These are the processes you can expect to follow if you're already in the UK and are applying for a Student visa to study at City.
Can I apply in the UK?
You must ensure that you are eligible to do so before you submit an application - the rules are very strict with regards to who is allowed to extend in the UK.
You cannot switch to Student visa in the UK if you hold a visa in one of the categories listed on the Gov.uk Student visa webpage.
If you already hold a visa for City, University of London, have finished the course for which the visa was issued and are now starting a course at a higher (or in some cases the same) level you must apply to extend this visa within 6 weeks of registering on the new programme, even if your current visa lasts longer than this, in order to comply with the immigration rules.
If you hold a visa for a different institution you must apply for your new visa before you can register. You will be allowed to register temporarily provided you can show evidence that a valid application has been submitted to the Home Office
You must meet the progression requirements. This means you cannot apply for a visa for a new course from within the UK until you have completed the course and obtained the qualification for which your last CAS was issued and the course you will be studying should normally be at a higher level than the previous course. You can extend your visa in the UK in the situations below:
- You have successfully completed a course and are extending for a new course at a higher level or the same level, or
- You are enrolled on a PhD course and require more time to complete this course, or
- You undertook resit exams and as a result need more time to complete your course, or you have resit exams - please note you can only remain on a Student visa for resits if you will be in full attendance on your programme, or
- You are adding a placement or Study Abroad year, or
- You are studying for a BSc/MEng and adding an MSci or MENg year
- You have completed a Masters programme and wish to undertake a second Masters or progress to a PhD - but you have not yet received your final transcript or the degree certificate. In order to apply in the UK you will need to obtain a Formal Confirmation Letter from your university confirming that you have completed all the taught elements of your course and that you are highly likely going to complete your course sucessfuly and the date on which the degree will be awarded.
Applying to extend your student visa from within the UK with a gap of more than 28 days between your current Student visa end date and the start date of your new course.
The Home Office has again reinstated its previous temporary policy allowing applications to be made from within the UK where there is a gap of more than 28 days between the end date of your current Student visa and your new course start date.
You can access the Covid-19: Guidance for Student sponsors, migrants and Short-term students Temporary concessions in response to Covid-19 Guidance on the Home Office's website.
If you meet the above requirements and currently hold a visa for City, University of London and are progressing onto another course here you can register on your current visa but you must apply for your new visa within 6 weeks of starting the course.
When and how to apply
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course must begin with 28 days of your current visa expiring.
Application date
Your visa application date is the day you complete your online form and pay the application fee online, NOT the day you attend your biometric or in-person appointment. It is not possible for you to make a new Student visa application in the UK if your new course at City starts more than 28 days after the expiry date of your current visa.
Standard service
If you are applying using the standard service, you must submit your online application before your current visa expires and within 6 weeks of the new course start date if you are a current City Student visa student who has enrolled on your previous City visa, whichever is sooner. The application process can take 6 to 8 weeks.
In person
If you are applying in person, you usually get your new visa within 7 to 10 working days. You will need to book a premium service appointment as part of your online application. Please note that you will need to pay an extra £800 for using this service.
You must pay for your application before your visa expires, otherwise you will not be allowed to remain registered on your course. However, if your visa expires while your application is being considered don't worry - your old visa will be deemed to continue for the duration of time it takes for your application to be considered.
For application fees for visas submitted within the UK please refer to the UK Government website.
Application process
In order to make your Student visa application you should follow these steps:
- Create an online account with UKVI and start to fill as much of the application form as you can at the UK Government website. City, University of London sponsor licence number is: P7VG4XCY7
- If you would like visa advice team to check your application before submitted to UKVI, email visaadvice@city.ac.uk to request an appointment to have your application checked. Please include your full name, City student number and contact telephone number in your email
- Once you have submitted your online application you will have the option of scanning and uploading your documents. Alternatively, you can do this when you attend your biometrics appointment (see below)
- You will then need to attend a visa appointment at a designated service centre. You will need to take your original passport and BRP to this appointment. You should receive your passport back on the day but should not use this to travel until your new visa has been granted. If you do travel outside the UK before your new visa has been granted your visa application will be withdrawn.
Immigration Health surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge is a fee that is charged at the time when you submit your visa application. From 27 October 2020 the health surcharge will be increasing to £470 per year for a main applicant and £470 per year per dependant for each year of the visa granted.
The health surcharge is incorporated into the online visa application form and is paid only once the application has been submitted online. You can calculate the health surcharge you will need to pay online.
Biometrics
As part of your visa application, you are required to provide your biometric information (fingerprints and facial image) which will be stored on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card. Your visa application will not be processed until you have provided the necessary biometric information.
You will be able to book an appointment to do this when you submit the online application. You will need to visit one of the six service centres to do this. The nearest to London is in Croydon.
You can also choose to pay an additional fee to visit one of the Enhanced Service Points - the nearest to City is at Barbican. Applicants who apply in person are required to have their biometrics taken on the day of their booked appointment.
Credibility interviews
As part of your visa application, you may be requested to attend a short video interview with a Home Office member of staff in Sheffield.
The purpose of the interview is to check that the applicant is a genuine student, so they may ask you some questions about your course and why you chose to study it and any other institutions you considered when making up your mind about where to study.
Administrative review
You could apply for an administrative review if your Student visa application is refused in the UK with a mistake made by the Home Office. Please read the FAQs and contact us if have any questions.
Documents you must provide
Apart from filling out the online application form (remember: City's sponsor licence number is P7VG4XCY7), you will also need to provide the following documents and prepare for the following processes.
Application fees
For application fees for visas submitted within the UK please refer to the GOV.UK visas website.
You can also read our Immigration Health Surcharge FAQs.
Passport and BRP
You should submit your current passport. If your current immigration permission is issued on a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) you must also include this.
English Language requirement
All applicants who require a Student visa must meet the minimum Home Office English Language ability requirements before City can issue a CAS.
These minimum English requirements are set out alongside our general entry requirements.
CAS statement
The CAS is a unique reference number linked to a record created by the University in the Home Office IT system, which includes details of your course and the University's Sponsor Licence Number.
Proof of qualifications
Your CAS may list the qualifications you used to obtain your place at City. If it does, you must include a certificate or transcript for each of these qualifications and official translation if it is not in English.
Evidence you successfully completed your previous course
One of the requirements for applying in the UK is that you have completed your previous course of study here.
You are therefore required to supply evidence of this (your certificate or transcript) even if this is not the qualification that was used to obtain your offer and even if you are a low-risk national.
This document is not currently mentioned in the checklist at the end of your application, however UKVI has confirmed to us that you must provide it.
Maintenance requirement
Your application is also subject to certain financial requirements. Our detailed advice on preparing your application explains these in detail.
Low-risk nationals
Nationals of certain countries (e.g USA, China) are considered to be low-risk for immigration purposes. Click here for the full list of low-risk national countries.
If you are a low-risk national, you do not need to provide financial evidence with their application but UKVI might request these evidence later if they want to, so you must still meet these requirements and ensure that you could produce documents in the required format if they are requested.
If you were financially sponsored before this course
If you have already been studying for a course in the UK and received official financial sponsorship from a government or scholarship agency within the last 12 months you must get your sponsor's permission in writing to stay in or re-enter the UK.
Your sponsor must confirm they have no objection to you continuing your studies here. If you do not provide this your application will be refused. More information can be found in the Student Visa guidance.
If you have been funding yourself through government loans this does not count as "official financial sponsorship" and you will not need this letter.
Police registration certificate
If you are required to register with the police, you must submit an up-to-date police registration certificate including your current visa status and address.
ATAS certificate
You must obtain clearance certificates under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) if you want to study at advanced levels within certain subject areas, before making your visa application to study or extend your study period in the UK.
When preparing your documents, you might find this checklist useful. (Please note some students may need additional documents not covered on this list.)