Student route (applying inside the UK)

There are additional requirements to meet when applying for a Student visa from inside the UK.

Your current immigration permission

You can apply in the UK if you are not in the UK on immigration bail, and if you currently have any type of immigration permission except:

• visitor
• short-term student
• parent of a child student
• seasonal worker
• domestic worker in a private household
• permission outside the Immigration Rules.

It is extremely important that you do not apply in the UK if you hold one of the types of immigration permission listed above because the Home Office will treat your application as invalid. This means that they will not consider your application and you will have no right of appeal or administrative review against their decision.

28-day gap

Your new course start date cannot start any later than 28 days after your current visa expires.

Time limit on study

The Home Office limits the time you can spend studying in the UK on a Student visa at undergraduate degree level. This includes leave granted under both the Student route and Tier 4.

In general, you are limited to a maximum of five years in the UK studying at undergraduate degree level, although there are some exceptions.

To calculate the time limit, the Home Office counts the proposed period of leave together with any current leave and any previous leave held on a Student (or Tier 4) visa. This includes leave granted where the student has subsequently left the UK.

Time spent studying in the UK under the age of 18 is not counted towards the time-limit.

There is no maximum study requirement for applicants who are studying a course above undergraduate degree level.

Academic progress

You must have successfully completed the course for which your last Student route visa was granted. You will be asked to provide evidence of this as part of the admissions process.

If you have not successfully completed the course for which your last Student route visa was granted (or a course to which you made a permitted switch) you will normally be required to apply for a new Student visa from outside the UK.  There are exceptions to this requirement, such as if you need to extend your visa to repeat modules or because you have added a placement to your course.  If you want to discuss whether any of these exceptions apply to you, please contact immigrationadvice@bathspa.ac.uk.

The new course must demonstrate you are progressing academically in your studies in the UK. This means your new course must normally be above the level of the previous course studied on a Student route visa. If a new course is at the same level as the previous course, it can be considered to represent academic progress if the new course is related to the previous course OR the previous course and new course combined support your career aspirations.

If the University makes you an offer of admission and you have previously studied in the UK at the same level, your CAS will need to include a justification of how this represents academic progress in order for you to fulfil the academic progress requirement.

A new course at a lower level is not considered to represent academic progress and students would be required to apply for new Student visa from outside the UK.

When?

Once you are ready with all the required documents you can submit an application to extend your stay under the Student route from up to three months before the start of your course, as listed on your CAS.  You must apply while your current visa is still valid, and your new course start date must be within 28 days of when your current visa expires.  You must also apply within six months of receiving your CAS.

Where?

You can make your application in the UK with an online application.

When you make an application in the UK, you will not be able to travel overseas until you have received the decision. If you leave the UK whilst the decision is pending your application will be cancelled.

How?

We offer a free check-and-send service to anyone applying inside the UK for a Student visa for study at Bath Spa University.  Our experienced and friendly advisers can check your application and supporting documents before they are submitted.  This will reduce the chances of your application being rejected, delayed, or refused.  Our service is also open to any dependants who will be applying with you.  If you are interested in using our check-and-send service, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.

Applications inside the UK are made online.  Most applicants can verify their identity using the UK Visas and Immigration ID Check app, and upload electronic copies of their supporting documents.  Sending physical copies of your documents is no longer required as part of the application process, so you will be able to keep your passport throughout the application process – although please remember that leaving the UK will cancel your application.

If you are not able to use the UK Visas and Immigration ID Check app for any reason, then you will need to book an in-person appointment to attend a UKVI application centre to verify your identity and supporting documents.  This will typically increase the processing time of your application by several weeks, so we would recommend that you use the UK Visas and Immigration ID Check app wherever possible.

You will need

• A valid passport – we would recommend that your passport have at least six months of validity left when you apply
• A Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) is an electronic document confirming your unconditional offer for a place of study at Bath Spa. This will be emailed to you. You are not required to provide a physical copy of your CAS when you apply for your Student visa. You must enter the CAS reference number in the relevant section of the online application form
• Any academic documents listed on your CAS - please check the 'Evidence used to obtain offer' section
• Evidence that you meet the English language requirements, if your CAS says this is required - please check the 'English language qualification' section
• You will need to meet the financial requirement. You’ll need enough money for your course fees, living costs, the visa fee, and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
  • If you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months on the date of your permission to stay application, you do not need to provide evidence of meeting the financial requirement. You must be applying in the UK. The Home Office advises that the requirement is to have held your current visa for at least 12 months at the point of application, rather than have been based in the UK for the full period. However, if you have been outside the UK for a significant part of the previous 12 months (3 months or more), you may be asked to provide evidence you meet the financial requirement during the application process
• If you have received official financial sponsorship for your studies in the last 12 months, you will need a letter from your financial sponsor confirming that they give their consent for your application
• An ATAS certificate if applicable - please check the 'Course details' section of your CAS to see if you need one
• Official translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

If you're under 18 on the date that you apply for your visa you'll also need:

• A letter from your parent/legal guardian confirming their relationship to you and that they consent to your study, living and travel arrangements in and to the UK.
• Original evidence that demonstrates the relationship between you and your parent/legal guardian. This must be birth certificate or court document confirming legal adoption - scans of pages from your passport are not considered acceptable evidence.

If your application is successful, you will be issued with a new eVisa.  You must provide Bath Spa University with a view-and-prove (not right-to-work or right-to-rent) share code as soon as possible so that we can update your record.

We will also check your eVisa to make sure that it the details are correct, and help you to report any errors.

If your Student visa application is refused please inform us immediately. Send a copy of your decision e-mail to immigrationadvice@bathspa.ac.uk and we will advise you of your options.

You are advised to read the information on the UK Visas and Immigration website prior to applying for your visa. It is your responsibility to ensure you understand and meet the UK immigration requirements.

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) also provide reliable information on applying for a Student visa from inside the UK.

• Student route guidance
• Appendix ST of the Immigration Rules