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The UK Tier 4 Student Visa

The first step in completing the visa application process is to complete the online visa application form. American students will need to apply for the Tier 4 (general) student visa. The earliest you can apply for a visa is 3 months before your program starts. The form asks you for basic background information, travel history, university information along with other things. Once you submit this form, you will be prompted to pay the application fee along with the health surcharge. I paid around $1050 for this step ($452 for the visa, $598 for the health surcharge.)

The online form will also prompt you to schedule a biometric appointment at an Application Support Center (ASC) which is administered through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS.) Here you will have your fingerprints scanned and photo taken. For your appointment, make sure you bring your appointment confirmation sheet because officials will sign off on it and then you will send this off with your application. 

When you complete the online application form, the system tells you what supporting documents you need to mail off along with your application. It also offers you a checklist of necessary materials such as your passport. However, it never mentions including financial evidence to prove how you will fund your studies and living expenses. It will inform you that since the USA is considered a ‘low risk’ country, financial proof is not mandatory. THIS IS NOT TRUE. It is very important that you include some form of financial proof as a supporting document or else you will get denied. For those using federal loans to fund your studies and living expenses, ensure to provide a loan verification form issued from your university. We also recommend including a bank statement from your financial institution verifying your account balance. 

Here’s an official link on how to apply for a UK visa in the USA: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/apply-for-a-uk-visa-in-the-usa

The UKVI Scanning Hub does not accept ground services or non electronic waybills as return shipping. I used UPS for my shipment, and it cost me a little over $50 all together. I chose 2nd day air shipping. It was either this or overnight shipping and I definitely was not in much of a rush to pay for overnight shipping. You have the choice to pay an additional fee (a hefty fee at that) for priority visa services through the VFS Global website. This option places your application at the front of the queue. In my opinion, I don’t think it’s worth it, because I shipped my materials off on July 25th and received my visa and other documents back on August 8th. So, overall it was a speedy process and not as intense as I heard it could be. Therefore, the process is different for everyone and send your documents as early as you can. 

Before you can even complete the online application form, attend your biometric appointment and ultimately ship off your materials, you must have your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number. The institution that you plan on attending will issue you your CAS. You will then use this number for your online form and then continue with the aforementioned steps. 

At the time of submission for your online form, you may not see the mailing address for your application, so we recommend referring back to the “How to Apply for a UK Visa” webpage. We’ve provided the mailing address below:

VFS Services USA Inc. 

UKVI Scanning Hub 

80 Broad Street 

Floor 6 

New York, 10004 

If you plan on moving to London on a student visa, please utilize the visa guidance your university may provide as well as the information provided on the UK government website--link provided here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/apply-for-a-uk-visa-in-the-usa

As an American, the visa process forces you to reflect on how much privilege U.S. citizenship grants you and millions of others. As mentioned previously, the UK considers the U.S.A “low risk” and this blue passport is capable of taking you to so many places. Studying in London can be used as a means to travel and gain global experiences, while there are people who sacrifice immensely by immigrating to a place like America or the UK and often times don’t make it in. So take some time to reflect on “passport privilege” and use it as a new lens on travel.

Editors note: These steps are taken from 2019 and may have changed. Again, please refer to the UK government website for updated guidance.