How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Applying for your UK Study Visa
Applying for a UK study visa can be a challenging and bewildering process, this is why it is important to work with experts like us, to assist you on how to avoid common UK Study Visa Mistakes.
WHY THE UK?
The UK offers numerous opportunities for prospective International Students looking to achieve their academic goals, due to its prestigious universities and exceptional educational system. Therefore, many international students dream of studying at universities in the UK and every year, thousands of applications for UK study visas are sent in.
However, it’s sad to say that many of these students end up making some common mistakes when applying for their UK study visas.
In this post, we will be diving into some effective strategies to help you avoid common mistakes when applying for a UK study visa to study an Undergraduate and Postgraduate Program.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE APPLYING FOR YOUR UK STUDY VISA
According to the UKGOV, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before applying for a student visa.
- You must be 16 years of age or older
- Have been received an offer and CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) from a licensed sponsor university
- You or your parent has the financial means to support yourself and cover your degree expenses, although the exact amount will depend on your individual circumstances.
- You should be proficient in English, meaning you can understand, speak, read, and write the English Language.
To fulfil the criteria’s above, there are several documentations you would need to process in order to prove that you meet the requirements. It is in the process of proving these requirements that some people provide unsatisfactory documents that can lead to a refusal.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR NIGERIAN STUDENTS
A standard visa application process timeline takes about 3weeks for a decision to be made; however, this process can be hastened in 1 week or 24 hours through the priority or super priority visa processing service.
The earliest you can apply for your UK student visa is six months before your course start date. Before you can begin your study visa application, you must have been accepted into a University, paid a deposit sum towards your tuition fee and received your CAS (Confirmation of acceptance for study) which will enable you to begin your application process.
During the visa application, you would be required to fill an online application form providing personal informational details and school and course details and also provide proof that you have the financial means to support yourself.
Once the online application has been provided you are then required to provide supporting documents such as personal identification document, previous education and degrees, proof of English, previous work references if applicable, family document (If moving with dependents) and other relevant documents that may be peculiar to your application such as, an affidavit, proof of financial standing, response to previous visa refusal etc
UK STUDENT VISA APPLICATION FEES
When it comes to fees, there are a couple of things to consider. The visa fee itself amounts to £363, and you’ll also need to pay £705 for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
It’s important to note that these payments are made in dollars at the time of payment. If your application is denied, you can get a refund for the IHS fees, but the rest of the fees are non-refundable.
As a Nigerian, you might need to have a credit card or a debit card, which is domiciled with foreign currencies that allows you to make international payments of thousands of dollars to cover your visa processing fees.
Other optional payments are
- Priority visa = £250
- Super priority = £956
- Assisted Service = ₦12,300
- Premium Lounge = ₦43, 500
- Prime Time = ₦38, 500
- Flexi = ₦42, 000
- Courier Service = ₦9000
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON UK STUDY VISA APPLICATION PITFALLS
There are numerous reasons why a UK study visa might be refused; however, these 5 reasons below are the most common reasons why people get a UK Student visa refusal.
Let’s take a closer look at these mistakes to ensure a smooth and successful application process.
1. DOCUMENTATION
Providing incomplete documentation can lead to a refusal if the visa officer is not able to verify e.g; your previous educational qualification and how it aligns with your current study, previous work history if applicable. In addition to this, providing documents that carry different information about yourself such as differences in date of birth differences in name and sex, where the visa officer is unable to identify your true identify, can also risk a refusal
2. PREVIOUS UK DENIAL OR BAN
A previous UK visa denial or ban can lead to a future student visa refusal, if the refusal or ban is not declared in the new application and/ or if the reasons for refusal are not addressed in the new application, to satisfy the visa officer’s criteria.
3. FAILURE TO ALIGN PREVIOUS DATA WITH UKVI
If you have applied for a visa to the UK in any other category such as visit, work, study, (either refused or approved) etc and in your new application you provide conflicting information that does not align with the previous application. Situations like this can lead to a current refusal or ban as it suggests that you are not being genuine in the information provided.
4. PROOF OF FUNDS / FINANCIAL DOCUMENT
There are several reasons why your financial document, proving your ability to pay your fees and maintain yourself for the duration of study can lead to a refusal.
- Providing a bank statement less than 28 days
- Providing a bank statement from financial institutions that the UKVI cannot verify the authenticity of said account
- Providing documents with unexplained large sums of deposits and withdrawal
- Providing a bank statement that does not show the complete funds maintained in the account for the period of 28 days.
5. LATE VISA APPLICATION
Applying late for your visa can lead to a refusal if the course start date or latest course start date stipulated on your CAS document has passed as at the time your visa is being processed. This is because you are no longer going to be able to begin your course at the school, so, your visa will be refused as it has come too late.
HOW TO AVOID GETTING A UK STUDY VISA DENIAL
Here are a few steps you can follow to steer clear of any mistakes when applying for a UK Student visa.
- Verify all the information you will provide during your UK study visa application.
- If you made a previous visa application to the UK, you must take account of the information provided in the past and make sure it aligns with the information you will provide in future visa applications.
- Ensure that your financial documents meet the quality check and covers the amount required.
- If you are applying to travel with dependants for your studies, you must have enough financial proof to show for both you and your dependants.
- You must ensure that all your academic and work documents are complete and meet quality check
- Another very important way to avoid UK study visa application pitfalls is to work with a visa expert like us that can evaluate your application in totality.
Follow these steps and prepare accordingly. Good luck!
If you have any more questions regarding this topic, or would like to work with Negxy for assistance with your UK study visa application, feel free drop a comment below or reach out to us today!
