Expert legal advice for international students on UK Student Visa applications, CAS requirements, financial evidence, English language requirements, extensions, switching, dependants, refusals and planning your immigration options after study.
The UK Student Visa allows eligible international students aged 16 or over to study with an approved education provider in the United Kingdom.
The UK continues to attract students from around the world to its universities, colleges and other educational institutions. However, receiving an offer from a university does not automatically mean that a Student Visa will be granted.
An applicant must satisfy the immigration requirements applying to their course, education provider, Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), finances, English-language ability and personal circumstances.
The Student route can cover eligible:
The route is based upon sponsorship by an approved education provider. A Student Visa applicant will therefore normally need a valid CAS issued by a licensed student sponsor.
At Knights & Shah Solicitors, our immigration solicitors can advise international students on Student Visa applications and immigration issues arising before, during and after their studies.
We can assist with:
The Student Visa is the principal immigration route for international students aged 16 or over who want to undertake qualifying further or higher education in the UK.
It replaced the former Tier 4 (General) Student route.
To qualify, an applicant must obtain an eligible place of study with an institution permitted by the Home Office to sponsor international students.
The Student route is different from the Child Student Visa, which is available to eligible children aged between 4 and 17 who wish to study at an independent school in the UK.
An applicant will generally need to demonstrate that they:
The precise requirements depend upon the applicant’s age, course, level of study, education provider and individual circumstances.
A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, commonly known as a CAS, is an electronic sponsorship record issued by an approved education provider.
It is central to most Student Visa applications.
The CAS contains important information relating to matters such as:
A CAS must be issued by a student sponsor whose licence remains valid when the application is decided.
It must also contain the information necessary to demonstrate that the relevant course, qualification and place-of-study requirements are satisfied.
A CAS is therefore more than simply a university reference number. Errors or inconsistencies concerning sponsorship can affect the immigration application.
Before a Student Visa application can proceed, the education provider will ordinarily need to issue a CAS for an eligible course.
Universities and other education providers have their own procedures before issuing a CAS.
Students should ensure that the information recorded by their institution is accurate, particularly their:
Where there is a discrepancy, it should ideally be resolved before the visa application is submitted.
Finances are one of the most important parts of a Student Visa application.
Where the financial requirement applies, the applicant must generally demonstrate sufficient funds for:
outstanding course fees
plus
living costs in the UK.
The amount of outstanding course fees will normally be shown on the CAS.
Under the current rules, the maintenance requirement is:
£1,529 per month, for up to 9 months.
This can mean a maximum maintenance requirement of £13,761, in addition to relevant outstanding tuition fees.
£1,171 per month, for up to 9 months.
This can mean a maximum maintenance requirement of £10,539, in addition to relevant outstanding tuition fees.
The correct amount should be calculated according to the applicant’s individual circumstances.
Where an applicant relies upon money held in an account to satisfy the financial requirement, the required funds will generally need to have been held for at least 28 consecutive days.
The end of that 28-day period must fall within the permitted period before the visa application is made.
Student Visa refusals can occur because applicants focus only on whether they have enough money and overlook how long the money has been held or whether the evidence satisfies the Immigration Rules.
Financial evidence should therefore be checked carefully before submission.
Depending upon the circumstances, the financial requirement can potentially be satisfied using qualifying:
The Immigration Rules contain detailed requirements concerning acceptable funds and financial evidence.
Applicants should avoid assuming that any bank account, loan or sponsorship arrangement will automatically be accepted.
Not necessarily.
For example, an applicant applying for permission to stay who has already been living lawfully in the UK with permission for at least 12 months at the date of application can satisfy the Student financial requirement without needing to demonstrate the funds in the usual way.
There are also differential evidence arrangements affecting certain applicants, although the Home Office can still request evidence where necessary.
Applicants should establish which rules apply to them rather than unnecessarily submitting evidence that creates inconsistencies.
Student Visa applicants will normally need to demonstrate the required level of English.
The required standard depends upon the course.
For study at UK bachelor’s degree level or above, the current requirement is generally:
CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
For qualifying study below UK bachelor’s degree level, the requirement is generally:
CEFR level B1.
How the requirement is demonstrated depends upon the applicant and education provider.
In appropriate circumstances, the sponsor itself may assess the student’s English ability and record the assessment on the CAS.
Not every Student Visa applicant needs to take a new Secure English Language Test.
Depending upon the circumstances, the English-language requirement may be satisfied through:
The correct evidence depends upon the applicant’s circumstances and course.
Some international students studying or researching certain sensitive subjects at postgraduate level may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
Whether ATAS is required depends upon matters including:
Applicants undertaking a master’s degree or above should therefore check whether their particular course requires ATAS before making their Student Visa application.
Where ATAS applies, the requirement should be dealt with before the immigration application is submitted.
The timing depends upon whether the application is made from outside or inside the UK.
For an overseas Student Visa application, the application can generally be made up to 6 months before the course starts.
Students already in the UK who are eligible to extend or switch will need to comply with the applicable in-country timing requirements.
Applicants should not leave visa preparation until shortly before their course begins, particularly where financial evidence, ATAS, tuberculosis testing or other documentation is required.
For applications made outside the UK, a decision is commonly expected within approximately 3 weeks, although individual cases can take longer.
Processing can be affected by:
Students should therefore allow sufficient time between obtaining their CAS, submitting the visa application and their intended travel date.
Under the Home Office fee structure effective from 8 April 2026, the Student Visa application fee is:
£558
for applications made outside the UK.
The fee for extending or switching to the Student route from within the UK is also currently:
£558.
Each dependant making an application will generally require their own application fee.
Government fees can change, so the applicable amount should always be checked at the point an application is submitted.
Student Visa applicants ordinarily also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of their application.
The amount payable depends upon the length of immigration permission granted.
Eligible dependants are also ordinarily required to pay the applicable surcharge.
The total cost of a Student Visa application should therefore be calculated using both the visa fee and the applicable IHS rather than the application fee alone.
Many Student Visa holders are permitted to work, but the amount and type of work allowed depends upon the conditions attached to their immigration permission and the course being studied.
For eligible students, permission can include limited work during term time and greater working hours during official vacation periods.
However, students should check the specific conditions attached to their visa before beginning employment.
A Student Visa is primarily granted for study, not unrestricted employment.
Breaching work conditions can have serious immigration consequences and may affect future applications.
The Student route generally restricts self-employment and business activity.
This is an important distinction from the Graduate Route, which provides much greater flexibility after successful completion of qualifying studies.
Students considering freelance work, establishing a business or undertaking activities that may amount to self-employment should check their immigration conditions carefully before doing so.
The rules concerning Student dependants have become considerably more restrictive.
For courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, most international students can no longer bring dependants simply because they are studying a postgraduate course.
Dependants may potentially be permitted where the main applicant is:
This means that most students undertaking ordinary taught master’s degrees cannot bring new dependants under the Student route.
Where dependants are permitted, they can potentially include the student’s:
Relationship, age, dependency and financial requirements apply.
Dependants are not automatically granted immigration permission simply because the main applicant has received a Student Visa.
Each dependant requires an appropriate application.
Where the financial requirement applies, each qualifying dependant currently needs:
£845 per month, for up to 9 months.
£680 per month, for up to 9 months.
These funds are required in addition to the money needed by the main Student applicant.
Families should therefore calculate the complete financial requirement before applying.
Potentially, yes.
A Student may be able to extend their immigration permission from inside the UK where the relevant requirements are satisfied.
This can arise where a student:
The applicant must satisfy the relevant Student requirements, including any rules concerning academic progression.
An extension should be prepared before existing immigration permission expires.
Some applicants already in the UK may be able to switch into the Student route.
However, switching is not permitted from every immigration category.
Before making an in-country application, the applicant should establish:
Where switching is not permitted from inside the UK, the applicant may need to apply from overseas instead.
For many international students, the Graduate Visa is the natural next immigration step after successfully completing an eligible UK qualification.
The Graduate Route does not require employer sponsorship.
A typical progression may therefore be:
Student Visa
↓
Graduate Visa
↓
Skilled Worker Visa
↓
Indefinite Leave to Remain
↓
British Citizenship
However, the Graduate Visa is not mandatory.
Some students may be able to move directly into another immigration route after completing their studies.
An eligible Student may potentially switch directly into the Skilled Worker route where the applicable requirements are satisfied.
This can be particularly important for students who secure qualifying sponsored employment.
Moving directly to Skilled Worker can sometimes be strategically attractive because the Skilled Worker route can lead towards settlement, whereas time on the Graduate Route does not itself create a direct Graduate-route path to ILR.
The correct approach depends upon:
Students should therefore consider their post-study immigration strategy before their Student permission expires.
The Student route is not itself a direct settlement route.
Completing a degree and holding Student permission does not automatically result in Indefinite Leave to Remain.
However, after study, an individual may move into another immigration category capable of leading to settlement.
Long periods of lawful residence in the UK may also become relevant under other provisions of the Immigration Rules, depending upon the applicant’s complete immigration history.
A Student Visa application can be refused even where the applicant has genuinely been accepted onto a UK course.
Potential reasons can include:
A refusal should be reviewed carefully before another application is submitted.
Simply applying again without understanding the original problem can result in another refusal.
Some applicants may be asked to attend an interview as part of the Student Visa process.
Questions may concern matters such as:
Applicants should answer truthfully and consistently.
The purpose should not be to memorise artificial answers, but to be able to explain genuinely why the proposed study makes sense in the context of the applicant’s education and career.
The first step should be to understand why the Home Office refused the application.
Depending upon the circumstances, the appropriate response may include:
The best course of action depends upon the wording of the refusal decision and the applicant’s circumstances.
Where time is limited because of a course start date or existing immigration permission, advice should be obtained promptly.
The documents required depend upon the individual application.
Typical documents or information can include:
Where required:
Where required:
Depending upon the circumstances:
Not every applicant will need every document listed above.
The application should be prepared according to the applicant’s actual circumstances rather than using an unnecessarily large generic document bundle.
If you require advice contact Knights & Shah Solicitors.
We provide clear, solicitor led advice, strategic case planning and robust court representation to protect our clients.
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