UK Student Visa

Page Contents

• UK Student Visa eligibility requirements
• Where you can apply from?
• Course requirements
• Knowledge of English requirements
• Financial requirements
• Required documents and information
• How to apply for a UK student visa?
• How long can you stay in the UK?
• Fee & Processing Time
• Proving your identity
• Family members and dependents
• UK Student Visa extension
• What you can and cannot do on a UK Student visa?
• Can a Student visa lead to settlement?
• How we can help
• Frequently asked questions

As an American, you can apply for a UK Student Visa if you are aged 16 or over. However, you will need to meet a number of requirements to be eligible for the visa.

The main requirements are as follows:

• You must have received an unconditional offer and a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from an educational establishment which is a licensed student sponsor
• If you are 16 or 17, you will need to provide evidence that your parents have given consent to you studying in the UK

As an American, you do not need to fulfil the English language requirement and you will not need to prove that you have enough money to support yourself whilst you are studying in the UK.

However, you will usually need to show that you have enough money to pay for your course for one academic year (up to 9 months). The amount you need to pay will be on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

You can apply for a UK Student Visa in the United States (or elsewhere outside the UK), or in the United Kingdom if you are already in the UK under a different immigration permission.

If you are applying from the U.S, you can apply for the Student Visa 6 months before the start of your course.

If you are applying for the visa from within the UK, you can apply from 3 months before the start of your course. You will need to apply for the visa before your current UK visa expires, and within 28 days of your current visa expiring.

If your application is accepted, it is possible to arrive in the UK before your course starts.

This can be either:

• Up to 1 week before if your course lasts 6 months or less
• Up to 1 month before if your courses lasts more than 6 months

You must have received an unconditional offer from a licenced student sponsor to be able to study in the UK. Your course provider should send you a reference number once they have offered you a place on the course. This is known as the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You will need your CAS reference number to apply for the UK Student Visa, and you must apply for the visa within six months of receiving the CAS.

The course itself must meet certain conditions. It can be:

• A full-time course which leads to a qualification below degree level (RQF level 3, 4 or 5) which has at least
• A full-time course which leads to a qualification that’s at degree level or above (RQF level 6, 7 or 8)
• A full-time course which is at degree level or above (RQF level 6, 7 or 8) and which is equivalent to a UK higher education course and is being delivered as a part of a longer course in America, or elsewhere overseas
• A part-time course leading to a qualification that’s above degree level (RQF level 7 or above)
• A recognised foundation programme for postgraduate doctors or dentists
• An English language course at level B2 or above as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

It possible to apply for this visa if you are taking up a full-time elected position as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer too.

Also, you can apply for the visa if you have been sponsored to do a foundation programme and you have finished a recognised UK degree in medicine or dentistry from a registered student sponsor, and you spent your final year, and at least one other year, of your studies in the UK.

For many UK Student visa applicants, it is necessary to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the English language. There are 4 main routes through which this can be demonstrated:

• Having a qualification from a UK school, specifically:
  • A GCSE
  • An A Level
  • A Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5
  • A Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English
• Having a degree from a UK university
  • Note that, provided the degree was taught in English, it does not need to have been taught inside the UK
• Having a degree that was taught in English from a non-UK institution
  • In this case, you will need to apply to Ecctis for an assessment of your degree. Ecctis will verify that your degree is equivalent to at least a UK bachelor’s degree and will provide you with a confirmation code that you can then use as part of your Student visa application
• Passing an English language exam from an approved test provider
  • If you are studying at degree level or above, your test result must be equivalent to CEFR level B2
  • If you are studying below degree level, you must achieve at least a CEFR level B1
  • Note that your degree provider may instead choose to verify your English language level themselves, though your test result must still satisfy the above requirements

Note that US citizens are not required to demonstrate their English language proficiency. Nor are citizens of a number of other countries, including Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago. 

When applying for a UK Student visa, you will generally need to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to support yourself for the duration of your stay.

The exact amount you will be required to demonstrate will depend on your particular degree route.

For courses outside of London, you will generally need to provide evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself for up to 9 months, specifically £10,224.

For courses in London, this increases to £13,347.

You must have had the money in question for at least 28 days in a row, and that 28-day period must fall within 31 days of the date when you submit your visa application.

Your course will be considered in London if it is in the City of London or any of the 32 London boroughs.

The difference between London and non-London costs reflects the fact that the cost of living in London is generally higher than in the rest of the UK.

In addition to the above amounts, if you are the dependant of a PhD or doctorate student outside London then you will need to demonstrate access to at least £680 a month. For London studies, this increases to £845.

If you have already been in the UK on a valid visa for at least a year at the point of your application, you will generally be exempt from demonstrating that you have sufficient finances.

Note that the citizens of a number of countries are generally exempt from needing to satisfy the finance requirements. The full list of exempt nationalities can be found on the UK government website but it includes the US. It also includes Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the UAE.

However, even if your country of nationality is included on the exemption list, you may still be asked by the UK Home Office to provide financial evidence before a final decision is made on your application. In cases where this information is required, you will be informed by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) once your application has been submitted.

When you submit your UK student visa application, you will need to provide a portfolio of information and documents which demonstrate your eligibility for the visa.

You will need to provide:

• A current passport or other valid travel documentation
• The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your course provider
• Proof of parental or other legal guardian consent if you are under 18-years-old
• Proof of your relationship to your parent and guardian if you are under 18-years-old

Any documents which are not in English or Welsh must be translated by an accredited translator. You need to include both the original and the translated version in your portfolio of documents.

Proof of Parental/Legal Guardian Consent

If the applicant is under 18, they will need written consent from both parents or legal guardians, or one parent/guardian if they have sole responsibility for the child.

The parents/guardians must give consent to:

• The visa application
• The living and care arrangements in the UK
• The travel to the UK

They will also need to provide a copy of the birth certificate (or other U.S government-issued document) which shows the names of the parents.

If you are applying for a UK Student visa from outside of the UK, you will be able to apply within 6 months of the start date of your course. If you are applying from within the UK, you should apply within 3 months of the course start date. You will be able to apply for your UK Student visa online, via the UK government website. As part of the process, you will need to upload your required documentation.

You will also be asked to verify your identity. You may be asked to do so either via the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, in which case you’ll be asked to scan your ID, or via a UK visa application center, in which case your biometric information (your photograph and fingerprints) will be taken.

In the US, visa application centers can be found in multiple locations, including Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, Las Vegas, Buffalo, Charlotte, Portland, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, and Salt Lake City.

In the event that you are asked to attend a visa application center, you will need to make sure to bring your passport. Note that you will be able to take it home the same day.

Once you have submitted your application and completed the necessary steps, your application will then be processed. If you are successful, you will be granted a Student visa which you can use to enter the UK.

How long you can stay in the UK on a Student visa depends on the nature of the course in question.

If you are at least 18 years of age and have applied for a degree-level course, you will generally be able to remain in the UK for up to 5 years. If the course is below degree level, on the other hand, you can generally stay for up to 2 years.

Note that the UK also offers a Graduate visa for international students who have recently graduated from a UK university. This visa allows the holder to remain in the UK for at least another 18 months, depending on the application date and the type of degree.

Specifically, if you are applying for a Graduate visa on or before the 31st December 2026, you will be able to remain in the UK for 2 years after graduating. If you are applying on or after 1st January 2027, on the other hand, this reduces to 18 months.

For PhD/doctoral graduates, the stay increases to up to 3 years.

Once your Graduate visa expires, you may be able to remain in the UK by switching to a Work visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, provided that you have an eligible job offer.

You must apply for the UK Student Visa online. The current fee for a UK Student Visa is £558 if applied for from outside the UK. If you opt to switch to the Student Visa from another immigration permission inside the UK, the fee is £558.

As well as the standard application fee, it is important to note that you will need to pay an annual immigration health surcharge of £776 per year.

Typically, you can expect to receive a decision within 3 weeks of the date UKVI receive the application. However, if your application is a particularly complex one, it may take longer for the application to be processed. For instance, if you have an insufficient portfolio of evidence, you will be asked to provide further documentation or have certain documents verified.

This is why it is important to ensure you include all necessary documents and information in your application. Failure to do so will result in unnecessary delays in the processing of your application, or even an automatic refusal.

We can help you to prepare your application to the very highest standards. Our UK immigration lawyers are vastly experienced and understand what it takes to formulate a successful application. Call us now on  to find out how we can help you to being a new and exciting adventure as a student in the UK.

As part of the application process, you will need to prove your identity. When you complete your application, you will be informed of what you need to do.

Typically, you will need to do one of the following:

• Give your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) at a visa application center in the U.S. You may need to pay to provide your biometric information.
• Use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document. If you are asked to do this, you will need to create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account

If your UK Student Visa application is successful, you will:

• Get the eVisa – an online record of your immigration status
• Need to link your travel document to your UKVI account

Any family members (more below) who will be joining you must also provide their biometric information.

Your partner and children can join you in the UK as dependants if you are either:

• A government-sponsored student starting a course that lasts 6 months or longer
• Enrolled in a postgraduate course designated as a research programme that lasts 9 months or longer

Eligible postgraduate programmes include PhDs and other doctoral qualifications or masters programmes with a research component, including a requirement to produce original work.

International students who do not fit either one of these categories will not be eligible to bring their dependents with them to the UK.

This restriction will apply for all international students starting courses from 1 January 2024.

A dependant partner or child can be any of the following:

• Your spouse or civil partner
• Your long-term, unmarried partner
• Your child who is under 18-years-old, including if they were born in the UK during your stay

You need to provide evidence of their relationship to you through, for example, a marriage/civil partnership certificate or a birth certificate.

If the child is 16 or 17, you will need to provide evidence which demonstrates that they are not living an independent life. If they are living with you, you can provide two documents which show the child’s home address, for instance.

Your family members must apply online as the partner of you, or child of you. They will need to pay the full application fee too. In order to apply, they will need your application number, known as the Global Web Form or Unique Application Number. You can find this on emails and letters which you receive from the UK Home Office.

If their application is successful, their visa will be valid for the same amount of time as yours.

Yes, it is possible to apply for a UK Student Visa extension as an American. To extend the visa, you must:

• Be in the UK on a Student Visa (or the old Tier 4 (General) Student Visa)
• Have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licenced student sponsor (as shown by the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)
• Show that your studies are at a higher academic level than your current course, known as the ‘academic progress requirement’

You can also apply to extend your family’s/dependents’ visas at the same time as you extend your visa.

You can apply 3 months before the course starts, and you must apply before your current visa expires. You must apply for the visa within six months of receiving the CAS too. You can stay in the UK until a decision has been reached on the extension.

It costs £558 to extend the visa, and you will need to carry on paying the annual immigration health surcharge of £776 per year.

You will need to apply online for the extension, as you did with your original visa. Typically, you will receive a decision within 8 weeks of the date your application is received.

To find out more about the full requirements for a Student Visa extension, including the ‘academic progress requirement’, our team of UK immigration lawyers is here to help. Call us now on +1 844 312 4979 to find out more.

While the UK Student visa grants a number of benefits to the holder, it also comes with certain restrictions.

When in the UK on a Student visa, you will be able to study and to work as a Student Union sabbatical offer. If you are an undergraduate student, you will also generally be able to work part-time during term time and full-time outside of term-time, provided that it is casual work.

However, you will not be able to claim public benefits, work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, or start your own business.

Upon successfully receiving your Student visa, you will be given further details on what specifically you can and cannot do during your time in the UK.

A Student visa does not provide a direct route to settlement in the UK. This is because it is intended as a temporary visa which does not lead to permanent settlement or ILR in the UK.

However, there are indirect routes through which a UK Student visa may lead to UK permanent settlement. If you successfully obtain employment in the UK after graduating, for example, you can apply for a UK Work visa, such as a Skilled Worker visa. If you then satisfy the minimum residency requirement – generally 5 years – you will then be able to apply for permanent settlement, and can apply for UK citizenship a year later.

However, note that time spent in the UK on a Student visa will not count towards your residency minimum. This means that, in practice, you may need to live in the UK for at least 8 years before you can apply for UK permanent settlement, assuming that your degree programme was 3 years long.