Guidance for Students in Applying for a UK Visa II

Applicants should book slots for submitting applications with the Visa Application Centre direct, online (www.ukvac.net.cn) or though reputable agents. In addition, applicants should be not engage with anyone seeking to charge them for this service. Slots are opened up one calendar month in advance. Student Pre-departure Briefings conducted by the British Council will be delivered respectively in Xi’an , Beijing , Wuhan , Dalian , Qingdao , Zhengzhou , Shanghai , Hangzhou , Nanjing , Fuzhou , Guangzhou , Shenzhen, Changsha , Chongqing , Chengdu and Kunming . The briefings will invite UK alumni to share their experience in preparing for the trip, studying and living in the UK as well as some good tips on how to save money and how to make your stay in the UK a wonderful experience. Please visit www.educationuk.org.cn for details and registration. UKvisas supporting the Prime Minister's Initiative (PMI) for International Education. The PMI for International Education is a new 5 year strategy which will build on the success of the first PMI to secure the UK ’s position as a leader in international education and sustain the managed growth of UK international education delivered both in the UK and overseas. UKvisas is committed to supporting PMI. We want to use the visa service to encourage and welcome more genuine students to come to UK . For more information on the PMI please visit the British Council website: http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-strategies-pmi-ie.htm For more information on studying in the UK please visit the Education UK website: http://www.educationuk.org/ The UK welcomes Chinese visitors to the UK , and we want to help you get your application right first time. We have therefore introduced new advisory sessions with an Entry Clearance Officer from the British Embassy. From Monday 8 May there will be an Entry Clearance Officer in the Beijing Visa Application Centre every Monday morning from 08:30-12:00am. The Entry Clearance Officer will be able to offer advice to students in the pre-application phase and will also be happy to take questions on all other types of applications. Short-term (six months or less)/ long-term (over six months) The only difference between a short-term student application and a long-term application is that long-term applications attract a right of appeal whereas short-term students do not. Before you apply for a visa, you should make sure you have enough money to pay for your studies, including course fees and living expenses, and that you have the documents to prove this. In addition, we recommend that you read carefully all the other visa pages on this website, so that you are clear about the procedure for applying and the documentation we may wish to see. Your documents are extremely important to your application, as most of our decisions will be made on your documentation without an interview. In all cases we need to see original documents, not faxed copies or e-mails. Documents required: Completed and signed visa application form Passport Correct fee 1 recent passport photo on a white background Student questionnaire (optional) Original enrolment letter Evidence of current eduational qualifications Evidence of English ability Sponsor's employment/ income letter Sponsor's salary bank book (if applicable) Sponsor's individual income tax receipts Family book Evidence of funds and the source of these funds. From 1st July 2006 every deposit slip must be accompanied by a deposit certificate. 1. Your enrolment letter This should be from a recognised (listed on the DFES website) institution in the UK . The British Council can advise you further if you have any concerns. 2. Current qualifications This includes your High School, College, University diplomas/ degrees. Details of any work experience you have should also be presented. We need to see that you are suitably qualified for your course and how it will further your education and/or employment prospects. 3. Your English language ability This is your IELTS/TOEFL score. If you do not have one, but have been learning English we need to see evidence of your studies and an explanation of why you have not sat a test. We need to know that you will be able to follow your course. 4. Funding You can demonstrate your ability to pay for your course in many ways. Bank deposit slips are helpful, but they often show very large sums but do not show where the money has come from. But where the evidence is in the form of very large sums over a short period as described above we will also need to see what we call a "history of the funds". By that we mean that we want to see a clear paper trail, supported by original documents, showing where the money originated from. This is so that we can be satisfied that any such sums are genuinely yours and available for studies and have not simply been deposited for the purposes of the application. If a clear history of funds is not shown where there are such large deposits then it is likely that your application will be refused. In order to give a clear explanation of your funding we will expect to see employment letters, wage slips, business licences, bank statements/books, property certificates etc. Finally, it will help us to consider your application more quickly if you take the time to complete the Additional Questions for Students document. Please click to download the questionnaire.

 

	Golden Rules about Documents
	1. Ensure your documents are consistent and do not contradict each other. 2. If you do not present a necessary document, we will not write to you requesting it. We will consider the application on what you send and refuse your application if a necessary document is missing. 3. Be sensible about the documents you include and ensure they are relevant to your application and their significance, if not immediately obvious, is clearly explained. We have hundreds of applications to consider every day and cannot spend time trying to work out complex financial or other documents and understand their significance to your application. 4. Ensure your documents in Mandarin have been translated before you submit them. 5. Submit copies as well as originals of any documents you wish returned. Tips to remember when applying for a student visa: If you include the following copies of documents in this suggested order, it will help to speed up your application: 1. Visa application form (original, fully completed) with 1 photo 2. Student questionnaire (optional) 3. University/college offer letter 4. Your current educational qualifications 5. English language qualifications 6. Sponsors' employment/income certificates, salary bank books, individual tax certificates (not company tax certificates) 7. Family book 8. Financial documents (deposit slips/bank books) with evidence of the source of the funds Please provide the originals in a separate envelope. To make your documents easier and quicker for us to look at, please observe the following: 1. All documents which you wish us to consider in support of your application must be translated into English 2. Do not use bulldog clips/paper clips/sealed envelopes/binders 3. We ask that you do not include brochures, notarial certificates of any kind, company audit reports, parents' educational qualifications, school honour certificates 4. If you are including a student questionnaire, do not include a detailed explanation of your study plan, as this is repeating the same information. Our aim is to operate a firm, fast and fair visa service to all our customers. We are committed to issuing visas to genuine students, and we do not have a fixed quota for student visa issues. Your application will be judged on its merits, and if you are a genuine student and follow the advice on this website, you will have a very good chance of getting a visa. If a visa is refused the refusal notice will give details of why the application failed. If you then reapply or appeal it is important that you fully answer in the reapplication or appeal grounds the problems set out in the refusal notice. If you do not do so, your later application is also likely to fail and your chances of success at any appeal will be much reduced.

 

	How long is a student visa valid for?
	We are able to issue multiple entry visas for the duration of your course. But your visa will only cover the course for which you have an unconditional offer. So if you have an unconditional offer for a six-month English language course, and progression to a foundation or degree course depends on your performance on this language course, we will give you a visa to cover the duration of the language course, and a little extra time to arrange an extension of your visa with the Home Office. In such cases, you will need to apply to the Home Office in London for an extension of stay once the results of the original course is known. If, on the other hand, you come to us with an unconditional offer for a three-year course, we can issue a multiple entry visa valid for three years. You will still need to get any visas needed for other countries you visit but advice on that should come from the Embassy of the relevant country. Click here for more information on New Procedures for Student Visa Applications. How long will my application take to process? 4-5 days but in some cases it might take longer. What is the cost of the visa? The visa fee is 1275RMB. Which Visa Application Form (VAF) should I complete? You should complete VAF 1 What if I am refused? Long term students (over six months) and their dependants do attract a right of appeal. Click here for more information. Short term students (six months or less) do not attract a right of appeal. You will therefore have to re-apply and address the reasons for refusal that were set out in your refusal notice.

 

	Dependants
	You are allowed to take your spouse/partner and child/children with you for the duration of your studies. You will have to show clear evidence that you are related to them and that you are able to maintain and accommodate them. Documents required: Completed and signed visa application form Correct fee 1 photo on a white background Evidence of sponsor's immigration status in UK Evidence of funds Evidence of accommodation Evidence of sponsor's studies in the UK Evidence of relationship (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.)

 

	More advice and information
	For more advice and information about visas please contact your nearest British mission overseas For UK customers General enquiries: 0845-0105555

 

	Immigration and Nationality Directorate
	For more advice and information about extending your stay once in the UK contact: Immigration and Nationality Directorate Croydon Public Caller Unit Lunar House 40 Wellesley Road Croydon CR9 2BY General enquiries: (+44) (0)870 606 7766 Application forms: (+44) (0)870 241 0645 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

 

	Immigration Advisory Service
	The IAS is an independent charity that gives confidential advice and help, and can represent people who are applying for a visa for the UK Immigration Advisory Service 3rd Floor, County House 190 Great Dover Street London SE1 4YB Telephone: (+44) (0)20 7967 1200 Duty Office (24 hrs): (+44) (0)20 8814 1559 Fax: (+44) (0)20 7403 5875 Email: [email protected] Website: www.iasuk.org

 

	Customs and Excise
	For advice on bringing personal belongings and goods into the United Kingdom contact: HM Customs and Excise Dorset House Stamford Street London SE1 9PY Telephone: (+44) (0)845 010 9000 Website: www.hmce.gov.uk

 

	Drugs Warning
	The United Kingdom has severe penalties against anyone found smuggling drugs. Drug traffickers may try to bribe travellers. If you are travelling to the United Kingdom , avoid any involvement with drugs.

 

	Forged or destroyed documents
	Travellers to the UK may commit an offence if they do not produce valid travel documents or passports to the UK immigration authorities for themselves and their children. People found guilty of this offence face up to two years in prison or a fine (or both).