Student Visa Extensions in the UK

Applying to extend your Student visa from inside the UK

Current visa application fees

Student visa application fees for applications made from inside the UK are as follows:

  • £490 for standard application (decision within 8 weeks)
  • £990 for priority application (decision within 5 working days)
  • £1490 for super priority application (decision within 1 working day)

Immigration Health Surcharge

The Immigration Health Surcharge is currently £776 per year for the length of the visa granted. This will be rounded up to the nearest 6 months.

Extending your Student leave from inside the UK

A Student visa extension application can only be made if you need more time in the UK to complete your studies, your College agree that there is a requirement for you to remain in the UK to complete your course and your course end date has not passed.  Please note that not all students are permitted to make an extension application from within the UK and so you should always check with the International Advice Team first.  The team can advise you and support you in making your application.

The Home Office permit students to apply to extend their Student visas from inside the UK if they are adding a work or study placement into their existing course. 

Is there a limit on how long I can spend studying in the UK?

There are limits on how long students can spend studying in the UK using Student visas. If you have already spent time studying in the UK and you need to extend your visa to begin a new course, or because you have had to repeat studies for your existing course, then you will need to make sure that the total time you will be spending studying at degree level will not exceed the UKVI limits. The length of time you have spent studying is calculated based on the length of the visas that you have been granted for all of the courses of study at degree level, plus the length of the visa that you will be granted for your new course or additional time to complete your current course. 

For most students studying for Bachelor's degrees, the limit is 5 years.  If the ordinary length of your undergraduate degree was 4 years or more (for example the 4 year MPharm or a 4 year Bachelor's degree with a placement year) then your limit may be 6 years.  If you will be studying for a course below degree level (for example a Year Zero or Foundation course) then the limit is most likely to be 2 years.

Course at postgraduate level, Masters or PhD courses, are not subject to this time limit.

How many points do I need to apply for a student visa?

You need a total of 70 points: 50 points are awarded for having a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), 10 Points are awarded for having the correct level of funds available and 10 points are awarded for meeting the English Language Requirement.

What is a CAS and how do I get one?

A CAS is a Confirmation of Acceptance for Study: a unique code which links you to Aston University on the UK Home Office database. Your CAS confirms that Aston University is your educational "sponsor".  You will need a new CAS for any student visa application that you make, whether this is inside or outside of the UK.

If you are already enrolled as a student at Aston University, then the International Advice Team will be able to arrange a CAS for you. You will be asked to confirm whether you have been in resident in the UK for the past 12 months or show that you have enough money available to meet the requirements for a student visa. You will also be asked to confirm your previous studies in the UK and your current passport information. 

If you need a CAS number for a new course at Aston University it will be provided by the relevant Admissions Team at Aston University.

CAS numbers must be no more than six months old on the date you apply for your visa.  

Funds to cover your course fees and living costs

Financial evidence is a key part of the visa application and the most common reason for visa refusals. It is very specific, and we advise all students to check their financial evidence with the International Advice Team.

If you are applying for your visa in the UK and have been in the UK for 12 months or more at the time you make the application, then you already meet the financial requirements and do not need to provide any further documents.

If this does not apply to you, e.g. you’re making a visa application from overseas or you have lived in the UK for less than 12 months, then you have to meet the general financial requirement explained in our “Financial Requirements” page.

Documents to prove you have the required funds

You can prove you have these funds available by providing:

  • A personal bank statement, no more than one month old, in your name, OR
  • A printed personal bank statement, no more than one month old, in your parents' name. You must also supply your birth certificate and an original signed and dated letter from your parent(s) confirming they are your parent(s) and that they consent to their money being used to fund your studies in the UK, OR
  • There are other methods but the above options are the most common. Contact us for information if you are a sponsored student.

UKVI has strict guidelines about the format for your bank statements.  If the bank statement is printed in a Branch (ad hoc) then it needs to be printed on letter headed paper.  Electronic bank statements printed from an internet banking account can be accepted but they will need to be stamped by the bank.

In all cases statements must include the following information:

  • Transactions covering at least 28 days.
  • The name of the account holder.
  • The full account number.
  • The Bank's name and logo.
  • The amount of money available.

Any financial documents which do not fulfil these requirements may not be accepted by the UKVI and could result in your visa application being refused.

You must provide professional translations of documents which are not written in English.

If your bank account is not in the UK, you must include a conversion of the closing balance to Sterling using the OANDA website and the exchange rate that applies on the day that you submit your online application. You will also need to provide an official translation of your bank statement if it is not written in English.

Students from some nationalities considered to be "low risk" may not need to send every document with their application. Evidence is always required but not always requested, so please contact us before you send your application if you think this applies to you.

Example bank statement:  We now have an example copy of what your bank statements should include. Please note this is an example and must not be used with any visa application. 

Example bank statement367.18 KB

For additional information, please check for our separate financial evidence page. 

Documents required for student visa applications

There are a number of documents you need to submit as part of your student visa application.

UKVI will only accept original documents and you cannot send copies.  You will also need to provide professional translations of documents which are not written in English.

You will need to complete a "student visa online application."  The International Advice Team can help you with this application.

You will need to submit the following documents with your visa application:

  • Your current and previous passports
  • Your Biometric Residence Permit for the UK, if you have one
  • Documents to prove you have the required funds (see section above) 
  • Any qualifications that have been listed in your CAS
  • ATAS certificate, if required
What is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

As part of your Student visa application you will need to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). This is a contribution to the funding of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and enables you to access free healthcare from the NHS during your stay in the UK.  You will be asked to pay this fee as part of your online application and you do not need to register to do this separately.

The Immigration Health Surcharge is currently £776 per year for the length of the visa granted. This will be rounded up to the nearest 6 months. 

How do I apply?

You must complete an online application form, upload your documents via an online portal and then submit your biometric information. This can be via the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a biometric appointment in the UK, if you are not able to use the app. 

It is very important that you check that all of the information in your online application form is correct. It is not be possible to make changes after proceeding beyond the declaration stage or after the application has been submitted.

The International Advice Team will arrange the CAS for you and can check your application before submission to minimise the chance of refusal.  Please contact the Team as early as possible in the process and well before the expiry date of your current visa and your course end date. 

What about my dependants?

Not all Student Visa holders can bring their dependants to the UK or have their dependants apply to join them.  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.

If your dependants are in the UK with you and will be applying to extend their visas at the same time as you, you will be able to include them in your Student visa extension online application.  It currently costs £490 per dependant to apply online.

If you and your dependants are applying for your visa in the UK and have been in the UK for 12 months or more at point you make the application, then you already meet the financial requirements and do not need to provide any further documents.

If this does not apply to you, e.g. you’re making a visa application from overseas or you have lived in the UK for less than 12 months, 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 visa.  The money must be held in an account in your name and/or the dependant’s name, and this includes joint accounts.

If you already have a Student visa and are applying for a visa extension then you will need to show that there is at least £6,120 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 your partner and child are in the UK as your dependants, you are applying to extend your visas together and you have more than 9 months left of your course you would need to show a total of £22,464 for you and your dependants’ living costs (£10,224 for you and £6,120 for each dependant). You will also need to show that you have enough money to pay your tuition fees. 

I am a new Aston student and I want to extend my visa from inside the UK

We strongly advise our students to make an application for a new Student visa to study at Aston whilst they are in their home country if at all possible. This is because we cannot guarantee that you would be able to gain re-entry to the UK using a visa which will be expiring soon and which was issued for another sponsor and for a course that you are no longer studying. If your previous visa sponsor has made a report to the Home Office in relation to your studies with them (for example if you finished your course early) then there may also have been changes made to your current visa which mean that it would no longer be valid for you to use to return to the UK.  

If you cannot apply at home and will be returning to the UK with your current visa, then you should make sure that you carry a copy of your CAS email for Aston University, along with all of the supporting documents you will need for your visa application, in your hand luggage when you travel back to the UK. You will then be prepared to show the Immigration Officer at the airport that you will be ready to make an application for a new visa as soon as you arrive in the UK.

If you are a new student who already has a student visa and wants to extend your visa from inside the UK, we can help you with your visa application. Please remember that you will not be able to make an application to extend your visa from inside the UK if there is a gap of more than 28 days between the end of your current visa and the start of your new course. 

You may not be able to extend your visa from inside the UK if you have a student visa and you did not complete your previous course.

You must make your application to extend your student visa as soon as possible. If your current student visa has been sponsored by your previous university, college or school, then you cannot enrol as an Aston student until we have evidence that you have already made a new visa application using your Aston CAS. Do contact the International Advice Team for advice and support in making your student visa extension from inside the UK.   

You can find the online student visa extension application here.  Once you have your CAS number, you can fill out the online application.  If you would like the International Advice Team to check the online application before you submit, do not proceed beyond the Declaration stage as this locks in your answers and does not allow any changes.  Once you have completed the form up to the Declaration stage, the PDF of your incomplete application can be sent to the International Advice Team for checking.  You can reach the team by email to astoninternational@aston.ac.uk or call 0121 204 4007.

 Last updated: 15/10/2024 KB