Visa Information: Tier 4 (General) Student Visa

 

Applying for a Student Visa

International students who need to extend their time in the UK to complete their studies must submit an application to United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) before their current visa expires.

Please note: If your visa expires more than month before your new course starts, you must return to your home country to apply for a new visa.

Download the current Tier 4 (General) Student visa application.

Guidance Notes to help you complete your application: Guidance Notes

Visa application fee increase (5th April 2012)

Applying for your visa through the University

Student Support and Wellbeing are able to assist students who need to renew their visa in a number of ways.

Visa information workshops

We provide a regular visa information workshop explaining how to extend your student visa. An Adviser will give you helpful information on how to complete the application form and the documents you will require. If you still have any questions after attending the workshop you can see an adviser for further help at the Student Support and Wellbeing Centre, or email your query:  (sv.welfareandinternational@northumbria.ac.uk)
 
For more information and to reserve a place at the workshop click here.

Self help guide / application checking service

We have produced a self help guide for students who are unable to attend a visa information workshop. The self help guide will help you complete each question in the application form. We strongly recommend attending a workshop for all students extending their visa.

Application Checking Service and Batch Scheme

Once you have been to a workshop you can book an appointment to see adviser who will check your completed form and documents. We can send complete applications to be processed through our Batch Scheme. If there are any changes you need to make to your application, we will inform you what you need to do so your application can be sent.

Advantages of using the application checking service include:

• Having your form and documents checked so you can feel more confident your application may be successful
• Advice on what you need to add to your application  if it is incomplete
• Advisers may be able to contact the UKBA on your behalf about your application when appropriate (an Adviser will be able to inform you whether it is possible to contact the UKBA regarding certain issues with your application)
• Once the UKBA have returned your documents to us we post them to you at your nominated term time address or you can choose to collect them from the Student Support and Wellbeing Centre
• We can also check any errors in the length of leave given on your visa (current or new) and help to resolve these

For more details of these services, please read our information on extending your leave to remain which explains the different ways you can apply.

Terms & conditions

If you would like the University to send your application on your behalf, you must agree to the Terms and Conditions of our service. You can view them here.

Sending your application to UKBA yourself

If you choose to send your visa application yourself by post we advise the following:

• Send it Special Delivery at the Post Office
• Keep your proof of sending somewhere safe for your records.  You may need to refer to it if there is a problem

Even if you submit your application yourself or apply in person at 'a Public Enquiry Office' we can still help you, although we do recommend sending your application through out Batch Scheme if you are applying by post.

Please note we cannot contact the UKBA about your application while it is being processed if you have sent it yourself.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

For more information on Student Visas, how you can apply, what documents you need to provide and much more, please read our frequently asked questions.

Dependants

If you have dependants applying with you in the UK or abroad, they must complete a separate Points Based System  - Dependant Visa application themselves.