Extending Your Visa: Frequently Asked Questions

General information

Q. When is the best time to apply for my visa?

A. You MUST make your application before your current visa runs out. We recommend that you start preparing everything 8 to 6 weeks before your visa expires. If you leave it too close to the date of your visa expiry date, you might not be able to get an appointment to see an adviser. The University does not submit visa applications for visas that have already expired.

Form, fees & documents

Q. Where can I find the application form?

A. You can download the application form from the UKBA Adult Students page. You will also find the Help Text, Guidance Notes and Photo Guidance on this page.

Q. How much does it cost to extend my visa?

A. It currently costs £394 to extend your visa as a student. If you have any dependants applying at the same time, they will be charged £197 per dependant. This is the fee for the Home Office.

Please note: If applying through the University we accept credit and payment cards. You will make your payment online at your visa appointment (with an adviser) if all of your documents/application is complete. For further details of online payments please contact: RGUKBA@northumbria.ac.uk

Q How much money do I need in my bank account?

Follow link: Visa Maintenance. (pdf)

Q. How can the University help me with my student visa application?

Please see our information on extending your leave to remain which will explain the different ways you can apply for your visa at the University.

Once you have filled out your application and collected all your documents, you can book an appointment, an adviser will check your application and all your documents. You will receive a visa receipt when you arrive at your appointment .

At your appointment, the adviser will check the application form and all supporting documents. If they are happy that your application form is correct, they will post it to the Home Office. If there are documents missing or the application form is incomplete, you will be asked to make another appointment.

Please note, Student Support and Wellbeing cannot send your visa application to the Home Office if you have not attended a visa workshop.

Q. What other documents will I need to submit?

A. You will need to have a CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Studies). This will be provided at your visa appointment.

You will need 1 month’s bank statements (original) with the required amount of money in. You need to have had this money in your bank account for 28 days. In those 28 days, you must not go below the required balance (not even for 1 day!). The bank statement cannot be older than 1 month. For example, if you are submitting your application on 01/09/2011, then your bank statement cannot be older than 01/08/2011.

If your parents are sending their bank statements, you would also need a letter from them explaining that they are supporting you financially. You would then also need your birth certificate to proof that you are their child. All these documents need to be in English. If they are not, you must have an official translation.

If you are a government sponsored student, you need a letter from your sponsor confirming how much they are sponsoring you for and for how long. (see the section on sponsored students)

2 passport sized photographs that meet the UKBA photograph requirements:

Your current passport and any previous passports you have used to come to the UK.

Your Residence Permit (BRP), if you have previously been issued with one.

If you are required to register with the police, you must include your police registration certificate. Make sure this is up-to-date!.

Q. How do I register with the Police?

For all students who are registering for first time you must complete the following form: Foreign Student Registration Form

Once complete e-mail the form as an attachment:
ovro-new@northumbria.pnn.police.uk .

You’ll be sent an appointment via e-mail and a list of things to bring with you.

If you only need an appointment to update your details (e.g. you have a certificate but have moved home or renewed your visa): Send an e-mail to: ovro@northumbria.pnn.police.uk

• You’ll be sent an appointment by e-mail and a list of things to bring with you.

You must bring any original certificates that are mentioned on the bottom of your visa letter. These must be in English. If they are not in English, you must get these officially translated.

Q. What is an ATAS Certificate?

You will need an ATAS certificate, if you are studying MSC Mechanical Engineering or a PhD in a subject listed on the FCO website.

Q. What are acceptable photographs?

A. The Home Office has very strict guidelines for photographs. Please make sure that your photos meet the requirement. You can find the requirements by clicking here.

Q. How long will the Home Office give me a visa for?

A. You would normally get a visa until the end date of your course PLUS:

four months, if your course is 12 months or longer
two months, if your course is between six months and 12 months long
one month, if your course is under six months long and it is a
pre-sessional course
seven days, if your course is under six months long and it is not a
pre-sessional course.

Q. How long will it take to get my new visa?

A. The Home Office aim to process your application between five and 13 weeks. Student Support and Wellbeing cannot normally chase up your application before 13 weeks have passed unless you have to travel because of an emergency.

Q. Can I apply in person?

A. You can apply in person at a the Public Enquiry Office (PEO).

You need an appointment before you go and a list of PEO’s can be found at Public Enquiry Office(PEO).

It costs £702 to apply in person. You will not get your Biometric Residence Permit straight away; this will take a few days and will be sent to your address.

Q. Am I legally in the UK when my application is with the Home Office?

A. If you made an in-time application, you remain legally in the UK on the same conditions as your last visa. This means that you are still allowed to work according to the student conditions until your new visa comes back from the Home Office.

Q. My visa finishes more than 1 month before the start of my next course, how can I extend my visa?

A. You can’t extend your visa from the UK if your visa finishes more than 1 month before your next course starts.(e.g. you finish English Language in May and have a visa until June but your main course starts in September). You would need to return to your home country to get a new visa for your new course.

Q. What proof of identity can I show whilst my passport is with the Home Office?

A. If anyone needs to see your passport whilst it is with the Home Office, you could show your visa receipt (blue copy) as proof that we have sent it off to the Home Office. You could also come and collect your Home Office Acknowledgment Letter from the Student Support and Wellbeing reception. You need to bring your student card as form of ID before we can give this letter to you.

Q. My visa had already expired, what do I do now?

A. If you visa has expired, you do not have permission to study on your course. Please call in to speak to an Welfare and International Adviser, in Student Support and Wellbeing as a matter of urgency.

Q. What happens if my visa is refused?

A. If your visa is refused, the Home Office will explain the reasons why in a letter. You may be given a ‘right of appeal’. This means that you can appeal against this decision.

Please call in to speak to an Welfare and International Adviser, in Student Support and Wellbeing as a matter of urgency.

If you are not given a right of appeal, you will be required to leave the country immediately.

Biometrics

Q. Will I have to provide my biometric details?

A. All students extending their visa in the UK must have their biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) captured on a BRP. This replaces the visa stamp in your passport. You will need both your passport AND your BRP to travel outside of the UK.

Q. Where can i give my biometric details?

A. For a list of Biometrics Centres, please click here.

The closest Biometrics Centres to Newcastle are:South Shields and Durham.

Q. How do I make a biometrics appointment?

A. You will get a letter sent to your home address instructing you how to make your Biometrics appointment.

Requirements (course & maintenance)

How does the points system work?

In order to get a student visa, you must get 40 points. 10 points are for Maintenance ( see) and 30 points are for a valid visa letter/CAS (see).

How much money do I need in my bank account?

This depends on what course you have previously studied.

If you need to extend your immigration permission to complete a course you have already started, and

· you have studied that course for at least six months when you apply, and

· you have been studying at some point during the four months before you apply.

Or if you want to start a new course, and

· the course you have just finished was six months long or more, and

· the immigration permission you had while you were studying that course is continuing or, if you are applying for entry clearance from outside the UK, it finished under four months before you make this immigration application.

If you meet all the above requirements, you have to show that you have £1600 in your account, plus any fees that you haven’t yet paid for this year.

If you don’t meet the above requirements, you need to have £7200 in your account, plus any fees that you haven’t yet paid for this year.

Do I need an ATAS certificate?

If you are studying MSC in Mechanical Engineering or a PhD in a subject listed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, then you need to apply for ATAS.

How long does it take to get ATAS approval?

It can take up to 20 working days to process your ATAS approval. Please apply early as you need it to apply for your student visa!

How much does an ATAS certificate cost?

It is free to get an ATAS certificate.

Dependants

Can my dependants get a visa as well?

iT depends on your mode of study. Call into speak to a Welfare and International Adviser in Student Support and Wellbeing to discuss your options

What form do they have to complete?

Each dependant has to fill out the PBS (dependant) form. You can download the form from here.

How much does it cost to apply for dependants?

If the dependant is applying at the same time as the student, they have to pay £197 per dependent.

How much maintenance must the dependants show?

This depends on whether the main applicant (student) qualifies for the reduced maintenance (£1600) or not (£7200).

If they qualify for the reduced amount, the dependant needs to show they have £600 for 2 months, i.e. £1200.

If the main applicant doesn’t qualify for the reduced maintenance, the dependant has to show they have £600 for the amount of months the main applicant is studying, up to a maximum of 9 months, i.e. £5400.

What kind of bank statements do my dependants need to show?

The dependant can show they have the required amount of maintenance in their own bank account, a joint bank account with the student, or in the student’s bank account. The required amount of money must have been in the account for 28 days and the bank statement can’t be older than 1 month.