Outside the UK and need a visa to start a new programme

It is a good idea to start checking which visa application to complete and what documents to prepare when you decide to study in the UK. Although immigration rules, application forms and fees tend to change, our guidance will give you an idea of what you may need and allow you enough time to plan your visa application.

If you are a visa national and the main purpose of you coming to the UK is to study on a pre-sessional programme or a course that is longer than 6 months, you need to apply for a Tier 4 visa.

If you have any questions or need support completing your application please get in touch with us – we’re happy to help!

Once you receive an offer from the University of Hull, you will need to confirm your acceptance of the offer. The details that you provide will then be used to generate your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement that you need for your visa application. Please ensure that the email address (your own or your Agent’s) that you provide us with is correct.

Before the University of Hull can issue you with a CAS number, you must meet all of the conditions of your offer. This may include:

English language requirements

Check what evidence you can provide to meet the English language requirements.

A deposit for your tuition fees or evidence of sponsorship

International students undertaking a taught or research Masters or a PhD must pay a tuition deposit fee. It may take 5 working days for your deposit payment to be processed depending on the time of year.

Apart from the required tuition deposit, paying tuition fees to the University in advance is not a requirement of the visa process. If you choose to pay any additional fees to the University in advance, please ensure that your payment is reflected in your CAS statement.

If your studies are funded by a University approved financial sponsor, the deposit requirement will be waived upon receipt of the appropriate financial guarantee evidence.

If you are in receipt of the tuition fee scholarship or if you are our graduate progressing to another course with us, you do not need to pay any deposit.

An Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate (if your offer letter states you need one)

Generally, ATAS applications are processed within a month and are valid for six months. However, this process may take longer during the busy periods, and there is no premium/fast track processing option. It is therefore important to allow plenty of time to obtain the certificate since your CAS will not be generated until the ATAS clearance is received.

An ATAS application includes a statement outlining your area of research/study. This statement must be the same as agreed with your supervisor and held on file at the University of Hull. Please apply for your ATAS as soon as you receive your conditional offer.

You will receive notification from our Admissions team to check your applicant portal once they’ve prepared your draft CAS.

It is important to check your personal information, fees and course details, etc. and to let our admissions team know if there are any mistakes. Once you have confirmed your draft CAS, they will be in a position to issue you with a final CAS.

If you do not have access to an applicant portal, you will receive your CAS by email. Please let our admissions team know as soon as possible if there are any errors.

Please ensure that if you made any payments to the University in respect of your fees or university accommodation, these are shown in your CAS.

When you receive your final CAS, you can use it to support your visa application. Your CAS is valid for a single visa application and must be used within 6 months of being issued.

If you plan to study in the UK for longer than 6 months and are resident in any of the countries listed by UKVI , you must provide an official Tuberculosis test results from a UKVI approved clinic with your visa application.

It is important to ensure that all documents in support of your visa application meet current visa requirements to avoid any delays and/or refusals. Please see our documents guidance for more information.

To apply for your visa you need to register on UKVI website and complete your online application (unless you are applying from North Korea). Please ensure that all the information on your completed visa application matches that on any supporting documents and explain any discrepancies.

The date of your visa application is the date you pay your visa application fee. All of the documents must be ready by this date.

If you intend to come to the UK for more than 6 months, you will need to pay a healthcare surcharge as part of your Tier 4 visa application.

The amount payable depends on the length of your visa and not the length of your programme. IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) is currently £300 per year and is payable even if you have private medical insurance.

You may be interviewed by the UKVI (Home Office) as part of your Tier 4 visa application or upon your arrival to the UK. The purpose of the interview is to check whether you are a genuine student and have an adequate level of English.

You may be asked questions about how and why you chose the University of Hull and your programme of study; who is funding your studies; whether you looked into any accommodation; and asked to comment on your previous education or employment history, future plans and other relevant topics.

UKVI is more likely to interview you if there are discrepancies between the documents you provided, or if they need to obtain further clarification from you in order to consider your visa application.

If you previously studied a programme at the same level as the one you intend to study at the University of Hull or if there is a gap between your studies, UKVI may decide to interview you to establish whether you have genuine reasons to pursue your studies with us. UKVI is required to check whether you meet their academic progression requirement and what your rationale is to study a course at the same level or to resume your studies after a long break.

Depending on where you are, UKVI may telephone you and ask if you can answer some questions about your application. Alternatively, they can email you to arrange an interview at the set time and location. Please ensure that you check your emails on a regular basis (inbox, junk and spam folders). You could be interviewed via video link, by Skype or by telephone.

If you are invited for an interview, be ready to talk about the reasons why you want to study your chosen programme in detail.

If there are any problems with the signal or a quality of sound during the interview, please let the officer know.

It is important to answer all of the questions to the best of your knowledge, as you may be refused a visa or entry to the UK if the Immigration Officer finds that you are not a genuine student, or your English is not good enough for your intended level of study. If this happens or if you have any other queries about your interview, please contact our immigration team (immigration@hull.ac.uk) with details of your interview as soon as possible.

You’ll be asked by the UK Government to provide your biometric information as part of your visa application when you attend your Visa Application Centre. 

If your visa application is successful and you will be staying in the UK for more than 6 months, UKVI will issue you a one-month Entry Clearance (permission to enter the UK) in a form of a vignette (sticker in your passport) that will allow you enter the UK.

You will also be issued with a letter confirming the details of your visa and study with us and where to collect your BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) from. Please take a photo of this letter for your records and carry it in your hand luggage when travelling to the UK.

When you arrive in the UK, you will need to collect your BRP.  Please check your UKVI letter for further details.

Your BRP card is a Biometric Residence Permit (visa) that confirms your right to be in the UK for the duration of your studies.

Collecting your BRP from the University of Hull

If you entered the University of Hull ACL code (2HE437) on your visa application form, you can collect your BRP from the University before or during your enrolment process.  Please remember to bring your passport and UKVI letter with you.

Collecting your BRP from the local Post Office

If you choose to collect your BRP from the local Post Office, your UKVI letter will have the address and the date your BRP will be available from. It is important that you collect your BRP on the date stated. You will need your passport, UKVI letter, your UK address and contact number to enable you to collect it.

When you collect your BRP:

• Check it to ensure that all of the details are correct. If there are any errors, please contact our immigration team for further assistance.
• Bring it to the Central Hub, 1^st floor, Student Central to be scanned.
• Comply with conditions of your visa as per UKVI decision letter.
• If you are required to register with the police or already have  a Police Registration Certificate, please make arrangements to obtain it or to update your existing certificate.