Tier 4 (General) student visa
Applying for a visa from outside the UK
If you are outside of the UK and making an application for a new Tier 4 (General) student visa you can obtain guidance and an application on the UK Border Agency (UKBA) visa services website.
Documents you need to send with your application:
- Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies number from the University of Greenwich
- Any documents, such as academic certificates, that are listed in the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
- An ATAS certificate, if this is required for your programme (we will tell you whether you need an ATAS certificate when we send you your CAS Number).
- Your bank statements, letter of official financial sponsorship or confirmation of an official loan.
Evidence of funds
You must be able to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds, in addition to your tuition fees, to live in the UK. The UKBA considers all three University of Greenwich campuses to be outside London for maintenance funds.
You must normally show that you have held this money for a 28 day period, ending no more than one month before your visa application.
In all cases, the documents showing where the funds are held must not be dated more than one month before the date of your application. For example, if you make your application on 15 February 2011, the bank statement must not be dated before 15 January 2011.
Financial document requirements
Under the current rules, the funds must be held in an account in the name of the student applying for the visa. Funds can also be held in a joint bank account, as long as one of the account holders is the student. In certain circumstances, it may be possible for financial documents from parents to be used.
Detailed information on financial requirements is available on the UKBA website.
Extending your visa when in the UK
If you are extending your visa in the UK, you should read Tier 4 (General) student visa information provided by the UK Border Agency, in particular the policy guidance document setting out the precise requirements of a Tier 4 (General) student visa application.
You should also read the UK Council for International Students Affair’s well written and highly recommended guide to making a student immigration application in the UK.
