MANIS LAW

This is tier was formerly known as ‘Tier 4 (General) student visa’

You may be eligible for a Student visa if you are aged 16 or over and you have been offered a place to study an approved course by a licensed student sponsor in the UK. If you currently hold a Tier 4 (General) student visa and wish to extend it, this is the category you will fall under.

Before applying, you must have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your employer which will detail the course you will be undertaking with them. You must also be able to speak, read, write and understand English: the exam level you must pass to prove this depends on the course you intend to study.

You will usually need to prove that you have enough funds to cover your course fees for 1 academic year and enough funds to support yourself for up to 9 months. If you are studying within London, the requirement is £1,334 per month. Outside London, the figure falls to £1,023 per month.

You may be eligible to apply for an extension from within the UK but there are certain conditions you must meet and you will be required to remain in the UK until a decision is made which usually takes about 8 weeks.

You will usually need an unconditional offer to study with a licensed student sponsor and be able to show that your studies will be at a higher academic level than your current course. There are rules around when you should apply and the course start date. You may also be exempt from the financial requirement if you are applying from within the UK.

Your partner and children may be eligible to apply to join you in the UK.

You can view information about fees, disbursements and timescales on our SRA fee disclaimer page

This is tier was formerly known as ‘Tier 4 (Child) student visa’

You may be eligible for a Child Student visa to study at an independent school if you are aged between 4 and 17, and you have an unconditional offer to study an approved course from a licensed Child Student Sponsor. If you currently hold a Tier 4 (Child) student visa and wish to extend it, this is the category you will fall under.

Before applying, you must have written consent from your parent or guardian, and a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your school which will detail the course you will be undertaking with them.

You will usually need to prove that you have enough funds to cover your course fees for 1 academic year and enough funds to support yourself for up to 9 months. The threshold you must meet to show that you can support yourself varies widely depending on your living arrangements and your location within the UK.

How long this visa allows you to live in the UK is based on the course length stated in your CAS and your age. As a general rule, you may be granted up to 6 years plus 4 months if you are under the age of 16, and up to 3 years plus 4 months if you are 16 or 17.

You may be eligible to apply for an extension from within the UK if you are already in the UK on a Child Student visa or a Tier 4 (Child) student visa if you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. You will be required to remain in the UK until a decision is made which usually takes about 8 weeks.

There are rules around when you should apply and the course start date. You may also be exempt from the financial requirement if you are applying from within the UK.

You can view information about fees, disbursements and timescales on our SRA fee disclaimer page

You may be eligible for a Short-term study visa to study English in the UK, if you have been accepted onto an English language course lasting no more than 11 months, at an accredited institution.

Before applying, you must have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your school which will detail the course you will be undertaking with them.

If you are under 18 you will need written consent from your parent or guardian, and arrangement for travel to and accommodation in the UK.

You will usually need to prove that you have enough funds to support yourself for the duration of the course unless you can prove that relatives and friends can support you. There is no specific financial threshold to prove adequate funds but you should show that you will not need to work or rely on public funds.

How long this visa allows you to live in the UK is based on the course length. As a general rule, you may be granted up to 11 months.

You cannot extend your Short-term study visa, or switch to a different visa category to remain in the UK. You must leave the UK when your visa expires and make a fresh application from abroad.

You can view information about fees, disbursements and timescales on our SRA fee disclaimer page