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Extending your visa under the Points Based System

The Points Based System:

How to extend your student visa (Tier 4 General) under the new immigration rules

The Points Based System

From the end of March 2009, the UK Border Agency (Home Office) introduced major changes to the laws relating to all non-EU nationals who want to come to and spend time in the UK.

The new system is known as the ‘Points Based System’, because visa applications from students, workers and others who want to come to the UK, will be assessed against specific, objective points-based criteria. The new system will consist of 5 tiers. Tier 4 will relate to students. For further information about the Points Based System, click here

Educational providers as ‘licensed sponsors’

Lancaster University has applied for and successfully obtained its sponsor license. The University is therefore officially classed as a ‘licensed sponsor’. Students will be required to confirm this whenever they apply for a visa (either an initial visa or a visa extension) on their visa application form. To see the current Register of Tier 4 sponsors, click here

All licensed sponsors, including Lancaster Univeristy, will have legal responsibilities under the Points Based System to check that international students have the correct visas to study and are attending their course. The UK Border Agency will require all sponsors to report to them, any student who does not comply with the new rules.

Extending your Leave to Remain as a student under the Points Based System Tier 4 (General) Student Main Applicant

• Please first download the Application Form for a Grant of Leave and Biometric Immigration Document Under Tier 4 (General) Student - Main Applicant' available from the UK Border Agency webpages here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/quickguideforstudent/adultstudents/

Application forms for dependant's of main applicant under Tier 4 (student)

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/dependants

• You will also need to order a Student Visa Letter - PLEASE ALLOW SEVEN DAYS

Link to Undergraduate Registry:

http://ktru-main.lancs.ac.uk/LUSI/LUSIProj.nsf/StudentLetterReq?OpenForm

Link to Postgraduate Registry:

http://ktru-main.lancs.ac.uk/LUSI/LUSIProj.nsf/PGLetterReq?OpenForm

• Some students may need an ATAS Certificate; The ATAS is designed to ensure that people who are applying to study certain sensitive subjects in the UK do not have links to WMD programmes. We therefore advise you to find out if you need an ATAS certificate by visiting the following pages before applying for a student visa, or extension: You will need your course code (JACS code) which is available from the Registry.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/counter-terrorism/weapons/atas/who-atas/

• It is important that you complete the form fully and include ALL the necessary original documents as indicated in the application form and accompanying guidance notes otherwise your application will be refused:-

• Completed form(s)

• Student Visa (sponsor) letter from the Registry

• ATAS certificate if appropriate

• Application fee - £357 for main applicant plus £50 per dependant

• 2 photographs for each applicant (name written on the back). The photographs must be in accordance with the guidance notes

• Passport (current passport/travel documents plus any other previous passports used to travel to the UK)

• Police registration certificate if applicable

• ID card for Foreign Nationals if applicable

• Details of your journey to the UK - Ticket booking reference and transport operator

• Original written confirmation from financial sponsor giving consent to your application for leave to remain extension together with details of the amount/s sponsorship

• Section 3 - Sponsor details - This is your education provider (Lancaster University)

• Original certificates/transcripts of previous courses of study

• Evidence of your progress on your current course report from supervisor (if applicable)

• Financial information - evidence of your ability to meet the costs of the course and living expenses in accordance with the guidance notes

• Depending on your particular circumstances you may be required to provide further information.

You should either bring your completed application and original documents to the International Student Advisory Service for posting to the Student Batch Team at the UK Border Agency or you may wish to post the application yourself. Once the UK Border Agency have received your application, they will write to you asking you to contact them to make an appointment to give your Biometric Information. You can find further information about the procedure here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/quickguideforstudent/adultstudents/id-card-and-biometrics/

Once you have completed your Biometric appointment, your application for Leave to Remain will then be considered. The process does take a long time (between 8 - 12 weeks) and we strongly advise that you do not arrange any travel outside the UK before your ID card and documents have been returned to you.

If you have any queries regarding your application to extend your student visa please email international.support@lancaster.ac.uk and we will reply as soon as possible.

Many thanks

Susan Harrison
International Student Advisory Service
Room A43, A Floor
University House
Lancaster University
Tel: 01524 592010
Fax:01524 594294

Providing evidence of sufficient funds

All students applying for an initial student visa, or an extension of their existing student visa are required to provide evidence of funds (money) in order to meet the points-based criteria. See below the table published by the UK Border Agency setting out the different levels of funds required, according to the length of your course and whether you are studying in London, or outside London.

Length of course	Where you will study	Maintenance (funds) needed
9 months or less	London-based	Course fees + £800 for each month of the course
9 months or less	Outside London	Course fees + £600 for each month of the course
More than 9 months	London-based	First year of fees + £7,200 to cover the first year in the United Kingdom
More than 9 months	Outside London	First year of fees + £5,400 to cover the first 9 months in the United Kingdom

New student ID cards what are they and do I need one?

All international (non-EU) students who need to apply for an extension of a student visa using the Tier 4 (G) form, have, since 25 November 2008 onwards, been required to apply for a Biometric Immigration Document (also known as an ID card). There is no choice about this process, which forms part of a programme of new security measures. It is anticipated that ID cards will eventually be issued to all foreign nationals in the UK and possibly also to UK nationals in the future.

For further information about ID cards, see the following UKBA page: click here

In addition to the usual process of completing a Tier 4 (G) application form and sending it and all the necessary supporting documentation to the UK Border Agency, there is now an extra step in the process for students (and any dependant family members applying for a visa extension at the same time). You will now have to go in person, to one of the UK Border Agency Public Enquiry Offices to have your fingerprints and photograph taken. Once all the information given in your visa application is considered and approved and your biometric data is logged, your ID card will be produced and dispatched.

It is very important to note that the sticker relating to the extension of your visa will no longer be placed in your passport, but will form part of the information contained on the ID card.

In most cases, the best option for students, wanting to make an application for a student visa extensions is option 1. The process for applying to extend your visa using option 1 and obtain your new ID card is as follows:

Download an application form from the UKBA website here:

Complete the application form, gather together all the necessary supporting documents detailed in the guidance notes and bring them to the International Student Advisory Service, A43 University House for checking and onward posting to the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Visa checking is between 2.00pm- 4.00pm Monday-Friday.

Once your application has been received by the UK BA and the payment has been processed, you will be sent a letter to your UK address asking you to make an appointment to have your fingerprints taken and a special type of photograph taken. This is called ‘enrolling your biometric data’.

When you receive the letter asking you to make an appointment to give your biometric data, you must act quickly. UKBA state that they prefer you to make and attend an appointment within 15 working days of receiving the letter. However, there are often delays with the appointments which means that this is often not possible. In addition, the telephone lines for booking appointments are so busy that it's difficult for people to get through. Please keep trying, but don’t panic if you can’t get through straightaway. This is the same for students across the whole UK. This is a completely new practice for UK government and there are inevitably some ‘teething’ problems at this early stage of implementation.

If you have dependent family members with you, they will give you a group appointment to attend together. Your application for an extension of your visa will not be processed until you have done this. If you fail to make an appointment, or make one but then fail to attend, the consequences can be serious, so please try and avoid any problems with this by following the instructions very carefully. If you genuinely cannot attend (ie if you or one of your dependents is ill), tell the UKBA you cannot make the appointment and if there are any difficulties, contact the International Student Advisory Service as soon as you can for advice at: international.support@lancaster.ac.uk

Once UKBA have your biometric data, they will then look at your application to decide if they will grant you an extension. If they agree, you will receive your passport and documents back (or, if you are using the Batch Scheme, they will be returned to the International Student Advisory Service. The ID card will then be issued a few days later. If you are applying through the Batch Scheme, we will contact you once your passport and ID card are ready to collect.

Remember that the extension of your visa will not be placed in your passport, but will be part of the information contained on the ID card.

As your visa will no longer be in your passport, this means that you must always carry your ID card as well as your passport if you are travelling out of the UK, or if you need to show evidence of your permission to be in the UK. The ID card will also give information about the restrictions on your stay and will give clearer information to employers about what part-time or vacation work you are allowed to do.