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• STOP PRESS -16/08/2010 - Same Day Service available for Tier 4 Student visa applications
• STOP PRESS - 29/06/2010 - Migrants marrying UK citizens must now learn English
• STOP PRESS - 29/06/2010 - Imminent reductions in the number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 visas announced today
• STOP PRESS - 07/04/2010 – Tier 4 changes for education providers and migrant students
• STOP PRESS - 07/04/2010 – New rules for skilled and highly skilled migrant workers

Tier 4 (General)

Students over the age of 16 wishing to study in the UK may apply for a Tier 4 (General) visa. The length of stay that will be granted will depend on the length of the course but as a general rule for courses of a year or more it will be for the full length of the course plus four months after the end of the course.

In order to qualify the applicant must score 40 points under the Points-based System rules:

• 30 points – attending an acceptable course with an approved education provider (they will issue the student with a CAS (confirmation of acceptance of studies) reference number.
• 10 points – having enough money to cover the course fees and living costs

The exact requirements for this and particular rules relating to how your supporting evidence should be prepared and presented are complex so please contact us for more specific details of your particular case.

UK VISAS manages Tier 4 applications on a regular basis so you can be confident you will receive correct advice and have your application prepared properly by employing us to make your application for you.

Fees breakdown (excluding VAT):

TIER 4 VISA, GENERAL TIER 4 VISA

The tier 4, general tier 4 visa is for adult students who wish to further their post-16 education in the UK under tier 4 of the UK’s points-based system. Obtaining a tier 4, general tier 4 visa allows students to enter the UK and remain there for the duration of their course of study. The visa takes into account extra time needed for graduation and resolving outstanding issues.

Holders of the tier 4, general tier 4 visa do not need to reapply should they change their course midway through studying. The tier 4, general tier 4 visa is not intended as a pathway for those wishing to permanently settle in the UK.

Students aged 16 or 17 who wish to study at level 3 of the National Qualification Framework can decide with their educational institute whether they should apply for a tier 4, general tier 4 visa or for a child tier 4 visa. However, if the 16 or 17-year old student wishes to study English as a foreign language then they must apply for the tier 4, general tier 4 visa.

In terms of the tier 4, general tier 4 visa, general students are those that want to study in the UK at the minimum of degree level and for more than 15 hours a week. Students with a tier 4, general tier 4 visa are allowed to fund themselves through outside work in term time for up to 20 hours per week. They are allowed to work full time during holidays. The dependants of students with a tier 4, general tier 4 visa are permitted to join them in the UK.

Students who do not need to apply for a tier 4, general tier 4 visa to study in the UK include those that are citizens of countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. Similarly, students from countries classed as British overseas territories do not need to apply for a tier 4, general tier 4 visa. Students from countries which joined the EU after 2004 may face some restrictions if they intend to work in the UK during their studies.

Other students who do not need to apply for a tier 4, general tier 4 visa are those that are citizens of a Commonwealth country who already have permission to enter and leave the UK because one of their grandparent’s was born in the UK.