April 5, 2017

From the 6 April 2017, there will be changes to the cost of some visa application fees and the new fees will be:

Short-term Student (six months) - £93

Short-term Student (11 months EAP programmes) - £179

Tier 4 (overseas) - £335

Priority processing (overseas) - £184

Tier 4 (Standard processing - UK) - £457

Tier 4 (Priority processing - UK) - £916

Tier 4 (Premium processing - UK) - £1047

BRP replacement vignette (overseas) - £169

BRP replacment (Standard processing - UK) - £56

BRP replacement (Premium processing - UK) - £646)

March 17, 2017

The government have published their statement of changes due to come into effect on the 6 April 2017. The following changes will affect LSE students:

Nov. 11, 2016

​If a student is applying for a new visa in the UK because they have completed re-sits or repeat teaching, they no longer need to meet the academic progression requirements.  After the 24th November this means that you will not be required to return home to extend your visa, but will be able to apply in the UK after you have completed your repeat teaching.  However, this only applies if you are receiving repeat teaching in the same programme. You cannot apply for repeat teaching in a new programme.  See our information on changes in circumstances.

Dependant Financial Requirements  - dependants are now required to hold £845 per month up to a maximum of nine months depending on the length of leave they will be granted.  Therefore, if a dependant is extending their visa for two months, but their full length of their visa will be six months they will need to show £845 x 6 months.  Dependants on the Tier 4 (Doctorate Extension Scheme) only need to show £845 x 2 months.

Nov. 9, 2016

The Home Office released a statement of changes to the immigration rules on the 3 November 2016.  The main changes affecting students will affect applications made on or after the 24 November 2016 and include:

Applications from overstayers will only be accepted within 14 days of leave expiring - in the majority of cases LSE does not support applications from overstayers in the UK;

English language requirements - when relying on the exemption from a SELT because a student has obtained a qualification to a Bachelors, Masters or PhD in the UK from a majority English speaking country, the applicant will need to include an original document from UK NARIC which confirms the equivalency. If the qualification was gained in the UK, it must be a Bachelors, Masters or PhD and not an equivalent of these.

March 11, 2016

On 11 March 2016 the Home Office published a Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 877), which contains a number of changes that will affect Tier 4 applications made on or after 6 April 2016. 

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This is a big set of new rules. So we have made a separate page for this. Please click here to view all new rules. 

January, 7th 2016

'As part of the planned transition to a fully online application system, iApply will be decommissioned on 31 January 2016 and replaced with the new Online Application Service, accessed via GOV.UK. A provision will be in place during February 2016 for Tier 4 applicants to complete and submit part-completed applications, but applicants wishing to start a new application from 1 February 2016 will need to do so via the new Online Application Service. The new online service offers a more intuitive online application form and payment process and can be accessed on all computers, mobile and tablet devices.

Nov. 18th 2015

On the 12th November 2015, the monthly living cost for inner London has been increased to £1,265 per month up to a maximum of nine months and to £1,015 per month for anywhere else in the UK.  

The lower "established presence" level of living costs will also be abolished for all Tier 4 (General) applicants.  The provision will remain in place for Tier 4 (Doctorate Extension Scheme) applicants.

The level of funds for dependents will also increase to £845 per month up to a maximum of nine months.  Only dependents of Tier 4 (Doctorate Extension Scheme) applicants will benefit from the "established presence" level of living costs.

July, 16th 2015

A new statement of changes to the Immigration Rules was published on 13 July 2015.  This latest statement mainly affects Tier 4 Student Migrants, with some amendments also being made to administrative review procedure, family and private life rules, and visit visa rules.

Amendments have been made to the maintenance requirements for Tier 4 Migrants, generally increasing the amounts required. Any new applicants should review the requirements carefully before applying.

New students applying to study at publicly-funded further education colleges will now lose all work rights. Prior to the change, such students were allowed to work for a limit of 10 hours per week, however this is now being removed entirely.

With effect from 14 July 2015, Tier 4 Migrants will now be granted entry clearance with a start date from either one month before the course starts, or seven days before the intended date of travel, whichever is later. This is to ensure that students wishing to travel to the UK close to or after their course start date can do so.

July, 2nd 2015

From 5 July 2015, the Tier 4 application forms will automatically calculate how much of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) applicants have to pay. This change will affect the Tier 4 application system on 4 July 2015.

• If you are applying in the UK then you should complete your Tier 4 application and pay the IHS before 6:59 in the morning on Saturday 4 July, otherwise you should start a new application after this time.  If you try to continue with an existing application after this time then your application might be rejected and/or you might have to pay the IHS twice.

• If you are applying overseas then you should pay the IHS and submit your Tier 4 application before 5:59 in the evening (UK time).  If you continue with an existing application after this time then it might be rejected and/or you might have to pay the IHS twice.  Therefore if you are not able to complete an existing application before this time you should start a new application.

June, 20th 2015

The Home Office has published immigration statistics [^] showing how many students 'switched' into work categories in the UK in 2014.

More students were granted leave under Tier 2 than in 2013; 5,639 in 2014 compared with 4,174 in 2013.

Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) switches for professional training and internships have also grown in popularity; 379 in 2014 compared with 209 in 2013.

Successful applications under Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) increased from 171 in 2013 to 286 in 2014, but grants of leave under Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) fell from 688 to 266.

In total, 7,043 students remained in the UK under a work category (not including DES), a slight increase on the total of 6,238 in 2013.

May, 7th, 5

Since 24 April 2015, it has not been possible to apply for entry clearance or leave to remain as a 'student visitor'. Routes for various types of 'short-term student' have been introduced instead.

This information is for you if you are currently outside the UK and you want to come to study in the UK as a 'short-term student' because either:

• you are not eligible to apply for a Tier 4 student visa OR

• you have chosen not to apply for a Tier 4 student visa as you meet the requirements for a 'short-term student' visa.

March, 25th, 2015

The Home Office is introducing biometric residence permits (BRPs) for entry clearance applicants who apply for permission to come to the UK for more than six months. 

This will affect applications made in Pakistan on or after 18 March 2015 and will be extended to the rest of the world in three further stages.

Feb. 3rd, 2015

The Home Office has published the new immigration fees it intends to charge from April 2015. These fees are subject to change before they come into force.

Tier 4 fees increase by around 4 per cent, to £322 for entry clearance and £439 for leave to remain.

The extended student visitor entry clearance fee increases by 8 per cent to £162. The fee for other 6-month visitor applications will be £85.

16th Oct. 2014

It was announced today that the UK Immigration Rules will change on Monday 20 October 2014 with the result that any Tier 4 student application (or Tier 4 dependant application) made in the UK on or after Monday will not have a right of appeal if it is subsequently  refused.  Instead a system of administrative review will be available to Tier 4 applicants and Tier 4 dependants who apply in the UK on or after Monday 20 October 2014 and whose application is refused, or who are granted the wrong length of leave.

August 27th, 2014

A new report by British Future [^] and Universities UK [^] reveals strong public support for international students and public recognition of the important positive contribution international students make to Britain.

UKCISA Chief Executive Dominic Scott welcomed the report: ‘Amongst what often seems like a smog of largely unhelpful rhetoric, it is refreshing to see the facts about international students recorded so clearly.  This important survey demonstrates quite clearly, and contrary to what is often reported in some parts of the media, that the majority of the UK public do not see students as ‘migrants’ at all, recognise the benefits they contribute to the UK, and now look to the government to invest additional resources into ensuring even larger numbers come to the UK in the future.’

June 10th, 2014

On 10 June 2014, the Home Office announced changes to the Immigration Rules, in Statement of Changes HC189. 

The changes clarify the acceptable use of the TOEIC and TOEFL English language tests provided by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).ETS is no longer licenced by the Home Office to provide Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) for people who want to use their tests (TOEFL and TOEIC) in support of UK immigration applications.

There are transitional arrangements which offer some limited scope to use an ETS certificate in a Tier 4 (General) application, depending upon where and when you apply.

May 14th, 2014

The Immigration Bill received Royal Assent today (14 May) making way for a series of reforms which will ensure our immigration system is fairer to British citizens and legitimate migrants and tougher on those with no right to be here.

The Immigration Act 2014 contains 77 clauses and makes fundamental changes to how our immigration system functions.

It will limit the factors which draw illegal migrants to the UK, make it easier to remove those with no right to be here and ensure the Courts have regard to Parliament’s view of what the public interest requires when considering Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in immigration cases.

April 1st, 2014

From 1 April 2014 UK visa customers will be able to use the new international enquiry service to find information about the visa application process.

Customer service

The service is provided by Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) working in partnership with UK Visas and Immigration to offer enquiry services to people applying for a visa.

The new international enquiry service will provide an improved service to visa customers in 20 languages with opening times reflecting the working hours and days in each country. Customers will also receive a quicker response and in some cases the cost of their call will be cheaper.

March 13, 2014

These changes to the Immigration Rules will help UK businesses employ skilled international workers as well as supporting the government’s long-term economic plan to build a stronger, more competitive economy.

Immigration Ruels

From today (Thursday 13 March) the changes include:

• opening up the Exceptional Talent visa route to world-leading individuals in the digital technology sector by enabling Tech City UK to endorse visa applications

• a new category for government sponsored language teachers 

• longer periods of leave for skilled workers to increase flexibility

Feb. 27, 2014

The latest migration figures indicate another sharp drop in students from the Indian subcontinent coming to the UK, although the overall number of student visas issued has increased.

Study visas issued to Pakistani students were down 55 per cent in the year to December 2013, and down 21 per cent for Indians.In January it emerged that the number of international students studying in the UK in 2012-13 had fallen for the first recorded time, with a 25 per cent drop in first-year Indian students.

These latest figures, released today by the Office of National Statistics, suggest that this collapse has continued into the 2013-14 academic year.

29 August, 2013

According to "Telegraph" Record numbers of students are taking higher education courses at private universities and colleges, despite concerns over low employment rates, research shows. A new Government analysis reveals that 160,000 students were enrolled at some 674 privately-funded institutions last year, far higher than previous estimates.It is thought that large numbers of students are being attracted to private institutions – more than half of which are officially profit-making bodies – to take shorter courses at a fraction of the cost of those charged by mainstream publicly-funded universities.

Experts believe that the number of students being attracted to the private sector will continue to grow in coming years. Read full story.

20 March 2013

New immigration fees will affect you if you make an application on or after 6 April. Most fees increase a little, but the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) fee will be lower. For example:

Tier 4 and Tier 4 dependant entry clearance (visa): £298
Tier 4 leave to remain (extension application): £406 (dependants applying separately and children aged 18 or over who apply at the same time as the Tier 4 migrant pay the same fee)
Leave to remain for Tier 4 dependants who do not apply separately: £305
11-month student visitor concession entry clearance: £144
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur): same fees as for Tier 4, but CESC nationals pay £268 for entry clearance and £365 for leave to remain.

13 March, 2013

From 6 April 2013 the UKBA are encouraging applicants who are applying for a Tier 4 visa from within the UK to use the 'Print and send' method of applying. As the name suggests, this involves completing a 'print and send' application form online, printing it out, and then submitting it and the necessary supporting documents to the UKBA either by post or in person.

26 February 2013

Remember that if you are going to apply for Tier 4 immigration permission on or after 28 February, the requirements for loans and loan letters change on this date.

Your loan letter must state that the loan is provided by a national government, a state or regional government, or a government sponsored student loan company or that it is part of an academic or educational loans scheme. You will not be able to use a loan that does not meet one of these requirements. (If you have obtained a loan from a different source (such as from a bank) in order to finance your studies then you must transfer the funds into your own bank account (or that of your parents or legal guardian) and wait 28 days before using one of the other forms of evidence listed above.)