Student Visa Applications from Overseas

This page is for new students who do not have a current visa to study in the UK and need to apply for a Student Visa from overseas.

You may also find this page useful if you are a current Aston student, or have finished a course at another university in the UK, and you have been advised to apply for your visa from overseas.

If you have any questions after reading through this information, please contact us for advice. 

General Information: Please Read First

Who will apply for my Student Visa?

You will need to complete and submit the visa application yourself, using our guidance. 

The International Advice Team at Aston University offer a free and expert immigration advice service. 

However, if you enlist an agent to assist you with your visa application, we strongly advise that you personally ensure that all of your documents and application form are correct and that they meet the visa requirements.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will not reconsider a visa refusal due to mistakes made by you or a third party. 

What type of visa should I apply for?

If you are planning to do any of the following full-time courses at Aston University, and you are a national who is subject to UK immigration control and do not already hold other immigration permission which permits study, (for example, EU Settlement Status, a Dependent Visa etc) then you will require a Student Visa.

You can check whether you require a visa here

  • Bachelors degree course, including integrated masters (e.g. BSc, BA, BEng, MPharm, MOptom, MEng)
  • Taught postgraduate masters degree course (e.g. MA, MBA, LLM. MSc)
  • PhD and research degree (e.g. MPhil, PhD, MRes)
  • Pre-sessional English course in the UK (not online)
  • Exchange programme (more than 6 months)
  • International Foundation Programme

The type of visa you need will usually be confirmed once you have applied for your course at Aston. If you have been advised to get a Visitor Visa for study, please refer to this page.

When can I apply?

You are allowed to apply for your visa up to 6 months before your course start date.

You should apply as early as you can, but only once you meet all of the requirements outlined on this page and have your new CAS.

Think of the visa application in two stages: 

1) Prepare all of the relevant documents to show that you meet the Student Visa requirements. You can do this while you are waiting for your CAS.

2) Apply for the visa online and complete the application process. 

You should not apply for the visa until you are certain that you have all of the required documents. Please see below for the requirements of each document that you might need.

Where do I apply from?

You will need to apply from the country where you are a resident. This will usually be through a UKVI partner such as TLScontact or VFS Global depending on your country.

"Resident" usually means the country where you are living. This is most likely the country of your nationality, but it could also be the country where you are working or studying at the moment.

You cannot apply in a country where you are just a visitor.  

If you are unsure of where to apply then please contact us.

Why do I need a Student visa?

A Student Visa is the correct visa to do a full-time course in the UK and the majority of overseas students will require one.

If you have another type of visa that allows full-time study in the UK (e.g. Dependant Visa, EU Settlement Scheme, Indefinite Leave to Remain) then you should not need to apply for a Student Visa.

Please get in touch if you're unsure about whether your current visa will allow you to study at Aston.

Documentary evidence

What documents will I need for my Student Visa application?

This is just a general checklist. The documents you provide to support your visa application are very important and must meet certain requirements - please see the section below for more information about each document.

Documents all applicants will need

Documents you might need
CAS number - This is an electronic document and does not need to be printed unless advised Tuberculosis (TB) clearance certificate (only if you are applying from a country that requires this)
All passports/travel documents Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate (only if your course of study at Aston requires this)
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) - if you have one already Letter of consent from parents allowing you to use their funds (only if using parent's financial evidence)
Official documents showing you meet the financial requirement (e.g. bank statement, bank letter, official financial sponsorship letter, currency conversion if not in pound sterling) Original birth certificate (only if using parent's financial evidence)
Official qualification - (degree/transcript) showing you have successfully completed the course your offer was based on Letter of consent from parents allowing you to travel and live independently (only if you are under 18 at the time of application)
  Official translations (if any of these documents are not in English/Welsh)
 

Proof that you can apply from the country you are in (Only if you are applying in a country where you are not a citizen)

What are the specific requirements for each document?

Please ensure your documents meet the criteria as listed in the Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules and the Student Visa Modernised Guidance before you submit your application. You should obtain all necessary documents in the right format before you apply for your visa online.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us for advice.

CAS Number

Your CAS number is a compulsory part of your visa application.  It confirms to UKVI that Aston University will sponsor your study in the UK.

If you are eligible, the Visa Compliance Team will create your unique CAS number after you obtain and accept an unconditional offer.  Most students will be required to pay a deposit before Aston will issue a CAS.

Your CAS will be sent to you via email and contains information about your course as well as your personal information. 

You will need to check all of the information on the CAS is correct (e.g. personal details, course information and tuition fees paid) and then copy and paste the CAS number into the relevant section of the online Student Visa application form.

Getting an unconditional offer is not a guarantee you will get a CAS. Aston is legally obligated to assess your eligibility for a CAS number regardless of an unconditional offer. We must assess factors such as an applicant's previous immigration history in the UK, including visa refusals, and how long someone has already spent studying in the UK.

During the admissions stage, you will be sent a link to the CAS Shield questionnaire.  This link and the CAS Shield questionnaire is unique to you.

It is crucial that you complete this questionnaire quickly and accurately so we can make a proper assessment.

Passports

You will need to provide your current passport for your visa application. Ideally, your passport should have at least 6 months before it expires, but this is not mandatory.

In addition, you will also need to provide any previous passports which you have used to travel to the UK.

The online visa application form will ask if you have a second nationality. If you do, it your choice which nationality will be your primary nationality for this visa application as the visa requirements will be the same, except for some special arrangements for low risk nationals (See Differential Evidence Requirement).

BRP Card

You should only possess a BRP card if you had a previous visa in the UK. If you have never had a BRP card before, please ignore this section.  If you do have a BRP card with you overseas, then you will be asked to submit details of the BRP in your visa application.

UKVI will not issue you with a new BRP if you are commencing a course from January 2025.  You will have an 'eVisa' instead.  Please see the section "After You Apply" for more information about this. 

Financial Evidence

Financial evidence is a key part of the visa application. Incorrect financial evidence is the most common reason for Student Visa applications being refused and it is why the CAS Shield questionnaire requests the submission of financial evidence. 

For more information, please visit our dedicated financial evidence page.  The page contains a lot of information and it is very important that you understand it to minimise your risk of refusal.

Qualifications

As part of your Student Visa application, you must provide the academic qualifications that Aston University assessed to give you an unconditional offer. This will usually be the Degree Certificate or Transcript.

UKVI need to see this as proof that you have successfully obtained that qualification. Your CAS will state exactly which qualification you need to provide.

Waiting to confirm that you have completed a course can be a main reason for delays in CAS issuance.

The original academic qualification will usually be an official certificate or transcript, but can also include any English Language Tests (e.g. IELTS)

The qualification must show:

  • your name; and 
  • the title of the award;
  • the date of the award; and
  • the name of the awarding institution
  • Confirmation of award if using a Transcript
TB Certificate

You will need to get a Tuberculosis clearance certificate if you are applying for a visa from any of the countries listed here and the following applies:

  • You have been in that country for more than 6 months (e.g. living there since birth)
  • You will be coming to the UK for over 6 months

You can only get the Tuberculosis certificate from approved UKVI clinics and the certificate must be included as part of your supporting documents. 

Please refer to the UKVI website for more information about where you can get your Tuberculosis certificate if you need one. 

TB certificate

ATAS

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme or ATAS is a mandatory security clearance certificate for certain postgraduate courses.

You will be told if you need an ATAS certificate when you get an offer for your course at Aston. Your CAS will also state whether or not you need ATAS for your course. If you do not need an ATAS certificate then please ignore this section.

If you do require an ATAS certificate, you can apply for it using a free online service. There are some important things to know about ATAS:

  1. You will require some information from Aston University to complete the application - this will usually be given to you once you get a conditional offer
  2. Once you finish the ATAS application, it can take over 1 month for a response from the Home Office. This means that you need to apply for ATAS as early as possible to avoid delays
  3. A CAS cannot be issued until your ATAS application has been approved
  4. If there are any major changes to your course after you get ATAS clearance (e.g. significant research proposal change or the course start date is delayed by 3 months or more), then you will require a new ATAS certificate.
  5. You are allowed to apply for multiple ATAS (if you hold offers for different universities)
  6. You can submit an ATAS application up to 6 months before the programme start date, even if the offer is still conditional

Once you get your ATAS certificate, you will need to print it out and include it with your application. You must use your ATAS certificate to apply for your visa within 6 months of receiving it. 

  • You can find more information about ATAS on the official website here.
  • You will apply for your ATAS certificate using the online form here. 
  • Click below for our guide about how to complete the ATAS application. 
ATAS Guidance808.06 KB
Pre-CAS Interview

As part of the CAS request process, you may be asked to undertake a Pre-CAS video interview so we can assess your eligibility for a CAS number.

Full information on the Pre-CAS interview including a useful recording, the Pre-CAS Interview guidance document and Pre-CAS Interview policy, can be found here.  Please be sure to watch the recording and read all of the information prior to your Pre-CAS Interview.

Documents from parents/legal guardians

Financial Evidence

If you will use financial evidence that is in the name of your parents/legal guardians, you will need some extra documents. Please remember, this is not the same as your parents giving you the money to hold in your own account.

The financial evidence from your parents must meet the same rules as explained in the "financial evidence section". You will also need to include:

  • An original birth certificate to prove the relationship with your parents/legal guardian. If you are relying on a legal guardian's financial evidence, then an official court document can be used, but please check this with us first.
  • An original letter of consent from your parents/ legal guardian explaining their relationship with you and that they give you permission to use their funds for your study in the UK.  A template of the letter can be found below.
Letter of consent template12.25 KB

If you are relying on your parents' financial evidence and do not include these documents then the financial evidence will be invalid.  

Under 18 years old

If you are under 18 years old then you will need to include a letter of consent from your parents which explicitly states that they give you permission to travel and live independently in the UK. If UKVI cannot see that this permission has been given, then they will refuse the application.

Translations

If any of your documents are not readable in English, you must provide an official English (or Welsh) translation to accompany the document. 

If the document is not in English and no official translation is provided, then the document will not be accepted and this can result in visa refusal.

*You cannot translate the document yourself.

An official translation must include the following information so that UKVI can independently verify it: 

  • it must contain confirmation from the translator/translation company that it is an accurate translation of the original document 
  • the date of the translation,  
  • the translator/an authorised official of the translation company’s full name and signature, and  
  • the translator/translation company’s contact details

Please ensure that the translator you choose will include the above information.

Applying from a country where you are not a citizen

This is only relevant if you are applying from a country where you are not a citizen. 

You can only apply for your Student Visa from the country you are resident or "living in". This can mean your country of nationality, or the country where you work, live or study and have a valid permit/visa to do so. 

If this applies to you, you will most likely have to submit proof of this permit/visa that allows you to be in that country.

You should not apply from a country where you are just a visitor/tourist.   This does not qualify as having residency in that country.

Low-risk nationals

Differential Evidence

Nationals of some countries do not need to provide evidence of their qualifications or their money when they apply for a Student Visa. UKVI refers to this as the 'Differential evidence requirement'. 

You are a 'low-risk' applicant if you are applying for a Student Visa from the country or territory where you are living, or from in the UK, and you are a national of:

  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahrain
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Cambodia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Croatia
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • The Dominican Republic
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kuwait
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Serbia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Tunisia
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States of America

It is very important, as a low-risk applicant, that you still obtain the evidence of your qualifications and your money, even though you do not need to submit them. This is because UKVI can still request this evidence as part of their decision process and they will refuse your application if you are unable to provide it within a specified time-frame. 

We always advise that low-risk nationals prepare their documents in the same way as other applicants.

Student visa application form

How do I complete the online application form?

Once you have all the necessary documents to show that you meet the Student Visa requirements, you can then move on to completing the online visa application form.

You can draft the form and save it at anytime, but it is important not to submit it until you are absolutely sure that your documents clearly show that you meet the Student Visa requirements. 

You should be given the option to use the "UK Immigration: ID check app" as part of your visa application so that you can receive your digital immigration status or 'eVisa'.  Please ensure you have access to a smartphone to complete this step of the application process.

*VERY IMPORTANT - UKVI will count the day you pay for the application as the official date that you applied for your visa.  All visa requirements should have been met by the day you pay for the application. To clarify, you should have already held money for 28 days and hold the correct documents to show this by the time you pay for the application. You cannot pay for the application and then wait 28 days. 

How much does the visa application cost?

Standard Visa application fee 

Current fee is £524

This is subject to change and you will pay the equivalent of this fee in your home currency.

This is also the standard application fee for any dependants applying to enter the UK.

Depending on which country you are applying from, there are usually services you can pay for to expedite your visa application. If you want to explore using any of these extra services, you can find more information on the website of the relevant the UKVI partner for your country:

Please note that some countries may ask you to "Register with a Commercial Partner" in order to proceed with your visa application. This will usually be in countries where there are a low number of visa applications to the UK or the Home Office presence is low. You may be asked to pay an extra administration charge, which should be paid at the same time as the visa application fee.

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)  

This fee is to cover the use of the National Health Service in the UK and is a mandatory part of the Student Visa application.

You are only liable to pay this charge if your Student visa will be for more than 6 months.

The IHS fee is £776 per year of your visa.

Please note that your entire Student Visa length usually includes 1 month before course start date and 4 months after the end date, therefore the IHS charge will likely be rounded up to the nearest 6 months. Approximate calculations of your IHS fee will be based on the course start and end dates stated on your CAS:

  • 1 Year (Masters) course: £1164
  • 3 Year course: £2328
  • 4 Year course: £3104
  • 5 Year course: £3880

*These amounts are estimates. Currency fluctuation (if paying in your home currency) and bespoke course lengths can affect these prices.  

After you apply

What do I need to next?

1) Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre or use the UK Immigration ID Check App

Most applicants will need to book an appointment at a nearby Visa Application Centre to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and digital photo).

Usually, you will also submit your documents at this appointment (Visa Application Centres in some countries, such as the USA, may ask you to post your documents after completing biometric enrolment).

You may also be interviewed during the appointment - please see the information on credibility interviews below.

*PLEASE NOTE – UKVI have introduced changes to some Visa Application Centres overseas where you will have the opportunity to upload your documents to a third party website prior to attending your appointment. If you are presented with this option, you can upload your documents but we always advise that you still bring your documents to your appointment just in case

If you have a biometric passport from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland you may be able to use the UK Immigration ID Check App. Check here for further information Using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). All other applicants should follow the rest of the guidance in this section and section 3.

2) Print the UKVI Checklist and attend your appointment

You will be prompted to print the checklist and take this, along with your documents, to your appointment.

Make sure to arrive in good time - once you have attended this appointment and submitted your documents, you will usually just need to wait for a decision. 

We recommend that all applicants make photocopies of all documents being submitted. In the event of a visa refusal, this will make challenging the decision easier.

4) Use of E-Gates

The following nationalities when arriving in the UK are permitted to use the “E-Gates” for quicker entry into the UK.

  • Any EU national
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Iceland
  • Japan
  • Liechtenstein
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Switzerland
  • USA

This means that if you are a national of any of the above countries, and once your Student Visa is approved and you have your “90 day visa sticker”, you can choose to use the E-Gates at a UK airport instead of waiting in line to see a Border Officer. It is not mandatory to use an E-Gate and you can still see a Border Officer if you wish. More information is available here.

All other nationalities must still see a Border Officer and present their visa/passport in person when entering the UK.

If you have been advised to get a Visitor Visa at the airport (for study purposes) and are a national of any of the above countries, you can also use the E-Gates to enter the UK as a visitor however, you must retain evidence of the date you entered the UK (e.g. flight tickets) as you will not receive a stamp in your passport. This is important as you will need to present evidence of the date you entered the UK at enrolment.

5) EU/EEA - verifying your visa status

If you are a EU/EEA applicant and you used the "UK Immigration: ID check app" as part of your student visa application, then you will be emailed saying whether your visa application is successful. Your visa status will be digital and can be verified online

To prove your visa status, please refer to this Home Office website. Follow the instructions on this page to reach your digital verification. You can use this digital verification to prove your visa status to whomever requires it (e.g. Border enforcement at the airport, at enrolment, to employers to evidence your right to work or landlords to prove your right to rent).

How long will it take to get my visa?

Usually the standard application process can take up to 15 working days (3 weeks). Paying for priority or super-priority services (if available) can shorten this time.

It's very important to ensure that you allow enough time to get your visa and arrive at Aston University before the latest date of enrolment for your course. If you arrive after this date, we may not be able to accept you onto course, despite you having a visa to study.

Be mindful that during the busy period (August to October), processing times will take longer. You must not enter the UK before the visa start date on your Student Visa. An important note for nationals who do not require a pre-entry visa to enter the UK as a visitor - you must wait until your Student Visa is granted before entering the UK to start your studies.  Do not enter before your Student Visa is granted.

You can find up to date processing times here.

UKVI Credibility Interviews

What are UKVI Credibility Interviews?

Some Student Visa applicants will be interviewed by UKVI as part of the Student Visa application process. Interviews take place when you attend a Visa Application Centre to give your biometric information. It will be hosted via video link with a member of staff from UKVI in the UK and they will ask you questions about:

  • The course you want to study
  • Why you want to study at Aston University
  • The reasons why you chose to study in the UK
  • How the course fits into your future career plans

The transcript of your interview will be sent to the Home Office Entry Clearance Officer who decides your visa application. They will use it to determine your genuineness and English Language Ability.

You may be called in for a further interview, or your visa application may be refused if the Entry Clearance Officer determines you are not a genuine student.

Visa refusals 

What do I do if my visa gets refused?

The most important thing is not to panic!

Please inform the Visa Compliance Team immediately so that we can assess the reason for refusal and determine whether you can challenge the refusal or if you can apply again.

We will need to see the visa refusal decision letter along with the documents you submitted with your application.

Do NOT try to challenge a refusal without seeking our advice first.

Student dependants 

Can I bring my partner and/or children with me?

Not all Student Visa holders can bring their dependants to the UK. You will normally only be able to have dependants with you in the UK if you are a government-sponsored student studying for a course that lasts at least 6 months or are studying for a PhD or doctorate or a research-based higher degree (equivalent to RQF Level 8).  There are some other special circumstances, such as for postgraduate students (equivalent to RQF Level 7 and above) with a course start date prior to 1st January 2024.  It is advisable to contact the International Advice Team for further advice on this.

You will need to show that there is enough money available to cover your dependants living costs in addition to your living costs and the tuition fees for your course.  You will need to show that this money has been available throughout a 28 day period that ends no more than one month before you apply for your visas.  The money must be held in an account in your name and/or the dependant’s name, and this includes joint accounts.

*Note - under UKVI rules, you can use money held in an account that is solely in your dependant’s name as evidence that you have enough money to meet your own maintenance requirements for your Student Visa application however, you must be applying for your visas at the same time

For the financial requirement for a dependant (spouse, child under 18 years old), you will need to show that there is at least £6,120 held for 28 days available for each dependant’s living costs.  If your dependant's new visa will last for less than 9 months, then you should only need to show that you have at least £680 available for each dependant for each month (including part months) that the new visa will be granted for.

For example:

If you, your partner and your child are applying for your your visas together for a course lasting for 12 months, you would need to show a total of £21,375 for you and your dependants’ living costs (£9,135 for you and £6,120 for each dependant).  You will also need to show that you have enough money to pay your tuition fees on top of this living cost amount.

You will also have to pay the same application fee and immigration health surcharge to process the dependant visa application, and you should ideally apply all at the same time. Besides the financial requirement, there will be some other documents you need - see here for details.

Once you have completed the Student Visa application process, you need to wait for a decision on your visa application.

Hopefully everything goes well and we have the pleasure of welcoming you to Aston University.

Please contact the International Advice Team at any point during the visa application process - we are here to help you!

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 Last updated: 29/04/2024 KB