James Immigration Solutions Ltd provides professional assistance with UK Student visa applications, Student visa extensions, switching applications and Graduate visa applications.
Studying in the UK can involve detailed immigration requirements concerning the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), financial evidence, English-language ability, academic progression, previous study history and dependant eligibility.
We help students understand the applicable requirements and prepare a clear and properly supported immigration application.
The UK Student visa is designed for people aged 16 or over who want to study an eligible course with a licensed UK student sponsor.
To qualify, an applicant will normally need:
The education provider must normally hold a valid Student sponsor licence.
Before applying for a Student visa, an applicant normally needs a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, commonly known as a CAS.
The CAS is issued by the licensed education provider after the applicant has received an eligible offer of study.
It contains important information including:
The information entered in the visa application should be consistent with the CAS and supporting documents.
We can review the CAS before submission and identify potential inconsistencies.
Applicants may need to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover:
The applicant generally needs sufficient funds to cover the course fees for one academic year, up to 9 months, as stated on the CAS.
Any qualifying tuition fees already paid and recorded on the CAS can normally be taken into account.
The current Student visa maintenance requirement is:
The requirement applies for up to 9 months.
This means the maximum maintenance amount is currently:
in addition to any outstanding tuition fees.
Where financial evidence is required, the necessary funds will normally need to have been held for the required period under the Immigration Rules.
Student visa financial evidence must therefore be checked carefully before an application is submitted.
The evidence may include qualifying:
Applicants who have already been legally present in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months at the date of application may not need to provide evidence of funds in the normal way.
Student visa applicants normally need to demonstrate the required level of English.
For courses at degree level or above, the required level is generally at least CEFR B2.
For eligible courses below degree level, the requirement is generally CEFR B1.
Depending on the applicant and education provider, English ability may be demonstrated through:
The CAS should normally record how the English-language requirement has been assessed where relevant.
Documents depend on the applicant’s circumstances but may include:
We can prepare a tailored document checklist based on the applicant’s circumstances.
Applicants applying from certain countries may need a valid tuberculosis test certificate if they intend to stay in the UK for more than six months.
Whether a TB certificate is required depends upon the applicant’s circumstances and country of residence.
The certificate should be obtained from a clinic approved for UK immigration purposes.
Some students studying certain sensitive subjects at postgraduate level may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
ATAS requirements can apply to certain master’s, PhD and research programmes in specified scientific and technological fields.
Where ATAS is required, the certificate should normally be obtained before the relevant visa application or before starting the applicable course or research.
Many international students are permitted to work during their studies, but the number of hours depends on the course and sponsor.
A Student undertaking a full-time course at degree level or above with an eligible higher education provider can generally work:
A student undertaking certain full-time courses below degree level may generally work:
Some students are not permitted to work at all.
The exact work conditions stated on the applicant’s immigration permission must always be followed.
The rules concerning Student visa dependants are now significantly restricted.
A Student may generally bring eligible dependants where they are:
For postgraduate courses beginning on or after 1 January 2024, the course must generally be:
Eligible dependants can include a husband, wife, civil partner, qualifying unmarried partner or child under 18.
We can assess whether an applicant’s course permits dependants before an application is prepared.
Applicants can apply for a Student visa from overseas once they have received their CAS and satisfy the relevant requirements.
The current Home Office fee for a Student visa application is £558.
The same £558 application fee currently applies to Student applications made from inside the UK.
Applicants must normally also pay the applicable Immigration Health Surcharge.
Current Home Office service standards state that Student visa applications are normally decided within:
Applications may take longer where additional checks, document verification or an interview are required.
A Student already studying in the UK may be able to extend their visa to continue or undertake further eligible study.
The applicant will normally require:
Academic progression rules can be particularly important when applying for another course from within the UK.
In many cases, the new course should be at a higher academic level, although exceptions and specific provisions apply.
Some applicants holding another type of UK immigration permission may be able to switch into the Student route without leaving the United Kingdom.
However, switching is restricted for certain immigration categories.
We can assess:
A separate Short-term Study visa is available for eligible English-language courses lasting:
More than 6 months but no longer than 11 months.
The current application fee is £228, and the applicant must also pay the applicable Immigration Health Surcharge.
A Short-term Student cannot normally:
English-language courses of six months or less may instead be possible under the Visitor route, depending on the circumstances.
The Graduate visa allows eligible international students who have successfully completed a qualifying UK course to remain in the United Kingdom after their studies.
The Graduate route is unsponsored, meaning an applicant does not need a job offer or Certificate of Sponsorship before applying.
An applicant will normally need to:
Applicants do not generally need to wait for their graduation ceremony or physical degree certificate once the education provider has notified the Home Office of successful completion.
The duration of the Graduate visa is changing.
For most bachelor’s and master’s graduates:
Applications made on or before 31 December 2026:
Graduate permission is normally granted for 2 years.
Applications made on or after 1 January 2027:
Graduate permission will normally be granted for 18 months.
For applicants who successfully complete a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the Graduate visa remains 3 years.
This application date can therefore be particularly important for students completing qualifying courses during 2026.
The current Graduate visa application fee is:
£937
Applicants must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.
The current IHS is normally £1,035 per year for the Graduate route.
Current published amounts include:
The Home Office application fee is separate from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Graduate visa applications are made from inside the United Kingdom.
The Home Office currently states that applicants will normally receive a decision within 8 weeks after applying online, proving their identity and providing the required documents.
The Graduate route provides significantly greater flexibility than the Student route.
Graduate visa holders can generally:
Certain restrictions continue to apply, including restrictions relating to professional sport.
The Graduate route can therefore provide time for an international graduate to develop their career and potentially secure employment that qualifies for another immigration route.
The Graduate visa does not itself lead directly to settlement.
However, a Graduate visa holder may potentially switch into another immigration category such as the Skilled Worker route if they obtain eligible sponsored employment and satisfy the relevant requirements.
A common immigration pathway can therefore be:
Student Visa → Graduate Visa → Skilled Worker Visa → Indefinite Leave to Remain
The specific immigration strategy should be considered individually because time spent on the Student or Graduate route does not normally count towards the standard 5-year Skilled Worker settlement period.
The Graduate route has specific rules concerning dependants.
In general, a partner or child who was already an eligible dependant on the applicant’s Student or Tier 4 permission may be able to continue as a dependant under the Graduate route.
There are limited exceptions, including certain children born in the UK during the Student permission period.
Dependants should therefore be considered before the main Graduate application is submitted.
The Graduate visa cannot normally be extended.
Before it expires, the applicant will therefore need to:
Potential routes may include:
Eligibility will depend upon the applicant’s circumstances at the time.
We review the proposed course, education provider, CAS and immigration circumstances.
We check the CAS against the application and supporting documents.
We assess tuition fees, maintenance funds and bank statements against the Student route requirements.
We prepare a tailored checklist covering the applicant’s individual circumstances.
We assist with preparing and reviewing the Student visa application before submission.
We assess academic progression, immigration status and eligibility for an in-country application.
We assess whether the course permits dependants and assist with qualifying family applications.
We assist eligible students with applications under the Graduate route after successful course completion.
We can assess future immigration options, including potential switching from the Graduate route into sponsored employment or another eligible UK immigration category.
Student immigration applications can involve strict evidential and timing requirements.
Our assistance focuses on:
If you are planning to study in the United Kingdom, extending your Student visa or preparing to apply for a Graduate visa after completing your studies, James Immigration Solutions Ltd can assist with your application.
Discuss your Student or Graduate visa circumstances with our immigration team.
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In addition to outstanding course fees, the current maintenance requirement is generally £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to nine months.
The current Student visa application fee is £558, whether applying from outside the UK or applying to extend or switch from inside the UK.
A Student visa application normally takes approximately 3 weeks outside the UK and 8 weeks inside the UK, although individual cases may take longer.
Eligible degree-level students can generally work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time outside term time. Different restrictions apply depending on the course and sponsor.
For most qualifying graduates, it is 2 years if the application is made by 31 December 2026 and 18 months for applications made from 1 January 2027. PhD and other doctoral graduates normally receive 3 years.
No. The Graduate route is an unsponsored route and does not require a job offer or Certificate of Sponsorship.
No. The Graduate route is not normally extendable, although eligible applicants may switch into another immigration route before their permission expires.
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