It is essential you meet the Student Visa eligibility requirements before you submit your visa application.
You must provide the applicable supporting documents from the table below in support of your visa application. There are strict requirements for supporting documents and your documents must meet these requirements to prevent a visa refusal. Supporting documents can be originals or copies.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Your passport | You must provide your original, valid passport in support of your visa application. However, if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, or if you are applying for your visa in the UK, you may be able to use an app called 'ID Check' to verify your identity during the application process. This replaces the requirement to attend an in-person appointment at a visa application centre. If you use the ID Check app, your passport will be verified electronically and you will not submit your passport with your supporting documents. If you cannot or are not eligible to use the app, the original passport must be provided in support of your visa application. In such case, your passport must contain at least one full page that is blank on both sides. There is no requirement for your passport to be valid for any length of time, although, it must be valid when you make your visa application. If your passport will expire soon after you arrive in the UK, you may find it easier and less stressful to renew your passport before you make your visa application and before you travel to the UK. |
| Completed visa application and visa application | You must submit the correct online Student visa application form. Please note that the form is different for students applying from overseas and those applying in the UK. Make sure to submit the form which is correct for your circumstances. Your application is submitted once you have paid the visa application fee. Following this, depending on your circumstances, you may need to submit additional supporting documents and may need to attend a biometrics appointment. Please make sure to submit all the required evidence. You may be able to download your visa application checklist once you have submitted your visa application form. The checklist will list important information about your visa application, including the documents you are required to submit in support of your visa application. |
| Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies | You must have a CAS for the University of Westminster before you make your Student Visa application. When you receive your CAS, check the information is correct and your personal details match your passport exactly. Your CAS will be valid for 6 months from the date it is issued. A new CAS must be provided with each visa application. If you are continuing your course at the University or you have completed your course and are applying to study a new course, you must apply for a new CAS. Similarly, if your previous visa application was refused, you must obtain a new CAS before applying again. For more information on the procedure and applying for a CAS, please refer to the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) page. |
| Qualifications | Where you are studying at degree level (RQF level 6) or above, you do not need to provide evidence of your previous qualifications with your visa application since your CAS will include details of your qualifications. However, you are advised to provide these documents if you are 16 or 17 years old and not a national listed under the ‘Differential evidence requirement’ under paragraph ST 22.1. of Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules. If you are studying at below degree level (below RQF6), you must provide any documents listed on your CAS with your visa application, unless you are a national listed under the 'Differential evidence requirement' as outlined in the paragraph above. Acceptable evidence includes:
If you are applying to start a new course, you must present evidence of the qualifications that the University used to assess your suitability for the course. Your CAS will state what these qualifications are. If you are applying for extra time to complete your current course of study, you will not normally need to show evidence of your qualifications. Applications from inside the UK:If you are applying inside the UK and are starting a new course and you have, or have had, a student visa before then you will also need to submit evidence that you successfully completed the course you were studying to show academic progression. If you have previously changed course, having met the relevant requirements to do so, and you have had to re-sit exams or repeat modules on your new course, you must submit transcripts to show that your re-sits or repeats are in respect of your new course and not your previous course. |
| English Language Evidence | If you are applying to study a course at degree level or above (undergraduate degree, Master’s degree, or PhD), the University can use their own way of assessing your English language skills. Where the University has made their own assessment, this will be confirmed on your CAS as "Higher Education Institution (HEI) has made assessment" and this is also the option you need to select on your visa application form with regards to how you met the English language requirement. In such case, no further evidence is required. You may also automatically meet the English language requirement if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country. In such case, no further evidence is required, and this will also be confirmed on your CAS. If you are applying to study a course below degree level, the University cannot use their own way of assessing your English language and in such case, you may need to provide the details of how you met the requirement, for instance, based on your previous qualification or a Secure English Language Test (SELT). |
| Financial evidence | There are specific Home Office maintenance requirements for financial evidence. You must submit evidence that meets these requirements normally showing money has been held for 28 consecutive days and the evidence dated no more than 31 days old. If you are relying on your parent(s)' funds you will also need to include the following:
For more information about the financial documents accepted by the Home Office visit our Financial requirements and the 28-day rule page. Applications from inside the UK:If you have been in the UK for 12 months or more with a valid visa, and you submit your application before your current visa expires, you will automatically meet the financial requirement. You will not need to submit your financial documents. |
| Official financial sponsorship letter | If you are sponsored by one of the following organisations:
you are required to submit a letter confirming your financial sponsorship, unless your sponsor is the University, in which case your sponsorship will be confirmed on your CAS. Read about the requirements for Official Financial Sponsorship letters. If you are currently sponsored by a government or an international scholarship agency, or you have been sponsored by them within the last 12 months, you must submit a letter of consent from your sponsor. The letter must state that your financial sponsor consents to your Student Visa application. |
| Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Certificate | You may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate for certain science and technology courses studied at PhD-level or Master’s level. The ATAS certificate is issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for permission to study the course. Your offer letter and your CAS will tell you if you need an ATAS certificate. You must be issued with an ATAS Certificate before you make a Student Visa application. Apply for ATAS as soon as you can bearing in mind that they are valid for 6 months. If applying in the UK you are recommended to apply 4 months before your current visa expires, if applying outside the UK apply one month before you will need the ATAS. Applications are processed in order of receipt and there is no option to ‘fast track’ an ATAS application. Please note, it can take 30 or more working days to be issued with an ATAS certificate between April and September. Continuing students: We understand that the guidance on the gov.uk website states that students should continue to use their original course start date on the ATAS form. However, the site no longer accepts dates in the past. The ATAS team have advised, for extensions, students should put the day after they complete the application as their start date. You can find out more information about the ATAS certificate at Gov.uk. |
| Tuberculosis (TB) Test certificate | You will need to take a TB test and submit your TB test certificate with your visa application, if you are coming to the UK for more than 6 months and you have been living in one of the countries specified by the Home Office for at least 6 months. It is about where you have been resident and not what nationality you hold. The test must be taken at an approved TB test clinic. If you plan to submit your Student Visa application in a country that is not on the TB test list, and you have been resident in a country where TB testing is required for more than six months, you are required to submit a TB test certificate. The difficulty you will face is that approved TB test clinics are only located in countries on the list. It is important that you attend a TB test clinic before you go to the country where you want to make your visa application. You will be issued with a certificate if your test shows that you do not have TB. This certificate is valid for six months. You must include this original certificate in support of your visa application. You can find information about the TB test on the Gov.uk website. You are not required to submit a TB test certificate if you are applying for your visa extension from inside the UK. |
| Police Registration Certificate | From 1 August 2022 you are not required to provide a Police Registration Certificate as part of a Student Visa Application. |
| Translations | If your documents are not in English you will need to submit translations of these documents. Please refer to the Translation guidelines page. |
If you are under the age of 18, you are required to submit additional documentation in support of your application. For further information please see page 75 of the Student Guidance or contact Student Advice.
Differentiation arrangement
If you are a national of one of the countries listed in paragraph ST22.1 of the Immigration Rules, you can take advantage of the 'differentiation arrangement' for low-risk applicants. You will not normally need to submit your qualifications, English language evidence or evidence of your money with your Student Visa application.
However, it is important that you have your qualifications and financial documents available and in the required format as the Home Office may request this evidence at a later date. Failure to provide these documents, when asked, will lead to your application being refused.
If you have a British Nationals (Overseas) passport, Hong Kong passport or Taiwanese passport then you may be covered by the differentiation arrangements. See paragraph ST22.1 of the Immigration Rules and contact Student Advice for further information.