You are here: University » International students » International information » Visas » Supporting documents

Supporting documents

The following documents need to be submitted or presented to the UKBA when you apply your visa

• Passport and photographs

  Please ensure that you send your actual passport and one extra photograph that meets the UK Border Agency photo guidance

• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

  This is not an actual document.  It is a unique number, generated through the UKBA electronic system by the University of St andrews and will be issued  by Admissions to new students who have accepted an unconditional offer of a place, or the International Student Adviser for returning students. More information about the process of being issued with a CAS from the University of St Andrews.

• Qualifications

English language certificates

According to the immigration rules, students entering the University to do degree level study need to prove that they are proficient in English to the level of CEFR B2 (IELTS 5.5 in each of the 4 components), if they are not coming from a majority English speaking country (see below). However the University sets English Language requirements at a higher level, and student should check our requirements. Students that are entering to undertake courses that are under degree level (Undergraduate Foundation programmes and pre-sessional courses) need evidence of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at CEFR Level B1 (Level 4 in all 4 components). Students will have to provide the certificate at the time of visa application.

Majority English Speaking countries are:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America.

Academic certificates and transcripts

Admissions will state how you were assessed suitable for entry to the University of St Andrews on the CAS confirmation email.  Please make sure you make a note of these qualifications as you will need to submit the   original documents along with your application to the Embassy / Consulate / Diplomatic Mission, unless you are a student from a 'low risk' country covered under the differentiation agreement.  If these are incorrect, or if you have any problems you must respond to the email immediately to highlight that there is a problem.

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Students who study subjects on certain areas will need to apply for an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) Certificate.  The requirement for ATAS clearance is determined by the course (JACS) code and subject are of the students’ course and not with nationality.  You will be informed at the point of offer if you need to apply for an ATAS and be provided with all relevent information.   More details of ATAS requirements are available in the Applying for a visa section of our website and on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office site.

• Financial evidence / maintenance

Please read the Tier 4 Guidance for the most up to date requirements on the amount of money and the evidence required to make a visa application.  Please be aware that the specified amounts of funds need to have been held in a bank account (not in trust, stocks or bonds) for 28 days before the application is made.

The amount of money you must demonstrate will depend on the length of the course that you are undertaking

More than 9 months

• Tuition fees for the year as stated in the CAS and £7,200.

Less than 9 months

• Tuition fees for the course of study: as stated in the CAS and £800 per month for the duration of the course.

This money does not have to be held in Sterling, but if it is not you must provide a conversion of the closing balance from your home currency to Sterling (GBP) (dated no more than one month before the application) from www.oanda.com.  The conversion must be printed out and included with your documents when you apply for the visa.

• Money paid to University

The money that you can use to support your application must be either:

• money that has been paid in advance to the University for tuition that is shown in the CAS.
• a maximum of £1,000 that is paid to the University for accommodation that is shown in the CAS.
• financial sponsorship.
• money in cash or a student loan to cover fees and maintenance.

Money that is paid in advance to the University can be shown on the CAS but you must notify Admissions that you have or are about to make a payment as CASs are updated manually.  It is important that you let us know what the payment has been made for (tuition, accommodation or both) so the CAS is updated correctly.

Please note:

• under the immigration rules introduced on 6 April 2012, only a maximum of £1,000 that is paid towards accommodation can be deducted from how much maintenance you need to have.
• all applicants coming to the University for the first time need £6,200 living / maintenance costs in your, or your parents', bank account.
• credit card and cheque payments can take several days to clear on the University system
• we cannot verify payments until they have cleared the interntional and/or own banking systems

• Sponsorship

  The term sponsorship, as far as UKBA is concerned, only deals with official financial sponsorship and not any money that you may be receiving from your parents.
  
  

  Financial sponsorship

  If you are sponsored by your government, the UK government, an International Scholarship Agency, University (not St Andrews) or international company – you must provide an original letter from that organisation which details the funding.  For more details please check the Tier 4 Policy Guidance.

  University of St Andrews sponorship

  If you are in receipt of a scholarship, bursary or discount from the University of St Andrews, this information must be shown on the CAS.  If it is not mentioned on the pre-CAS check email, please notify Admissions, otherwise the Entry Clearance Officer will expect to see these funds in your bank account.

• Parental support

  You can rely on financial support from parents or legal guardians.  This financial support needs to be in cash; money held in bonds, trust or investments is not suitable for this purpose.  You must also provide your birth certificate / adoption certificate / legal guardian document to prove their relationship to you. A letter must be provided by your parents / legal guardian confirming that they are financially responsible for you.
  
  Bank statements must be provided to show the specified amount of money has been in the account consistently for 28 days before the application date. It must contain the account holders name and account number.
  
  Please note: Only parents or legal guardians can provide financial support to students.

• Financially independent

  If you have your own bank accounts and are using these accounts to provide financial evidence must provide an original bank statement that contains your name (or joint names), account number, demonstrates the required level of funds have been in that account consistently for 28 days before the date of application and the statement must be dated within one month of the application date.  Original bank statements should be provided where possible; some alternative evidence is permissible, full details are in the Tier 4 General Guidance.

• Differentiation agreement

  If you are a national of one of the 'low risk' countries listed below, you do not have to produce any documentation other than your passport and photographs to make an application for a Tier 4 General Visa.

  You must be confident that all other supporting evidence meets the immigration rules at the time of application as the Entry Clearance Officer or caseworker can request the full range of documents at any time during the visa application process. You risk your application being refused if you are unable to provide these if asked to do so.

  The UKBA has assessed that the following countries are covered by the differentiation agreement:-
  

For nationals of every other country not listed above failure to submit all the documents, in the correct format will mean that your application is refused. The consideration process is standardised and has no room for flexibility, you must make sure that your application is complete and correct before submission.