CREATE AN ONLINE ACCOUNT

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1 TIER 4 ONLINE VISA GUIDE FOR APPLICATIONS MADE IN THE UK This document will assist you in completing the Tier 4 online form for applications made in the UK. If you will be applying in the UK for a visa to study at Imperial College or to extend your existing student visa you must come in and speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team. It is important that you do this before paying for and submitting your application so we can eliminate any errors. We can also post your application to the Home Office on your behalf using our Check and Send service. All documents including the new visa will be returned to our office for you to collect. Office Opening Hours Quick Queries Appointments Contact Details The office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10-5pm. On Wednesdays we are open 11-5pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10-12pm Wednesday 11-12pm During this time we will not be able to check application forms but we can advise on what you need to do and what documents you will need to prepare. You do not need an appointment to see an adviser during Quick Queries. Monday Friday 2-4pm Appointments need to be booked in advance and these are used primarily for students who need to have their application and documents checked. If you are applying with dependants we will need to book you in for additional time to check all the applications. International Student Support Level 3, Sherfield Building Imperial College London South Kensington Campus London SW7 2AZ Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) international@imperial.ac.uk Website: 1

2 CREATE AN ONLINE ACCOUNT Start the application process by visiting the Home Office website at this link visa and click the green Start now button. 2

3 On the next screen select the option that says extending your Tier 4(General) student visa and click the Next step button. If you are changing from a different visa than Tier 4 please contact International Student Support to check which option you need to select. 3

4 Enter the Imperial College London sponsor licence number 1E82R2BR6 4

5 Please click on the link that says Apply to extend your visa below sponsor number. 5

6 Click the Log in to apply online button at the bottom of the screen. 6

7 You will need to create a Home Office account to be able to access the application form. Once you have created your account, log in and proceed with the remainder of the application. 7

8 Now click on the Apply online button at the bottom of the screen. 8

9 Once you have logged in the screen below will appear. Please note that you if you save your application form but do not log in again after 56 days then your form will be deleted. If you log back in within those 56 days the 56 day window period will begin again. 9

10 CUSTOMISE This online application form is only for people who are in the UK on a valid visa and who are able to extend or switch into Tier 4. If you are applying from outside of the UK you must apply online via this website From the drop-down menu select which Tier 4 route you will be applying under. The Tier 4 (Child) route is for those studying who are under the age of 18 years. If you will be applying with dependants (spouse/partner and/or children) then select Yes here. The online form will allow you to complete an individual form for each dependant. 10

11 Where you are using an agency or solicitor you would indicate Yes here. If you have been receiving advice from the International Student Support team then please indicate No. Please select I am unless you are using a solicitor or agent. Is your most current visa a sticker in your passport or is it a separate Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)? Select the relevant option that applies to you. Select your age group from the drop-down menu. Once you have completed this section select Save and then Next 11

12 The Home tab lists all the sections of the form that need to be completed. You can refer back to this at the end of the application to check you have completed all relevant sections. 12

13 PERSONAL DETAILS You are the Lead Applicant. Provide all the personal details requested. 13

14 If you do not currently hold any other nationality please indicate No. However if you do you will be required to indicate what this other nationality is. Where you have previously held another nationality you are also required to indicate this here and provide further details on when this nationality was held. If you have changed your name you will need to provide these details (for instance have you married recently and your name has now changed?) 14

15 Provide details if you have in the past used another name. If you provide any documents with this application that use a different name and are not mentioned here then these documents will not be considered. The Home Office does not need to know about informal nicknames. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 15

16 CONTACT DETAILS Now provide the current address where you are living in the UK. Where you would like your documents and new visa to be sent to the College then please indicate No that your living address is not your correspondence address. 16

17 Please write the correspondence address as follows: House Number or Name = International Student Support Att: Alan Smith Street Name = Imperial College London Town or City = London County = London Postcode = SW7 2AZ Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 17

18 REFERENCE NUMBERS Where you are asked about a Home Office reference number this refers to a previous visa application that has been made from within the UK. You would have received a letter from the Home Office that has a case reference number and this is what you would need to provide. If you are currently still on your first visa that you applied for from your home country then indicate No to the first question. 18

19 A National Insurance (NI) number would be required if you doing any sort of paid work. This is not automatically assigned and you would have had to apply for one from a Job Centre. The NI Card looks like this: If you have a NI Number you must provide that information here. If you have previously held an NI Number and subsequently had to apply for a new one then please provide the details of that previous NI Number here. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 19

20 TRAVEL DOCUMENT (Passports) This section requires you to provide your passport information. 20

21 If your passport has been lost or stolen please speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team. This section is asking about past passports that contain relevant visas for the UK. For example you may have entered on a visa stamped in your passport but since then your passport expired and you obtained a new passport. You would need to provide the details of the expired passport and include the expired passport with your application as this contains your current or past student visa. If you have previous passports that have no UK visas in them, please click No. If your previous passport has been lost or stolen please speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team. 21

22 Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 22

23 BIOMETRIC RESIDENCE PERMIT (BRP) If you have extended your visa from within the UK then you very likely would have been issued your visa in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) which looks like this: In this section you will need to provide the information found on your BRP. 23

24 If you no longer have your BRP you will need to indicate what has happened to the BRP from the dropdown list. Where the BRP is lost or stolen you are required to have reported this to the Home Office and in addition you would need to have reported this to the police to obtain a crime reference number. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 24

25 PREVIOUS ADDRESSES Where you have previously lived in Northern Ireland you will need to declare this here and provide your previous address in Northern Ireland. If you have not lived in Northern Ireland click No and move on to the next question. The Home Office requires information on all addresses that you have lived at within the UK for the previous 5 years. If you have not changed your address within the last 5 years click No. Click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. If you click Yes to this question you will now be asked to provide your previous address including the dates that you moved in and out of that address. If you have more than 1 address click Add another to add all relevant addresses to cover the 5 year period. 25

26 Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 26

27 PERSONAL HISTORY The Personal History asks a series of Yes or No questions. You must answer all these questions honestly and accurately. Where you indicate Yes for any question a text box will be provided so you can further explain your situation. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 27

28 IMMIGRATION HISTORY You will need to select from the drop-down menu which option applies to you. If your leave has expired or you are unsure which option applies to you please get in touch with an adviser in the International Student Support team (our contact details are at the top of this help guide) Once you have selected the option that applies to you provide further details about the visa category you are currently under and indicate if you were required as a condition of your visa to register with the police. Only nationals of certain countries are required to register with the police. It will say on your visa required to register with police within 7 days or some similar variation. Students with a Police Registration Certificate (PRC) must ensure that it is up-to-date and reflects the current address where you are currently living. You can update your PRC at any police station. 28

29 Before you arrived in the UK you would have had to obtain a visa, you will need to provide the information about that visa here. The entry clearance visa would take the form of a sticker in your passport and would look like this: Where you are asked to provide the reference number please note that the reference number is the VAF number which is printed below the visa expiry date on your visa. 29

30 Some further questions about your immigration history in the UK. Where you say Yes to any of these questions a text box will appear and provide you with an opportunity to explain your situation. You must answer all these questions honestly. If you have an application already with the Home Office or are waiting for a decision on an appeal then please speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team immediately so we can discuss your situation. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 30

31 PUBLIC FUNDS As an international student on a visa you would not be entitled to claim public funds from the government. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 31

32 COURSE DETAILS The Sponsor Licence Number for Imperial College is 1E82R2BR6, enter this and click Look up and then select Imperial College. The Imperial College address: South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ For county select London 32

33 To be able to apply for a Tier 4 visa you will need a new and valid CAS number, indicate Yes for having a CAS and enter the CAS number. You will then need to select your level of study: Undergraduate (NQF 6); Masters (NQF 7) and PhD (NQF 8) Course Dates MSc students should use a slightly different course end date to that mentioned on e-service, as shown below: Start Date End Date 1 September August September September October October 2015 PhD students should use their thesis submission deadline (4 years from course start date) as their planned course end date, e.g. if the course start date is 1 October 2014, the end date will be 30 September 2018, which should be listed under the Research section of the Course Information section of Student e-service. Please note that if you are a continuing student you must enter your start date as the original date your course began. If you are unsure about what your course dates should be, please contact International Student Support. 33

34 Once you have selected your level of qualification you will be able to provide the details of your course: course title, start date and end date. Where your main place of study is at the South Kensington Campus then you can select Yes to this question. However if your main place of study is Silwood Park Campus or one of the hospitals then you will need to select No and provide the relevant address. Imperial College is an HEI so indicate YES here. If you applied for your Undergraduate course via UCAS please indicate YES here and provide your UCAS Personal Identification Number. If you are applying for a Postgraduate course you must answer NO to this question. 34

35 Please select from the options below how you will be able to meet the English language requirement. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 35

36 MAINTENANCE (Money/Finances) Enter the amount of fees listed on your CAS. If you have paid some, or all, of your fees then indicate Yes and write how much you have paid. Where it shows on your CAS what has been paid then tick the box for Information on the CAS otherwise you will need to provide original paper receipts showing the fees have been paid. 36

37 If you currently hold a Tier 4 visa, Student visa or are here as a Postgraduate Doctor or Dentist then you will need to select YES to this question. If you do not hold such a visa then select NO and continue with the questions. Once you select YES you will be given 3 options, please select the relevant one to your circumstances. This question relates to how much money you will need to show for your living expenses whilst you continue to study. You will be considered to have established presence where you currently have a valid student visa and you have either completed 6 months on your current course or have already completed a course in the UK that was more than 6 months in length. If your student visa has expired or if you hold a different type of visa, you probably won t qualify for established presence, even though you may have been in the UK for some time Where you have established presence you will be required to show If you do not meet the established presence requirement you will need to show the full maintenance of Silwood Park Campus students: If you are studying at the Silwood Park Campus and you meet the established presence requirement you would only need to show 1640 but if you are required to show the full maintenance then the amount will be Silwood Park Campus students select outer London. All other students studying at any other Imperial campus will select inner London. 37

38 Unless your accommodation is specifically owned by Imperial College you would select No to this question. Where you have paid accommodation fees to Imperial College you can only claim up to a maximum of 1020 deduction off your maintenance and you will need to provide a receipt as this will not be stated on the CAS. An Official Financial Sponsor would be if you are receiving full or partial funding from a government or international company. You would also indicate Yes here if you are receiving a full or partial scholarship/bursary from Imperial College. You will need to provide a scholarship letter with your visa application confirming the details of your scholarship. If you are able to show the required fees and maintenance in a bank account in your name or you are fully covered by a scholarship/bursary then indicate Yes to this question. Where you will be using your parents bank statements to show the required funds then indicate No. You will be required to show original documents - proving your relationship to your parent (eg. Birth certificate) and - a letter from your parent(s) confirming that you are their child and they are happy for these funds to be used for your visa application. Once you have completed this section click Check this section and then click Next to move to the following section. 38

39 GENERAL ATTRIBUTES You will then need to select your level of study: Undergraduate (NQF 6); Masters (NQF 7) and PhD (NQF 8) 39

40 On certain courses you will be required to apply for and obtain an ATAS certificate. You should have been made aware of this requirement at the offer stage. Where ATAS is required you must indicate Yes and then provide the reference number on the certificate. Note that an ATAS certificate expires 6 months after it is issued: if yours is several years old, please apply for a new one. If you do not have your ATAS certificate then please speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team. Answer this question as appropriate. 40

41 CHECK FORM Once you have reached the end of the form click Check Application. If there are any errors on the form these will be indicated by clicking on the Home tab. Until all the relevant questions are completed you will not be able to proceed any further. 41

42 Once you have answered all the questions you will be able to click Next and move on to the documents required. 42

43 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? To prepare for your appointment with an adviser in the International Student Support team please bring your Home Office account log-in details so the adviser can review your application. Please also bring all your supporting documents to your appointment. 43

44 DOCUMENTS After you have completed the form a list will be automatically generated indicating the documents you will be required to submit with your application. You must have your form and documents checked by an adviser in the International Student Support team to ensure they meet all the Home Office criteria. You may also have exceptional circumstances that require some explanation and you will need an adviser to guide you on drafting a covering letter together with any additional documents you may need. You will need to provide your passport (s) and 2 passport size photos. The photos must be new photos taken on a cream or light grey background and meet the Home Office criteria for photographs. Please refer to the Home Office website for full photo guidance: All applicants will be required to submit passport (s) and photos. 44

45 Depending on what you have indicated through the course of your application form you may be required to show a combination of the following documents: If you were required to register with the police you must provide your Police Registration Certificate. Make sure that it has been updated with your current address. If your fees and/or maintenance are paid by a sponsor (e.g you receive a scholarship from Imperial College) you will need to provide an official letter confirming the scholarship and the amount. Click Yes for the type of document you will be including with your application and No for all the documents that do not apply to your application. 45

46 If you will be relying on your parents bank statements to show your fees and/or maintenance you will need to provide: The original bank statements meeting the Home Office criteria If the bank statements are from an overseas account check that the Home Office recognises the financial institution Your original birth certificate A letter from your parent(s) confirming that you are their child and that this money is for to cover your fees and/or maintenance for the visa application. Click Yes for the type of document you will be including with your application and No for all the documents that do not apply to your application. 46

47 If there are documents listed on your CAS you will also need to provide these with the application. Click Yes for the type of document you will be including with your application and No for all the documents that do not apply to your application. If you are required to obtain an ATAS certificate for your course you must include this with your application. If your ATAS is several years old you must apply for a new one. If you are being sponsored by your home government, the UK government or an international scholarship agency you must provide a letter confirming the scholarship and the amount awarded. 47

48 DECLARATION On the declaration page the system will have automatically worked out how much you will be required to show for tuition fees + maintenance. By indicating Yes here you are declaring that you have this money and that you are able to show proof of the funds according to the Home Office criteria. Before you sign this declaration make sure that you have shown your financial documents to an adviser in the International Student Support team. 48

49 EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: The online application and all supporting documents must be checked by an adviser in the International Student Support Team before you submit this form online. Please save your online application and make an appointment with an adviser NOW! Once you have ticked this declaration there is NO opportunity to correct any mistakes. 49

50 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Book an appointment with the International Student Support team Print off your draft application form Bring the draft application form together with all supporting documents to your appointment Discuss with the adviser how you plan to make your application (postal or in-person) The International Student Support team will contact you with what steps you need to take after your application has been double checked International Student Support, Room 301, Level 3, Sherfield Building South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ 50 Tel: +44 (0) , Website: