Personal Immigration · IAA Regulated F201000109
UK Student Visas
The Student route is for those aged 16 or over coming to study with a licensed UK education provider. We advise on applications, extensions, switching, dependants and the move into work after graduation.
Student refusals are usually technical — funds held for too short a period, a CAS that does not match the documents, or an interview that raises doubts about the study plan. We make sure your application is airtight before it is submitted.
Who needs a Student visa
You need permission under the Student route if you are coming from outside the UK and Ireland to study a course lasting longer than six months, or a course of any length if you are under 18 and attending an independent school. Short courses may sometimes be studied as a visitor instead, but visitors cannot work and cannot switch into the Student route from inside the UK.
Students already in the UK can often extend their permission or switch to a new course in-country, provided their new sponsor issues a fresh CAS and the academic progression rule is met.
CAS from a licensed sponsor
You need an unconditional offer from an institution holding a Student sponsor licence, evidenced by a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. The CAS must match your course, start date and the qualifications you relied on, and it is only valid for a limited window — apply within it or the CAS must be reissued.
Financial requirement
You must show funds for your outstanding course fees plus living costs for the specified period, held in an acceptable account for a continuous qualifying period immediately before you apply. Official financial sponsorship or certain low-risk nationality provisions can reduce what you must evidence.
English language
Degree-level students must show English at the level specified in the Rules, either through an approved test or an exemption such as a UK degree or a qualifying nationality. Higher education sponsors can often assess ability themselves and confirm it on the CAS.
Academic progression & genuineness
Your course must generally represent academic progression on previous study in the UK, and you must be a genuine student able to explain your study plans, funding and intentions credibly. Interviews are used in a proportion of cases.
Studying, working and family
Permitted work while studying
Most students sponsored by a higher education provider may work limited hours in term time and full time outside term, once their course has started. Work must be within the conditions printed on your permission — self-employment, professional sport and permanent roles are generally not permitted.
Dependants
Dependant partners and children may accompany students on a restricted basis, principally postgraduate research programmes and government-sponsored courses. Where dependants are permitted, additional maintenance funds must be evidenced for each family member.
Graduate Route
After successfully completing an eligible UK degree you can apply from inside the UK to stay and work, or look for work, at any skill level without a sponsor. It is unsponsored and does not itself lead to settlement, but it is often the bridge to a Skilled Worker visa.
Skilled Worker routeWhat we do for students and sponsors
We act for individual students and their families, and advise institutions and employers on the transition from study into work. Practical support includes checking CAS accuracy before it is assigned, calculating maintenance requirements precisely against the correct period, preparing applicants for credibility interviews, and advising on the consequences of interrupting, deferring or withdrawing from a course.
Where permission has been curtailed because a sponsor withdrew sponsorship, time is short and options narrow quickly — take advice immediately rather than waiting for the curtailment letter's deadline to pass.
Common pitfalls we check
- Funds not held for the full continuous qualifying period, or in a non-acceptable account
- Bank statements dated outside the permitted window before submission
- Missing or incorrect ATAS clearance for sensitive subjects
- Tuberculosis certificate missing where required by country of residence
- Academic progression not satisfied after previous UK study
After your studies
Graduates commonly move onto the Graduate Route for a period of unsponsored work, then into sponsored employment. Employers should note that a Graduate Route holder can be sponsored later, but the employer must hold a Sponsor Licence in place before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Time on the Graduate Route does not count towards settlement, so planning the switch early protects your long-term position.
Employing a graduate or sponsoring a student
If you are an employer looking to retain an international graduate, we advise on right to work checks, the timing of a switch into the Skilled Worker route, and the licence and compliance obligations that follow. Getting the sequence right avoids a gap in permission — and an unlawful working risk for you.
Our process
A straightforward process, timed around your course start date.
- 01
Consultation
We confirm the correct route, timing and financial requirement for your course and circumstances.
- 02
Document review
CAS, qualifications, funds, English evidence and ATAS or TB certificates checked against the Rules.
- 03
Application
Submission and biometrics booked, with interview preparation where credibility questions are likely.
- 04
Decision
We track the decision, resolve queries and advise on arrival, conditions and next steps after study.
Study in the UK with confidence
Speak to an IAA-regulated adviser about your Student visa application, extension or move onto the Graduate Route.