What you need to apply for your student visa
Find out how to submit the right documents and check you meet the requirements to make a successful UK Student Visa application.
What you need to apply for your student visa
To show you are eligible for a UK Student visa, you need to submit the right documents in the right format to support your application.
Work through the checklist below to find out exactly what you need.
If you are a citizen of a European Economic Area (EEA) member state and have pre-settled or settled status, you do not need to apply for a UK Student visa. If you need to, you can view and prove your immigration status to the University online.
What you need to apply for your student visa
What you need to apply for your visa
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate
ATAS is a background check designed to reduce the risk of students using knowledge in sensitive subject areas to create weapons of mass destruction.
You may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate if you are:
- studying a relevant subject area within science and technology on a taught postgraduate or postgraduate research course
- a visiting researcher
Your conditional offer letter should advise if an ATAS certificate is required for your course and will be a requirement even if you don’t need a Student visa.
An ATAS is valid for six months and you can apply for an ATAS as soon as you have an unconditional offer.
When a new ATAS is required
You may be required to apply for a new ATAS under the following circumstances, even if you don’t need a new visa:
- your course end date changes by three months or more
- you change research topic
- you change courses and the new course requires an ATAS
Nationalities where an ATAS is not required
You do not need to apply for an ATAS if you are a national of one of the following countries:
- any country within the European Economic Area (EEA)
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- United States of America
Meet the conditions of your offer
A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number is an electronic document the University will send you to support your Student visa application. A new CAS number is required for every new application you make.
For us to send you a CAS number, you need to meet the conditions of your offer and the criteria set out in our CAS policy.
The conditions of your offer normally ask you to pass an academic qualification and provide evidence of your English language ability. We need to confirm to UKVI what we have based your offer on when we produce your CAS number.
If you need more time on your course
You will need a new CAS number if you need more time on your course and your course has a formal attendance requirement. If the course does not formally record or require your attendance, we may not be able to assign a new CAS. You should review our CAS policy for further information.
If you are changing courses
If you are transferring courses and need more time in the UK as a result or your new course sits within a different subject area, you must apply for your new visa before transferring courses. This application must be made from your home country.
Make sure you have enough money
You’ll need to prove that you have enough money to pay for:
- any outstanding tuition fees for your first year of study or the year of study you are extending your leave for
- your living costs
- the maintenance of any dependants
If you have been living in the UK legally for 12 months or more at the point you make your visa application, you will not need to send any evidence with your visa application. However, you should keep this handy in case UKVI request it.
Evidence of your finances
The types of documents you can use to show your finances vary depending on your circumstances. The general rule is that the money needs to:
- be readily available to you
- have been in your account for at least 28 days
You need to make sure that the documents you submit meet UKVI’s formatting criteria.
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How much do I need to show?
You will need to show that you have enough money to pay for any tuition fees that you owe to Manchester Metropolitan for your first year of study plus enough money to pay for your personal living costs (maintenance) in the UK.
You can consider any bursaries or scholarships you are entitled to as payments towards your tuition fees.
UKVI calculate your living costs (maintenance) as £1,023 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months:
- For a six-month course you would need £6,138
- For a nine-month course you would need £9,207
- For a one-year course you would need £9,207 (the same as nine months)
Check you have enough time to study in the UK
If you are studying at undergraduate level or below, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has specific limits on the total time you can study in the UK on Student visas or student-related leave.
This includes times where an application, appeal or administrative review is outstanding while you are in the UK.
There are no time limits in place for students studying at postgraduate level or above. However, academic progression rules still apply.
Get a Tuberculosis (TB) certificate
You may need to submit a TB certificate if you are coming to the UK for six months or more and have been living in a country where you need a TB test to enter the UK.
Prepare for your visa interview
UKVI has the right to interview every student to make sure that you are a genuine student. These interviews normally take place for applications made outside of the UK. They also have the right to carry out the test for applications made in the UK but these instances are rare.
You may be asked to attend an interview, which will be carried out at an application centre by video call. A copy of the interview transcript will be sent to the caseworker assessing your application. They will use the transcript to decide if your answers show genuine reasons for studying in the UK.
