It is important to check if you are eligible to apply in the UK as there are several requirements that you will need to meet.

To be eligible to apply in the UK you must:

Not be on immigration bail or be in the UK:

> As a visitor
> As a short-term study student
> As a parent of a Child Student
> As a Seasonal Worker
> As a Domestic Worker in a private household
> Hold permission outside the Immigration Rules

28-day rule

Ensure the gap between the end of your current immigration permission and the start of your new course (as stated on your CAS) is not more than 28 days. If the gap is longer than 28 days you must apply for your visa from outside of the UK.

Academic Progression Requirement

Demonstrate that you meet the academic progression requirement or are exempt if you were last granted leave as a Tier 4/Student. To meet the academic progression requirement, you need to:

> have successfully completed the course for which you were last granted Student immigration permission; and
> be applying under the Student route to study a course that is normally above the level of the previous course.

Exemption from showing academic progression is normally only for those seeking an extension to complete a PhD, undertaking resits, or are applying to undertake a study abroad programme or work placement which is both integral to and assessed as part of the course, or to complete their course, having completed a study abroad programme or work placement.
 
When to apply

The earliest you can pay to submit a Student visa application from within the UK is 3 months before the course start date as per your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

At the time you apply, you must meet the Student route requirements including, meeting the academic progression requirement or being exempt from the requirement.

• Completed Student online application form (see “How to make a Student application within the UK” below). 

• Current passport or travel document. 

• Current Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) if applicable.

• Assigned Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number from the University of Reading. If you are starting a new course, your CAS will be issued by the Admissions Team. If you are a current student continuing on a course, you will need to request a CAS from the International Student Advisory Team. Continuing PhD students will need to contact the Doctoral Research Office.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) does not require the CAS in pdf format/email, because it is not a requirement of the Student route visa to submit it with your visa application.

A CAS is an electronic document that is created and held on a UKVI online database. Whilst processing your visa application, the caseworker will look at your live CAS on this database and not the CAS email.

The CAS statement/email we send to students is not required for your Student application, but it gives you all of the information about your course and Student sponsor, and some of the information about money, that you need to complete your Student application form.

You are only required to input the CAS number into the online visa application.

• Evidence you meet the Student Visa Maintenance Requirements.

• Any qualifications listed on your CAS in the 'Evidence used to obtain offer' field. Please note if you are studying a course at degree level or above you will not be required to provide evidence of your qualifications. 

If you do need to provide evidence this can be in the form of a transcript, certificate or print outs of your qualification or transcript results from the awarding body’s online checking service. Each document provided must include:

o your name 

o the title of the award 

o the name of the awarding institution or awarding body 

o the date of the award (if the qualification has already been awarded) 

o confirmation that the qualification will be awarded (if the document is a transcript of results or print out of a transcript of results) 

• Evidence of English language proficiency as stated in the ‘Evidence used to obtain offer’ field on your CAS. You do not need to submit your English language evidence if on your CAS the University confirms it made its own assessment of your English language.

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate, if you are applying for postgraduate study or research in one of the subjects listed in Immigration Rules Appendix ATAS and you are not one of the nationals who are exempt from the ATAS requirement.

• Evidence of successfully completing the previous course studied in the UK in the form of a formal award or, for courses at degree level or above, formal written confirmation (this does not apply to those who are exempt from academic progression such as continuing PhD students or those who are resitting). 

• Letter from your financial sponsor confirming that they have no objection to your application to remain in the UK (if you were financially sponsored to study in the UK within the past 12 months). 

• For 16- and 17-year-olds only: a signed letter of parental consent confirming: 

o the relationship between you and your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) 

o that they consent to your living arrangements in the UK

o that they consent to your application as a Student 

o The signature of both parents/legal guardians, except if one parent or legal guardian has legal custody/whole responsibility. This must be confirmed in the letter. 

• Evidence of your relationship with your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) if you are under the age of 18 and/or submitting evidence of funds in your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) name(s) e.g., birth certificate. 

• If any documents are not in English, you must also provide fully certified translations.  

• More information about the policy on Student visas.

 

Application type	Time for a decision	Cost per person
Standard	Within 8 weeks of submitting the application online	£490
Priority	Within 5 working days of your appointment	£990
Super Priority	The next working day after your appointment	£1,490

At times Priority and Super Priority applications may not be available.

As part of the application process, you and any dependants will each be required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) to cover the duration of your stay in the UK. You will then be able to use the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and will not require private medical insurance. Please note that you will still need to pay for certain types of services (e.g. prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests). That is a requirement for everybody, including British nationals.

If you pay the surcharge twice for the same period of 6 months or more, you may be entitled to a refund of the surcharge for this overlapping period.

The cost of this charge will be £776 for each applicant and dependent per year of the actual visa to be granted, including any final extra period. Periods less than six months are charged at £388. Periods between 6 and 12 months are charged at the full year rate.

You will need to prove your identity, by either:

-  using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document and provide a photograph – you will also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account; or
-  provide your fingerprints and a photograph (biometric information) at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point

You will be told what you need to do when you apply, but most applicants will be able to use the app.
 
If you are applying together with your family which includes children, you will not be able to use the app and will need to book appointments to enrol biometrics together.
 

‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app

Once you have created a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, you will be asked to download the app to an iPhone 7 or newer smartphone or an Android phone with NFC technology. The app will be used to scan your passport containing a biometric chip if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national or your BRP to confirm your identity.

You will also be asked to take a photo of yourself and your passport as well as upload your mandatory and optional documents.

After using the app, you will need to complete the application form.

If you cannot use the app

If you cannot use the app, you will need to book an appointment to attend a UKVCAS Service Point to enrol your biometrics (facial photograph and to provide your fingerprints) and to provide your required documents (if you have not uploaded the documents yourself online). If you do not upload the documents yourself online, you will need to pay extra for the document scanning service.

Types of appointments:

Non chargeable (free)

Non chargeable appointments are available at all Service Points except Premium Lounge. They are released into the UKVCAS booking system 28 days in advance at 09:00.

They are mainly available from 10:00 Monday to Friday.

Chargeable 

Available at all Service Points, these are released into the UKVCAS booking system at midnight.

There will be a £10 administration charge if your cancellation is more than 48 hours from your scheduled appointment time.

For further details on the appointment types available, how to prepare for your appointment, and what will happen when you attend, please visit the UKVCAS website.

The form is only available online and can be completed by following the steps listed below:

• Go to the online Student visa application form.
  
  
• Create a UKVI account and prove your identity using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app if prompted.
  
  
• Follow the instructions on the application form and answer all questions carefully and honestly. We suggest you use the International Student Advisory Team as your postal address to minimise BRP delivery issues:

           C/O International Student Advisory Team
           Carrington Building
           University of Reading
           Whiteknights
           Reading
           RG6 6UA

• If you would like an Immigration Adviser to check your visa application, do not make any payments or submit the application. Please download your part-completed application as a pdf and email the form and your documents to immigration@reading.ac.uk.
• You will receive an email with a link, which allows you to return to the form using the password you set up. Keep this email safe.
• After your application has been checked or you are certain you have correctly answered all the questions, you will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and the visa application fee.
• If you could not use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’, you will be redirected to the UKVCAS Service Point website to book your biometric appointment. Make sure you attend your appointment because your application will not be processed until you have provided your biometrics. The closest Service Point to the University is the Reading Central Library in Reading town centre.
• You will retain your documents (including your passport) whilst your application is being processed, but you must not leave the Common Travel Area before a decision has been made on your application. If you do, UK Visas and Immigration will treat your application as being withdrawn. If you must leave due to an emergency, please contact the International Student Advisory Team.

You should provide the University with evidence that you have made an application to ensure that your student record is updated. This is important, because as your Student sponsor the University needs to have up-to-date records of your immigration status. 

If you are issued with a Biometric Residence Card (BRP), your BRP will arrive shortly after your application has been processed. If your BRP card is delivered to you directly you will need to provide a copy of the front and back of your BRP to the University by sending a colour photo/copy to immigration@reading.ac.uk. You should check the details on the BRP card are correct and update the police records (if applicable).

Alternatively, if you are an EU, EEA, or Swiss national and used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app in order to submit your application, you will not receive a BRP but a digital immigration status which can be used to view and prove your immigration status online via the gov.uk website.

If your visa application is refused, make sure you contact the International Student Advisory Team and supply a copy of the visa refusal notice.

It is important that you fully understand the conditions your Student immigration permission is subject to, because the Home Office takes breaches of conditions seriously. Breaches can have serious consequences to your current permission and any future immigration applications that you make. 

Work conditions:

Students studying full-time at degree level (RQF level 6) or above will be permitted to work 20 hours per week term-time and full-time in the vacation periods/before and after the course dates. 

Students studying full-time below degree will be permitted to work 10 hours per week term-time and full-time in the vacation periods/before and after the course dates. 

Students on a part-time student visa to study part-time do not have work rights of any kind, and therefore, must not undertake any work.

Students who are allowed to work must not:

• be self-employed or engage in business activity, except where they are awaiting a decision on an application for permission to stay as a Start-up migrant which is supported by an endorsement from a qualifying HEP with a track record of compliance

• take employment as an entertainer or as a professional sportsperson, including a sports coach

• fill a full-time permanent vacancy other than a recognised foundation programme and all other requirements are met or where they are filling a post as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer
For further information visit our working right and limits during studies webpage. 

‘No recourse to public funds’:

You will be prohibited from accessing/claiming specific welfare benefits known as ‘public funds’. 

For further information visit the gov.uk website. 

Study:

You must intend to study the course at the institution for which your CAS was assigned. If you do not enrol, decide not to continue with your course, or wish to change course please contact the International Student Advisory Team to discuss the implications this may have in regard to your visa.

Supplementary study is permitted, providing it does not hinder your progress on your main course of study. Qualifications obtained because of supplementary study cannot be used to meet the academic progression requirement and you cannot get a visa extension to complete supplementary study.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS):

If you were required to obtain an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate to support your Student application you must apply for a new ATAS certificate within 28 days, if one of the following happens:

• Your course content or research proposal changes; and/or

• Your course completion date (as stated on your CAS) is postponed by more than three calendar months.

For further information see Immigration Rules Appendix ATAS.

If clarification is needed on any aspect of the Rules or you have questions about your application, please email the International Student Advisory Team at immigration@reading.ac.uk where we will respond to you as soon as possible, alternatively telephone +44(0)118 378 8038.