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Student visa information

Making a student visa application

In order to a make successful visa application you should consider the following:

  • Ensure that you have your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) with you.
  • Ensure that you supply the correct supporting documents in your application.
  • Complete the application form carefully.
  • Prepare for a credibility interview (if applicable) and try and answer the questions as clearly and honestly as possible. Please refer to Creditability interviews section on this page.
  • Read the Student Visa Route: eligibility and requirements on UKCISA.

As part of the student visa application, you will need to achieve 70 points to be successful. You will be sent a CAS once your offer has been made unconditional. This will happen once your application has been approved and screened by the Admissions Team:

  • Paid your deposit (please log into your applicant portal and click on Deposit button)
  • Complete the CAS Applicatio on Enroly
  • Requested your CAS Statement.

When completing the visa application form please ensure that you match all the information with what is provided with your CAS. UKVI will reject any incomplete or incorrect visa applications. This will also cause a delay in the visa processing. 

Please note that we will not issue you a CAS if there will not be enough time for you to make the Student visa application. You must ensure that you meet the conditions of your offer and prepare the documents in time.

You will not need to submit a hard copy of the CAS with your application as UKVI will be able to view this electronically. 

All the information regarding your course will be entered onto the CAS. These will be things such as the course start dates, academic course level and all the qualifications we would have used as the basis of your offer.

You must ensure that you submit all the original documentation listed on the CAS when you apply for the visa application. Sending photocopies or non-certified documents may result in getting a visa refusal.

A CAS expires if it is not used within six months of being issued. A CAS can be used with a student visa application up to six months before the course start date.

Please use the checklist for assistance with the documents you are required to submit with your application if you are applying from overseas.

Please use the checklist for assistance with the documents you are required to submit with your application if you are applying inside the UK.

Collecting your BRP

We strongly recommend that you use the St Mary’s address to have your BRP delivered to. When your BRP has arrived, you will be contacted by the UKVI Compliance and Immigration team to arrange collection at a suitable time. For more information please email studentvisas@stmarys.ac.uk.

Once you have been given a CAS you will need to ensure that you prepare the following documentation:

  • Academic qualification. It is important that your documents match your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) information. For example, you may have many academic qualifications. Please ensure that you read the Evidence used to obtain offer section on your CAS and submit he correct qualification as stated on your CAS. 
  • English proficiency test results. You do not have to submit any English proficiency documents if your CAS states 'HEI sponsor has made the assessment'.
  • Bank statements to show your maintenance requirements. The funds must be held in the account for 28 consecutive days before making the visa application.
  • Birth certificate – only if you are under 18 or use your parents bank statements.
  • A financial consent letter from your parents or legal guardian (this is only if you are planning to use your parents bank statements).
  • A valid passport. Please submit the same passport as the one mentioned on your CAS. If you have renewed your passport, please inform admissions to make an amendment on your CAS to reflect the new passport information.
  • Sponsorship letter (if you are being sponsored).
  • Tuberculosis test (if you are from a country that requires you to take the test).
  • Under 18 consent letter from parents or legal guardian (if you are under 18 years old).
  • Documents that are not in English: if you planning to submit any documents that are not in English you must ensure that the document is translated by a certified translator.

Helpful links

UKVI sometimes can invite you to do a credibility interview as part of the application process. This can be inside the UK or outside the UK. This interview will be designed to ensure that you are a genuine student and that your English Language is up to the required level to do the course.

If you are invited to attend an interview this may be because the caseworker requires further information from you in order to process and/or make a decision on your visa application.

What type of questions might I be asked at the interview?

If you are asked to attend an interview you must make sure that you can understand and answers the questions being asked honestly and clearly. The questions that you may be asked  will cover the following areas:

Your intentions of study in the UK

You should be able to answer questions regarding your course and explain how you made the decision to study the course at St Mary’s University. Before attending the interview please ensure that you know why you have chosen the specific course. Be prepared to answer why you could not do study this course in your home country. You may also be asked questions about the content and structure of the course.

Your previous education history

Here you may be asked about what you have been studying previously or whether the course you are looking to study meets your career aspirations in the future. If there are gaps between your periods of study, you should be able to explain this clearly.

Whether you know the progression routes of the course you are intending on studying

You need to think about what you intend to do once you have completed the course at St Mary’s University and how the course may support your future career plans. You will need to explain this properly.

Your financial circumstances/documents that you submitted

Studying in the UK is costly therefore you may be asked you have decided to study in London in comparison to your home country. Although you would have supplied financial information/documents in your visa application you may still have to justify how you intend to support yourself the next academic year.

The interviewer will also be checking your ability to converse in English, regardless of the qualifications that you may hold.

Please note you will not be allowed to use an interpreter.

If you are applying to study a postgraduate programme of 9 months or longer, your partner and/or children may be able to travel to the UK with you on a dependent visa. However, if you are studying at undergraduate degree level, you are not permitted to bring dependents to the UK. 

Students applying at the same time as their dependents are required to submit one set of financial documentation. Your financial evidence must show that you have enough money to meet the student visa requirements and include additional money for your dependents.

Each of your dependents must display £845 per month (9 months = £7,605) to meet UKVI requirements.

For example:

Number of dependents

1

Tuition Fee:

£14,550.00

Maintenance for student (£1,334pcm)

£12,006.00

Maintenance for dependants (£845 pcm)

£7,605.00

Total (+£500 for currency coversion)

£34,661.00

Please see the Gov.uk website and the UKCISA website for more information on bringing dependents to the UK.

Healthcare inside the UK

You are entitled to free healthcare whilst you study on your student visa. You can register with the GP at St Mary’s for free and we recommend that you do this soon after you have enrolled. The GP can be found on the main campus and there are others in close proximity.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

As part of the cost if making a visa application you are required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This covers emergency treatment if required.