A Guide to obtaining a Tier 4 Visa 2014 15

A GUIDE TO OBTAINING YOUR STUDENT VISA OVERSEAS For students starting a new course at the University of Bedfordshire and students continuing on a course at the University of Bedfordshire

How to use this guide: Read this guide along with the University of Bedfordshire’s document Credibility Interviews: Information and Advice and Sample documents.

CONTENTS Section 1

Applying for a Student Visa

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Section 2

When You Can Apply 4

Section 3

Visa Application Process 3.1 Apply for ATAS Certificate 3.2 Prepare Supporting Documents 3.3 Receive your CAS 3.4 Tuberculosis Test 3.5 Complete Application and Pay Fees 3.6 Visa Application Centre 3.7 Attend Credibility Interview 3.8 Visa is Granted or Refused 3.9 Collect Supporting Documents, Check Visa details and Travel to the UK 3.10 Collect Residence Permit (BRP)

5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8

Section 4

Low Risk Applicants 9

Section 5

Documents Needed to Apply for a Student Visa Outside the UK 9

Section 6

Meeting the Maintenance (Financial) Requirement 6.1 Tuition Fees 6.2 Living Expenses 6.3 University Accommodation 6.4 Submitting the Correct Document 6.4.1 Funding Yourself or Funding from Parents 6.4.2 Using a Bank Loan 6.4.3 Funding from your Government and other forms of Financial Sponsorship 6.5 Currency Conversion 6.6 CHECKLIST – Other Documents

10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13 13

Section 7

Other Documents Required to Obtain your Student Visa 7.1 Previous Qualifications and Proof of English Language Ability 7.2 Translations 7.3 Passport Photograph 7.4 CHECKLIST – Other Documents

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14 14 14 14

Section 8

Other Rules that may affect you 8.1 The 5-Year Study Rule 8.2 Academic Progression

15 15

Section 9

Dependants 15

Section 10

Avoiding Refusals 10.1 Maintenance 16 10.2 Documents 16 10.3 Credibility Interviews 16

Section 11

If your Visa is Refused or Returned as Invalid

Section 12

Change of Circumstances Before Travel

Section 13

Change of Circumstances After Travel

Section 14

Useful Links and Contacts

17 18 18 19

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SECTION 1 Introduction: Applying for a Student Visa The Student Visa route has replaced the Tier 4 (General) Visa route. International students are required to apply for a Student Visa if the main purpose of them coming to the UK is to study for more than 6 months.

This includes students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland (not Ireland) who are not living in the UK before 1 January 2021.

The University of Bedfordshire is licensed to sponsor students for a Student Visa and our Sponsor Licence Number is DA8AR2CH7. Your eligibility for a Student visa will be assessed using a points-based system from which you will need to gain the following points: • 50 Points relating to obtaining a valid CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies – issued by the University • 10 Points for meeting the financial requirements • 10 points for meeting the English language requirements If you do not obtain all 70 points, your visa application will be refused.

In addition to scoring the required points for your visa application, you may also be required to attend and pass a ‘credibility interview’, which UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will use to assess whether you are a genuine student, or whether you are attempting to come to the UK for some other purpose.

Once you have fulfilled all conditions of your offer to study, we will contact prospective new students to help you prepare for your visa application.

Continuing students should follow the CAS request process found here. You should request a CAS 8 weeks before you are due to recommence study. The university will help you prepare your application.

The Student Immigration System places responsibilities on all students and their universities across the UK. Details of these responsibilities can be found on this page.

SECTION 2 When You Can Apply If you are applying from outside the UK, you can apply for a Student visa up to a maximum of 6 months before your course is due to start. If you are applying from inside the UK, students can apply up to 3 months before they are due to recommence their studies. The start date of your course is written on your CAS letter. For example, if you are applying from outside the UK, if the start date of your course stated on your CAS is 20 September 2021, you must not apply for your Student visa before 20 March 2021.

Applications made too early will be automatically refused.

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SECTION 3 Visa Application Process What you need to do: 1. Apply for ATAS Clearance Certificate (if applicable) 2. Prepare bank statements and ensure you have other supporting documents 3. Receive a CAS from the University of Bedfordshire 4. Take a Tuberculosis test (if applicable) 5. Make your Visa application online and pay fees (including Immigration Health Surcharge) 6. Book appointment at Visa Application Centre (VAC) and attend appointment Provide biometric information. Some students may be able to complete this stage without attending a VAC. 7. Attend credibility interview if required 8. Visa decision is made, usually within 3 weeks 9. Collect supporting documents, check visa details and travel to the UK 10. Collect Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) once you arrive in the UK 3.1 Apply for ATAS Clearance Certificate (if applicable) For some specialist courses, an ATAS (Academic Technology Approved Scheme) certificate may be necessary. If you do require an ATAS certificate you will need to apply for, and obtain it before you submit your visa application. To find out more, or to apply for an ATAS, check this page.

All subjects areas studied at universities in the UK are identified by a CAH3 code. The University of Bedfordshire will provide you with a code and confirm whether you require an ATAS certificate. If you are a continuing student who needs to extend your stay, you will need to apply for a new ATAS certificate if you previously had one.

3.2 Prepare Bank Statements and Ensure you have other Supporting Documents A checklist of these documents and more information can be found in section 6. You should begin preparing the relevant sum of money in a bank account in your name/your parents’ name as soon as possible. The money is required to have been maintained for a minimum of 28 consecutive days, with the 28th day being no later than one month before your visa application date. If you are sponsored by a Government/ International organisation, you will need to obtain a letter from them. You will also need a letter if you have been granted an education loan. The university will help you check there is no obvious reason for your document to be rejected.

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3.3 Receive a CAS from the University of Bedfordshire A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is a virtual document sent to the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that states your personal details, course details and evidence of how your sponsor, the University of Bedfordshire, has assessed your ability to obtain an offer to study your course.

As your Student visa sponsor, once we submit this information to the UKVI they will allocate a CAS number to you. You will need this number to make your visa application. The application centre to which you submit your visa application, will then access this information on the UKVI system when assessing your visa application.

Once you have met all the conditions of your offer to study at Bedfordshire, if you are a new prospective student, you will receive a CAS letter from the university. The letter will tell you your CAS number and will outline the details we have provided to the UKVI. If you are a continuing student, you will need to request a CAS 8 weeks before you are due to recommence your studies. See the CAS timeframe here.

You must check your CAS letter carefully and ensure that all the information on the letter is up to date and correct. If any details need to be changed you must tell us before you apply for your visa so we can update the information we have provided to the UKVI. Your visa can be refused if your circumstances change and it is not reflected on your CAS letter.

3.4 Take a Tuberculosis Test (if applicable) If you are from one of the countries listed at the following link you are required to have a health check before you apply for your visa: Check if you need a Tuberculosis test.

The health check is to test for tuberculosis (TB). If your test shows you are clear from infectious TB a certificate will be issued, which you must submit with your visa application. Failure to submit this document will result in your visa being refused. Continuing students who are applying for a visa in their home country may be required to take another TB test, and should check if you need a Tuberculosis test.

Please note: a test certificate is valid for 6 months only. If you are granted a visa, you must also carry the certificate in your hand luggage when you travel to the UK. 3.5 Complete Online Application Process and Pay Fees (including Immigration Health Surcharge) You must apply for your visa online. You should complete the online application form here.

Please note the form will ask you where you wish to collect your visa once you are here in the UK. It is referred to as a ‘BRP’ (Biometric Residence Permit). You will be able to collect your BRP from a named, local Post Office branch.

You will need to pay the application fee. The cost of applying for a Tier 4 visa outside the UK is currently £348.

You will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). All students have to pay an IHS to use the National Health Service. This is mandatory and if you decide to take out private healthcare insurance, this is your own decision and you will still have to pay the IHS. It is currently £470 per year for the duration of your visa. You will have to pay for the whole duration of your studies as a part of your visa application process. See the following overview for further information: Healthcare Overview

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If your visa application is refused, this money will automatically be refunded without you needing to take any further action.

3.6 Book Appointment at Visa Application Centre and Attend Appointment. Provide Biometric Information.

Next you should book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre and attend the appointment. You will need to have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken at the centre as part of your application. You may also have to attend a credibility interview (see 3.7).

You will need to submit your documents at the centre or alternatively, you may be required to post these after your biometrics have been taken.

You may be able to use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity documents. You will be told what you need to do when you apply.

3.7 Attend Credibility Interview if Required You must be prepared to attend an interview conducted in English as part of your visa application process.

The purpose of these interviews is to assess whether the main reason for you wishing to come to the UK is to study.

If you are unable to attend the interview or the Entry Clearance Officer is not satisfied you are coming to the UK to study, they are authorised to refuse you.

You must refer to our document ‘Credibility Interviews: Information and Advice‘, and to the ‘Common Reasons for Refusal’ section of this document (Section 10.3) for more information about these interviews before you apply for your visa.

If, after reading these documents, you are at all unsure about any aspect of the credibility interview process, you should not apply for your visa. Instead, you should contact the university (see section 14 for contact details).

3.8 Visa Decision is Made You will receive a letter (usually by email) confirming the outcome of your application. If your visa application is successful, you will be given a vignette (a sticker) in your passport, which is valid for 30 or 90 days. This is so you can travel to the UK. If you do not travel within that time period , you will have to apply for another vignette. Do not attempt to travel outside the dates on your vignette. You will also be given a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) as proof of your permission to study and conditions of stay. This will be given to you on your arrival in the UK. If your visa is refused, you must email us a copy of the refusal notice immediately so we can advise you. For more details, see section 11.

3.9 Collect Supporting Documents, Check Visa Details and Travel to the UK Your supporting documents will either be returned by post or awaiting collection at the visa application centre (VAC).

When you receive your visa it is important to check it. If you have been issued a vignette to travel then you should check that the information in the accompanying letter is correct. You should check it has been granted for the correct length of time.

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You are normally granted additional time on your visa. The table below will help you understand:

Course Length

Visa Duration

12 months or more

Course length + 4 months

6 - 12 months

Course length + 2 months

Up to 6 months

Course length + 7 days

Pre-sessional study only

Course length + 1 month

Your visa should also state your personal details that you are a Student and the Sponsor Licence number of the University of Bedfordshire, which is DA8AR2CH7. If this is not stated on your visa, please contact the university before your travel (see section 14 for contact details).

If you are required to register with the police on your arrival to the UK it will be written on your visa or on the visa decision letter. If it states this, you will need to register with the police within 7 days of arrival. At the time of writing, the 7 day rule does not apply if you are required to isolate on arrival in the UK for 14 days due to the Covid 19 pandemic. You can seek advice on this from the International Office once you are here. Failure to register could result in future visa applications being refused as the UKVI will consider you to have breached visa regulations. For information, please see this page.

After you have registered, you must notify the police if any of the information you gave them has changed.

3.10 Collect Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) On arrival in the UK, you must present your passport or travel documents with your vignette at the Post Office branch named on your visa decision letter in order to collect your BRP. This must be collected within 10 days of your arrival in the UK. At the time of writing, the 10 day rule does not apply if you are required to isolate on arrival in the UK for 14 days due to the Covid 19 pandemic

SECTION 4 A note for Low Risk Applicants To be considered a ‘low risk’ applicant (from a country listed under the ‘differential evidence requirement’

by UKVI) you must be applying to study with an institution with a Student Sponsor status, such as the University of Bedfordshire, and be a national of one of the countries listed here. You must also either be in the UK at the time of your application or applying in the country you are living. The list of countries includes countries in the EU and EEA and Switzerland.

If you are classified as a ‘low risk’ applicant you will not be required to submit documents proving your qualifications or financial status with your application. However, please be aware that you could still be required to submit them on request, so you must still prepare documents in the same way as non ‘low-risk’ nationals. If you fail to provide these documents upon request, your visa will be refused.

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SECTION 5 Documents Needed to Apply for a Student visa Outside the UK You must provide: • CAS letter from University of Bedfordshire • Current passport - you will need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put your visa You may need to provide: • Qualifications demonstrating your English language ability (what is written on your CAS will determine whether these are required) • If you are not a ‘low-risk applicant’, documents to prove you meet the financial requirement (see Section 6): Bank Statement to show funds held in a UK or overseas bank account for at least 28 days or Scholarship/sponsorship letter or evidence of loan. If you are using a parent’s bank statements, you will need birth certificate and letter of consent from your parent(s) • Your Tuberculosis test results if you are from a country where you have to take the test • A recent passport size photograph at the Visa Application Centre (see 7.3) • Any previous UK visas • Any previous passports • Evidence of your permission to be in the country where you are applying if you are not a national of that country.

• ATAS certificate (if required) • For studies below degree level only – evidence of academic qualifications used to obtain your offer of a place on your course as stated on your CAS letter • Police registration certificate (if required) • Proof of parental or other legal guardian consent if you are under 18 and also proof of your relationship • Written consent for your application from your financial sponsor if you’ve received sponsorship for your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months • If any documents are not in English, an official translation (see section 7.2)

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SECTION 6 Meeting the Maintenance (Financial) Requirement To obtain your visa overseas, you must meet the maintenance requirement by showing that you have access to sufficient funds to pay your tuition fees and your living expenses. To demonstrate this you will need to show that you have had access to the amount of money required to pay your tuition fees and your living expenses for at least 28 days before you make your application. The full amount for living expenses and tuition fees (if you have not already paid them) must be reflected in the account for a minimum of 28 consecutive days. The amount must not drop below the required level during this 28 day period.

This section helps you understand how much money you will need to show that you have maintained for 28 days.

Calculating the Amount of Money you Must Prove you have Access to: 6.1 Tuition Fees Your CAS letter will state your total course tuition fee and how much of this you have already paid to the University. It will also state whether you have received a scholarship towards your fees.

Any outstanding fee not covered by your CAS will automatically be added to the amount you have to show you have access to in order to meet the maintenance requirement. You must, therefore, make sure that the total amount you have paid is correctly reflected on your CAS letter at the time of your visa application.

Tip: To calculate the amount you will have to show to cover your course fees you should subtract the amount of fees you have already paid, plus any scholarship awarded to you, from the ‘course fee per year’ as stated on your CAS letter.

E.g. Course fee per year = £10,000 Course fees paid to date = £7,000 Vice Chancellor scholarship = £1,000 Amount you have to show you have access to = £2,000 6.2 Living Expenses You are required to have access to £1,023 per month if your course is less than nine months, or a maximum of £9,207 if your course duration is nine months or longer. All University of Bedfordshire Bachelor and Master’s courses are longer than nine months and therefore require access to £9,207 to be proven.

Continuing students may need to show less if they are required to study for less than nine months. We strongly recommend maintaining £9,207 unless a lower amount is confirmed.

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6.3 University Accommodation If you have paid towards University accommodation the amount you have paid should be stated on your CAS letter. Any amount paid for University accommodation, up to a maximum of £1,334, can be deducted from the amount you are required to show for your living expenses.

Example: If your course is longer than 9 months, you have to show access to £9,207 in your/your parent’s bank account for 28 days. But if you have paid £3,000 for University accommodation, and this is stated on your CAS, you will only need to show £7873 for living expenses as the maximum of £1334 from your accommodation payment will be deducted from the amount you are required to show.

Proving you have Access to the Required Amount: 6.4 Submitting the Correct Document 6.4.1 Funding Yourself or Funding From Parents If you are funding your own studies or if your parents are funding your studies, you can submit a bank statement, bank letter or passbook. Your funds must be held in a financial institution which is regulated by the appropriate regulatory body in your country and the visa decision maker must be able to make satisfactory verification checks. Please ensure contact details of your bank are either included on the statement or in a separate document.

The document must state your name or at least one of your parent’s names, the account number, the date the statement or letter was issued, and the financial institution’s name and logo.

You must show that the funds have been held in your account for at least 28 days consecutively (without a gap, e.g. 1 February – 28 February) prior to your application. The 28 days will be measured as ending on the date of the closing balance.

The period covered by the statement must not have ended more than 31 days before you apply for the visa.

For example, if you apply for your visa on 31 July 2021, the last date covered by the statement must be between 1 July 2021 and 31 July 2021.

Please note: • If the balance falls even by £1 below the required level of funds during the 28-day period, your application will fail and you will be refused • Company bank statements will not be accepted • Online bank statements are acceptable • All bank statements that are not in English will need to be submitted with a certified translation (see section 7.2) • The document must prove that the funds are available to you. Therefore, fixed-term bonds and other fixed-term accounts will not be accepted. If your account is a long-term fixed-deposit account, which requires you to leave money in for a certain period of time in order to get a high interest rate, but you can withdraw money from the account instantly at any time, you must get a letter from your bank which confirms that the money is available to you at any time for study in the UK and submit that with your bank statement • Your financial documents will be checked by the University of Bedfordshire staff to ensure they meet the UKVI requirements. You must submit the documents approved by the university • You must leave the money that you have maintained for the fees and living expenses in your bank account after you submit your visa application. Failure to do so will result in your Student visa application being refused

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If you are relying on Money held by your Parent, you must also submit: • Your original birth certificate proving they are your parent and • A letter written by your parent(s) confirming your relationship and that they consent to the money being used by you for your studies in the UK Please note: A bank statement from any other family member such as grandparents, uncle, aunt, brother or sister is NOT acceptable!

6.4.2 Using a Bank Loan You may be using a bank loan to fund your studies in the UK. If this is the case, you must submit an original letter on headed paper from a regulated financial institution which is dated no more than 6 months before the date of your application and which states: • • • • •

Your name; and The date of the letter; and The financial institution’s name and logo; The money available as a loan; That the loan is provided by your national government, your state or regional government, a government sponsored student loan company, or is part of an academic or educational loans scheme

The financial institution must be regulated by either the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulatory Authority or, in the case of overseas accounts, by the home regulator (the official regulatory body for the country the financial institution is in and where the money is held) for the purpose of student loans. You cannot use loans held in the name of your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) as evidence of money held by you.

There must be no conditions placed on the release of the loan funds to you, other than your Student application being successful.

The university will check your financial documents before you make your visa application. Ensure you submit only the documents the University has approved.

6.4.3 Funding from your Government and other forms of Financial Sponsorship Financial sponsorship is where you are given money to cover some or all of your course fees and/or living costs. This financial sponsorship can be used as evidence of money you have. You can receive official financial sponsor from the British Government, your home government, the British Council or any international organisation, international company, university or an Independent School.

You will need to submit an original officially headed letter from your sponsor which must have the official stamp of that organisation on it. It must state your name, the name and contact details of your sponsor, the date of the letter, and the length of your sponsorship. The letter will need to state the amount of money your sponsor is giving to you or that your sponsor will cover all your living expenses and your tuition fees.

The UKVI will normally contact the sponsor so please ensure that contact details of an individual are given and that provision is made if the individual is absent.

If your financial sponsor is only covering some of your course fees or living costs, you must show that you have the rest of the money needed to meet the total tuition fee and living cost requirements (see sections

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6.1 – 6.3). If your financial sponsor is only sponsoring you for a short period of your studies, or your financial sponsorship ended within 12 months of your visa application being made, you will need your sponsor’s permission to stay in or re-enter the UK until the end of your studies.For more information about acceptable ways of showing that you have this money, please refer to sections 6.4.1 (Funding from yourself or parents) and 6.4.2 (Using a bank loan), above.

The University will check your financial documents before you make your visa application. Ensure you submit only the documents the university has approved.

6.5 Currency Conversion If you are using an overseas currency you must convert the money shown into pounds sterling so you can state the amount in pounds sterling on your application form.

You should use the Oanda website to find out the rate of exchange between your country’s currency and British pounds sterling: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic When assessing whether you meet the maintenance requirement, the Entry Clearance Officer will use the exchange rate on the date that you submit your visa application.

You should therefore check your funds against the exchange rate as close as possible to the date you submit your application.

If the Oanda website shows that the lowest amount in your account during the 28 days before your bank statement was issued is less than the amount you need in order to get your visa (any outstanding tuition fees plus living expenses) you should not apply for your visa!

As currency exchange rates can change, make sure you put at least £250 extra in your account for the 28 day period. This way, it will be very unlikely to fall below the required amount over that time period.

6.6 CHECKLIST - Maintenance/Living Expenses • Any tuition fee paid is correctly reflected on my CAS • I know that any tuition fee amount not paid will be added to the amount I must show for living expenses when calculating my maintenance requirement • The amount I must show for living expenses is £9,207 or£ 1,023 per month if my course/ remainder of my course is less than nine months • Any payment I have made towards University accommodation is correctly reflected on my CAS (Remember that only £1,334 of this is counted for visa purposes).

• Any scholarship I have received towards my tuition fee is correctly stated on my CAS • I have checked my bank document(s) meet UKVI requirements and state the required information (see Section 6.4) • I have checked the exchange rate of my currency against British Pounds Sterling using the Oanda website (see Section 6.5). I am maintaining an extra £250 in case of currency fluctuation • I intend to submit the finance document approved by the University of Bedfordshire

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SECTION 7 Other Documents Required to Obtain your Student Visa 7.1 Previous Qualifications and Proof of English Language Ability You may be required to show evidence of your qualifications demonstrating your English language ability. If your course is at degree level or above, you will not need to provide evidence of the academic qualifications you used to obtain the offer of a place on your course. However, you must have these documents in case you are asked to provide them to UKVI and we will ask to see original documents when you register at the University of Bedfordshire.

7.2 Translations If any of the documents you submit are not in English (or Welsh) you will need to submit original translation as well as your original certificate. The translation must be fully certified by a professional translator or translation company that can be verified by UK Visas and Immigration. The translation must include confirmation from the translator/translation company that it is an accurate translation of the original document, the date of translation, the name and signature of the translator or official from the translation company, as well as the translator or translation company’s contact details.

7.3 Passport Photograph You may be required to provide a recent passport sized photograpth at your Visa Application Centre appointment. his must have been taken in the past month. For details, please see: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports 7.4 CHECKLIST – Other Documents • Are the details on my CAS correct?

• Have I included any necessary financial documents? (See section 6) • Have I included proof of my English language qualifications if required?

• Do any of my documents need translating? If yes, are they translated correctly, and by an authorised translator?

• Do I require an ATAS certificate? If yes, have I got the certificate that shows I am cleared for travel?

• Do I require a TB check? If yes, have I got the certificate that shows I am cleared for travel?

• Is my passport photo in the correct format?

• Do I have the other necessary documents? (Current passport, previous UK visas and any previous passports, police registration certificate, consent from my parents/legal guardian if under 18, sponsor consent if required, academic qualifications if required)

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SECTION 8 Other Rules that may affect you 8.1 The 5-Year Study Rule If your course is at Bachelors’s degree level, you may only be granted up to five years’ permission as a Student from the age of 18 to study courses at this level.

8.2 Academic Progression If you have previously studied in the UK, your new course must constitute academic progression from your previous course of study in order for you to be permitted to study the course on a Student visa. Your new course must normally be above the level of the previous course for which you were given permissions to study.

If your new course is at the same level, it may exceptionally be considered to represent academic progression. If, for example, you have previously studied a Master’s degree and are coming to study another Master’s degree you must be prepared to explain how the new course is related to your previous course (part of the same group of courses or a deeper specialisation in a specific subject area) or how the previous course and the new course in combination support your career aspirations. The University will ask you to explain this before you are issued a CAS letter and you will need to do so again when you are interviewed by the UK Visas and Immigration.

SECTION 9 Dependants

If you have dependants and would like to know if they are eligible to join you during your studies and the documents they will need to apply for their visa, information is available via this link.

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SECTION 10 Avoiding Refusals Based on our experience, the most common reasons Student visa applications are refused are as follows: 10.1 Financial requirements 1. The financial document did not meet all the requirements.

2. The correct amount of money was not maintained for a full 28 days leading up to the visa application.

We check all financial documents to ensure they meet the requirements. You must submit the document we have checked and approved.

10.2 Credibility Interviews The visa applicant did not know: • Why they are coming to the UK to study the course instead of staying in their home country or going to another country such as the USA or Australia • Why they chose the University of Bedfordshire instead of others and what facilities the University offers • Where in the UK the university is • Why they have chosen the course they have applied for and how their chosen course complements their previous studies • What is taught on the course they have applied for and how it is assessed • What they expect to learn on the course • What their intention is when they finish the course and how their studies fit into this • Why the qualification will help the applicant fulfil their career dreams more effectively than if they did not have the qualification • The cost of study and living in the UK and how the applicant is funding their studies • Why the course will be financially profitable – why it is worthwhile spending so much on the course and how it will allow the applicant to regain the money they have spent • Why they are returning to study after a gap in studies • Where they plan to live during their studies, including cost and location.

If you are not sure you could confidently answer any of these questions when you are asked, you should not apply for your visa. You must be sure of the answer to these questions before you apply. You must refer to the University of Bedfordshire’s ‘Credibility Interviews: Information and Advice’ document for further guidance before you apply for your visa.

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By following the guidance in this booklet and our accompanying guide to Credibility Interviews we are hopeful you will avoid a visa refusal on these grounds.

Please note that if you at any time use false representation/ false documentation on your visa application, the Entry Clearance Officer may refuse your application, which may also result in you being banned from gaining entry clearance to the UK for up to 10 years. An example of this is failing to declare a previous visa application refusal (to the UK or any other country). Please also see our tuition fee policy.

SECTION 11 If your Visa is Refused or Returned as Invalid If your visa application is refused you will receive a refusal notice explaining the reasons for the refusal. If you are refused you must email the refusal notice to us (see Section 14 for contact details). We can then provide specialist advice.

You can decide if you would like to challenge the decision by submitting a request for an Administrative Review. An Administrative Review involves a different Entry Clearance Officer reviewing your application with a view to either overturning the original decision and granting your visa or affirming the original decision. You will have to submit any request for Administrative Review within 28 days of the date of your refusal.

Any new documents submitted with an Administrative Review will not be taken into consideration. An Administrative Review will be based solely on the documents you initially submitted when you applied for your Student visa.

The second option may be to submit a fresh Student application. This is only an option if the University of Bedfordshire is able and willing to issue you a new CAS. In some cases visa applications are returned as invalid. This is different from a refusal. It indicates that the UKVI are dissatisfied with the application package to the extent that they will not even consider your visa application.

The document you receive telling you that the application has been considered invalid will also indicate why it was considered invalid. It will usually be because important documents are missing from the application, or because satisfactory payment has not been made for the visa application. If this occurs, you will be viewed by the UKVI as having made no application for a visa.

If your application is returned as invalid, you must email the notice to us (see Section 14 for contact details). We can then provide specialist advice.

If, after consultation with the International Office, it is decided that you should submit a fresh application, you should ensure that you declare in your new application that you had previously applied for a visa but that the application was returned as invalid.

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SECTIONS 12 & 13 12 Change of Circumstances before Travel If you are not able to arrive in time for your course, or if you will not be in a position to start studying when you arrive in the UK, or you do not think you will be able to sustain study for the duration of your course without any problems you must let us know before you travel, by emailing the email address from which you received your CAS. We can then advise you whether travel to the UK using your Student visa is still permitted. If travelling is considered to be risky, further advice will be offered. If you are not able to study you must not travel.

If you have not yet travelled to the UK but have obtained a visa, you may be allowed to defer your studies, depending on circumstances. But if your deferral will result in you being unable to complete the course of study within the period of time for which your visa has been issued, your visa sponsorship will be withdrawn by the university and you will be required to obtain a new visa, based on a new CAS, at a later date.

It cannot be guaranteed that you will be successful in your second visa application. Therefore, we do not recommend you undertaking this process if it can be avoided.If you experience a change in circumstances, you should also consult our tuition fee policy for information on any fees you have paid.

13 Change of Circumstances after Travel If you have any reason to believe you will not be able to start your studies when you reach the UK, you should not travel. However, if your circumstances change after you have travelled, you should inform the International Office immediately.

You may be allowed to defer your studies, but only in exceptional circumstances. The university will withdraw our sponsorship of you with the UKVI. You must return to your home country and provide proof to us that you have done so.

The UKVI will be aware that you must return home, and they will know whether you have done so by means of your passport record. To return to the UK, you will be required to obtain a new visa, based on a new CAS, at a later date. It cannot be guaranteed that you will be successful in your second visa application If you experience a change in circumstances, you should also consult our tuition fee policy for information on any fees you have paid.

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SECTION 14 Useful Links and Contacts UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) website: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa UKCISA (UK Council for International Student affairs) website: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk University of Bedfordshire: https://www.beds.ac.uk/international/visas-and-immigration/ Oanda Currency Converter: https://www1.oanda.com/currency/converter/ If you are starting a new course, any queries should be sent to your admissions team. See the following link for more info: https://www.beds.ac.uk/international/international-applications/contactus If you are continuing a course, any queries should be sent to: visaadvice@beds.ac.uk

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