Welcome to Student Visa Guide

 

Total points required are 40

  • 30 points for Certificate of Acceptance from a Registered Sponsor
  • 10 points for Funds available

Money needed (also known as maintenance or funds)

  • The money you need to show covers your course fees for your first year of study and living costs for up to a maximum of nine months. The amount you will need depends on whether you are applying as a child or adult.
  • Your money must be held in cash. (Shares, bonds, pension funds and similar savings accounts will not be accepted).
  • You must show that you have held the money for at least 28 days prior to the date of application.

Calculating overseas money:

If you are using overseas currency, we will expect you to show (write on the document) the closing balance in pounds sterling. You may use the official exchange rate on the OANDA website, which can be found atwww.oanda.com/convert/classic.
 

How many points do I get for money (also known as maintenance or funds)?

As an adult student, you get 10 points if you have enough money to cover the course 

 
  • Fees and living costs shown below. This is known as the maintenance (funds) requirement.
  • You will not have access to most state benefits (known as public funds) so must have 
  • Enough money to support yourself so you do not face financial difficulties.

What money do I need?

The money you need depends on the length of your course and where you will study.

 
Type of Course 
 		 Location 
 		 Funds required 
 
Nine months or less 
 		 In London 
 		 Course fees

And
£800 to cover living costs for each calendar month of the course
Nine months or less 
 		 Outside London 
 		 Course fees
and
£600 to cover living costs for each calendar month of the course 
 
More than nine months 
 		 In London 
 		 First year of fees
and
£7,200 to cover living costs for nine months in the United Kingdom 
 
More than nine months 
 		 Outside London 
 		 First year of fees
and
£5,400 to cover living costs for nine months in the United Kingdom 
 

If you have already paid some of your fees or accommodation before applying for your visa, this amount will be taken away from the total amount of money you need to show. For accommodation, this only applies if you are staying in university or college arranged accommodation.
 

PROOF OF PAYMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS:

There are three different elements of money you must show – the cost of your course fees, money already paid and money to be paid.

 
Element of money you must show 
 		 What you must provide 
 
Cost of the course fees
 		 Your visa letter from your approved education provider showing the cost of your fees. 
 
Money already paid 
 		 ·your visa letter showing what you have already paid; 

or 

·official receipt confirming you have paid some or all of your fees;

or

·secure on-line access details to your approved education provider’s financial systems to verify some or all of the fees have been paid; and/or

·if we are unable to access their financial systems, we may contact your approved education provider to verify the fees paid.

If you are using a bank loan as your evidence, the bank must be regulated by an official regulatory body and you must provide a document from the bank confirming the loan. 
 
Money to be paid 
 		 You must show you have enough money to pay your fees for the first year and your monthly living costs for up to nine months (or for the length of your course if it is shorter than nine months). 
 

Unsupported and online receipts are not acceptable.. This is also the date we will use to check the value of your money in pounds sterling.
 

Proof of availability of finances

Personal bank or building society statements covering the 28 day period immediately before the application
your personal bank or building society statements should show:

  • your name; or
  • the name of a child’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) (if applying as child student) ; and
  • the account number; and
  • the date of the statement; and
  • the financial institution’s name and logo; and
  • The amount of money available

 

  1. You can use bank statements that are for a specific purpose (also known as ad hoc) printed on the paper with the letterhead of the bank as evidence as long as they include all of the information above. You cannot use mini-statements from cash points.
  2. You can use electronic bank statements from an online account if they include all the information above. Each electronic bank statement should be stamped by the official stamp of the bank on every page of the statement.
  3. If you want to use a joint account as proof of your money, you must be named on the account along with one or more other person.