Unless you’re an EEA or a Swiss citizen, you’ll need to acquire a Tier 4 student visa to study in the UK. Once you have been assigned a certificate of acceptance of Studies, the course provider will expect you to make an entry clearance application to get you started.
Your process shall complete 15 days ahead of your course start date but can take longer. That is why it’s important that you apply as soon as possible.
While Tier 4 students can take up a wide range of courses, those courses must satisfy certain criteria. Also, there are time limits on how long you can study in the UK if you get the Tier 4 visa. Apart from that, there are some additional requirements you must fulfill in order to get the Tier 4 visa for your studies.
How to Get the Tier 4 Student Visa?
Evidence
You have to fulfill all Tier 4 student visa prerequisites and should provide the specified evidence in the stated format to increase your chances of success. Generally, the educational institutions that will be sponsoring you will offer their prospective students help in assessing their documents. Hence, it is important that you submit only the specified evidence.
Passport
You should attach your valid passport along with all the relevant documents mentioned in the application form. Your passport should include at least one blank page, which is a requirement for all UK visas. You will need a valid passport before you start preparing your application.
The Case of Differentiation Arrangement
Some applicants do not have to submit proof of their qualifications or their finances. This case is said to be the differentiation arrangement that basically works for low-risk applicants. It’s crucial that your passport is issued by one of the countries listed in the list of immigration rules to qualify as a low-risk applicant.
Qualifications
Make sure you go through the list of ‘Evidence used to obtain an offer’ and send all the listed documents accordingly. The Tier 4 guidance section clearly states what’s valid and acceptable (please check the documents used to obtain a tier 4 CAS section). When submitting any academic certificates that are not in English/Welsh, you are required to attach a translation of the document. While low-risk applicants are not needed to submit these documents, they should still have them handy.
Language
Your sponsor has to confirm that it has either checked your language proficiency (read/write/listen/speak) or they are not required to do so. It’s important to understand that unless you have a degree thought in the UK or you are from an English-Speaking country you may be required to take an English language qualification.
This will be evidenced in the CAS you have been issued with.
Financial Evidence
Unless you’re a low-risk applicant, you have to provide evidence of your funds. This evidence may include personal bank statements, deposit certificates, a letter from a registered bank, letter from your financial sponsor, etc.
Make sure your financial documents include all the required information. Also, your financial documents must exhibit that your funds are in your personal bank account for more than 28 consecutive days.
Arriving in the UK
Once, you have submitted all the required documents and finally got your Tier 4 student visa, you must prepare yourself for questions that the Border Force officers may ask upon your arrival.
While all these steps may sound like a ’no-big deal’, the fact is that it’s not very easy to complete the entire process on your own. That is where professional legal solicitors come to your rescue. Optimus Law is a renowned law firm based in the UK that has highly experienced and proficient immigration lawyers who can help you prepare a winning Tier 4 student visa application.