USA & Canada: Tier 4 General Student Visa Immigration Guidance 2013-2014

USA & Canada: Tier 4 General Student Visa Immigration Guidance 2013-2014

Contents Introduction...2 Do I need a visa?...3 Making a Tier 4 application...4 Showing your funds...5 Tier 4 (General) visa...6 Top ten tips...7 Links and contacts...8 1

Introduction This guide is for students who will make a visa application from outside the UK. If you are already in the UK, and you wish to extend your Tier 4 visa, please contact us for further information at immigration@ed.ac.uk Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of Edinburgh! Now that you have received your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) you will need to start planning to make your visa application. The International Student Advisory Service at the University of Edinburgh specialise in student immigration to the UK, and we will be there to help you throughout the process. If you are well prepared, with our help you should find the application process straightforward and relatively quick. This guide will give you all the information you need to make a successful Tier 4 (General) student visa application. In this guide, you will find out about: Tier 4 (General) student visas, and whether you need to apply for one How, when and where to make your Tier 4 (General) visa application What documents you will need for your Tier 4 (General) visa application It is important that you read the information carefully and follow the guidance exactly. You will be able to find everything you need about your visa application in this booklet, but if there is anything that you don t understand, please email us at immigration@ed.ac.uk and we will be happy to help. Best wishes, International Student Advisory Service The University of Edinburgh 2

Tier 4 (General) visa Do I need a visa? A visa is a certificate (also referred to as Entry Clearance ) which gives you permission to enter the UK. The application for a visa is assessed by the British Embassy in your country of origin or ordinary residence. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals arriving in the UK to study a programme of six months or longer at Edinburgh must arrange a Tier 4 (General) visa, before travelling to the UK from the British Embassy or Consulate in your home country. Non-visa nationals US and Canadian citizens are non-visa nationals, which means you can enter the UK without a visa and be stamped in for up to six months as a student visitor. You will still need to meet all the relevant criteria for the visa category, and show evidence of this to an Immigration Officer when arriving in the UK. If you are coming to study a programme that is more than six months long, you must not enter the UK as a student visitor. If you do, the University will not be able to enrol you, the visa cannot be changed from within the UK and you will have to return home in order to arrange the correct visa and return to the UK. Low risk nationals If you hold a USA or Canadian passport you are considered to be a low-risk national. Therefore, if you are a USA or Canadian citizen, and if you are making your visa application in that country you do not need to send official original points-scoring evidence (degree certificates, bank statements etc) with your visa application. However, you may still be asked to provide the required evidence in the correct format, so you should make sure to have this available at short notice. If the visa office asks you for the documentation and you do not provide the correct evidence, your visa will be refused. If you are applying outside of your home country, you will need to provide all the required evidence with your application, and you will not benefit from the low risk concessions. 3

Tier 4 General student visa Making a Tier 4 application Timing Application The earliest you can apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa to begin studies in the UK is three months before the start date of the course. If you apply any earlier than this, your application will be refused and you will lose your application fee. Unless you are already in the UK and have a visa which allows you to switch to the Tier 4 category, you must apply in your home country or a country in which you are normally officially resident. More detailed information can be found at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries Online applications can be made at www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk - selected country-specific guides can be found below. For every document that you provide, you must include the original document and a photocopy. United States of America: 1. Make sure that you meet all of the criteria for applying for a Tier 4 visa. 2. Complete and submit an online application form at www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk 3. Pay your visa application fee (298 GBP) online. You should print out the payment confirmation page, even though you should receive an email receipt of your payment. You will need to bring proof of payment when you attend your visa appointment. 4. Pay your return courier service fee. 5. Book an appointment to attend an Application Support Centre (ASC) run by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services to enrol your biometric information. You can find your nearest ASC at http://alturl.com/wriep 6. Submit a signed & dated print out of your completed application form (VAF 9 and Appendix 8), your photographs, a stamped biometric receipt and your original passport to the UK Border Agency New York by mail or registered travel agent. Visa applications in the United States usually take around three weeks. If you would like to have your visa processed more quickly, you can use the priority appointment service. This costs an additional 150 USD, but will ensure that your application is considered before standard applications. You can find more information about the priority service here: www.visainfoservices.com/pages/content.aspx?tag=services_page#priorityservice Canada: 1. Make sure that you meet all of the criteria for applying for a Tier 4 visa. 2. Complete and submit an online visa application form. 3. Pay your visa application fee (298 GBP) online. You must pay your application fee in US Dollars, and you must use a VISA or Mastercard debit or credit card to make your payment. You should print out the payment confirmation page, even though you should receive an email receipt of your payment. You will need to bring proof of payment when you attend your visa appointment. 4. Book an appointment online to visit a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Toronto, Ottowa, Vancouver or Edmonton or mobile biometric clinic. Appointments at a VAC are free, but there is a charge for appointments at mobile biometric clinics in Halifax or St John s. For more information about booking an appointment see: www.visainfoservices.com/pages/appointmentmanagement.aspx? 5. Send your application (VAF 9 and Appendix 8) to the UK Border Agency processing centre in New York (unless you attend the Visa Application Centre in Toronto). You will need to pay an additional courier fee to mail your documents to the processing centre and to have them couriered back to you. Only the Toronto visa application centre in Toronto will send your application to our New York office free of charge and allow you to collect your documents in person. Visa applications in Canada normally take around three weeks but, you should allow around 28 days turnaround for the visa to be issued. At certain times of year, it can take longer. 4

Tier 4 General student visa Showing your funds If you are deemed to be a low-risk national applying in your home county, you will not need to send evidence of your funds with your visa application. However, you may still be asked for evidence, and you must be able to present it at short notice, in the correct format, and proving that you held the money for the stipulated time on the date of your application. You can demonstrate access to the funds in one or more of four ways. Pages 26-34 of the Tier 4 Policy Guidance provide a full explanation of the documents required to score the points and what these must confirm. You should take time to look at these before applying for the visa: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/ applicationforms/pbs/tier4migrantguidance.pdf 1. Your bank statements If you use your own money to score 10 points, you must provide one month (at least 28 days) of original bank statements in your name. The statement or letter must confirm that the amount of money you need for your maintenance (tuition fees + living costs) has been at least the minimum balance available throughout a 28 day period, ending not more than one month before the date of your application. The balance must not fall below the required amount during the 28 day period, otherwise your application will be refused. The bank statement must be dated within one month of your date of application. 2. Parental/Legal guardian(s) bank statements You can use funds held by your parents or legally appointed guardians as evidence for your 10 points. You must ensure that the funds are demonstrated in cash funds as above. In addition, you must also provide: your original birth certificate (professionally translated, if required) or an adoption certificate or official court document confirming legal guardian status. a brief, signed letter from your parents which confirms that the funds can be used for your UK education. Note that only parents or official legally appointed guardians (through a court of law or adoption procedures in your country) are eligible to be considered for parental sponsorship. You cannot use financial evidence which belongs to other relatives. 3. Official financial sponsorship Sponsored students If you receive sponsorship from an official financial sponsor such as your national government or an international scholarship organisation you must provide an original letter, on the sponsor s headed paper which details the amount of funding in your name. University of Edinburgh sponsorship If you receive sponsorship from the University of Edinburgh, your CAS must indicate this at the time you apply. When you request your CAS, please discuss this with your College to ensure it is included. 4. Student loans If you receive student loans from a student loan organisation or bank in your country, you need to provide a letter which confirms the details of the loan. Page 33 of the Tier 4 Policy Guidance provides detailed information on what information the letter should contain. The University administers US Department of Education Loans and Canadian student loans. Our Scholarships and Student Funding Office can arrange a letter which confirms your loan amount and payment schedule. You must not apply for your visa until you have had official confirmation of your loans. When can I travel to the UK? If you are coming to the UK to study a course lasting six or more months, your visa will be valid for travel for up to one month before the start date of the course. Please be aware that if you are living in privately rented accommodation before the start date of your course you will be eligible to pay Council Tax during this period, as Council Tax exemption only applies from the start date of your course onwards. Please see www.edinburgh.gov.uk for more information on Council Tax. 5

Tier 4 (General) visa www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students Tier 4 (General) visa A Tier 4 (General) visa is the study visa for the UK. It is a points-based visa and to successfully apply for it, you need to score 40 out of 40 points: Points For Evidence required 30 10 Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) Entry qualification English language Progression Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Certification Maintenance (Financial) requirement Other requirements A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number issued by the University of Edinburgh. This will be emailed to you when you have accepted your unconditional offer. This is the academic qualification that the University used to assess your suitability for the course. The qualification will be noted on your CAS. We will use only one of your previous qualifications. You do not need to submit any references you may have used. You must include your ORIGINAL certificate or transcripts detailed in the CAS with your visa application. If you are a low-risk national you do not need to send the document, but you must have the original document available in case you are asked for it. Your CAS will state how the University assessed that your English language ability is to the required standard. You must submit the ORIGINAL certificates, if this is stated on your CAS. Some students will not need to submit evidence of their English language ability. If you do not need to submit evidence, your CAS will state that you: i. Are from a majority English speaking country; or ii. Have completed a degree from a majority English speaking country; or iii. Have been assessed as suitable by the University s own criteria and methods. If you have studied in the UK previously, your CAS must confirm how the new course represents academic progression from the previous one. For example, an undergraduate degree to a postgraduate degree. Students studying certain Science and Technology courses require approval from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, under ATAS. Your CAS will tell you if you need an ATAS certificate. If you need ATAS certification to study your course, you must submit your certificate with your visa application. The ATAS application takes around four weeks. You can find full information about ATAS and apply online at: www.fco.gov.uk/atas If you are successful, your ATAS certificate will be emailed to you. t is important that you make your ATAS application at least one month before you intend to apply for your visa. You must get a new ATAS certificate every time you apply for a new visa. You will need to prove that you are able to pay your tuition fees for the academic year, plus a set amount for your living costs. If you are a low-risk national you do not need to send financial evidence, but you must have the original document available in case you are asked for it. Most student visa refusals result from applicants submitting their financial evidence in the wrong format. Translations: If any of your documents are not in English or Welsh, the original MUST be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the UK Home Office. This original translation must include: Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document The date of the translation The translator s/an authorised official of the translation company s full name and signature The translator s/translation company s contact details 6

Tier 4 General student visa Top ten tips 1. Timing is key Remember that you cannot apply for your visa more than three months in advance of the start date of your course. Similarly, you must ensure not to leave it too late to apply, or you could miss the start of your course. Also remember that there will be a limit on how soon you can travel to the UK (see tip 10). 2. Make sure to include original documents with your visa application You must submit only original documents, including your passport, with your visa application. 3. If you are an EEA/Swiss citizen, do not apply for a Tier 4 Visa EEA/Swiss citizens do not need to get immigration permission to study in the UK. You should use your EEA/Swiss passport to travel to the UK. 4. Apply for your visa in your home country Many students wish to travel to mainland Europe or the UK before starting their course. However, if you travel to Europe before you get your Tier 4 visa, you will have to return to your home country, or country of normal residence, to make your Tier 4 application before returning to enrol on your course. There are no exceptions. 5. Do not apply for your visa unless you meet the points requirement This guide gives detailed information about the requirements for a Tier 4 visa, which you should follow carefully. If you do not have the correct points your visa will be refused. You will lose the application fee and have a visa refusal on your record. You also risk delaying your arrival to the UK, and in some cases this could mean that you will not arrive in time to start your course. 6. Keep copies of every document that you send with your application You should take a copy of every document that you send with your application, including the application form. This will be useful if there is any problem with your application, or in case any of your documents are lost. Carry these copies to the UK with you. 7. If your visa is refused, contact us immediately (visarefusal@ed.ac.uk) We will be able to advise you about where you went wrong, or help to correct it if it was a mistake on the part of the UK Home Office. You should send scanned copies of all of your documents, including the refusal notice. 8. Do not use the same CAS twice A CAS can only be used for one visa application. If your visa application is refused and you want to make a new application, you must get a new CAS. Email us at visarefusal@ed.ac.uk with a scanned copy of your refusal letter for further information. 9. Do not travel to the UK via the Republic of Ireland If you do, you will not meet with UK immigration officials. This will mean that you will not be granted leave to enter and your permission to study in the UK could be in doubt. You may not be able to enrol at the University. 10. Do not travel to the UK before you get your visa You must check the valid from date on your visa, and ensure that you do not travel to the UK before that date. If you do, and you are a non-visa national, you will have permission to be in the UK as a visitor NOT as a student and this will mean that you cannot study and you will not be allowed to enrol at the University. If you are a visa national and you travel to the UK before the valid from date on your visa, you will be refused entry to the UK, and you will have to return home. 7

Tier 4 General student visa Links and contacts Complete Tier 4 guidance from UKBA The Tier 4 Guidance should be your primary source of information when preparing to make a visa application. It contains the rules, the requirements for documents and information about the visa application process. www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/ applicationforms/pbs/tier4migrantguidance.pdf ATAS certification information If you require an ATAS Certificate, you can find out more about the process and begin an application through www.fco.gov.uk/atas We have prepared information about this process at: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/internationaloffice/immigration/downloads/atas-certificate UKCISA information The United Kingdom Council for International Student Affairs produces guidance and information to students on how to apply for the Tier 4 (General) visa. This can be found at: www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/immigration.php June 2013 Published by The University of Edinburgh, The International Office, 33 Buccleuch Place - EH8 9JS, Edinburgh 8