Table Of Contents:
- What is a UK Student Visa
- UK Student Visa Points Requirements
- UK Student Visa: Requirements for International Students in 2025
- Summary
The UK’s education system is considered among the best in the world, and a UK degree is recognised and valued worldwide. Studying in the UK offers international students several benefits, including access to world-renowned colleges and universities and a diverse and multicultural environment.
To study in the UK, international students who are 16 or over can apply for a UK student visa. Non-UK residents can apply for a student visa to undertake a course of study at a British college or university. The UK student visa replaced the previous Tier 4 (General) student visa. This immigration route for international students requires them to be sponsored by an education provider in the UK that holds a valid student sponsor licence.
What is a UK Student Visa?
A student visa is a route for international students looking to study in the UK. Therefore, any non-UK and non-Irish citizen will, in most cases, need a student visa to enroll in a full-time course, including undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral levels at a UK educational institution.
The UK student visa, which replaced the previous Tier 4 (General) student visa, is a route for international students who are aged 16 or over and looking to study a full-time or part-time course (in some limited circumstances) in the UK. A licensed education provider must sponsor an international student to enable them to apply for a student visa.
The visa also permits students to work part-time during term time and full-time during holidays. This helps the students gain work experience and supplement their income. However, students on courses below degree level are capped at 10 hours a week, and part-time student route holders are not permitted to work at all.
UK Student Visa Points Requirements
The requirements for the Student Visa in 2025 are set out in Appendix Student of the UK Immigration Rules. An international student looking to apply under this route must be aged 16 or over and a genuine student. They also must meet a specific set of requirements to accrue 70 points in total. The students can accrue the requisite number of points if:
a. A UK licensed student sponsor has offered them a place on a course – 50 points
b. They have enough money to pay their course fee and to support themselves during their stay in the UK – 10 points
c. They speak, read, write, and understand English to the required standard – 10 points
d. A licensed student sponsor must have provided the student visa applicant with an unconditional offer of a place on a suitable course leading to an approved qualification. The education provider, in order to prove this, will need to issue the applicant a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) after they have offered the applicant a place on the relevant course. The applicant must use the CAS within 6 months of issue.
UK Student Visa: Requirements for International Students in 2025
International students looking to apply for a UK student visa must have an offer of a place on a course from a UK-licensed sponsor. They will need to meet the English language and financial requirements as well.
1. Sponsorship by a Licensed Education Provider
You must have an unconditional offer of a place on a course from a licensed UK student sponsor leading to an approved qualification.
The education provider in this case is known as a sponsor. Under the new Student Visa route, UK academies and local authority-funded schools, including those with sixth forms, can neither hold a Student Sponsor Licence nor sponsor students.
You may be eligible for a Child Student visa if you are aged 16 or 17 and want to study at an independent school in the UK.
2. Course Requirement
On a UK student visa, you can do one of the following courses:
a. A full-time course leading to a qualification that is below degree level (RQF level 3, 4 or 5)
with at least 15 hours a week of organised daytime study
b. A full-time course leading to a qualification that is degree level or above (RQF level 6, 7 or 8)
c. A full-time course at degree level or above that is equivalent to a UK higher education course and is being delivered as part of a longer course overseas
d. A part-time course leading to a qualification that is above degree level (RQF level 7 or above), although the student cannot work under this visa, including placement work
e. An English language course at level B2 or above in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
A student visa also allows you to take up a full-time elected position as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.
You may also need an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate for studying or researching sensitive topics at RQF level 7 or above.
3. Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
Once your education provider has offered you a place on the course, they will send you a reference number called a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies).
You must apply for a UK student visa within 6 months of receiving your CAS and enter this reference number on your visa application.
4. Course Fee and Financial Requirement
You must have enough money to pay your course fee and support yourself during your stay in the UK. The amount of money you will need depends on your circumstances and what you’re applying for.
Course Fee
You need enough money to pay your course fee for 1 academic year (up to 9 months). The amount you need to pay will be mentioned on your CAS.
You do not need to prove you have this money if you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.
Financial Requirement
Unless you have been in the UK for 12 or more months on a valid visa on the date of your application or you are applying as a student union sabbatical officer, you’ll need to show you have enough money to support yourself in the UK.
You’ll need either:
- £1,483 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London
- £1,136 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses outside London
5. Knowledge of English Requirement
Unless exempt, you must prove that you can understand, read, write, and speak English to at least CEFR level B2 if you are applying to study a course at degree level or above, and CEFR level B1 if you are applying for a course below degree level.
If you’re studying with a Higher Education Provider
If you’re studying with a higher education provider at degree level or above, your Higher Education Provider can assess your level of English themselves.
This must still be equivalent to a CEFR level B2.
Summary
A UK student visa is for international students who wish to study in the UK for courses below degree, degree, and above degree level. They can do a full-time or part-time course on this visa. During their study, they may also be able to do a part-time job.
The basis requirements for UK student visa in 2025 include having sponsorship from a licensed education provider (also known as ‘sponsor’) in the UK, enrolling in an eligible course of study, having CAS from your education provider, being able to pay the course fee and financial requirement, and meeting the knowledge of English language at required CEFR level.
You can apply for this visa from outside the UK or switch to this visa from within the UK. After completing your course on a UK student visa, you can apply for a UK graduate visa or a UK skilled worker visa.
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