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This document will assist you in completing the Tier 4 online form for applications made outside of

the UK.

To complete a Tier 4 online application form, you will need to register and create an account on

the following website: https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/. You will receive an activation email - if this

does not arrive within 24 hours, you may wish to check your spam folder.

Below is a guide to completing the online application. This guide may not cover complex

questions that you have, and you are therefore advised to contact UWL’s Student Advice team

for further guidance if required.

Contacting the Student Advice Team

Office Opening Hours Monday – Thursday 9am – 5pm

Friday – 10:30am – 5pm

Drop-in sessions

(for funding and immigration advice) Tuesday and Wednesday, 2pm – 4pm

Friday, 10:30am – 12:30pm

During this time we will not be able to check application

forms, but we can advise on what you need to do and

what documents you will need to prepare.

You do not need an appointment to see an adviser

during these drop-in sessions.

Contact Details Student Advice Team

William Brake Student Services Centre

University of West London

St. Mary’s Road, Ealing

W5 5RF

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8231 2591

Email: studentadvice@uwl.ac.uk

Website: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/international/visas-and-

immigration/applying-extend-your-visa

TIER 4 ONLINE VISA GUIDE FOR APPLICATIONS MADE OVERSEAS

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In order to complete the online Tier 4 visa application form, you will need the following

documents and information ready:

Current passport

Previous passports (if applicable)

Current Biometric Residence Permit / UK visa details (if applicable)

Previous passport and visa details for UK and other countries

In addition to these documents, you will need to ensure that you have the following supporting

documents prepared, so that you can submit them at the Visa Application Centre:

Valid TB certificate if resident in one of these listed countries

2 recent passport-sized photos on a light-grey or cream background (not white!),

as per the Home Office’s passport photo requirements. Please write your name on the

back of the photographs.

Bank statements / Official Financial Sponsorship letter

Original certificates or final transcripts for all qualifications listed in the “Evidence

Provided” section of your CAS.

If using parents’ bank statements: birth certificate + letter of consent from parents

If using any documents that are not in English, you will need to submit translations of these

documents that meet UKVI’s translation requirements:

a certified translation by a professional translator/translation company including:

details of the translator/translation company’s credentials; and

confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document; and

the translator/translation company’s contact details; and

date of translation; and

original signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation

company

Fees involved with making a Tier 4 visa application from outside the UK are as follows (please note

that these fees will be converted into your local currency):

£328 application fee for main applicant

£328 application fee for each dependant of the main applicant

£75 Immigration Health Surcharge for every 6 months of the length of your visa.

(e.g. if your visa will be between 12 < 18 months long, the amount of surcharge you will

need to pay will be £75 x 3 = £225)

NB: It is essential that you are truthful throughout the visa application process, and do not attempt

to mislead or deceive the UKVI at any stage of the application. There are severe penalties if you

are found to have done this, which could significantly affect your immigration record and your

ability to travel to the UK in the future.

CHECKLIST: what do I need in order to complete the online form?

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Once your account has been created and activated, click on “Apply for Myself” in the top left of

the screen:

You will be required to provide the personal information requested below. Please provide all the

relevant and mandatory information according to your personal circumstances.

Setting up the online form

Enter your main contact telephone number

You can travel to the UK up to 1 month before your course start date

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When your visa application is granted, you will receive a sticker in your passport that is

valid for 30 days. This validity period will be calculated based on your course start date,

and will start either one month before the course start date or seven days before the

intended date of travel; whichever is later.

You must travel to the UK within the 30-day validity period of the visa sticker in your

passport, and then collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within 10 days of arrival in the UK. This BRP will show the full duration of your Tier 4 Student visa.

The information box below will appear once all personal information has been provided.

Please select the reason for your visit (‘Study’), the type of visa (‘PBS Tier 4 Student’) and under visa

sub type, select the option that applies to your particular circumstances, select as follows:

- ‘Tier 4 (General) Student’ if you will be self or family funded, otherwise privately funded or

funded by a student loan;

- ‘Tier 4 (General) (Sponsored) Student’ if you are going to be funded by an "official financial

sponsor", which includes a scholarship from your home government (excluding student

loans), the British Council or any international organisation or international company;

- ‘Tier 4 (Chevening, Marshall and Commonwealth Scholars only) Student’ ONLY IF you are

the holder of one of these scholarships.

Click the ‘Create Application’ button to proceed.

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The following screen will provide a summary of your application to date:

Please click on ‘Go To Application’ to begin.

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The first section of the online application form requires you to provide your current passport

information and personal details as shown in your passport.

If you currently hold another nationality or have previously held another nationality, you must say

YES and provide the relevant details requested.

1. PASSPORT AND TRAVEL INFORMATION

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Continue to fill in the details of your current passport:

NB: When applying for Tier 4, you must be applying from the country which issued your passport or

the country in which you are ordinarily resident.

If you answer NO to this question, provide the details requested below:

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If you have had any previous passports please provide the details:

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The next section of the form will ask about your travel information:

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If you are travelling with another person (e.g. dependent spouse/children) please answer

YES to the first question, and provide their details as requested.

For the date of your planned arrival in the UK, this can be within 1 month of your course start

date as listed on your CAS.

In answer to the question “How long do you intend to stay in the UK?”, this should be the

duration of your course; e.g. “3 years”, “1 year 6 months”.

If you do not yet have permanent accommodation in the UK, please put contact details of

your temporary accommodation (e.g. if you will be staying with relatives upon immediate

arrival in the UK).

If you do not have any temporary accommodation arranged, you are advised to book a

hotel and use this address and phone number.

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Provide the contact details of where you are currently living (i.e. in your home country):

2. PERSONAL DETAILS AND TRAVEL HISTORY

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Read through the travel history questions and answer accurately and honestly based upon your

personal circumstances.

If you answer YES to any of these questions, you will be given an opportunity to provide more

details.

“Voluntarily electing to depart” does not mean going home for a holiday,

but leaving the UK after a visa extension refusal or unsuccessful appeal

This question refers to visa applications made from within the UK

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NB: we would strongly advise that you state you would like to speak in English in the interview.

It is essential that you answer all of these questions as honestly and fully as you can. If you are

found to have used deception during your application for Entry Clearance, you could face a

10-year ban on coming to the UK.

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Only Tier 4 (General) Student applicants in specific circumstances may bring dependants with

them to the UK.

You can bring dependants with you if you are a new student who is

1. studying on a course at NQF Level 7 or above (i.e. Masters or PhD), and as long as the

course lasts at least 12 calendar months; OR

2. you are a student financially sponsored by your home country’s government, and your

course is more than 6 months long.

3. FAMILY DETAILS

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Parents – please provide all information requested about your parents:

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Complete this section as appropriate:

(NB: children who are under 18 years of age are usually considered “dependent children”)

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If you have sought medical treatment at any time when you have previously been in the UK, you

must declare this here and provide the relevant details.

4. MEDICAL TREATMENT

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Tier 4 Sponsor

The first section refers to your ‘educational sponsor’ which is University of West London.

Complete this section as shown below:

5. TIER 4 STUDENT

VJVD7MND6

University of West London

University of West London

St. Mary’s Road

Ealing

London

W5 5RF

44 208 231 2508

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The next section asks about the details of your course, and these will need to match what has

been stated on your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies):

For “Title of your course”, write “BSc (Hons) course name ”; “MSc course name” etc,

For “Level of the course”, please write:

- “NQF Level 6” for a Bachelor’s degree

- “NQF Level 7” for a Master’s degree

- “NQF Level 8” for a PhD

New students should answer “No” to this question

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Next, you will need to provide the address of where you will be primarily based for your studies.

For a list of the different campus addresses, please refer to our website:

http://www.uwl.ac.uk/contact-us

All students should answer “Studying” for the question below:

New students should answer “No” to this question

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Meeting the English language requirement

There are several different options to prove your English language ability:

If you are a national of a majority English speaking country as recognised by the Home Office, this

will automatically meet the UKVI’s English Language requirement. Please refer to the Home Office

website for a full list https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/knowledge-of-english .

Select the option “National of a majority English speaking country”, and then select your

nationality from the drop-down list that appears below.

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If you are coming to study a Pre-sessional English course, and your offer of a place on your main

Bachelors / Masters degree course is conditional upon you passing that Pre-sessional English

course, you will need to select the option “English language test”, and enter details of your IELTS

test as per below. NB: The “Award reference number” is the UKVI number on the IELTS Test Report

Form.

Please note that your CAS will only cover your Pre-sessional English course, and you will need

another CAS from UWL in order to extend your visa for your main degree course once you are in

the UK. We would strongly recommend that you contact Student Advice via email for any help

and questions prior to submitting your application form.

Only Pre-sessional English

students with a conditional offer

for their main degree must select

this option and provide details of

the English language test used as

evidence.

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For all other students coming to UWL for a degree-level course, please select the option “Your

sponsor is a Higher Education Institution (HEI), and has made its own assessment of your English

language ability”.

The only documents you need to submit as evidence of English language are those listed in the

“Other Evidence” section of your CAS, unless you are a Pre-sessional English student who needs to

pass your pre-sessional course as a condition of the offer for your main degree. These students will

have to take a Home Office-approved English Language test , list the details of this test as per the

guidance on the previous page of this guide, and provide evidence of this test (ie. the original

certificate) with their visa application.

New degree-level students (NQF

Level 6 and above, according to

your CAS) should select “Your

sponsor is a Higher Education

Institution (HEI) and has made its

own assessment of your English

language ability”

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Maintenance and Fees

Answer the first questions of this section as follows:

If you answer “YES”, then select ‘Shown in the CAS’ unless you qualify as a low-risk national. (If you

are a low-risk national, refer to the section below.)

‘low-risk’ nationals

Nationals of certain countries have been identified as ‘low-risk’ by the Home Office. As a low-risk

national, you do not need to provide all the supporting documents that are mentioned in the

“Evidence used to obtain offer” section of the CAS (e.g. previous qualifications), or financial

documents normally required as part of a visa application (e.g. bank statements). However, you

must still have these documents with you and they must meet the relevant Home Office criteria

should the UKVI caseworker request to see them. (This is why all financial evidence is reviewed by

UWL prior to issuing a CAS.)

A full list of low-risk nationals can be found on the Home Office website.

NB: Please note that if you are a low-risk national applying for a Tier 4 Student visa in a country

other than your home country, then you would not be considered as low-risk, and need to supply

Enter the amount of your course fees for the first year

of study, as stated on your CAS.

Select “Yes – Paid to UK Education Provider” if you

have paid all or part of your Tuition Fees.

Select “No” if you have not paid any of your Tuition

Fees or are on a scholarship

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all supporting documents with your visa application. If you have further questions regarding this,

please contact the Student Advice team.

If you are a low-risk national, and you answer “YES” to the question “Have any of your course fees

been paid”, you should then select “Evidence is not required under guidance, but held by

applicant”:

If you answered “NO” to the question “Have any of your course fees been paid”, complete this

section as follows:

For the next question, “Are you applying under the Doctorate Extension Scheme?”, answer “NO”:

You must select “Yes” to indicate that you have sufficient funds to cover the

remainder of your Tuition Fees. These funds will be evident in your bank statement.

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The following question asks about your “primary site of study”. Students who will be based at either

the Ealing campus or the Brentford campus must answer “In London”:

However, nursing students who will be based at the Reading campus must answer “Outside

London”:

For the next question, if you are based at either the Ealing campus or the Brentford campus,

please answer £1265. Students based at the Reading campus will need to write £1015.

A note about required maintenance amounts:

The amount of maintenance that the UKVI expect you to require in order to support yourself

during your time in the UK (and therefore, the amount that you need to show in your bank

statement in addition to any outstanding tuition fees) is based on whether you are studying in

London or outside of London, and on the length of your course at UWL.

In London (i.e. at the Ealing or Brentford campuses):

£1265 per month x number of months (up to a maximum of 9).

The maximum amount of maintenance you will need to show is £11385

Outside London (i.e. at the Reading campus):

£1015 per month x number of months (up to a maximum of 9).

The maximum amount of maintenance you will need to show is £9135

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With regards to accommodation, UWL does not own any of its student accommodation. Therefore

you must answer “NO” to the question “Have any of your accommodation fees been paid to your

sponsor”:

Financial sponsorship

Students who are being financially sponsored by an education institution, international company,

UK Government or overseas Government must select “YES” to the next question about ‘financial

sponsor’ and provide a scholarship letter with their visa application that provides the details of that

sponsorship.

** Please note that parents or any other family member/friend are not considered an official

financial sponsor for the purposes of your visa application **

Answer the questions appropriately:

The question asking ‘How much in GBP(£) is the official…’ is asking for the total amount that the

sponsor is covering for your first year’s course fees and maintenance. Then you are required to

provide the specific amounts for course fees and maintenance.

(The amounts entered in “Course Fees” and “Maintenance Fees” should add up to the total

amount entered in the first box)

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If your sponsorship covers your full tuition fees and required maintenance, then you should answer

“NO” to the question “Do you have any remaining fees and maintenance still due for payment”.

As the scholarship will be in your name, you should answer “YES” to the question “Do you have

money in your own name”, as your scholarship has been awarded to you.

In the box “What original documents have been supplied showing evidence of funds for the fees

that still need to be paid?” you should write “Original scholarship letter”.

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Partially-funded students

If your sponsorship only covers part of your tuition fees and/or required maintenance, then you

should answer “YES” to the question “Do you have any remaining fees and maintenance still due

for payment”, calculate the remaining amount of tuition fees and/or maintenance which you will

need to show in bank statements, and fill in the boxes with the appropriate amounts.

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Self-funded students (including parent-funded students)

Self-funding students should answer “NO” to the question “Do you receive support from a financial

sponsor…”, then proceed to the questions in the screenshot below.

All self-funding students should write YES in answer to ‘Do you have any remaining fees and

maintenance still due for payment?’.

Students with tuition fees still to pay should fill in the relevant amount at “Course fees”.

Students who have paid their tuition fees in full should write ‘0’ at “Course fees”. At

“Maintenance”, put the amount of Maintenance you will need to show in your bank statement

(as per the guidance on Page 27 of this document).

The amount that you need to show must be either in your name (in this case answer YES to the

question “Do you have money in your own name”) or in the name of a parent / legal guardian (in

this case answer “NO”).

You will then need to list the documents you are providing in support of your finances. You will

need to write something like “an original bank statement showing the money has been held for 28

days in a row”.

If you answered “NO” to the question “Do you have money in your own name, please give details

of:

How you will show the money (e.g. “an original bank statement showing the money has

been held for 28 days in a row”)

AND

How you will prove your relationship to the person named in the bank account (e.g. “an

original Birth Certificate demonstrating my relationship to my parent”).

AND

A signed letter from your parent/legal guardian, confirming your relationship to them and

that they give their consent to you using their funds during your studies in the UK (e.g. “a

letter of consent from my parent to using their funds for my study in the UK, and confirming

my relationship to them).

Write down the outstanding amount of Tuition Fees left to pay

Write the amount you need to show for maintenance e.g. £11385

Add up your remaining Tuition Fees and maintenance

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NB: Please note that you can only use bank statements from another person if they are your

parent or legal guardian. Bank statements provided by any other relative or friend are not

acceptable and will lead to a visa refusal.

Points Claimed

Enter the points claimed as set out below:

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10

40

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This text box provides you with an opportunity to provide any information relevant to your

application that you may wish to explain further, or which you were not able to provide based

upon the previous set of questions.

Once you have completed your application, click on the ‘Confirm Application’ button. You will

be taken to a screen displaying all the information you have provided. Please check that all the

information is accurate. This is your opportunity to go back into the form and make corrections if

necessary.

Once the application has been confirmed you will then be able to submit the form online, book

your appointment and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and application fee.

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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After you submit your application, you will be required to print off your visa application form and

take this together with your supporting documents (as per the checklist on Page 2) to your visa

appointment.

Visa application successful: Please send a scanned copy of your new visa sticker to the

International Office.

Visa application unsuccessful: Please send a scan of the full Refusal Notice to your Admissions

Officer within the International Office, and to the Student Advice.

When your visa application is granted, you will receive a sticker in your passport that is valid for 30

days. This validity period will be calculated based on your course start date, and will start either

one month before the course start date or seven days before the intended date of travel;

whichever is later.

You must travel to the UK within the 30-day validity period of the visa sticker in your passport, and

then collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within 10 days of arrival in the UK. This BRP will

show the full duration of your Tier 4 Student visa.

You will collect your BRP from a designated Post Office. This Post Office will be chosen based on

the address of your Tier 4 Sponsor, and so UWL’s international students should be collecting their

BRPs from the Ealing Post Office:

21-23 The Broadway

London

W5 2NH

The letter that you receive when your visa application is successful will tell you which Post Office

you need to go to, and you need to make sure that you keep this letter safe and bring it with you

to the Post Office once you are in the UK. If you notice that the Post Office listed is not the Ealing

Post Office, please contact the International Office as soon as possible.

What happens next?

Student Advice team

William Brake Student Services Centre, University of West London, St. Mary's Road, Ealing, W5 5RF

Telephone: 0208 231 2591 Email: studentadvice@uwl.ac.uk