Visa Guidance

Visa Guidance

You are advised to check the latest information and policy guidance before you make any application. 

Given the changes to UKVI visa regulations due to COVID and BREXIT, please click here and follow the links for the most up-to-date information.

The information below is for guidance only.

Who Needs a Visa?

Currently, you will need a visa if you are not from the European Economic Area (EEA) or a Swiss National.  However, since the UK will be leaving the EU on 31st December 2020, requirements for EU citizens will change. Please see the information below for more details.

The British Government has a helpful website: GOV.UK which has all the relevant information you will need to apply for a visa. Please ensure you are aware of the visa requirements, particularly the time scales and costs involved before applying so that if your All Nations application is accepted, you can plan ahead in time for the start of your study programme.

Further information on studying in the UK can also be found at:
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk
http://www.britishcouncil.org

EU students commencing their studies before 31 December 2020

The UK officially leaves the European Union on 31st December 2020. EU students will still be able to enrol on a college course from September 2020, however, in order to continue studies beyond 31 December 2020 EU students will need to have the correct pre-settlement or settlement status.  We would advise all European students to apply for pre-settlement status as soon as possible after moving to the UK if your course continues beyond 31 December 2020. Please consult this link to find out how to apply for pre-settlement or settlement status.

EU students commencing their studies on/after 1 January 2021

After 31st December 2020 students from EU countries will need to have either a settlement or pre-settlement status or have the appropriate VISA to allow them to live and study in the UK.  Further information can be found regarding pre-settlement and settlement under the heading EU students commencing their studies before 31 December 2020. Information regarding applying for a student VISA on the UK's points-based system can be found via this link. You will be able to apply for a Student VISA up to 6 months before your intended course starts in 2021.

If you are a short term student (studying 6 months or less) from an EU country please see 'Student Visitor / General Visitor – Studying for less than 6 months'  section below.

Tier 4 Student Visa – Studying for more than 6 months

Please note that only applicants for OU-validated programmes (Cert HE, Dip HE and BA (Hons)) may apply for a Tier 4 visa. The UKVI will not grant Tier 4 visas to students taking the ANCC Certificate and ANCC Diploma programmes.

You can apply as an adult student if you are coming to the United Kingdom for your education and are over the age of 16 years.

To be able to apply for a student visa you must provide the following proof. All of these must be ORIGINAL documents; photocopies will not be acceptable
(NB Online bank statements are not permitted – you need to obtain an original bank statement directly from your bank):

• Academic IELTS for UKVI test. Please note that the IELTS test must be sat at a UKVI approved centre. See www.gov.uk for the list of approved centres.
• Academic qualifications certificate – this will be one of the certificates you have already sent to the College with your application. The Administrators will let you know which one you need to take with you to the visa office when they issue your CAS.
• Proof of funds. This will be a bank statement showing that you have had sufficient funds in your bank account continuously for the 28 days prior to your visa application, for fees and living costs for a whole year. The amount changes each year but it is more than the cost of your course and the accommodation costs charged by All Nations (about £4,500 more); the Administrators will give you the current figure required. For full information see the UK Visa and Immigration site: www.gov.uk website. For other costs, see also the note on the Health Surcharge below.
• All the other documents you need to take with you are listed on the UK Visa and Immigration site: www.gov.uk website.  
• Tuberculosis Testing is a requirement for students entering the UK from certain countries. See www.gov.uk for more information.

You must also arrange to have your photograph taken and give your fingerprints, which are known as biometric information. See www.gov.uk -biometric information website for more information.

You may not apply for your visa until All Nations has issued you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). This document is the College's confirmation to the visa office that you have a genuine place with us and to indicate the paperwork that forms part of our offer and must therefore be submitted with your application. In order to issue your CAS we will need to see:

• Proof that sufficient funds have been in your bank account continuously for 28 days prior to making your visa application
• Academic certificates and/or transcripts (we will let you know if we also need NARIC verification of the equivalency of your qualification)
• A copy of your passport
• An academic IELTS for UKVI certificate taken at a SELTS centre and showing the correct score.
   

Please note that we are not licensed to provide a CAS for dependants (ie for a spouse or children) even for postgraduate studies.  See www.gov.uk for more details.

You may find the following helpful:

• The College is known as your ‘sponsor’. All Nations holds an “A” rated Sponsorship License and is accredited by the OUVS and the British Accreditation Council.
• The Administrators will inform you as soon as your CAS has been issued and remind you which original documents you need to take with you when you apply. NB You still need to check the visa website to ensure you have ALL the documentation they require.
• You must take all the documentation we have mentioned on the CAS with you when you visit the visa office. If you do not take everything with you and your CAS is rejected we may not be able to reissue you with another CAS and you will not be able to come to the College to study as planned. We are only allocated a certain number of CAS applications per year so please double check that you have done all you need to do.
• The CAS is valid for 6 months from the date of issue, but a CAS will be withdrawn if we discover anything wrong with your application.
• The Tier 4 visa does not permit a student to work whilst in the UK.
• We are required to inform the home office if a Tier 4 student is either not attending classes or, if non-resident at the College, the student moves without informing the College.
• See the important note on the new Health Surcharge below.
• Please note: If you wish to continue studying with us beyond the length of your original course for which your visa is valid, you will need to renew your visa from overseas and supply proof of funds. (see page 1 paragraph 3).

Short Term Study Visa – Studying for less than 6 months

International students studying for 6 months or less
For international students studying for 6 months or less, please click here (and follow the instructions and answer the questions) to check whether you need to apply for a short-term study visa.  If the answer states that you require a "Letter of Acceptance" (either as part of your visa application, or to present at the UK Border Control) please contact your course Training Administrator as soon as possible to arrange for a letter to be sent to you.

You will not be able to switch and apply for a Tier 4 longer term student visa whilst you are in the United Kingdom on a Short Term study visa or a Visitors Visa. 

If you would like to apply for a Tier 4 student visa, you must apply from the country you live in.

Immigration Health Surcharge 

All non-EU citizens entering Britain, must pay £300 per year of planned study at the time of your visa application i.e. If you are coming to study for three years, you must pay a £900 Health Surcharge (see www.gov.uk for more information.) From October 2020 the Health Surcharge will increase to £470 per year of study.