UK Visa for Indian Students

1. Schools Inspection Service
2. HM Inspectorate of Education (in Scotland)
3. Independent Schools Inspectorate
4. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
5. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
6. Higher Education Funding Council for England
7. Accreditation UK
8. Accreditation Service for International Colleges
9. British Accreditation Council
10. Bridge Schools Inspectorate
11. Estyn (in Wales)
12. Education and Training Inspectorate (in Northern Ireland)
13. Accreditation Body for Language Services

Types of Eligible Courses under UK Short-Term Study Visa

The applicant should at least of 16 years to apply for a study visa. The Short-Term study visa is issued for the following types of courses:

1. English Courses - The Short-Term can be issued for learning English as a foreign language in the UK.
2. Part Courses - To complete a part of course in the UK while the majority of the course is covered by another overseas higher education institution. The institution must have national accreditation with programmes that are equivalent to a UK degree.
3. Short-time Research - In order to carry out a research in the UK, the applicant must be a part of an overseas degree course which is equivalent to a UK degree. The research must be at one of the UK recognised bodies or at an establishment that receives public funding as a higher education institution.

How to Apply Online for UK Short-Term Study Visa

The application for a UK Short-Term Study Visa requires the following steps:

1. Visit the official portal of Access UK service (UK Government) - https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa to apply for a visa to the UK.
   1. Access UK service is a dedicated channel of the UK Government to provide fast and efficient visa services.
   2. The UK Government's official website https://www.gov.uk also lists Access UK service for visa and immigration services.
2. Choose the preferred language for application
3. Select 'Short-term student visa'
4. Enter the name of your country
5. Indicate whether you can attend an appointment at any of the 18 Visa Application Centres (VAC) listed on the screen.
6. Considering the possibility to attend an appointment due to the close proximity of the VACs, the applicant will need to finish the online process and visit the specified VAC to complete the remaining application process.
7. The address and contact details of the VACs are mentioned below at the end of this page.

The online application can be completed with the following steps

1. Registration - The applicant will need to provide an email and create a password to access the portal. The registration allows the applicant to save progress and come back at a later time to complete the remaining application.
2. Application - Fill in the application form as per the guidelines.
3. Documents - Upload the scanned copy of the specified documents.
4. Declaration - Review and submit the application.
5. Visa Fee - Pay the visa fee of £93 for a 6 months visa or £179 for an 11 months visa online.
6. IHS Payment - Pay the applicable UK healthcare surcharge (also known as Immigration Health Surcharge - IHS) as part of the immigration application. Payment of £100 for course duration below 6 months and £200 for course duration exceeding 6 months but under one year. Payment of IHS is subject to the applicable refund policy.
7. Appointment - Book an appointment to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).
8. Acknowledgement Receipt - Download and take a print out of the Acknowledgement Letter to carry it with you to the VAC.

Visit the VAC as per the appointment to submit your biometric information and to complete the application process.

Documents Required for UK Short-Term Study Visa Application

The application for a UK Short-term Study Visa requires the following documents in both original and photocopy:

1. Passport (with at least one page with both blank sides)
2. Proof of sufficient funds
3. Details of the travel plan and stay
4. TB test result, if applicable
5. Contact details of parent/guardian (applicable for minors)
6. Certified translation of non-English or Welsh documents
7. Letter of acceptance on the official letterhead of the educational institution with details of the course including duration, cost, and stay.
8. Additional documents to support proof of study, accommodation, travel, etc., is required based on the details/document provided by the applicant and other factors considering the UK Visas and Immigration policy.

Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa

Indian students between the age group of 4 -17 years who are aspiring to join an independent school in the UK are required to complete the Tier 4 (Child) student visa application process to qualify for the visa. The students must be from outside of European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland and provide the letter of acceptance from the institute, a letter of consent from parents/guardians, proof of sufficient funds to support the course and living expenses in the UK, and meet the other eligibility criteria to complete the application successfully.

Tier 4 Register of Sponsors

The list of institutions licensed to sponsor migrant students under the Tier 4 visa is available under the Register of Licensed Sponsors on the UK Government's website - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-students

Types of Eligible Courses - The course must be in line with the national curriculum, the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), and independent school education inspection standards. Courses which are accepted at the same academic level by the following bodies/agencies/establishment are also considered for this visa category:

1. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
2. HM Inspectorate of Education (in Scotland)
3. Estyn (in Wales)
4. Education and Training Inspectorate (in Northern Ireland)
5. Independent Schools Inspectorate

How to Apply Online for Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa

The Tier 4 (Child) student visa application can be initiated online with the following steps:

1. Visit the official portal of Access UK service (UK Government) - https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa to apply for a visa to the UK.
2. Choose the preferred language for application
3. Select 'Tier 4 (Child) student visa'
4. Enter the name of the country from where you are applying
5. Since there are 18 VACs across India, indicate your ability to visit one of the VACs for the visa appointment.

The online process can be completed with the following steps:

1. Registration - The applicant will need to provide an email and create a password to access the portal. The registration allows the applicant to save the application progress in order to complete it at a later time.
2. Application - Fill in the application form as per the guidelines.
3. Documents - Upload the scanned copy of the specified documents.
4. Declaration - Review and submit the application.
5. Visa Fee - It costs £335 to apply for a Tier 4 (Child) student visa from outside the UK.
6. IHS Payment - Pay the applicable UK healthcare surcharge as part of the immigration application.
7. Acknowledgement Receipt - Download and take a print out of the Acknowledgement Letter to carry it with you to the VAC.
8. Appointment - Book an appointment to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).

Visit the VAC as per the appointment to submit your biometric information and to complete the application process.

Documents Required for Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa Application

The application for a Tier 4 (Child) student visa requires the following documents in both original and photocopy:

1. Passport (with at least one page with both blank sides)
2. Proof of sufficient funds
3. Letter of consent from parent/guardian with contact details
4. Proof of relationship with listed parent/guardian
5. Details of the travel plan and stay
6. TB test result, if applicable
7. Contact details of parent/guardian
8. Certified translation of non-English or Welsh documents
9. Letter of acceptance from the educational institute
10. Additional documents to support the application

Tier 4 (General) Student Visa

Indian students who wish to visit the UK for higher studies are required to apply for the Tier 4 Study Visas. The application can be initiated after the student has been offered a place in a programme/course by an institute/university in the UK. The applicant must be from outside of the EEA and Switzerland to qualify for the visa application process. Additionally, he/she must have knowledge of the English language and capable of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding it. The applicant must pass the secure English language test (SELT) to prove sufficient knowledge of English.

Tier 4 Register of Sponsors

The list of institutions licensed to sponsor migrant students under the Tier 4 visa is available under the Register of Licensed Sponsors on the UK Government's website - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-students

How to Apply Online for Tier 4 (General) Student Visa

The Application can be completed by following these simple online steps:

1. Visit the official portal of Access UK service (UK Government) - https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa to apply for a visa to the UK.
2. Choose the preferred language for application
3. Select 'Tier 4 (General) student visa'
4. Enter the name of the country from where you are applying
5. Indicate your ability to visit one of the VACs for the visa appointment

The online process can be completed with the following steps:

1. Registratio - The applicant will need to register with an email address and create a password to access the portal.
2. Application - Fill in the application form as per the instructions.
3. Documents - Upload the scanned copy of the specified documents.
4. Declaration - Review and submit the application.
5. Visa Fee - It costs £335 to apply for this visa from outside the UK. You must pay £335 per person for any dependants.
6. IHS Payment - Pay the applicable UK healthcare surcharge as part of the immigration application.
7. Acknowledgement Receipt - Download and take a print out of the Acknowledgement Letter to carry it with you to the VAC.
8. Appointment - Book an appointment to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).

Visit the VAC as per the appointment to submit your biometric information and to complete the application process.

Documents Required for Tier 4 (General) Student Visa Application

The application for a Tier 4 (General) student visa requires the following documents in both original and photocopy:

1. Passport (with at least one page with both blank sides)
2. Proof of sufficient funds
3. Letter of consent from parent/guardian (applicable for minors)
4. Proof of relationship with listed parent/guardian
5. Details of the travel plan and stay
6. TB test result, if applicable
7. Certified translation of non-English or Welsh documents
8. Letter of acceptance from the educational institute
9. Additional documents to support the visa application

List of Visa Application Centres (VACs) in India