Tier 4 Visa Requirements

Points Required

Prospective student need 40 points to apply for a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa and must provide the proof needed with application form.

CAS (30 points)

You will be awarded 30 points for studying a course with the College and having acceptable English language skills. To prove this you will need a CAS (Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies) from the College along with the documents required to get the CAS. This can only be issued after successful application and receipt of a course fee or a course fee deposit. You must have a CAS when you apply, or your application will be refused.

Maintenance (10 points)

You will be awarded 10 points for having enough money to cover your first year course fees and first year living costs (first year living cost is £7200). To prove this you will need to provide a Bank statement or letter confirming that you have enough money available to cover the course fees and living costs for the first year, at the time you submit your application. You must provide CAS Statement as an evidence of fees paid to college and then show that you have funds for the difference. You must be able to prove that the money required to apply has been in your account for 28 days before you submit your application.

This must be in the form of cash funds in the bank (this includes savings accounts and current accounts even when notice must be given and/or loan and/or official financial or government sponsorship available to you). Other accounts or financial instruments such as shares, bonds, pension funds, etc., regardless of notice period are not acceptable. If you wish to rely on a joint account as evidence of available funds, you must be named on the account along with one or more other named individual. If you wish to use money held in an account owned by your parent(s)/legal guardian, you must show evidence that you are related to your parent(s)/legal guardian and that your parent(s)/legal guardian has given permission to use this money. If you have an offer of a bank loan confirmed that will be available on the issue of your visa, you must provide the original document confirming the loan. There must be no conditions placed upon the release of the loan funds, other than you making a successful Tier 4 application. All evidence, except for loans, must show that the money has been in your personal bank account or your parent(s) / legal guardians bank account for a consecutive 28 day period (finishing on the date of the closing balance) ending no more than 1 month before your application.

Acceptable Financial Institutions

Financial institutions whose financial statements are accepted by UK Border Agency under Tier 4 of the points-based system.

English Language Ability

College must ensure that:

you are competent in English language at a minimum of CEFR level B1, if you will be enrolling on a course at NQF 3-5/QCF 3-5/SCQF 6-8; or
you are competent in English language at a minimum of CEFR level B2, if you will be enrolling on a course at NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9 or above; or
you are a national of a majority English-speaking country

If you do not meet the English language requirement, College cannot assign a CAS to you.

Academic Progression

If you have previously studied in the UK under Tier 4 (General) or under the student rules, your College cannot assign a CAS to you unless:

your new course represents academic progress from your previous study; or
you are re-sitting examinations or repeating modules; or
you are making a first application to move to a new institution to complete a course that you started elsewhere.

Established Presence

Any student has an established presence studying in the UK if they:

completed a single course of study lasting at least 6 months during their most recent permission to stay in the UK, which ended no more than 4 months before their current Tier 4 application; or
are applying to continue studying on a single course in the UK, of which they have completed at least 6 months.

If you have an established presence, you must show that you have enough money to cover your living costs for 2 months.
If you do not have an established presence, you must show that you have enough money to cover your living costs for 9 months.