Extending a Student Visa in the UK to Study at City University

NB: This Guidance may be subject to change whilst Tier 4 is being implemented. Please check with an International Student Adviser at before submitting an application.

Tier 4 (Student)6 April 2011

Extending a student visa in the UK to study at City University

Anyone applying to extend their stay in the UK as a student after 31 March 2009 needs to apply under Tier 4 of the new Points-based System. This Guidance Note explains how to apply in the UK to:

continue with your current full-time course at CityUniversityor

start a new course here

Students should also read the official ‘Policy Guidance’ provided by the UK Border Agency at:

NBThe requirements of the new scheme are very different to the previous student visa application process. Do not rely on any previous experience when making an application under Tier 4.

Students under the age of 16
You need toapply as a Child Student. The requirements and application forms are slightly different. Please contact an International Student Adviser at:

The University as your educational sponsor

When you make an application under Tier 4, the University becomes your educational ‘sponsor’. This means that the University is responsible for you whilst you complete your course here. NBThis does not mean that the University is your financial sponsor.

Once your visa has been extended, you will need to provide your department with:

a copy of the information page of your passport

a photocopy of both sides of your new biometric id card (visa stickers are no longer issued in the UK for Tier 4 applications).

Students who need to do reassessments

If you are not required to attend the University on a full-time basis, it may not be possible for the University to sponsor you under Tier 4. You may need to leave the UK and apply to come back as a Student Visitor. Please contact an International Student Adviser at: or see the UKVisas website at:

To access the relevant sections of this document, please use the links below:

1.Can I apply in the UK as a General Student under Tier 4?

2.How do I qualify under the scheme?

3.I already have a Tier 4 visa issued for another university, college or school

4.How much does the application cost?

5.When do I need to start to prepare my application?

6.Where can I get the application form?

7.The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies

8.Meeting the Maintenance Requirement

9.What if I have applied for a loan for my studies?

10.What if I am sponsored for my studies?

11.Biometric Identity Cards

12.Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

13. Student Visa extension FAQs

14.Where can I get further information?

Can I apply in the UK as a General Student under Tier 4?

Not everybody will be able to apply to extend their current Student Visa in the UK. This depends on:

• when your new (or continuing) studies startand
• the kind of immigration permissionyou have at the moment.

You can usually apply in the UKif you can say ‘Yes’ to any of the following:

a)I have a Student Visa. I need to extend my stay in the UK to complete my current full-time course

b)I have a Student Visa. I am currently on a full-time course AND I have an unconditional offer for another course. My new course starts within 1 month of the expiry date of my current visa 

c)I have a Student Visa but I’ve finished my previous course. The course was full-time, it lasted more than 6 months and it finished within the last 4 months. I have an unconditional offer for another course. The new course starts within 1 month of the expiry date of my current visa 

d)I do not have a Student Visa because I currently have a Work-related visa such as Tier 1 (Post Study Work) 

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I already have a Tier 4 visa issued for another university, college or school

If you already have a Tier 4 visa which was issued for study at a different school, college or university, YOU must tell the UKBA that you want to study at CityUniversity, LondonBEFORE you start the course here.

There are 2 different ways to do this, depending on when you paid for your visa application:

BEFORE5 October 2009: If you applied for your visa BEFORE 5 October 2009, you can tell the UKBA by e-mail without paying a fee. More information about this is available on the City University website at:

after 5 October 2009: If you paid for your visa after 5 October 2009, you MUST make a fresh visa application before you can start studying.

Important: The University is not allowed to register you on a course here if you have a Tier 4 visa issued for study somewhere else, unless you can prove that you have informed the UKBA in the correct way. If you paid for your visa after 5 October 2009, youmust have made a new visa application to study at City (either in person or by post) before you can enrol.Back to Contents

How do I qualify under the Tier 4 Scheme?

You need to prove that you can score 40 points:

• 30 points for a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies(CAS)from CityUniversity (who are your sponsor); and
• 10 points for proof that you meet the Maintenance Requirement. This means thatyou have enough money in your personal bank account to pay your course fees and living expenses for each month of your course (up to a maximum of 9 months).

If you do not meet all the requirements and supply exactly what the Home Office asks for, it is very likely that your application will be refused.

How much does the application cost?
(These prices are correct as of 6 April 2011)

By post- £386 (Processing time – approx 6-8 weeks)
Premium in-person appointment at a Public Enquiry office- £702 (Processing time 7-10 days)

These appointments must be booked in advance. More details are available on the UKBA website at:

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When do I need to start to prepare my application?

You need to allow enough time to make your application and to start gathering documents. You shouldbegin to prepare your application at least 2 MONTHS before your visa is due to expire, if possible.

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Where can I get the application form?
Adult students over the age of 18

The Tier 4 (G) application form is available on theUK Border Agency website. Type ‘Tier 4 student adult’into the ‘Looking for a form?’search facility on the bottom right-hand of the main UKBA Home Page at or go directly to:

NB Always make sure that you use the most up-to-date application form.

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
These are produced by the University electronically and sent directly to the UK Border Agency. A CAS is valid for six months from the date when it is assigned. If you do not use it within this period to apply for permission to stay under Tier 4, it will automatically become invalid.

Once a CAS has been issued for you, you will receive an electronic CAS statement by e-mail. This will include your unique CAS number. You will need to include this information when you make your visa application. This information is confidential and should be treated carefully.

How do I request a CAS?

Before you start your course
If you are an undergraduate applicant and provided your passport details to UCAS, a CAS will be automatically prepared for you once you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer. If you have not given your passport details to UCAS, we will contact you to request the information once you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer.

If you are a postgraduate applicantand have already provided your passport details to the University, a CAS will be automatically prepared for you once you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer. If you have not yet given us your passport details, we will contact you to request the information once you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer.

Students who have an unconditional offer for a postgraduate course at Cassshould request a CAS via the on-line form at:

Once your course has started
Students extending their current UK Student visa to complete their course at CityUniversity should ask their department to generate a CAS for them.

Cass students should request a CAS on-line at:

Documents you need to provide with your CAS

If you are applying for a visa to start a new course here at City, your CAS will need to include details of the academic documents that you used to get your place on the programme. If you used academic certificates (e.g. a degree certificate or IELTS certificate) or an academic transcript, then you will need to provide the originals of these documents.

Please note: If you provided an academic reference (e.g. a written recommendation from a previous tutor), you do not need to provide the originals.

Students who need more time to complete their course

If your visa was originally issued for the course that you are doing now and you are applying for more time to finish that course, your CAS does not need to list any documents but it must confirm that you “have been assessed based on your progress so far on the course.”

• Check your CAS carefully- you must tell the University immediately if the details in your letter are incorrect.
• It must be dated no more than six months before you make your visa application.

Meeting the Maintenance Requirement

The UKBA now specify exactly how much money an applicant needs to have when they apply to extend a visa in the UK. They also specify exactly which financial documents are acceptable.

How much money do I need?

There are 2 separate levels of Maintenance. Most students who apply in the UK will be viewed by the UKBA as ‘extending students’ so will be able to benefit from a lower Maintenance rate

Am I regarded by the UKBA as an ‘established student?

You are an ‘established student’ if you currently have a Student Visa and can say ‘Yes’ to ‘a’, ‘b’ or ‘c’ below.

a)I need to extend mystay in the UK to complete the same course the visa was issued for OR

b)I am currently on a full-time course (which lasts for more than 6 months) andhave an unconditional offer for another course which starts within 1 month of the expiry date of my current visa OR

c)I havefinished a course (which was more than 6 months long)within the last 4 months andhave either: a) an unconditional offer for another coursewhich starts within 1 month of the expiry date of your current visa **

b) just started a new full-time course**

** ImportantIt is helpful to send the UKBA evidence from your previous school, college or university to confirm that you have been a full-time student. It should clearly show that you studied for least 6 months and that your course ended less than 4 months before you started your new course.

How much money does an established student need?

If you can answer ‘Yes’ to questions ‘a’, ‘b’ or ‘c’, you need to show that you can pay:

one year's tuition fees(if your course lasts for 1 academic year or more)

up to £1,600 (2 months' worth of maintenance costs)

This means that you must have £1,600 for maintenance costs even if you are only applying for an extension for 1 month.

NB The UKBA only work in whole calendar months, so if your course finishes in middle of the month, you still have to provide proof of maintenance for the whole month.

Applicants who are not viewed as ‘established Students’
You may need to meet a higher Maintenance requirement if you have:

• a non-student visa, e.g. Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa and want to switch to Tier 4, or
• you have a Student Visa but your last course lasted less than 6 months OR
• you have a Student Visa but your last coursefinished more than 4 months ago

How much money does a ‘non-extending’ student need?

You need to show that you have:

one year's tuition fees (if your course lasts for 1 academic year or more)

• up to £7,200(= 800GBP per month of your course up to up to a maximum of nine months)
  e.g. if you want to study a 1-year Master’s course, you need £7,200 + course fees for one year.

NB The UKBA only work in whole calendar months, so if your course finishes in middle of the month, you still have to provide proof of maintenance for the whole month.

How long do I need to have had this money?
When you apply, you must provide proof youhave had funds in the account for AT LEAST 28 days.

This means that you need a bank statement (or other specified financial document) which is less than 1 month old when you apply which shows that you have had enough money in the account to cover the Maintenance amount and any outstanding fees for a full 28-day period (or longer).

Please note: Students who have an ‘official financial sponsor’ may not need to meet this requirement (see ‘‘What if I am sponsored for my studies’ below.

Does this money really need to be in my personal bank account?

The UKBA have agreed to accept evidence of funds held in the bank account of a parent or legal guardian.They have NOT agreed that you can use statements from any other relatives.

If you wish to use your parents’ bank statements, you will need to provide formal proof of your relationship. This should be either:

• your birth certificate showing the name of the parent(s) showing the funds
• Certificate of adoption showing your name and the parent(s) showing the funds
• Court document showing that the person providing your funds is your legal guardian

You will also have to prove that your parents (or legal guardian) agree that you can use their money for your studies. You will need an original signed and dated letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian confirming:

• the relationship between you and your parent(s) or legal guardian(s)
• that the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have agreed that the funds in their account are available to you for your studies in the UK

You will also need to provide your parent’s original financial documents (see below).

More information about this is provided by the UKBA on their website in Annex A of the Tier 4 Policy Guidance at:

What financial evidence do I need for my application?

The UKBA are very specific about the financial documents they will accept as proof that you meet the Maintenance Requirement.

You need to provide either of these specified types of documents UNLESS you have an ‘official sponsor’ for your studies or an official loan. Students who have an official sponsor should read ‘What if I am sponsored for my studies’ below. NB your family are NOT ‘official sponsors’.

Important information about dates on your bank statements: Bank or Building Society documents must show that you had enough money in your account every day for at least 28 days. They must also be less than 1 month old at the time you apply**.

** The UKBA Policy Guidance say that they will count 28 days back from the ‘closing balance’ shown on your bank documents. If your bank documents confirm how much is in your account on the day that the bank statement is printed, the UKBA will use that date. This date should be less than 1 month before you make your visa application.

However, if the bank statements don’t clearly show how much money was in the account on the date that the statement is printed, the UKBA seem to look at the last date money was paid in or taken out of the account instead. You should try to make sure that this date is less than 1 month before you make your visa application.

1, Personal bank or building society statements

These must show:

• your name
• your account number;
• the date of the statement;
• the financial institution’s name and logo

NB Ad hoc bank statements (printed in your bank branch) which are printed on the bank’s letterheadand include all the details aboveare admissible asevidence but this DOES NOT INCLUDE mini-statements from cash points (ATMs).

Internet bank statements

If you only have on-line statements, they can be used if they contain all of the details listed above. However, you must ALSO:

• provide a letter from your bank on headed paper confirming that the statements are authentic or
• ask your bank to stamp your electronic statements with the official stamp of the bank. This stamp should appear on every page of the statement.

2, A letter from your bank / building society