The UK study guide: 2009

The Processing time and Administrative Review for UK student visa

Almost each and every day we face students asking about how much time does the administrative Review for the UK student visa takes to be processed.

This topic has been in discussion since the UK Border Agency has started the new TIER-4 Points Based system for UK visa. According to this system the right to appeal against the UK student visa refusal has almost been abolished and one can say that a student has no right to appeal against the UK student visa refusal- outside the UK but to apply for an Administrative Review of the refusal decision. However, a student does have the right to appeal against the decision in certain cases. For information about the appeal click here…….

Here we are to discuss the time frame for the Administrative Review. For basic information about AR click here…….

The UK Border Agency says that the Administrative Review is processed within 28 days and if there is some more time required then the applicant will be informed in written form. So according to this statement of the UKBA an applicant should either get the result within 28 days or some information about the reason for the delayed process. The statement of the UKBA about the processing time for the Administrative Review has been quoted below.

“We will aim to let you have the result of the review within 28 days. If, in exceptional circumstances, we are unable to complete the Administrative Review within 28 days we will notify you in writing as to when to expect a decision.”

But we are sorry to say that there are hundreds of students lamenting the behavior of the UKBA in this regard. Most of our students complain that even after passing the period of 28 days they have received neither the result nor any other sort of answer from the Agency. There are some students waiting for months-but still no answer. Following are some of the examples taken from the comments of the students who are waiting for there Administrative Reviews.

1. Why is there no option to check the status of the admin review?

All that is stated on the tier 4 guidelines is a lewtter will be mailed. within 28 days / i submitted mine last Sep 3 ,2009 and today is Nov 3 , i have no update still.

2. i'm a bit confused in respect of how many days the administrative review takes to be decided.

3. I filed my administrative review its more than 28 days ..I filed it last Sept 30 and until now i havent received any notification of the status of my application...

4. i applied for AR on september 18,2009 and after two days 3 months will complete and i don't received any mail in my mail box or junk folder. i daily chk my mail box. i also mailed to british embassy 2 weeks before but still no reply.

This doesn’t mean that this happened or may happen to all the applicants but this shows that there are some students suffered and some still to suffer.

However, we hope that the UKBA may set some standards for the time an Administrative Review application may take and if there is any such standard, then why not act so??????

Delay in Administrative review for UK student visa

The UK Border Agency has started the TIER-4 or Points Based System so to make the visa process easier and faster but this system has been widely criticized by the applicants because of the delay in the process of Administrative review for UK visa.

According to the new system, if a student is not satisfied with the visa refusal decision and if he/she thinks that the decision was made in an error then the student has the right to ask for administrative review and get the application checked by the British High Commission once more. But this is not as easy as it seems to be because we have seen students waiting for a long time to get the result of their Administrative review for UK student visa.

The UKBA says that the Commission will either answer the Administrative Review application within 28 days or inform the applicant if it is going to take more time. But sorry to say that all this is not true as there are thousands of students who have applied for the AR and even after months there is no answer from the BHC.

This unfair attitude of the British High Commission wastes the precious time of the students and on the other hand it discourages the students so much so that their future plans are vanished forever.

The most shocking news is that this type of treatment is reserved for the students of backward states. This is not fair, so we all request the UKBA to amend such rules and to treat all the students equally whether from developing countries or the developed. But we are hopeful that the UK Border Agency will try to make things better in the future.

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul;

And sings a tune without a word,

And never stops at all,

Write your experience/opinion in the “Comments” below.

Study abroad in Germany

Almost every student wants to study abroad in Germany because Germany has a lot to offer for the international students. The universities and colleges in Germany offer high standard education and their degrees are readily accepted throughout the world. For international students, German universities offer programmes taught in English language thus an international student needs not to go through the time consuming task of learning a new language. However, there are German language programmes available for international students in almost every university of Germany.

Education is almost free in Germany as compared to the UK, USA and Australia etc. because there are many universities offering free education to students whether national or international. However there are some universities charging tuition fee but that is the lowest possible fee at university level throughout the world – from 150 to 500 Euro per semester. So the cost of education is very low in Germany but if you compare the standard of education in Germany with any other country of the world, you will see that Germany is amongst the best and top quality education provider countries of the world because Germans never compromise upon quality.

German universities encourage international students to apply so there is a world of scholarships available for post graduate students and especially for those following their PhD. There are some special programmes open only for international students and most of these programmes are fully funded and do not charge any tuition fee.

The universities in Germany believe both in practical and theory and the combination of these two techniques give a good basis to your research thus making Germany one of the best educations providers of the globe.

There are students from almost all corners of the world studying in Germany so you will have the opportunity of a multicultural society and thus you will see your attitude towards other nations and nationals of the world changes as you get closer to them.

So come and study in the heart of Europe, in one of the wealthiest countries of the world, which is bordered by nine other developed countries.

Whoever you are and wherever you are, you are welcome, because in Germany the only thing that matters is your talent and nothing else.

List of German Universities

This list of all German Universities and colleges provides you access to the WebPages of all the Universities in Germany so that you may find all the information on the website of your favorite university or college.

So if you need any sort of information about a university or college then visit its link by clicking the name of the institute.

Study gap or gap years and the UK student visa

We see most of the students are confused about the gap in their study or study gap and are puzzled to think whether they could get the UK student visa or not because they are of the view that these gap years may ruin their visa case.
This was true in past but now it is a good news that the UK Border Agency has started a new UK student visa system called TIER-4 or Points Based system and according to this system the academic qualification for a certain course/programme has to be evaluated by the concerned University or College and the UK Border has noting to do with these things.
More clearly, it is the duty of your academic sponsor to check your documents or eligibility for the course you are applying or not and if he/she issues you an unconditional letter of acceptance/admission then the UK Border Agency will not investigate about the gap in your study while awarding you the UK student visa.
So the study gap or gap years should not affect your UK student visa as per-existing policy of the UK Border Agency. Therefore you should not be worried about your gap years even if your were idle during all this time but it is good to show the experience certificate of your job (if any) during the gap years because thus you can prove that during the gap years your were not involved in any harmful activity and that you were minding your own business.
For UK student visa requirements click here

Scholarship in the UK for international students

Most of the international students look for scholarship in the UK to fund their studies because the tuition fees in the UK are somewhat high as compared to other European countries.

In the field of scholarship, the UK has a lot to offer. There are various organisations offering scholarship to the international students studying in the UK. But all this depend upon the selection criteria of the scholarship awarding institution. There are some scholarships reserved for the students of certain nationalities and on the other hand there are funds available to all nationals. I mean to say that there may be a good option available to you but all you have to do is to look for the scholarship suitable to you.

There are some scholarships schemes awarding funds that cover all the costs related to the study of a student while on the other hand there are scholarships covering only the tuition fee or the half of it. All this depends upon the awarding body and its policies.

The universities and colleges in the UK also offer scholarships to the students enrolled. So you can search the website of a certain university or college for available funds. Such types of scholarships are easily available to the students of the institute and thus the competition is low for such awards.

The selection criteria vary for each type of award so a student must be familiar with the requirements for a certain scheme. A student must know about the dates and deadlines for the award he/she is interested in. Remember, that some schemes require you to submit your application one year before you start your study. So you should give full consideration to the dates or you may waste your time.

So if you want to study in the UK and need scholarship for your study then you should go through the following link, as this link contains a list of the most high awarding scholarships schemes in the

Click here to go to the list of scholarships available in the

If you want to look for scholarship in a certain university then you should go to the list of all universities in the

and search the website of your favourite university.

How can I get scholarship in the UK?

You can get scholarship in the UK if you have the ability and if you have the passion towards your study. A student can easily get scholarship in the UK if his/her academic career is good enough to impress the selection team. There are some scholarships schemes in the UK that are highly competitive but this is not the case with all scholarships schemes. A student can get scholarship reserved for a certain subject or for a certain nationality and these types of scholarships are easy to win as compared to those available to the students from the rest of the globe. However, it is recommended that a student should apply for all suitable funds and then wait for the response, as the selection committee knows better, about the selection criteria.

We have tried our best to search for the most honourable scholarships schemes in the UK available to the international students and here we give you a list of the schemes. Go and search the official websites yourself to find out more about these schemes.

Click on the title of the scheme to know more

British Chevening Scholarship

Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships

Commonwealth shared scholarship scheme

Overseas Research Students Award Scheme

USA/Canada Research Fellowship

Asia Research Fellowship

Marshall Scholarship

Fulbright Scholarsip

Scholarship in Arts & Humanities

Hotcourses Scholarship Search

Further scholarship links

Is Sweden a student friendly country?

Most of our students want to know whether Sweden is a student friendly country or not. This is not an easy question to be answered in a simple sentence because there are arguments on both sides and no one could answer with simple “Yes” or “No”.
However it is a fact that Sweden is a growing destination for students from all over the world because the state of Sweden is striving hard to facilitate the international students and to give them some pleasant memories when they go back to there homelands.
While solving this puzzle we have to accept the fact that Sweden is about to overtake UK and Australia because we have seen students complaining about the visa problems and the big monster “the mounting tuition fees” in the UK and Australia.
Keep in mind; we have not mentioned the education in USA because after 9/11, it is almost impossible for the students of some countries to get a US study visa.
We have reports from students saying that the states of UK and Australia are selling education rather than providing education. This clearly means that education in these countries is a business rather then a service to humanity.
In past, most of the international students were directed towards the UK and Australia because only in those countries all study programmes were available in English language which was the language readily accepted to the international students. Here we do not mean that other countries did not provide study programmes taught in English but we want to make it clear that there was a limit to such programmes.
Now thanks to the Swedish education policy makers that there are a lot of (more than 500) programmes available in English language for international students and all for free. Yes, there is no tuition fee. Once again thanks to them for taking these bold steps. This is what we call “serving humanity”. This is the greatest ever contribution in the field of education and it shows the greatness of the state of Sweden. There is no discrimination in their system and all students are given equal opportunities to quench their thirst.
While discussing student visa problems we have seen that the UK and the USA are the top most countries mocking the wishes of international students. Before getting visa a student has to go through a tiresome procedure and the response is often in the reverse. For most nationals it is just killing time and nothing more. On the other hand the Swedish visa procedure is the soft most procedure of the glob and a student can easily get study visa if he/she meets all the requirements. However in the year 2008 and 09 we have reports that some students visas were rejected by the Swedish migration board even after the students met all the visa requirements. This may lead towards defame on the part of Sweden but we hope that the state of Sweden may take a notice of all this and may try to satisfy the students.
The standard of education in Sweden is high and high as compared to that in the UK and Australia because there are colleges and universities in the UK and Australia selling degrees to international students and this is shameful news in the field of education.
In the UK you can expect thousands of ghost colleges selling degrees.
While in Sweden each and every student has to satisfy the institution otherwise he/she will not be granted an extension in the visa.
I may go no further but give you a chance to express your experience whether you think Sweden a student friendly country or not. If you have anything in your mind/memories, just write it in the comments below and I would appreciate your efforts.
It would be of high value if you write about the problems a student faces while in Sweden.

Is TOEFL certificate accepted for Australian student visa?

I was amazed to see that TOEFL is not accepted for Australian student visa. The Australian High commission says that the only accepted English Language test certificate is that of IELTS.
Every student know that IELTS and TOEFL are the best known tests for English language but there are some countries that only accept IELTS from the British council as a proof of English language ability of a student. On the other hand there are some countries where both of these tests are acceptable and it doesn’t matter whether a student provide IELTS or TOEFL certificate. But in the case of Australian visa, it does matter and it is clear that a student can’t have a student visa without showing IELTS certificate and TOEFL means nothing in the Australian High Commission.
However, this is the choice of the Australian Commission abroad to Accept or reject certain tests but a student has to do what he/she has to do.
Not only for student visa but for admission in a University or College in Australia, a student is required to produce IELTS certificate. However the score requirements are different for some universities and colleges but for the High Commission a student has to have the required band/score. I mean that the acceptance or admission letter means nothing for the High Commission if the test score is lower than what is required by the Commission.
 Following is the IELTS test score required for different level of study.

Diploma/Advance
Diploma ( 5.5)

Bachelor, Graduate Diploma,
Masters degree, Doctorate (6.0)

So take the IELTS test first if you are interested in studying abroad in Australia because applying for Australian student visa without IELTS is just a waste of time and nothing more.
The criteria could be different or could be changed for a country. So it is good to visit the Australian High Commission in your country for more and updated information.
The information that I provided are general and not specific to a country.

My Swedish study visa got refused

Yes, it is true that my Swedish study visa got refused and I am puzzled to think what is the reason behind all this?
The Swedish migration board (migrationsverket) refused my visa without any explanation. I am not using the phrase ‘proper explanation’ because there was no explanation at all, in the refusal letter that I received from the board.
I had heard that the Swedish migration board awards visa to all students who are admitted to a state university or university college and can show all the relevant documents needed with the application for visa – along whit the bank statement. But all this is not true because I got the negative answer even after fulfilling all the visa requirements. My application form and the whole visa case was thoroughly checked by myself, my friends, an education consultant and the Fed-Ex representative but even then all this came to nothing.
It means that the Swedish migration board has changed its policy and now we can expect some shameful and dishonest decisions against the students of some countries. In other words you may call it a ‘clear discrimination’ of the Swedish migration board.
If a student gets admission in a state university and fulfills all the visa requirements, then why don’t they award the visa? This is the question that has troubled me?
I am a student of English Literature with a master degree in the field from the University of Peshawar. I have proved my ability with IELTS and I had secured admission in the University of Kalmar in Sweden in the English programme, but even then they refused my visa saying that you have already done a Master degree in English and the programme you are to study in Sweden is at undergraduate level. I can’t understand what do they mean by all this but I do understand that the programme I had selected was according to my needs. I was to draw something of that programme as that course was very intensive in its mood and that could prove a good start for my higher studies in the same subject.
Yes, today I do remember the Fed-Ex representative who told me that the embassy will never award you visa because your selected programme of study is considered to be just a language course. I told him that the programme includes Literature, Linguistics and conferencing for the students but even then he refused to take my application. Then I called the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad and inquired about the problem but they told me to submit the application the very next day. They also informed the Fed-Ex about the matter and all this was done just to make me silent and nothing more. But at last, they did it, they refused my visa and today I am thankful to the Fed-Ex representative for his frank remarks but I am sorry that I could not act upon what he suggested.
So what do you learn form my story? If you want to help students like me then Please share your experience/story in the comments.

Any interview for UK student visa?

The UK Border Agency in the new TIER-4 POINTS BASED SYSTEM, also called points system, has not mentioned interview as one of the basics for UK student visa. So a student does not need to go through any interview for UK student visa.

But the case is not as simple as it sounds to be. The British High Commission abroad may call a student for interview if it is required to make the final decision. This means that the visa officer has the authority to call a student for an interview and ask the questions that has puzzled him/her.

However, to avoid the problems of an interview, a student should apply for visa with a complete application with nothing missing or confusing.

So try to make sure that you provide all the information needed with all the relevant documents to the British High Commission abroad so that the ambassadors might find your case easy to follow and thus you may receive an earlier decision.

Never try to deceive or confuse the ambassadors by providing false information or your visa will be refused. Bear this in mind that if you are failed to provide all the documents needed, you will not be called by the High Commission to complete your set of documents. They will refuse your visa without asking for the completion of documents.

As I have told you that it is the discretionary power of ambassador to call a student for an interview but even at the time of interview a student is not allowed to submit new documents.

If you want to know the requirements for UK student visa then click here…..

For information on appeal against UK student visa refusal click here…….

For administrative review click here…….

Puzzled about the role an education consultant/immigration lawyer click here…….

Do I need health/travel insurance?

A student is allowed to travel to the UK without any insurance but even then it is recommended that each and every student should have health insurance certificate before he/she starts the journey. To say more clearly, the UK Border Agency does not ask for any sort of insurance certificate with the application for student visa but it is very reasonable and sensible to insure your health before you leave for the United Kingdom or any other country in the world.

So if it is not mandatory then why should a student have an insurance proof?

Suppose, unfortunately, a person travelling abroad gets seriously injured while he is all all alone. What would happen to him if he cannot pay for his own treatment because in some countries, treatment could be awfully expensive? Do you think he should come back to his motherland and after getting the treatment should once again move towards his destination? If you think so then you are completely wrong because when he comes back, his visa might get expired and this is the second great loss. What a pity if a person comes back with wounded limbs and broken heart.

If you think the case is serious then you must say that it is better to get insured before leaving ones motherland because the insurance cost you only a few dollars (suppose 100) but it could be of worth more than US$ 50,000.

When you travel to or living in a far-off country you are alone to face any sort of threat. Any sort of casualty may happen to you and there would be no one to help you out. But if you have health insurance then the company that has provided you the insurance certificate would be there to help you and cover up all the costs that are related to your injury without claiming any fee because you have already paid them when you were in your home country.

When you want to receive an insurance certificate that would cost you only a few dollars but when you have received it, believe me that this certificate could be used to cover up to thousands of dollars to treat you in case of any injury. In many cases an injured person would be able to receive up to 30,000 Euro to cover the health expenses. A health insurance certificate is not only valid for travel to but within the country you are going to live in.

It is valid up to some specific duration and that is up to you whether you want to have it for 3/6/12……..months or only for a few weeks.

Not only for UK but you can get an insurance proof for any country of the world.

There are various insurance companies scattered throughout the world, so you can easily visit a branch located in your locality for more information.

Wishing you a safe journey!

For UK student visa requirement click here…

Should I contact a lawyer if my visa gets refused?

It is not recommended by the UK Border Agency to contact either a lawyer or an educational consultant in any case. But if unfortunately your visa gets refused, The British High Commission will clearly inform you about the reason behind the refusal. So you can check the reason and try to wash it out with proper explanation, if you can.

You should know that when a certain visa gets refused, the case is reviewed by a visa officer within 24 hours and even then if the problem is there, the applicant will receive a written explanation for the refusal decision, from the embassy/high commission. If you are given the right to appeal against the refusal of your visa then you will also receive the notice of appeal for your visa. This notice of appeal means that you are eligible to appeal against the refusal of your visa. This notice contains guidance for the student on “how to appeal against the visa refusal”. More about appeal against visa refusal…..

In some cases there is no right of appeal but even then another option called administrative review is available. It means that you can apply for a review of your application without any fee, but all this must be done within 28 days from the date you receive the refusal notice. More about administrative review…..

So you don’t need to contact any lawyer if you are clever enough to understand and handle all this but if you think you are puzzled and there is no way out then a lawyer may be a good option for you because a lawyer related to immigration is a very competent person and deals this types of problems skillfully. All you have to do is to look for a skilled lawyer and not a fraud, as there may be dozens of sharks pretending to be an expert lawyer. So be cautious in the selection and believe me you will win your visa if all the requirements are fulfilled.

What I personally recommend is that you should go through this site and believe me that you will find all sorts of information so that you can do it by yourself without contacting any educational consultant or lawyer for immigration (immigration lawyer).

For new UK study visa system click here

For visa requirements click here

Wishing you best of luck!

Work in the UK while studying

The UK is considered to be one of the costly states in the world. That is why most of the international students need to work in the UK while studying.

The UK allows the international students to work because the students are the cheapest workers thus helping the economy of the country by not only paying huge amounts of fees to the universities or colleges but also provide cheap and easily available labour force

If a student is admitted to a course lasting more then 6 months then the student is allowed to work for 20 hours a week. However, the employment must not be taken as full time. A student can only work as a part time worker but there is another option to work for full time on Saturday & Sunday of every week and if the student does not want to work during the semester times then there is an opportunity to take a full time job in the vacation for three months in a year.

Exceeding the limit of 20 hours a week during the semester times may cause serious problems to the student as this is against the laws of the UK Border Agency and this may result in the cancellation of visa and once the visa is cancelled than there is no other option but to leave the country.

More clearly, a student may be deported if found working in the UK for full time without any permission.

However, a student may work for more than 20 hours a week if the job is a part of the course of study.

But if a student has completed a degree course in the UK then it is legal to take some full time job. For this purpose the student must show proof of a completed degree course in the UK, a valid work permit and crystal clear immigration history

Students under 16 are not allowed to work as this is against the child labour policy.

What is administrative review?

Administrative review for UK study visa

In case of a study visa, if the application of a student is refused and the student thinks that the visa refusal decision is not fair then there is an option available called administrative review.

More clearly, a student may ask for administrative review if he/she thinks that the decision to refuse the visa is not reasonable.

When a student asks for an administrative review, an entry clearance officer who was not involved in the original decision will review the application and make a decision.

Administrative review is free of charge but request for the administrative review must be made within 28 days from the date the student receives the refusal notice.

A student should not submit new/additional documents for administrative review. An applicant can only apply for one administrative review against the refusal of visa application.

So, before you apply for visa make sure that you provide all documents required for UK study visa so that there is no need for any review.

Note please that the administrative review is a bit different process from appeal against the refusal of visa.

Under the new TIER-4 POINTS-BASED SYSTEM there are limited chances to appeal against the refusal decision of your visa. However a student can ask for administrative review as this is the commonly used and recommended procedure when a visa application is refused.

It is wise to be serious and take some time before making a visa application so that neither appeal nor administrative review is needed.

If you have the following questions in your mind, just click on the question and find the answer.

What is the new TIER-4 POINTS-BASED SYSTEM for UK study visa?

How can I appeal against the refusal of my UK study visa?

What are the UK study visa requirements?

You can also contact an immigration lawyer/immigration specialist if you are confused.

Appeal against visa refusal

Before you apply for visa make it sure that you meet all the visa requirements so that there is no reason for visa refusal and thus no need for any appeal against visa refusal.

The UK Border Agency has started a new system for visa called the TIER-4 POINTS-BASED SYSTEM. With the introduction of this new system, the immigration requirements have changed a bit and it is good that this new system is student friendly.

So if you are a genuine student and want to apply for visa then you are welcome and believe me you will get your visa without any difficulty, but you must fulfill all the visa requirements.

However, if unfortunately you apply for visa and your visa is refused, you will receive written explanation for the visa refusal. Remember that every refusal is reviewed by a visa officer within 24 hours to make sure that the refusal decision is fair. For some types of visa refusal there is a right of appeal against the decision and for this purpose the visa officer will send you the notice of refusal along with the notice of appeal. The notice of refusal will explain the reason for the refusal while the notice of appeal contains appeal form and it will also explain how to appeal against the refusal.

The UK Border Agency says that you can appeal if;

• “the decision is unlawful by virtue of Section 19B of the Race Relations Act 1976 (c.74) (discrimination by public authorities), and/or

• The decision is unlawful under Section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (c.42) (public authority not to act contrary to Human Rights Convention) as being incompatible with the appellant's Convention rights”.

It is better to do all this by yourself but if you are puzzled and don’t know how to do all this then it is far better to contact an immigration lawyer as they are the experts and can deal with such problems very smartly.

Besides the appeal you have the option of administrative review. In this process you can just ask to check the refusal decision and this procedure is known as administrative review which is free of charge, but you must ask for administrative review within 28 days from the date you receive the refusal notice.

Wishing you all the best!

Study abroad in the UK

Nowadays every student wants to study abroad in the UK and this is because the UK education system is at the highest level of excellence and the degrees awarded by the UK educational institutions are readily accepted throughout the world.

This is true that the education in the UK can be costly but if you compare it with that of the USA, you will see the difference that the UK degrees are not as costly as in the USA.

On the other hand, International students are offered scholarships in various fields of studies and believe me that, in the UK, there are hundreds of scholarships scattered. Besides scholarship, an international student has the option to work for twenty hours a week so a student can earn some money to cover up the cost of study in the UK.

It is witnessed that most of the students fear to take the step because they lack relevant information and don’t know how to get admission in the UK and then how to apply for student visa. It is true that in the past the UK visa service was very complicated and this was the reason that even a genuine student did not have the courage to apply for UK student visa as almost ninety percent visas used to be rejected without any proper explanation for the visa refusal. But now the system has been changed and this is a positive change because from now onwards only genuine students would be able to study abroad in the UK.

Yes, the UK Border Agency has introduced a new system for UK visa and thus the requirements for UK student visa have changed a bit. This new system is called the new Tier-4- points based system.

In this blog we have discussed this new system in detail and all the questions of a student have been solved carefully. You will find information on the points and how to earn these points to be eligible to apply for visa. As you know that in the new system you have to earn 40 points before you apply for visa. Information on the bank statement and the visa letter are given in a very simple way so that the student gets the answer to a problems and not a puzzle in the answer.

So if you are interested and want to study in the UK then start your preparation and don’t waste time…….. or time is there to waste you.

Requirements for UK student visa

Every student must give full consideration to the Requirements for UK student visa before making an application for visa because this is the most important step and this is the point where a student gets puzzled. Believe me that this is not a problem at all if a student is familiar with all the documents needed for student visa.

As you know that the UK Border Agency (according the new TIER-4 POINTS BASED SYSTEM) has started new form for the UK student visa and there are some new requirements as well.

In the new points based system, a student has to earn the required points (40 points) before making an application for student visa. To earn the 40 points and to be able to apply for visa, a student needs the following documents.

 A visa letter or the letter of admission from a licensed sponsor. This letter makes 30 points for a student.

 Proof that the student can fund his/her studies in the UK (in the form of bank statement, scholarship or student loan etc). This proof makes 10 points for a student.

 Passport or other travel document.

 Four resent passport size photographs (45mm x 35mm and

o taken against a white background;

o clear, of good quality, neither framed nor backed;

o on standard photographic paper;

o full face and with no sunglasses, head covering (unless for cultural or religious reasons but the face must not be clearly visible).

 Proof that the student has paid the visa fee.

 Health certificate from IOM confirming that the student is not suffering from infectious tuberculosis (TB).

 A filled application form. Forms are available on the UKBA website or you can visit the website of the British High Commission in your country for application form.

 IELTS test certificate (minimum 5.5), although not compulsory but it has a very good impact upon the visa.

 Biometric data.

 All of the above mentioned documents with NIC and all educational documents shall be produce in original and attested photocopies. This depends upon the High Commission whether a student is asked to submit the original documents or some of them.

Please make sure that these are the general requirements for UK student visa. For specific requirements you should visit the British High Commission in your country or you can also visit the British Council if you need any sort of help.

The UKBA http://www.ukba.gov.uk/

NOTE PLEASE; According to the New Rules it is compulsory to have advanced English language skill. Read more
Wishing you good luck!

Tuberculosis test for UK visa

Nationals of some countries are required to produce a Tuberculosis (TB) health certificate before they apply for visa. For this certificate the applicant must be tested for Tuberculosis (TB) at certified health centre or hospital run by the International Organisation for Migration. This test includes a chest X-ray.

If you want to apply for visa with your wife/husband and children then you need to produce the TB clearance certificates of all those members of your family.

Remember that only certificates issued by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will be acceptable for your visa and if you fail to produce the TB test, your visa will be refused and you will be given no right to get your application fee refunded.

Pregnant women are exempted from chest X-ray - they will be given an optional sputum smear test.

After you get the test result that you are free from infectious TB, you will be given a TB health certificate, by the IOM clinic, and this certificate is valid for full six months. You should submit this certificate with your application for visa in the normal way and bring it with you to the UK, as you will be asked for this certificate at the air port.

If unfortunately, your test shows that you are suffering from infectious TB then you will not be allowed to apply for visa. Then you should seek treatment and after a successful treatment, when you get a certificate that you are free from infectious TB, you can apply for visa.

Presently, nationals of Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Sudan, Tanzania and Thailand are required to produce TB clearance certificate before they apply for visa.

To check whether you need this certificate and for further information, please visit the UK Visas website

Biometric data for UK student visa

On 7 February 2005, the government of the United Kingdom announced that the UK Border Agency would collect biometric details from all candidates who wish to apply for visa.

This law is to be imposed on all sorts of applicants without any discrimination of nationality. So applicants of all nationalities are now required to provide their biometric details. Only the Head of State and children under five are exempted.

For your biometric data you have to provide a scan of all your 10 fingers and a full-face digital photograph. These details are compulsory because your application would not be processed if you apply for visa without your biometric details and you have to provide all such details in person.

Such details help you protecting your identity from any sort of theft. These details will be stored in the central government database of the United Kingdom and thus your identity will not be mistaken for another person with the same name.

So if you want to apply for visa then you have to go through this process and remember that all this takes only a few minutes because you have to place your fingers on a scanner and have to take a digital photo and that’s all.

For to collect your biometrics before apply for visa, you should visit the British Mission or its commercial partners in your city. In some cases your own government can help you in this regard. However it is good that you ask the British council in your country if you are not sure where to go for all this because they are always ready to help you and to solve your problems related to the British High Commission.

In most countries there are special arrangements for females who want to provide their biometrics before they apply for visa.

So if you want to apply for visa then you must provide your biometric data.

Wishing you good luck!

Is IELTS compulsory?

IELTS may not be required by some of the education providers for your admission at a college or university. But it is highly recommended that you take the test before you apply for visa to the British High Commission or the Embassy of Australia etc. Apply for your visa with IELTS (minimum 5.5 Bands) certificate and maximize your visa chances.

The UK Border Agency, in the new Tier-4 Points Based system has not mentioned IELTS as one of the compulsory requirements but even then students are advised to show their proof of English in the form of IELTS/TOEFL, as this greatly helps in the visa, because it shows the sincerity of a students towards his/her studies.

When you apply visa with IELTS, it increases your chances to qualify for visa- up to 25%.

Students having O & A levels qualification are not required to show IELTS certificate but it is good to have it.

So if you are serious to win a visa then you should take the test because you have to impress the ambassador for your visas so don’t let any thing missing or you will lose visa, because the High Commission will not call you for the missing material. The only option they have is to refuse your visa.

Apply for your visa with IELTS certificate and maximize your chances.

For further information click here or contact the nearest British Council.

Wishing you good luck!

What then if your visa is refused for a poor English Language background and having no English Language certificate????????

What is a visa letter from the UK?

Your visa letter is your acceptance letter or letter of admission offered to you by your sponsor in the UK (licensed education provider). This letter means that you have been admitted at some certain college or university.

This letter must be an official unconditional offer to you for the certain course of study.

The visa letter must be originally issued by the sponsor and must include original or electronic signature of the authorized official.

This letter cannot be issued by a representative. It contains some information about the applicant and it should not be older than 6 months.

You must present this letter with your application for your UK study visa as this letter earns you 30 points in the new TIER-4 POINTS BASED SYSTEM.

Remember, this letter is not the guarantee for your study visa. For your visa you need to fulfill all the visa requirements.

Good luck!

Sponsor for UK student visa

Every student applying for UK student visa needs a sponsor.

You now that a student must have an acceptance or admission letter from a recognized college or university in the UK, before he/she apply for visa.

A student cannot apply for visa without the letter of admission from a sponsor in the UK because without this letter of admission the visa application will not be processed.

Now under the new TIER-4- POINTS BASED SYSTEM this letter of admission is also called a visa letter. But bear this in mind that this letter is not the guarantee that a student will get visa. This is a proof that a student has been admitted to a certain program of study in the particular university or college and this letter must be sent along with the application for visa to the British High Commission.

The education provider in the UK who has offered you a place of study at a university or college in the UK or you can say that the person who has sent you the letter of admission is your sponsor.

He/she is called the sponsor of the student only for sending acceptance letter or letter of admission.

The sponsor needs to have registered with the UK Border Agency as a licensed sponsor. All licensed sponsors are responsible personalities and they need to meet the requirements for the particular category within TIER 4 system.

They are rated A or B by the UK Border Agency. The rating is transitional and it means that the sponsor is helping the Agency in improving the system.

If you want to check whether your education provider has a licence then click here

Good luck!

What is an acceptance or admission letter?

An acceptance or admission letter, sent to a student, is the proof that the student has been offered a place for the selected program of study at the institution where the student had applied for admission.

If you need more explanation then I would like to say that if a student is interested in studying abroad in the UK then he/she has to start the process with an application to a college or university in the UK. Anyone interested should go on the internet and check the Webpage of a college or university for admission to a certain course/program of study. On the webpage of a university or college a student will find all sort of information for the prospective students. One can check if the desired course or program is available at the institution or not. If the program that interests a student is available then he/she should go further to know about the admission requirements for this specific program and the application deadline. The interested student has to download the application form or apply online for this program and provide all the required documents to the concerned department. After this the duty of the applicant is done.

After all this the student should wait for a response from the college or university. In the next few weeks the concerned department would send a letter of admission if the student has been admitted to the program and if unfortunately the admission has been refused, for some reason, then this letter is called refusal letter and this letter of refusal means nothing for a student.

Now I think you have got the point. The admission letter or the letter of admission or the acceptance letter or the letter of acceptance, now also called visa letter, is a sort of invitation from the educational institute and with this letter you should apply for your visa. Remember that this letter is not the sure guarantee of your visa. For your visa you have to apply to the British High Commission, along with your visa/admission letter.

The person in the college or university who has sent you this letter is called your sponsor for sending you the letter.

After receiving your admission letter, you should apply for visa and this is the most important step. So be careful and provide all information correctly or your visa will be rejected.

If you cannot go through all this process then you should contact an educational consultant in your city for your admission at an educational institute in the UK and for help to arrange your documents before you apply for visa. But I am sorry to say that most of the education consultants are frauds. So make it sure that your consultant is not fraudulent.

For this purpose you should contact the British council near you as it is their duty to help students who want to study in the UK.

The British council webpage http://www.britishcouncil.org/

Bank statement for my UK student visa

To qualify for UK student visa, a student needs to show a personnel bank statement-under the new TIER-4 POINTS-BASED SYSTEM.

This bank statement is required for your student visa application and after your application for your visa you should not touch the amount in your account (until you receive a reply from the embassy) or you will get your visa refused. Remember that the ambassadors may check your bank account up to three times before you are granted a visa. So be serious and do not temper with the account or you will lose the case.

For this purpose you can take student loan but it is highly recommended that the amount is in your own account.

For student loan or any other type of loan you should contact banks, charity institutions or any other authorized bodies that offer loan to students.

However, it is good to mind your own business because sometimes it is difficult to take loan.

In a computerized bank statement a student must show funds enough to pay the tuition fee and cover other costs of studies, at least for the first year, in the UK.

In other words, before making an application for UK student visa, the applicant has to demonstrate that he/she can pay the tuition and the maintenance/accommodation fees (for the first year of study in the UK).

The amount a student must show in a bank account depends upon the location of his study and upon the college/university selected. For example if a student is going to study in London then the amount required must be high as compared to other cities in the country, because London is more costly then other parts of the UK.

For the maintenance a student has to show £1000 per month if he/she plans to live in the city of London and £800 per month for any other city in the UK.

The formula is very simple.

For London, £1000 per month + tuition fee = the amount required in the bank account of the student (minus any deposits if paid).

For any other city, £800 per month + tuition fee = the amount required in the bank account of the student (minus any deposits if paid).

This means if a student has paid any tuition fees then he/she need to show (in bank account) only the remaining fees to be paid.

These amounts must be held in a personal bank account of the student for a minimum period of 28 days

The bank statement could be in the name of the student or in the name of a sponsor but to avoid difficulties it is recommended that a student should have the amount in a personnel bank account. Now, under the new system, the good news is that a fresh bank statement is acceptable.

Scholarship holders need no bank statement if the scholarship is enough to cover all costs of study.

About Student Loan; Our team does not recommend students loan on the blog. we are here just to help you and offer the best possible advice. However, if you do need student loan or you can't do without loan than it is good to consult banks, charity organisations or some other bodies offering students loan in your locality. Make it sure you don not waste your precious time in visiting banks etc, for the purpose of getting loan because it is never an easy task to get student loan. So Please, be cautious.

Wishing you all success!

The new Tier 4 POINT-BASED SYSTEM for UK student visa

what is Tier 4 POINT-BASED SYSTEM

With the introduction of the new Tier 4 POINT-BASED SYSTEM, the UK migration laws have changed and it is important for every interested student to get the updated information about the changes in the immigration rules.

If you are a genuine student and want to study abroad in the UK then you should be happy because the new rules are student friendly and the system is soft and easy to follow, as compared to that existed in the past.

Gone are the days when every one could get admission in a so-called college in the UK and could apply for student visa and this was the main reason that there was a great rush in the British High Commissions abroad. And in such hustle and bustle a genuine student was often rejected, so it was very difficult for a student to get visa.

Now with the new Tier 4 POINT-BASED SYSTEM only a true student would be able to study abroad in the UK approved Universities and Colleges.

The new Tier 4 POINT-BASED SYSTEM says that a student has to earn 40 points before applying for the UK student visa.

An acceptance/admission letter from a recognized university or college in the UK earns 30 points for a student. The education provider in the UK college/university, who has offered a place/admission to the student, is the sponsor of the student. He/she is called sponsor because he/she sends an acceptance letter also called visa letter to the student interested. But keep this in mind that this letter is not the guarantee for visa. This is a letter containing some basic information about the applicant. This letter is to be sent to the British High Commission along with your visa application for your student visa. The sponsor has to be registered with the UK Border Agency.

Register of Sponsors Licensed Under the Points-Based System (Tier 4 only).

To earn the remaining 10 points a student has to show that he/she has enough funds to cover the cost of the study period. These funds may be proved in the form of bank statement, scholarship or student loan etc.

Why study in the UK?

Now a days that every student wants to study in the UK but the question is, why UK or why study in the UK? There are a lot of facts involved in this topic but the foremost of these facts is that the educational institution within the UK are the best education providers on the planet and thus the degrees they award are of high value and acceptable throughout the globe.

The traffic of international students curved towards the UK after the 9/11 attacks when the US immigration laws became tougher for international students and thus the UK started receiving more and more international students as they ( the students) have been an important factor in their economy.

On the other hand the education cost for international students in the UK is low if compared to that in the USA and there are dozens of bodies awarding scholarships to the international students in the UK.

The UK visa process as compared to that of the USA is soft. A student can easily get his/her UK study visa if he/she can arrange all the required documents in addition to a valid acceptance letter from a recognized educational institute

In addition to all this, the international students in the UK are allowed to work while studying. An international student is allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during the school time, and up to full-time during vacations. However, it is neither easy nor good for a student to work while studying. Therefore, all the international students should have funds to cover all sorts of costs, at least for their first year in the UK.

The multicultural society of the UK has much more for you to see and enjoy. whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew or Muslim. You are welcome!
Now if somebody asks you why study in the UK? You should answer; why not study in the UK?

Consolidate student loan

Lighten the load of your school loan consolidation or college loan consolidation and consolidate student loan in time so that you feel at ease when you repay your loan.

You may visit hundreds of bodies offering loan consolidation at different rates. But you should be aware of the seriousness of the matter and try to look for the service that is the most reliable.

Consolidate student loan so that you don’t have to search and calculate for all the companies that have offered you loans. In this manner you may face only your consolidators and then they will prepare the program for your school loan consolidation or college loan consolidation. Thus you will only have to pay to the single body, which is your consolidator and then your consolidators will pay the loan to your lenders in a manner that eases the burden off the debt.

There is no doubt that student loan consolidation programs are to the student or their parent’s advantage but without the relevant information student loan consolidation programs can become student loan scams.

So make a good decision when opting to Consolidate student loan and pay your school or college loan in an easy manner through your school loan consolidation or college loan consolidation program.

Good luck!

online degree

Now it is good news for students from all over the world that they can get on line college degree form their home country, and they are not only limited to on line college degree but there are hundreds of thousands online universities and they can earn master’s degree online.

Online education is very convenient and you don’t have to go through the tiresome and boring process of traveling to a foreign country. You don’t have to apply for visa and walk through the embassy streets for months.

Imagine how relaxing it would be when you get your master’s degree online. Yes you can do it. You can get a master’s degree online while sitting in your own motherland.

It is noticed that most of the students are interested in MBA online but it depend upon your own sweet will whether you want to have your MBA online or interested in some other field of study.

By all this I mean that if by any reason you can not study on campus then you should not waste your time and try for an on line college degree or look for an online university. Believe me it is very easy to get an online degree and the degrees offered are of high value. All you have to do is to go on the internet and search for a university or college that offers online degree. Go there and find the complete information on the WebPages, apply for admission, ask about the fee and scholarship if there is any and you are don. That is all. I just wanted to guide you I cannot give you the websites of all the online universities and colleges because there are thousands of such institutions.

I can give you a list of all universities and colleges in the UK with the websites of all of them. Try to look for an institute that offers online courses.

Good luck

UK 9/11 Scholarships Fund

World Trade Center Disaster Fund/British Council

Subjects: All Subjects

These scholarships are awarded to the victims of the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Centre USA, including other subsequent terrorists attacks, for study in the United Kingdom.

The scholarships cover full-time study leading to a degree at Master’s level in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

These funds are also available for study periods of up to one year’s length at recognised higher education institutions for those students whose college or university has an exchange agreement with an institution in the UK.

Eligible applicants:

must have lost a parent or guardian as a result of the 9/11 or other terrorist attacks, or have a parent or guardian permanently injured, and be able to prove need, hardship or suffering.

No nationality, residence or age restrictions.

Apply by yourself to the institutions at which you wish to study: award of a scholarship does not guarantee acceptance on a course.

Funding information

Value:

Fees, living expenses and travel to and from the UK

Number of awards per year:

Not specified

Funding applies to:

Open to applicants from a range of countries

Funding duration:

Length of course

Contacts and further information:
www.britishcouncil.org/911scholarships.htm

Wingate Scholarships

Wingate Scholarships are awarded to outstanding individuals who need financial support to undertake pioneering or original work of intellectual, scientific, artistic, social or environmental value, and to exceptionally brilliant musicians for advanced training.

These scholarships facilitate with the costs of a definite plan which may last up to 3 years. The normal total award is about £6,500 and the highest in any one year is £10,000.

There is no upper age limit and the Scholarship Committee receives applications from mature candidates and those from non-traditional academic backgrounds. Wingate Scholarships attempts to provide funding for cross-disciplinary projects that might not fall comfortably into any of the conventional funding categories.

Previous recipients of Wingate Scholarships are not eligible to apply.

APPLICANTS (for 2010/2011) MUST BE:

• living in the British Isles at the time of application

• capable to assure the Scholarship Committee that they need financial support

• able to show why the project is unlikely to attract Research Council, British Academy or major agency funding

• citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth country, former Commonwealth country, Ireland or Israel

• or citizens of another EU country (provided that they have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least 3 years on September 1 2009)

• aged 24 or over on September 1 2010 (there is no upper age limit)

Applications from abroad are not accepted.
http://www.wingate.org.uk/

Welcom Page

The UK Study Guide

The UK has been one of the top destinations to international education. With a society of excellent traditions and culture, the UK enjoys the honour of hosting high ranked educational institutions on the globe. Because of the high quality and standard, put by the well known Oxford and Cambridge, the UK has become one of the world’s best education providers.

Education in the UK has been very flexible and internationally accessible. This is the reason why every eager learner can quench his thirst and get admission in any relevant institute, because the United Kingdom has much to offer to international students that other English-speaking countries cannot.

In the uk study guide you will find all relevant information like admission in UK, UK study visa, scholarship in UK and information on IELTS.

So if you are a student or a researcher, looking for a suitable institute in UK, then you should go through this guide because it contains brief, authentic and updated pages, regarding all information you need for your study abroad in UK. All this has been provided in simple and easy manner so that you might do it by yourself without consulting any third party.

Get admission in UK

To get admission in a college or a university in the United Kingdom has never been a problem, because the educational institutions in UK are very versatile and one can find his course of study quite easily. Thousands of colleges and hundreds of universities all over the UK educate millions of international students.

In this guide you will find the official websites of all the universities and colleges in UK. So you can visit the website of your favorite institute and get the updated information about the admission requirements and the application procedure. For complete information search the link to your right.

Information on IELTS

As you know that the medium of instruction as well as the official language in UK is English. Therefore, it is very important that you should prove your English language capability- if English has not been your first language. You can prove your English language capability by taking the IELTS test.

Almost every educational institution in the United Kingdom asks for your IELTS test score for your admission to a course of study. There are some courses where the IELTS test score is not considered, but again it is highly recommended that you should take the test because it helps you in your visa documentation. So don’t take the risk and take the test. Complete information abut IELTS can be viewed on the link to the right.

Scholarship/Funding

You can get scholarship in UK to fund your studies. A good number of scholarship/Funding opportunities are available in UK, to the international students from all over the world. These scholarships depend upon your eligibility. But don’t worry! In this guide you will find many scholarship links that you are eligible for. Just visit the link scholarship/funding to the right.

Get UK study visa

Students from the EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland do not need permission (visa) to study in the UK.

However, Students from all other countries need UK study visa, before they enter the United Kingdom. So if need visa, you can apply for it, after you have received your admission or acceptance letter from an educational institute in the UK.

You may find complete information on “where to apply for the UK study visa” and “how to apply for the UK study visa” in the link (UK study visa).

Good luck!

British Chevening Scholarship

British Chevening Scholarship is available, annually, to students from a wide variety of nations, covering all or part of the fee of a one-year postgraduate course.

Eligible Candidates must have good academic record and should have the potential to get a high position in their chosen career.

After the completion of studies the successful candidates must return to their countries.

Candidates are selected overseas by certain British Embassies and High Commissions with the help of the local British Council director. You should, therefore, be resident in your own country when you apply for this scholarship.

The British Chevening Scholarships are advertised in those countries where the awards are open and on the WebPages of the British council in those countries.

You may Contact the British Embassy, British High Commission or British Council office in your own country to find out more information about these awards.

The best solution is to send an e-mail for the relevant information to the British council in you country.

Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships

Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships are available to all eligible candidates- from commonwealth states- who can play a significant role in the development of their own countries.

From 2009, Preference is given to those candidates who are from developing commonwealth countries.

These awards generally cover all expenses including the ticket to and from the UK and in some cases you are paid for your family in the UK.

Professional fellowship awards are short term-generally three months in length- and are available to those candidates working in the developing commonwealth countries.

Academic staff fellowship provides opportunities of post doctoral research to those citizens of commonwealth nations who are holding or returning to a teaching appointment in a university in their developing countries- usually for three to six months and cover cost of travel to and form the UK, tuition fees, and living expenses.

To avail this scholarship you should apply to the Commonwealth Scholarship Agency in your own country.

These agencies are listed on http://www.csfp-online.org/

Commonwealth shared scholarship scheme

Commonwealth shared scholarship scheme helps candidates from developing commonwealth countries to study in the UK.

These awards are for those who are able to get higher education in the UK and want to participate in the development of their countries but cannot afford the expenses of their education in the UK.

To win this scholarship the candidate must;

Be resident in a developing commonwealth country.

Be of good academic record.

Be studying subject related to development.

Be under 35 at the time the course starts.

Speak English fluently.

Not be employed.

Return to his/her country on the completion of the award.

To apply for these awards contact the participating British institutions. For the updated list of these institutions visit http://www.csfp-online.org/

You may also contact the British council in you own country for further information.

Overseas Research Students Award Scheme

Overseas Research Students Award Scheme (ORSAS) is for postgraduate students undertaking full-time studies for a research degree at a British higher education institute.

This scholarship helps those candidates who are able to pay their fees at international rate (none EU/UK).

You should apply if you can prove a good academic record because only candidates of high academic records are selected.

Interested candidates should contact participating higher education institutions for further information about the application procedure.

For additional information and for the list of the participating institutions visit the ORSAS website http://www.orsas.ac.uk/