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How to get a UK visa

With her letter of acceptance from the University of Cardiff, Yukta Gupta thought that nothing stands between her and a Master's in International Planning and Development. With a new visa tier system in place since March 31 this year, there are new rules and regulations that she needs to be familiar with. With courses beginning in mid-September across the UK, don't wait for the last minute.

Under the new system, there are two categories: general student also known as adult student for post-16 years' education, and child student, for children between 4 and 17 years to study in an independent school.

You need 40 points to qualify for a student visa. 30 marks are given for a visa letter from a licensed sponsor, in this case a University. 10 points are credited for showing that you have enough money to cover your fees.

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Decoding UK lingo

Before you get going on your visa, it would help to be familiar with complex terms with simple meanings.

Visa letter: This is an unconditional offer from the university you have applied to. This demonstrates that the university is confident that you are capable of doing the course of study for which you have applied. The university also acts as
your 'immigration sponsor' and accepts responsibility for students while they are in the UK.

The visa letter is usually detailed, including details about you, the documents you have submitted and the course you will be studying. Also, if the University of Attenborough offers you a visa letter, you would be studying in the same University. If you want to change your institution after you are granted your visa you need permission from the UK Border Agency. Or you could email migrantreporting@ukba.gs.gov.uk.

Licensed sponsor: This is a term used for a university which has agreed to accept you. In more precise terms, a licensed sponsor is an education provider that is registered with the UK Border Agency as being permitted to recruit international students. You should check if yours is registered by www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk.employers/points/whatisthepointsbasedsystem/sponsoringstudents.

Maintenance requirements

The UK government wants to make sure that you can support yourself. This is a way to make sure you have sufficient funds to cover your course fees and living costs. Hence you need to prove that you have the requisite funds. These vary according to the location of the university and the duration of the course. The table below would make things clearer.

Finally, what are the documents you need to provide when you apply for a visa?

• Current passport
• Visa letter from a licensed sponsor (dated not more than six months before the visa application is made)
• Proof of maintenance funds
• Documents assessed by your sponsor when you were accepted onto the course and specified in the visa letter
• Your biometric details
• Original specified details
• Check the current visa fees and the application forms at www.vfs-ukin.com.

Apart from this, if you do have any questions, which you will, have a look at the websites listed above.