These are the processes you can expect to follow if you're already in the UK and are applying for a Student visa to study at City St George's.
Can I apply in the UK?
You must ensure that you are eligible to do so before you submit an application.
You cannot switch to a Student visa in the UK if you hold a visa in one of the following categories:.
- a visit visa
- a short-term student visa
- a Parent of a Child Student visa
- a seasonal worker visa
- a domestic worker in a private household visa
- permission outside the immigration rules
If you already hold a visa for City St George's, University of London and, have successfully finished the course for which the visa was issued and are now starting a new course at a higher (or in some cases the same) level you will need to t apply to extend this permission within 6 weeks of registering on the new programme, even if your current permission lasts longer than this, in order to comply with the immigration rules.
If you hold Student Route permission for a different institution you must apply for your Student permission extension before you can register for your new course. You will be allowed to register temporarily provided that you can show evidence that you have made a valid Student extension application
You must also meet the academic progression requirements of the UK immigration rules. This means that you cannot apply to extend your Student immigration permission for a new course from within the UK until you have successfully completed the course and obtained the qualification for which your last CAS was issued and the course you will be studying should normally be at a higher level than the previous course. You can extend your visa in the UK in the situations below:
- You have successfully completed a course and are extending for a new course at a higher level or the same level, or
- You are enrolled on a PhD course and require more time to complete this course, or
- You undertook resit exams and as a result need more time to complete your course, or you have resit exams - please note you can only remain sponsored on a Student visa for resits if you will be in full attendance on your programme, or
- You are adding a placement or Study Abroad year, or
- You are studying for a BSc/MEng and adding an MSci or MENg year
- You have completed a Masters programme and wish to undertake a second Masters or progress to a PhD - but you have not yet received your final transcript or the degree certificate. In order to apply in the UK you will need to obtain formal confirmation from your current university confirming that you have completed all the taught elements of your course and that you are highly likely to complete your current course successfully together with the date on which the degree is expected to be awarded.
The Immigration rules do not allow you to apply to extend your student visa from within the UK if there is a gap of more than 28 days between your current Student visa end date and the start date of your new course.
When and how to apply
The earliest that you can apply is 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current immigration permission expires. Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring subject to any temporary concessions in place (see above).
Application date
Your immigration application date is the day that you complete your online form and pay the application fee online, NOT the day that you attend your biometric or in-person appointment (if required). You need to meet any requirements on the date of application ONLY and not on the date you attend a biometric appointment (if required).
Standard service
If you are applying using the standard service, you must submit your online application before your current visa expires and within 6 weeks of the new course start date (if later) if you are a current City St George's Student visa holder who has enrolled on your previous City St George's visa, whichever is later. The application process can take 6 to 8 weeks.
Premium applications
If you require a faster decision your application can be decided in either one or five working days if you choose either the super priority (£1000) or expedited process (£500). You can pay the additional fee when you pay your visa application fee.
You must pay for your application before your visa expires, otherwise you will not be allowed to remain registered on your course. However, if your visa expires while your new application is being considered don't worry - your old visa will be automatically extended until a decision is made on your new application.
For application fees for visas submitted within the UK please refer to the UK Government website.
Application process
In order to make your Student visa application you should follow these steps:
- Create an online account with UKVI (if you have not got an existing account) and start to fill as much of the application form as you can at the UK Government website. City St George's, University of London sponsor licence number is: P7VG4XCY7
- If you would like the visa advice team to check your application before submitting it to UKVI, contact us via Support@City platform to request an appointment to have your application checked. Please include your full name, City St George's student number and contact telephone number in your request.
- Once you have submitted your online application you will have the option of scanning and uploading your documents if you are required to provide supporting documents as part of your application.
- You should be able to identify yourself using the UKIV IDV app if you already have an EVisa. If you cannot complete your biometrics using the IDV app you will instead need to attend a visa appointment at a designated service centre. You will need to take your original passport to this appointment.
- If you are not able to use the app you will then need to attend a visa appointment at a designated service centre. You will need to take your original passport and BRP to this appointment.
- You should not use your passport to travel out of the UK and Islands until your application has been approved. If you do travel outside the UK before your Student visa extension has been granted, your application may be treated as withdrawn and you may not be able to re-enter the UK.
Immigration Health surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge is charged at the time when you submit your visa application online.
Cost for applications: £776 per year for a main applicant and £776 per year per dependant for each year of the visa granted. Any period of time granted that is less than 6 months will be charged at £388.
There are a limited number of exemptions to paying the health surcharge. You can read the full list of exemptions and further information about the health surcharge on the Home Office website.
Biometrics
As part of your visa application, you are required to provide your biometric information (fingerprints and facial image) which will usually be captured through using the IDV app. If you cannot do this using the app, you will be directed to make an in-person appointment. Your visa application will not be valid and cannot be processed until you have provided the required biometric information.
If you are not able to use the IDV app, you will be asked to register with UKVACS and arrange a biometric appointment through the UKVACS platform You will need to visit a service centres to do this. The nearest to London is with free appointments is in Croydon.
You can also choose to pay an additional fee to visit outside of normal business hours .
Applicants who apply using a premium faster application service are first required to attend a biometric appointment before their application can be processed if their biometrics cannot be captured using the IDV app.
Credibility interviews
As part of your application, you may be requested to attend a short video or in-person interview
The purpose of the interview is to check that the applicant is a genuine student, so they may ask you some questions about your course and why you chose to study it and any other institutions you considered when making up your mind about where to study.
Administrative review
In the unlikely event that your Student visa application is refused and you believe that the decision is incorrect ypou can apply for an administrative review of the decision. Please read the FAQs and contact us if have any questions.
Documents you must provide
Apart from filling out the online application form (remember: City St George's sponsor licence number is P7VG4XCY7), you will also need to provide the following documents and prepare for the following processes.
Application fees
For current application fees for immigration applications made from within the UK please refer to the UKVI website.
Passport
Your should scan a copy of your current passport using the IDV app.
English Language requirement
All applicants who require a Student visa must meet the minimum Home Office English Language ability requirements before City St George's can issue a CAS.
These minimum English requirements are set out alongside our general entry requirements.
CAS statement
The CAS is a unique reference number linked to a record created by the University in the Home Office IT system, which includes details of your course and the University's Sponsor Licence Number.
Proof of qualifications
Your CAS may list the qualifications you used to obtain your place at City St George's. If it does, you should check that the documents are correctly listed. You are NOT required to provide these with your application.
Maintenance requirement
Your application is also subject to certain financial requirements unless you have been living in the UK for the last 12 months in which case you should be exempt from meeting this requirement. Our detailed advice on preparing your application explains the requirements in detail.
Low-risk nationals
Nationals of certain countries (e.g USA, China) are considered to be low-risk for immigration purposes. Click here for the full list of low-risk national countries.
If you are a low-risk national, you do not need to provide financial evidence with your application but UKVI might request this evidence later if they want to, so you must still meet these requirements and ensure that you can produce documents in the required format in case they are requested.
If you were financially sponsored before this course
If you have already been studying for a course in the UK and received official financial sponsorship from a government or scholarship agency within the last 12 months which covered both your tuition fees and living costs you must get your sponsor's permission in writing to extend your stay or apply for a new grant of permission to study in the UK.
Your sponsor must confirm they have no objection to you continuing your studies here. If you do not provide this your application will be rejected as invalid. More information can be found in the Student Visa guidance.
If you have been funding yourself through government loans this does not count as "official financial sponsorship" and you will not need this letter.
ATAS certificate
ATAS only applies to you if you want to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects relevant to national security. You should be advised that you will need this when receiving your offer to study your course.
You must obtain an approval under the ATAS Scheme if both your course and nationality require this, before making either your Student visa application to enter or your application to extend your study period in the UK unless you are a national of an EU country, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America who do not need an ATAS certificate.
When preparing your documents, you might find this checklist useful. (Please note some students may need additional documents not covered on this list.)