Visa information for pre-sessional students
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PRE SESSIONAL STUDENTS ABOUT EXTENDING YOUR TIER 4 STUDENT VISA IN THE UK
Please read the following information carefully. Remember that the process of extending your visa in the UK is different from applying for a visa (Entry Clearance) in your home country. The rules are extremely strict and your visa will definitely be refused if you do not bring all the correct documents in English with you to the UK.
When I finish my pre sessional course, how do I extend my visa in the UK?
You will probably be coming to the UK with a student visa that expires around 06 0ctober 2013, so you will need to extend your visa in order to be able to continue at Cardiff University on your degree course.
You will have a student visa with Cardiff University named as your Tier 4 sponsor and if you are staying with us for your degree, you will be able to send your visa application through the post and enrol on your new course without having to wait until you have received your new visa. This is very important as the application process can take a couple of months.
Can I get help to extend my student visa?
Yes, you can submit your application through the University’s International Student Support service. We will help you prepare your application during your pre sessional course and we will send it off for you when it is ready. When you arrive at Cardiff University our International Student Advisers will meet with you to help you with your application.
What documents do I need to bring with me from home?
You must bring your ORIGINAL degree certificate or your ORIGINAL transcript of results that you had to show in order to receive a conditional offer onto a degree course at Cardiff University.
If you have both a degree certificate and a graduation certificate then you will only need to provide the degree certificate.
If these certificates are not in English, you MUST have them translated.
This must be a fully certified translation by a professionally qualified translator or translation company and must include:
• Details of the translator/translation company’s credentials
• Confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The translator/translation company’s contact details
• The date of the translation
• Original signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company
If your University or College has given you a copy of your degree in English, then this must be on their official letter-headed paper. This is very important because if it only has the University stamp and no other identifying details of your University, this will not be sufficient
So make sure that you bring all your certificates including any IELTS /TOEFL qualifications that you obtained in your home country
Remember, in order to get a visa for your degree course here at Cardiff you are going to have to provide ORIGINAL certificates as proof of your previous qualifications to UKBA, even though you may already have provided copies of them for the University
How much money will I need to show?
You will need to show either that you have already paid the first years’ fees for your degree course, or that you have this money available in a bank account.
If you have paid all or some of your fees to the University, we will provide proof that we have received the money.
You will also have to show that you have 9 months maintenance or living costs of
£7,200
How do I show that I have this money?
This money can either be in your own bank account or your parent’s bank account and you will have to provide a bank statement covering a 28 day period to prove this.
Money for your tuition fees and maintenance (living costs) must have been in the account for a minimum period of 28 days and during this time your balance must not have dropped below the right amount. If it has dropped below the right amount even for just 1 day, you do not meet the financial requirements and your student visa will be refused.
The bank statement must not be more than 1 month old at the time you submit it with your student visa application and must show:
- Your name, or your parents/legal guardians name
- The account number
- The date of the statement
- The financial institution’s name and logo
- The amount of money available to cover your course fees and living costs.
If you are sponsored by an official sponsor e.g. your government or University, you will need to provide an original sponsor letter showing all the details of your sponsorship.
If I am using my parents’ account what else do I need?
If your parents are providing your tuition fees and living costs and have the money in their account, you must prove that they are your parents or legal guardians.
You do this by providing your original birth certificate, showing your name and the name of your parents. If you do not have an official birth certificate, we recommend that you transfer the money into an account in your own name because your visa will be refused without this evidence.
Remember the birth certificate will have to be officially translated into English if necessary.
Your parents will also have to provide a letter confirming their relationship to you and that they give their consent to you using their funds to study in the UK.
So if you are using money that is in your parents account, please make sure that you bring a signed letter of consent from your parents and your birth certificate to the UK with you. We have prepared a template letter which your parents could use. This can be found here.
Nearer the time that you will be applying for your visa they will need to send you their bank statements that must be in English and show that they have had the money for at least 28days. Remember these statements cannot be more than one month old at the time you are submitting your application. So for example if you submit your application on 20 September 2013, the last date on the bank statement cannot be earlier than 20 August 2013.
Certificates of Deposit
If you are from China we advise you NOT to use Certificates of Deposit from a Chinese bank as these have not been accepted by the UK Border Agency in some cases.
I intend to open a bank account in the UK; can I use this to show my funds?
Yes you can, and we strongly recommend this as it is the simplest way of proving you have the funds. However remember that you will have to show that the funds have been there for 28 days. You will therefore need to open a bank account as soon as possible after you arrive in the UK, if this is how you intend to show that you have the required funds
What happens if I decide to study my degree somewhere else in the UK?
It is very important to realise that if you wish to go to another University, you will need to get a new visa. You may be able to apply for a new visa and start your course before your application has been approved, but this will depend on the rating of your new University. If you are planning to study somewhere else in the UK then you should discuss this with an international student adviser when you arrive at Cardiff University.
Further information
More information about the Tier 4 student visa extension process can be found here.