Visas and Immigration

Applying for a Student Route Visa

As part of the UK Government’s immigration laws, the system for applying for a visa to study in the United Kingdom is called a Points Based System (PBS). This system aims to make the process of visa application simpler for students. The section relating to students is Student visa.

The UK Government has announced that from 26 March 2026, Student visas will no longer be issued to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan applying for entry clearance (ie. out with the UK). is available.

As a result, we are unfortunately unable to consider applications from nationals of these countries for on-campus courses where a Student visa is required.

We are, however, still able to consider applications for our fully online courses, including online .

In order to apply for a Student visa you must complete the following steps with the University:

In order to apply for a Student visa to study in the UK you must have firmly accepted an Unconditional offer from the University.

In order you to have an Unconditional Offer you must meet all of the academic and non-academic conditions set by the University.

We ask all new students to pay a minimum of £5,000 deposit (please note national of certain countries may be required to pay their first-year tuition fees in full - please contact Admissions for further information). You should only pay this deposit once you have met the conditions of your offer and are holding an Unconditional Firm (UF) offer. The tuition fee deposit is non-refundable except in the case of a visa refusal and will be deducted from your tuition fees.

The quickest method of paying your tuition fee deposit is by credit or debit card. To do this please call +44 (0)131 474 0000 and ask to be transferred to our Finance Team. When calling, please quote your name, the course you will be studying and your ��˶�� student number (this can be found on your offer letter from Admissions).

If you would rather pay your tuition fee by bank transfer please email international@qmu.ac.uk to request the University bank account details.

If your tuition fees are paid in full by a sponsoring body (this must be an official sponsor e.g. A Government body) you will not be required to pay the tuition fee deposit. If you are a sponsored student you should send the Admissions Office a letter from your sponsor confirming that they will be paying your tuition fees in full.

When you hold an Unconditional offer from the University and have paid your tuition fee deposit or sent your proof of tuition fee sponsorship to the Admissions Office you will receive a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) request form. You should return this completed form to the Admissions Office along with a copy of your passport photo page. The Admissions Office will issue you with a CAS and you can then begin the visa application process.

Applications for a Student Visa require you to meet the 70 points as set out by UK Visas and Immigration as follows:

50 points for having a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a Student route sponsor
10 points for having enough money to cover tuition fees and maintenance
10 points for meeting English language requirements.

The CAS Statement that ��˶�� issues you is valid for a maximum of six months and cannot be used as part of an application more than three months before the start of the course if applying within the UK, or more than six months if applying outside of the UK.

The first 10 points are gained from showing you have the correct amount of .

You are required to provide original documents to UKVI as part of the application process. Photocopies are not accepted. If any documents are not in English you must have the original document accompanied by a fully certified translation by a professional translator/translation company. The translation must include:

confirmation from the translator / translation company that it is an accurate translation of the original document
the date of the translation
the full name and original signature of the translator, or of an authorised official of the translation company
the contact details of the translator or translation company; and
(if you are already in the UK and are applying for further leave) certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company’s credentials.

Please refer to our guidance for further information on the implication for your Student Visa if your student status changes

Student Visa Attendance Requirements

If you hold a Student visa it is vital that you attend all classes as per your personalised timetable. Your attendance will be recorded via the SEAtS app and you will be asked to scan a QR code at the start of your class. Engagement with online sessions will also be monitored. Please see the Attendance Policy for more information.

Student visa holders will also be required to participate in a monthly face-to-face Sign-In at the Registry Information Desk. You will be emailed Sign-In dates for the academic year at the start of your academic year, and be sent email reminders for each Sign-In week.

If you have placement for the duration of Sign-In week, your attendance will be monitored on placement, and you will not be required to report to the Registry Information Desk. If you are absent and unable to attend Sign-In you must complete an Absence Form on the ��˶�� Portal.

Protecting your Student Visa

We are proud of the support we provide to International Students studying with us, and the contribution those students make to the University community. The policies and procedures set out below are designed to ensure that International Students can continue to enjoy their education at ��˶�� whilst at the same time satisfying the legal requirements placed on them and the University by the UK Government.

You can only study full time. Part-time study may violate your visa conditions.
If you suspend your studies for a fixed period of time or withdraw from your studies we will no longer be able to sponsor you and you will need to return to your home country. Failure to leave the UK will violate your visa conditions.
You must not work more than 20 hours per week in term time (which includes resit periods during vacation or the writing up period for taught postgraduate and research degree students).
The University cannot continue to ‘sponsor’ you if your progress is not satisfactory.

In being granted our licence, a number of requirements are placed on the University by UKVI. These include:

Undertaking appropriate action at the recruitment, application and selection stages to ensure that offers are made to genuine students.
Keeping a copy of each student’s passport and visa documents as well as holding safely and updating each student’s contact details.
Reporting to the UKVI any student who fails to enrol on their course within the enrolment period.
Reporting any unauthorised student absences (including missing expected interactions or contacts).
Reporting any changes in students’ circumstances (e.g. temporary or permanent withdrawal, reduction in the length or hours of the course)

UKCISA have produced a useful page of useful information for . You will also be able to find the complete list of information relating to your visa conditions on the .

If you are on a Visitor visa you are not permitted to take any form of employment.

The vacation periods are as follows:

Undergraduate Students

Christmas/New Year
Summer

Taught Postgraduate Students

Christmas/New Year
Two year programmes may have a summer break in the first year of teaching
January start students may have a summer break for a one year Masters programme

Research Students

Christmas/New Year
Six weeks annual leave entitlement to be agreed with supervisor, with absence forms must be completed. Further guidance available from the Graduate School.

For semester dates, please see the Academic Calendar.

Please ensure that you either upload a share code on your Student Portal after matriculation, or email this to International. You should select 'anything else' as the reason for generating this. The code will start with an S.

Please ensure you check the information on your eVisa account carefully:

Personal Details

Check that your name, sex, date of birth, and nationality and correct.

University Sponsor Licence Number

The sponsor licence number for ��˶�� is N43WB67P9.

Work Permission

Programmes taught at degree level should have 20 hours per week work permission.

Visa Expiry

Your visa should be issued for the duration of your studies, plus an additional wrap-up period as per the table below:

Type of Course	Period granted before course start date	Period granted after course end date
A course of 12 months or longer	1 Month	4 Months
A course of 6 months or longer but shorter than 12 months	1 Month	2 Months
A course of less than 6 months in length which is not a pre-sessional course	7 Days	7 Days

If you think any information on your eVisa is incorrect, please as soon as possible.

If you need more time on your visa to complete your degree, please get in touch with the International Office to discuss.

The International Office will assess whether you meet the requirements for the visa extension before issuing you with a CAS.

Please complete a CAS Request form and supply any relevant supporting documents to the International Office. A CAS request cannot be processed until the International Office has received all relevant documents.

Graduate Visa

On successful completion of your degree, you may be eligible for the Graduate visa. This visa allows you to work in the UK at the end of your studies for up to two years with no employer sponsorship required. The Graduate visa will be reduced to 18 months for any applications on or after 1 January 2027. For PhD or doctoral students, the Graduate visa is valid for 3 years. At the end of your studies your successful course completion will be reported to UKVI, and Registry will email you to confirm that this has been done. Upon receipt of confirmation of the report being made to UKVI, you are free to submit your Graduate visa application. To check eligibility requirements and application process, please check the .

If you do not intend to apply for the Graduate visa, please provide Registry and International with confirmation you have left the UK, for example your flight details or boarding pass.

Skilled Worker / Health & Care Worker

With a graduate qualification, you may be eligible for the Skilled Worker or Health & Care worker visa. These visas allow you to remain in the UK, with employment tied to visa sponsorship from an employer. To check eligibility requirements and application process, please check the and .

If you are not a national from one of the countries listed under the (point ST22.1 on this page), then we will also need to see bank statements confirming that you have the amount of funds specified by UKVI to cover your tuition fees and living expenses.

Please note, even if you are from one of the countries listed and you do not need to provide financial evidence at the point of application, the UKVI could request to see this therefore please ensure you have the funds prepared.

The amount of funds will usually be the first full year of tuition fees plus £10,539 for maintenance. We would need to see an equivalent of £200 above the minimum threshold to allow for small fluctuations in exchange rates by the time your visa application is reviewed.

It is important to note that the required funds must have been in your bank account consistently for 28 days and your bank statements must be dated from within the last 31 days.

We are unable to process your CAS until your bank statements have been received and a minimum of 28 days have passed showing the required funds in your account.

If you are not the account holder, and are using the account information of a parent or legal guardian, we must have a letter of consent from the account holder to confirm that they are happy for you to use the funds. This must be provided alongside official documentation proving your legal relationship. For the full requirements, please refer to the .

“Low Risk” Students

Nationals of some countries do not need to provide evidence of their qualifications or their money when they apply for a Student Visa. UKVI calls this the "differentiation arrangement" for "low risk students".

You are considered a "low risk" student if you are applying for a Student Visa to study at an institution that has Student Route Sponsor status, as ��˶�� does, and:

you are a national of Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, The Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and you are applying for entry clearance in the country or territory where you are living or for leave to remain in the UK;
or you hold a Hong Kong, Macau SAR passport- or a British National (Overseas) passport and you are applying either for entry clearance in the country or territory where you are living or for leave to remain in the UK;
or you hold a Taiwan (ROC) passport -On the application form, select 'Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Region of China' or 'Taiwan' (as appropriate) as your nationality. - (those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that included the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan) with a residence card number, and you are applying either for entry clearance in the country or territory where you are living or for leave to remain in the UK.

It is very important that as a "low risk" student you still obtain the evidence of your qualifications and your money, even though you do not need to send them as part of your application. This is because UKVI can request this evidence as part of their decision process and they will refuse your application if you are unable to provide it within a specified timeframe. For information on the amounts that would need to be shown please refer to .

Tuberculosis Documentation

You’ll need to have a tuberculosis (TB) test if you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months and are resident in any of the . If your test shows that you don’t have TB, you’ll be given a certificate which is valid for 6 months. Include this certificate with your UK visa application.

Immigration Health Surcharge

An immigration health surcharge will be required to be paid by nationals who apply to come to the UK to study for more than 6 months. This means that health surcharge payers will be able to access the National Health Service in the same way as a permanent resident, i.e. they will receive NHS care generally free of charge but may be charged for services a permanent resident would also pay for, such as dental treatment.

The health surcharge is payable in full at the time of the immigration application. The amount charged will be calculated based on the amount of time a migrant would be permitted to stay in the UK.

Find out further information about the .

Visit the for further information on immigration matters. Alternatively, your local British Council can provide you with information on obtaining a visa.

Credibility Interviews

You may be asked to attend an interview with Home Office officials, either as part of your Student visa application abroad or upon arrival in the UK and it will be mandatory to attend. You can find supporting guidance for these on our Credibility Interviews page. Please note that being issued with a CAS by the University does not guarantee your visa application will be successful. You must meet all of the requirements of the Student visa.

Arriving in the UK

As a student looking forward to beginning your studies in the UK you will need to start preparing for your journey. As part of your preparation we want to make sure you have everything you need to get through the UK border as securely and quickly as possible. The following advice explains some of things you can do to help with this:

Make a note of a suitable UK contact including full name, address and a phone number which will be required when you complete your landing card (if required).
If required, ensure you complete your landing card before you meet the Border Force officer in the UK.
If you carry your passport in a protective wallet, please take it out before you present it to a Border Force officer.
Never give false or misleading information (including forged or counterfeit documents) to a Border Force officer.
Have your university Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement/Offer letter and medical card (if you have one) in your hand luggage that you carry with you on to the aircraft. If you don’t have a CAS statement, please bring thorough details of your course of study.
There are restrictions on food products that you can bring to the UK from outside the European Union, even for personal use. Restrictions apply to products made from meat, dairy, fish, eggs and honey, as well as some fruit, vegetables and plants (e.g. bulbs, seeds, cut flowers and tree bark).
There are also restrictions on the amount of goods such as tobacco, alcohol and gifts you can bring in the UK. If you exceed your allowances all of your goods can be taken away from you.
Never bring in counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, firearms (including realistic imitations), offensive weapons (including knives) or indecent or obscene material.
Make sure you are familiar with the conditions of your visa including the number of hours you are allowed to work.
You must declare any sums of cash of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent in another currency) if you are travelling from a country outside the European Union.

If you would like further information on any of the above please check the UK for more information.

Arriving at the University

Matriculation and Document Checks

ALL International fee paying students, regardless of their nationality or visa status, must provide their passport/visa/immigration documents to the University for checking. Immigration document checks take place at matriculation. If you are unable to provide your immigration documents you will not be able to obtain your student card.

The University is also required to check original copies of the qualifications which were used to obtain your place at the University. All new international students on a Student visa should bring original copies of your qualifications with you to matriculation.

Police Registration

The ended on the 4th of August 2022, you no longer need to register with the UK police as part of the Student Visa process.

Further Advice and Guidance

Within the University, visa and immigration advice can only be given by the International Office. Students should not rely on advice from family, friends, or other staff in the University.

Students can make an individual appointment by calling in to the drop-in advice sessions on Mondays 1400-1700 and Thursday 1000-1200 during term time, or by emailing the International Office.

Contact us

For further information, please email the International Office.