year of those studies; and
• if you have previously been granted immigration permission as either a postgraduate doctor or dentist, or as a Tier 4 (General) Student undertaking a course as a postgraduate doctor or dentist, then you must not be asking for immigration permission which would allow you to be in the UK more than three years after that immigration permission first started.

The financial requirements

If you have financial sponsorship from an official financial sponsor (as defined in the Home Office Policy Guidance, see Note below) you will need:
A letter from them confirming that they will cover ALL your fees and living costs is all that you need, to meet the financial requirements. There are precise instructions in the policy guidance regarding the format the letter must take, paragraphs 130-132 for Tier 4 (General) and paragraphs 212-214 for Tier 4 (Child) students. Make sure the letter complies with every one of the instructions. If it does not, it will be ignored and you will not meet the financial requirements.

Note: Official financial sponsors are defined in the Home Office policy guidance as:

• the UK Government
• your home government
• the British Council
• any international organisation
• any international company (note that the Home Office has not defined "international company" in its policy guidance)
• a UK independant school
• any university.

If your official financial sponsor is not covering ALL of your course fees and living costs, you must show that you have the rest of the money required. Please read the information for people who do not have financial sponsorship from an offical financial sponsor (immediately below) for details of the additional evidence that you must provide.

If you do NOT have financial sponsorship from an official financial sponsor:
You must have a minimum amount of cash in a bank or building society account (or an account with an officially regulated financial institution). The account can be in your name, or in your parents' or legal guardian's name. It can be a joint account with someone else, but only if your name is on the account too.

If you apply using a bank account in your parents' or guardian's bank name or names, you must also provide one of the following documents to prove that your parent or guardian is in fact your parent or guardian:

• your original birth certificate, or a notarised copy, showing the name of your parent or parents whose bank account you are using for this immigration application
• if you are adopted, the original certificate of adoption, or a notarised copy, showing your name and the name of your parent whose bank account you are using
• if you have a legal guardian, an original court document, or notarised copy, which shows the name of your guardian whose bank account you are using.

If you have a definite offer of a loan from an officially regulated financial institution (for example, a bank):
If you do not have financial sponsorship from an official financial sponsor, or if you do not have the right amount of cash yet, you may still be able to demonstrate your financial eligibility if you have a definite offer of a loan from an officially regulated financial institution (for example, a bank).

You will be able to demonstrate this if you can provide a letter from the financial institution confirming that the money will be loaned to you. There are precise instructions in the policy guidance about the format the letter must take, paragraph 135 for Tier 4 (General) and paragraph 217 for Tier 4 (Child) students. Make sure the letter complies with every one of those instructions. If it does not, it will be ignored and you will not meet the financial requirements.

If the loan is for less than the amount described under ‘How much money do I need?’ (below), then the letter about the loan will not be enough on its own (you can still use the letter, but will have to use one or more of the other methods to show that you have the rest of the money – for example, you can hold the rest of the money as cash in a bank or building society account, provided you comply with all the requirements described in this information sheet for people who hold their money in that way).

How much money do I need?

This depends on:

• how long your course is; and
• whether you will study in London, or outside London (here ‘London’ means the inner London boroughs, which are: Camden, City of London, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster):

Length of course	Where you will study	Money needed
Nine months or less	In London	Course fees plus £800 for each calendar month* of the course
Nine months or less	Outside London	Course fees plus £600 for each calendar month* of the course
More than nine months	In London	Course fees for one year only plus £7,200
More than nine months	Outside London	Course fees for one year only plus £5,400

*Part months should be ‘rounded up’ to the next month (for example, if your course lasts six months and 5 days, you need to have money for seven months).

Can I make any deductions if I have paid some of my course fees, or fees for accommodation arranged by my college or university?

Yes. You can deduct the following from the total amount of money you need:

• whatever you have already paid towards course fees; and
• anything you have paid towards your future accommodation fees, if your college or university has arranged accommodation for you.

You cannot deduct anything for accommodation fees if you arrange the accommodation with a private landlord or housing company.

You will need to provide the evidence described outlined in the policy guidance, paragraphs 126-129 for Tier 4 (General) and paragraphs 209-211 for Tier 4 (Child) students, to show that you qualify to make these deductions. For example, any fees already paid to your Tier 4 sponsor can be included in the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), in the visa letter issued to you by your instituion, or you should provide an official receipt for the fees (not an online receipt).

If you do not provide the evidence listed in the policy guidance, you will not qualify to make the deductions.

Can I make a deduction if a government, the British Council, an international organisation, a company or a university will be giving me some financial sponsorship?

Yes, you can deduct the sum they promise to provide from the amount of money you need. You must have a letter from them, and there are precise instructions about the format the letter must take in the policy guidance, paragraphs 130-132 for Tier 4 (General) and paragraphs 212-214 for Tier 4 (Child) students. Make sure the letter complies with every one of those instructions. If it does not, it will be ignored and as a result you will probably not meet the financial requirements.

Can I show a reduced amount of money if I was studying recently in the UK?

Yes, in certain circumstances. The policy guidance explains that students who have an established presence in the UK can benefit by having to show less money for living costs. The criteria that must be met for a student to have an established presence in the UK are outlined in paragraphs 108-113 for Tier 4 (General) and paragraphs 190-194 for Tier 4 (Child) students.

These paragraphs explain that if you have completed a course of study in the UK within your last period of leave and this leave finished within the last four months, or you are continuing a course which you have been studying within the last four months and have already completed at least six months of the course, and you wish to apply for a further period of immigration permission as an adult or child student, you can show a reduced amount of money:

Length of course	Where you will study	Money needed
Nine months or less	In London	Course fees plus £1,600 (or £800 if the course is one calendar month* long, or less)
Nine months or less	Outside London	Course fees plus £1,200 (or £600 if the course is one calendar month* long, or less)
More than nine months	In London	Course fees for the next year of study plus £1,600
More than nine months	Outside London	Course fees for the next year of study plus £1,200

*Part months should be ‘rounded up’ to the next month (for example, if your course lasts six months and 5 days, you need to have money for seven months).

It does not matter whether your immigration application is to enable you to finish a course you have already started, or to start a new course. The provision covers you in both circumstances.

The UK Border Agency have told UKCISA that you cannot benefit from this provision unless your most recent immigration permission was given to you as a student, or as a Tier 4 (General) Student or Tier 4 (Child) Student.

The policy guidance makes clear that this provision to show a reduced amount of money does not apply “if you: finished your course more than four months ago; or the course you finished was less than six months”.

How long must the money have been in my account?

If you make your immigration application on or after 5 October 2009, then the evidence you produce from the bank or building society or financial institution must show that during the 28 days leading up to the date the evidence is generated, your balance has never dropped below the right amount. If it has dropped below the right amount even for just one day, you do not meet the financial requirements.

What evidence do I need from the bank or building society or financial institution?

The policy guidance gives very precise instructions about the evidence you must produce, in paragraph 135 for Tier 4 (Adult) and paragraph 217 for Tier 4 (Child) students. Follow the instructions strictly, or you will not meet the financial requirements. You can choose to produce statements, or a building society passbook, or a letter from the bank, or a letter from the financial institution (produce whichever one of those four things is appropriate for your situation).

Your evidence must be dated no more than one month before the date you make your immigration application.

If you are producing a letter from a bank or financial institution, remember that the letter must confirm you have had the right amount for the 28 days leading up to the date on the letter. The policy guidance does not explain this very well.

Paragraph 120 and 201 of the policy guidance, for Tier 4 (General) and Tier 4 (Child) students respectively, tells you that if your money is not in UK currency you need to look at the Oanda Currency Converter website [www.oanda.com/convert/classic] to see how much your final balance is worth in UK pounds sterling, and write this yourself on the document.

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Does my course have to be full-time?

If you are applying as a Tier 4 (General) Student, your course must fit one of the following definitions:

• a full-time course of study that leads to a qualification at Level 6 or above of the revised National Qualifications Framework; or
• an overseas course of degree level study that is recognised as being equivalent to a UK Higher Education course and is provided by an overseas Higher Education Institution; or
• a full-time course of study involving a minimum of 15 hours per week of organised daytime study and (except in the case of a short pre-sessional course) leading to a qualification below degree level (where daytime study is 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday, not at weekends).

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Will I be allowed to work while I study?

Yes, if you come to the UK under Tier 4 (General) or as a Tier 4 (Child) student aged 16 or over, you will be allowed to:

• take employment for a maximum of 20 hours each week during term-time; and
• take employment for any number of hours during vacations; and
• take employment if it is a course-related work placement which forms an assessed part of your course. In this case, you must spend at least half of your course studying in the UK, and no more than half your course working. The only exception to this is if the law says that you must spend more than half your course doing work placements in order to obtain a qualification, for example, PGCE and PGDE teaching qualifications. If in doubt, check with your education provider whether there is a statutory requirement to spend more than half your course doing work placements; and
• take employment as a postgraduate doctor or dentist on a recognised Foundation Programme; and
• take employment as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer for up to two years. The post must be elective and be at the institution where you have studied or are studying your course.

You will not be allowed to:

• take any employment other than the types described above (the Immigration Rules provide a very wide definition of employment: “ ‘employment’…includes paid and unpaid employment, paid and unpaid work placements undertaken as part of a course or period of study, self employment and engaging in business or any professional activity”); or
• be self-employed; or
• be employed as a Doctor in Training (this means in a medical post or programme offered by the National Health Service which has been approved by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board as a training programme or post), apart from on a recognised Foundation Programme; or
• fill a full-time vacancy (except as a postgraduate doctor or dentist on a recognised Foundation Programme); or
• be employed as a professional sportsperson (or sports coach); or
• be employed as an entertainer.

If a government or international scholarship agency gave you financial support in the last 12 months

If a government or international scholarship agency gave you financial support in the last 12 months, you will have to obtain a letter from them giving unconditional consent to you returning to the UK. There are precise instructions about the format the letter must take, in leaflet INF29 [www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf29pbsstudent] (in the section 'What supporting documents should I include with my application?', the paragraph headed ‘Additional evidence for sponsored students’). Paragraphs 42-45 of the policy guidance explains that you only need to do this if you had immigration permission to be in the UK in one of the following immigration categories at the time: student; Tier 4; student nurse; student re-sitting an exam; student writing up a thesis; or postgraduate doctor or dentist.

Limit on studying courses below degree level if you are over 18

This limit applies to entry clearance applications outside the UK, as well as extension applications within the UK. It means that you will not be given immigration permission as a Tier 4 (General) Student to do a course below degree level if, when you add the length of that course to all the courses below degree level that you have studied in the UK with Tier 4 permission since the age of 18, it adds up to a total of more than three years.

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When will my entry clearance start?

If you apply as a Tier 4 (General) Student:

• If it is for a course of six months or more, or for a ‘pre-sessional’ course of less than six months, your entry clearance will start a month before the course.
• If it is for a course of less than six months, which is not a pre-sessional course, your entry clearance will start seven days before the course.

A course is described as ‘pre-sessional’ if it prepares you for your main course of study in the UK.

If you apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student:

• Your entry clearance will start no more than one month before the course.

When will my entry clearance end?

If you apply as a Tier 4 (General) Student, your entry clearance will end:

• Four months after the end of the course, if your course lasts 12 months or more.
• Two months after the end of the course, if your course lasts six months or more, but less than 12 months.
• One month after the end of your course, if your course is a pre-sessional course of less than six months.
• Seven days after the end of your course, if your course is less than six months long, and is not a pre-sessional course.
• One month after the end of your course, if you apply to be a postgraduate doctor or dentist on a Foundation Programme.

If you apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student, your entry clearance will end on whichever of the following three dates is the earliest:

• Four months after the end of the study programme; OR
• Four months after the end of the period you request; OR
• Four months after the end of two years.

Two years and four months is therefore the absolute maximum you can be given, if you apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student.

If you have financial sponsorship from a government, the British Council, an international organisation, a company or a university which wholly covers your fees and living costs, and your financial sponsor limits the time you can study in the UK, you will be given permission to remain for that period plus the usual post-course period allowed as stated in paragraph 72 of the Policy Guidance.

If your course is a pre-sessional course which will prepare you for a main course at the same college or university (or its partner college or university), your college or university might give you a single visa letter which includes both courses. If they do this, your entry clearance will end after the main course, rather than after the pre-sessional course. This will save you the money and inconvenience involved in having to apply for an extension in the UK. They will only do this if your admission to the main course is already guaranteed (and is not conditional, for example, on you attending or passing the pre-sessional course, or another exam).

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Translations

Paragraphs 12-13 of the policy guidance states that if any of the documents you provide with your application is not in English (or Welsh), you must provide a professional translation. Please see the guidance for specific details regarding translations. If you do not follow these guidelines exactly, your translated documents will not be accepted.

How to apply

1. If your course leads to a Master’s or doctorate, or a postgraduate qualification abroad, ask the university whether you need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate for the course. This is a certificate issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which gives you security clearance to study certain subject areas, where the knowledge gained may have application in the development of weapons of mass destruction (for example, certain subjects in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, technology or medicine).
   
   You can check the list of subject areas that require an ATAS clearance certificate at Do I need an ATAS certificate? [www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/who-atas/]. You will have to ask your university for the ‘JACS code’ for your course in order to check the list. If your course requires an ATAS clearance certificate, you will have to apply for, and be issued with, an ATAS clearance certificate before you make your immigration application.
   
   It will take weeks to obtain an ATAS clearance certificate, so start the process early (the process is explained on the FCO website at Academic Technology Approval Scheme [www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/]. You can apply for an ATAS clearance certificate as soon as you have a conditional offer of a place on a course. If you have more than one offer, you can make separate applications for ATAS clearance certificates relating to each offer, at the same time. You apply for ATAS clearance certificates online. There is no fee to pay. The ATAS clearance certificate applies only to the institution and course of study you put on the application form.
   
   If you are studying for a postgraduate qualification at a higher education institution abroad, you will not need to apply for an ATAS clearance certificate if your study or research in the UK will last six months or less. If you are studying for a postgraduate qualification at a higher education institution abroad and your study or research in the UK will last more than six months, then when looking at the subject areas on the website, look at the list headed ‘Visiting research student’.
   
   You do not need to apply for an ATAS clearance certificate if your course is an enhanced MEng undergraduate degree and you will be starting it as an undergraduate student in the UK.

2. Download the UK Border Agency leaflet INF29 for students [www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf29pbsstudent]. It contains links to a number of documents that you also need to print off:
   • Tier 4 guidance, also referred to as the 'policy guidance' (Tier 4 is the part of the immigration system that deals with students).
   • Application form VAF9 – PBS Migrant.
   • PBS Migrant guidance notes.
   • EITHER:
     • PBS Appendix 8 (General) Student, if you are applying as a Tier 4 (General) Student; OR
     • PBS Appendix 9 (Child) Student, if you are applying as a Tier 4 (Child) Student.

   If you do not have access to the internet, ask the British Embassy or High Commission in your country for printed copies of the documents.

3. Find your country on the list at Where to apply [www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/wheretoapply]. It tells you how to start the process of applying in your country – for example, whether you need to make an appointment or complete an online form, or have a tuberculosis test first (tuberculosis tests are only required in a few countries). If you cannot see any information about how long it takes applications in your country to be processed, use the contact details that they give to contact them and ask. Read through the INF29 leaflet, for other instructions about the application process.

4. Take time to read through the whole of the policy guidance, and all the other documents you have printed off, very carefully. They contain a lot of very detailed instructions about the documents you must provide (such as the Visa Letter from your college or university, evidence of why they offered you a place, and your financial evidence).
   
   There is no flexibility about the documents – if your documents do not exactly match the requirements set out in the policy guidance, your application will be refused and you will have wasted your application fee and a lot of time. You will not be warned if you have forgotten to include documents, or your documents are inadequate. Your visa letter must not be more than six months old.

5. Complete application form VAF9 and either:
   • application form PBS Appendix 8 (if you are applying as a Tier 4 (General) Student); or
   • application form PBS Appendix 9 (if you are applying as a Tier 4 (Child) Student).
   The forms ask how many ‘points’ you are claiming. You need to claim:
   • 30 points for ‘attributes’ and 30 points for ‘possession of a visa letter’ (these are the same thing, but are described in these two different ways on the two different forms); and
   • 10 points for ‘maintenance’; and
   • zero points for ‘English’.

Use the process described for your country to submit your two application forms, and the supporting documents. Make sure you enclose all the documents listed in the forms and guidance as well as the ones mentioned in this information sheet. The INF29 leaflet tells you to submit a photocopy of each document in addition to the original document itself. You will have to pay a fee for the application (the equivalent of £145, in your local currency).

Warning: Do not allow an agent to send off your application unless you have checked through the completed forms and all the documents that are enclosed with it. Errors made by an agent (or attempts to deceive) can result in you being barred from entering the UK for up to 10 years.

It is important that you keep photocopies of the completed forms and all the supporting documents.

At some point, you will be asked to attend an office to give your fingerprints and have your photograph taken.

Criminal convictions

The application form requires you to state any criminal convictions, including traffic offences, that you have obtained in any country. For further details regarding the types of convictions you must declare, you should refer to the UKBA guidance on good character [www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/eligibility/goodcharacter].

If you are going to study ‘A’ levels, or a course that is equivalent to 'A' levels such as a Higher Diploma, and do not have your GCSE results yet

There was a special provision in 2009 for you to submit your application with a visa letter from your college that says that your offer of a place is conditional on your GCSE results (the provision is explained in leaflet INF29, in the paragraph headed ‘Do I still need a visa if I have a visa letter?’ [www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf29pbsstudent]). This means that someone can start to consider your application, but they will not issue your entry clearance until you have received your GCSE results and provided them with a fresh visa letter showing that your place on the ‘A’ level course (or equivalent course) is unconditional, now that you have your GCSE results.

We have asked UKBA for confirmation that this provision will be extended to 2010 and are awaiting a response.

When your entry clearance is issued

Check it carefully to make sure:

• your name and date of birth are correct
• it says that you are a student
• the Sponsor Licence number is identical to the one listed in your visa letter
• it starts on or before the date you want to travel to the UK
• it does not end sooner than you expected (see the paragraph above headed When will my entry clearance end?)
• whether it tells you to register with the police on arrival in the UK, or not. If it does, then make a note to contact the International Student Adviser at your college or university to ask how you do that as soon as you arrive in the UK. Unless your college or university has a special arrangement with the police, you will be expected to register with the police within 7 days of your arrival. Note that not all students are given an entry clearance that requires them to register with the police.

If there is anything wrong with it, ask to have it changed immediately, before you travel. It is very difficult to make changes after you travel.

Make sure you talk to your college or university immediately if there will be any problem in arriving in time for the start of your course. New responsibilities are being introduced for them to keep the UK Border Agency informed of students who have been given immigration permission and then fail to arrive on time, or who do not attend properly, so it is important you keep them informed if there are any problems.

Other things that you should start to do now are:

• Start keeping an up-to-date photocopy of the whole of your passport, except for the blank pages. Get in the habit of updating it each time more stamps or stickers are added by the immigration authorities of any country. If your passport expires at any point, keep hold of it (unless your country requires you to give it back) – as you may be asked for it in connection with a future immigration application.
• Keep your passport somewhere safe – it is a valuable document.
• Keep all the letters (and any other documents) that you receive from the UK immigration authorities about any applications you make to them. You might need some of the details from them when you fill in an immigration application form in the future.
• Take photocopies of all the tickets that you ever buy for travel to the UK, from another country. If you have letters or documents relating to the bookings, keep those too. And keep all the ticket stubs that are given back to you by the travel operator (or even better, the whole ticket). You may need these for future immigration applications.
• The length of your permission to stay in the UK is shown on your entry clearance. Make a note in your diary now, four months ahead of this date. At that stage you should seek advice from the international student adviser at your college or university if you want to extend it. DO NOT REMAIN IN THE UK AFTER THE DATE SHOWN IN YOUR PASSPORT (unless you have already submitted your application for an extension).
• If a passport or identity card is stolen, report this to the police (and take a note of when you reported it, which police station you reported it to, and any reference number they gave you). Keep hold of any letters or documents the police give you.

If your entry clearance application is refused

There is no full right of appeal. Instead, you can ask for an ‘Administrative Review’ of the decision to refuse your application. There is no fee for an Administrative Review. You have to make your request for an Administrative Review within 28 days of the date you receive the refusal notice. The process is explained in Annex 5 of the Policy Guidance.

Administrative Review does not usually result in a change in decision, because in most cases you are not allowed to produce new or different documents in support of your application. They are simply looking to see if the decision was correct based on the evidence you submitted with your forms.

Contacts

If you have any questions about this information sheet telephone UKCISA's advice line Monday to Friday 1300-1600 hours (UK time): Tel: (+44) (0)20 7107 9922 (or write to: UKCISA, 9-17 St Albans Place, London N1 0NX, UK)

UKCISA Information Sheets on other topics of relevance to international students [www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php].

If you have problems at passport control, and are unable to contact the International Student Adviser at your college or university, contact the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) for free advice:

• Tel: 0844 974 4000 (daytime, Monday to Friday)
• If it is night-time, leave a message on their emergency answerphone: 020 7967 1299
• Website: www.iasuk.org

Telephone numbers

If you are calling from outside the UK, do not dial the (0) in the telephone numbers above. For example, if you want to call UKCISA from outside the UK, dial +44 20 7107 9922. If you are in the UK, do not dial +44, but do start the number with 0. For example, if you call UKCISA from within the UK, dial 020 7107 9922.

Textphone numbers are only for those who use a textphone (minicom) because of difficulties with speech or hearing.

© UKCISA
This information sheet may be printed and reproduced provided it is copied unaltered and in its entirety, including UKCISA's logo, disclaimer, copyright statement and the reference to UKCISA's website as a source of further updates, and provided that no charge is made to any persons for copies. NO PART OF IT MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

The information in this Information Sheet is given in good faith and has been carefully checked. UKCISA, however, accepts no legal responsibility for its accuracy.

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