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Visas

Do I need a visa?

If you are not a national of one of the countries on the list below then you will need a visa for study.

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, or United Kingdom

What sort of visa do I need?

Is your course more than 6 months? If yes, you need a Tier 4 visa
If your course is less than 6 months you can either study on a student visitor visa or a Tier 4 visa . Please read the section below for advice on making this choice.

Student visitor visa or Tier 4 visa?

The student visitor visa is a cheaper option than Tier 4 but you will have to leave the country when it ends, you cannot apply for further leave to remain within the UK if you arrive on a student visitor visa.  Also you cannot do any work (paid or unpaid) on a student visitor visa. On a Tier 4 visa, you are able to work up to 20 hours per week during term time if you are on a course at degree level or above, or 10 hours on courses below this level. You can work full time during holiday periods. Please see here for more information  http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/working_during_studies.php

Therefore if you are doing a short pre-sessional course (e.g. English language) before your main course, it is usually better to get  a Tier 4 visa so that you can apply for your Tier 4 visa for the main course within the UK after you have completed the pre-sessional. In some cases your visa will cover your short course and your main course (usually just the 4 week or 2 week pre-sessional courses). Usually your visa will cover your pre-sessional course only and you will need to apply for a new Tier 4 visa after your pre-sessional course for your main course
 For more information see section 3 of the pre-arrival guide and check the UKCISA website http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/immigration_coming_to_uk.php

Entry clearance and credibility interviews

For information about immigration control, see section 5.1 of the pre-arrival guide here
A proportion of students have to undertake a short “credibility interview”. This is either done via video link (skype) or in person. The Home Office staff will ask you some questions to determine that

• you genuinely intend to attend the course of study for which you have obtained a visa and
• your proficiency in English language is acceptable

The questions will not be difficult so there is nothing to worry about. For example, you may be asked why you have chosen the particular course that you have chosen, or how you intend to pay your fees and support yourself, and you will be required to answer the questions in English.

Extending your visa

You may need to extend your Tier 4 visa while you are in the UK, for example because of  intercalation (also called interruption or deferral ) or if you have had to repeat study, or if you have transferred to a longer course, or you need an extension to the time writing up your thesis. In these cases you can apply to extend your Tier 4 leave to remain. ISAS can help you make this application. Make an appointment to see an adviser at The Base or by emailing international.support@lancaster.ac.uk

Travel Visas

If you are travelling outside the UK during your studies, you should check the visa/entry requirements with the embassy of the country you would like to visit.
You can find a list of all Embassies at the following link:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/embassies-and-posts/find-an-embassy-overseas/?l=U

Some European Countries are part of the 'Schengen' group and will allow you to apply for one visa which gives permission to enter several countries. You can find information about Schengen Visas here:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sbs/download/leaflets/4-5.pdf

For Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) see here

For Tier 4 Doctorate Extension see here