Student Visa

If you are an international student joining ICP for a full-time, on-campus undergraduate or postgraduate course, you must ensure that you have valid leave to stay in the UK. This may involve needing to apply for a Student Route visa to study in the UK if you do not have other permission in place.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this, you must:

Have been offered a place on a course
Speak, read, write and understand English
Have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the University
Have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course (the amount will vary depending on your circumstances)
Meet any other eligibility requirements

What is a CAS Statement?

The CAS statement is a summary of the more detailed data held in your CAS file on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) database. The UKVI will be checking the application for a UK Study Visa against this information, so it is vital that the visa application form you submit, copies the information exactly as it is on the CAS statement.

Once you meet all conditions and pay your tuition fee deposit in accordance to your offer letter, you will be issued with a Draft CAS. The aim of this document is to make sure we hold your correct personal details on our system. These include your name, date of birth, nationality, contact details and course details. If anything is incorrect, please contact us by replying to the email you received your Draft CAS from.

You will get a Final CAS once you have met all the academic and non-academic conditions of your offer and confirmed the details of the Draft CAS. This will contain a unique number that you will need to input on your visa application.

What Documents do I Need to Provide for a Visa?

You must send original documents, not photocopies or scans
A valid passport
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
Your International secure English Language Test (SELT) certificate – if detailed on your CAS, otherwise you do not have to submit one
Your original qualification certificates and transcripts
Documents to prove you have the correct funds to cover living costs and tuition fees available in your or your parents' bank account, including financial sponsorship letter and birth certificate (where required)
An Official Financial Sponsor letter if you're sponsored by your Government/University/official recognised international company
2 passport-sized photographs with your name written on the back
Parental/guardian consent if you are under 18
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate if your course requires this – this is only valid for certain Postgraduate courses
Tuberculosis (TB) test results certificate, if you're from a country that requires this.

Additional Proof of Funding Documentation

Proof of Funds

You will need to show evidence that you have funds to cover your maintenance for a year as well as your tuition fees for an academic year.

If you have paid only a deposit (one semester) you will have to show enough funds to cover your second semester’s fees plus maintenance.
If you have paid the fees for a full academic year (two semesters), you will have to evidence funds for maintenance only.

The maintenance amount for an academic year is currently £9,207 for students studying outside of London. This figure may change overtime so it is always best to check with the most recent Student Route Guidance by following this link or ask a member of the team.

If this money is held in your bank account, it will need to be held there for 28 days consecutive days, and you’ll need to provide your most recent bank statement (no older than 30 days).

This must be an original (not photocopied) statement in English (or supplied with an official translation), supplied and stamped by your bank. The names on the bank statement must match the name on your passport, confirm your account number and clearly display the bank logo

You do not need to have the funds listed in £GBP. The statement can show your funds in your home currency, but please use a currency converter to check the amount in £GBP.

Using Your Parents’ Funds

If you are using your parents’ funds, you must provide:

Your parents’ bank statement showing the required funds.
Your original Birth Certificate, showing yours and your parents’ names. This must be in English or translated by an approved translator or translation company.
A letter from your parents signed and dated confirming they are sponsoring you.

You can only use your parent’s bank account – you cannot show funds in the account of any other relatives or friends.

What if I am a Sponsored Student?

If your government or officially recognised international company are sponsoring you, you can show an Official Financial Sponsorship Letter to cover some or all of your funds. If you are not being sponsored for the full amount (course fees and maintenance), you will need to show the remaining funds in your bank account.

Cost

It currently costs £363 for a standard application. This will take on average 15 working days to process, but may take longer during the peak periods of June to September.

In some cases, you can pay an additional fee if you want to use the Priority Visa Service, which will process your application in 5 working days. You cannot use this service if you have previously been refused a visa.

You will also need to pay a National Health Service (NHS) Immigration Health Surcharge. The costs are as per below:

£776 for children, students and Youth Mobility Scheme applicants
£1,035 per year for most applications

So, if your CAS is issued for four years, you are expected to pay £3,104 at the point of your visa application in addition to the visa fee.

Dependents

As of 1st January 2024, international students are no longer permitted to bring dependents (except for those on postgraduate research programmes). Dependents already in the UK can still extend their stay.

Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

If you are applying outside of the UK to study for longer than 6 months then you will be issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Your BRP is a credit card sized card that is issued by the Home Office as evidence of your immigration permission. Your BRP will be issued automatically once your visa is approved.

You can use your BRP to confirm your identity, your right to study in the UK, and your right to any public services or benefits.

You might be asked for an institution code or Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code. Enter 2HE479 when you are asked for it, so you can collect your biometric residence permit (BRP) from the University. If you do not input this, you will need to collect your BRP from a local post office.

You might be asked for an official Sponsor Licence Number (SLN). This is 926WMQQ73.

If any of the required documents have not been produced in English, you will also need to provide an official translation.

Once you have submitted your visa application online you will receive email confirmation from the UKVI.

Other Information

Your CAS to study at ICP will be issued by the University of Portsmouth, which is on the UK government’s Register of Education and Training Providers and is on the UKVI’s Register of Licensed Sponsors under the Points Based System. Their Sponsor Licence Number (SLN) on this register is 926WMQQ73.

The University is a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance.

The application also needs the address of our Information Hub, which is:

MyPort Information Hub
University of Portsmouth
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth
PO1 2UP

Useful Links

How to Apply for a Student Route Visa

You must apply online for a Student Route visa.

You will need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of your application.

You will have to collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of when you said you would arrive in the UK (even if you actually arrive at a later date).

You may need to attend a short credibility interview as part of your application. Guidance on credibility interviews can be found here.

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