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!