Guide
Preparing to extend your student visa
Updated on 11 January 2023
Advice on how to extend your Student visa, and the application checking service offered by the International Advice Service
When extending your Student Visa we advise you prepare your application at least six weeks before your visa expires.
What you need to do before you apply
You need to make sure you have the correct paperwork and have completed certain steps before you start your application. Some of these steps are similar to those you had to do before applying for your original visa.
Money
You will need to make sure you have the right amount of money in your bank account for at least 28 days (without any gaps) before you start your application.
- Pay your tuition fees in full or show you have the balance of your fees in your bank account for 28 days.
- Keep the required maintenance (from closing balance) in your bank account for 28 days.
- Make sure you have enough money in your bank account to pay for the immigration application and health surcharge.
Earnings from a part-time job cannot be used as evidence of maintenance
You will also need to:
- make sure your current UK address and phone number are correct on eVision
- apply for an ATAS Certificate (if you need one)
- ensure you have a current sponsor letter (if you are sponsored by an official financial sponsor)
If you are not extending to complete your course: you need to provide an IELTS certificate if you have one or evidence of an undergraduate degree taught in English.
If you are applying from outside the UK
If you are outside the UK when you apply for your new or extended visa you will also need to:
- take a TB test if required
- provide an IELTS certificate if you have one or evidence of an undergraduate degree taught in English (if you are starting a new course)
- have enough money in your bank account to cover the Immigration application and health surcharge. You can use the Immigration Health Surcharge tool on the Home office website to check how much you will have to pay
Book an appointment at an in-country visa application centre
You may need to attend your visa application centre for a biometric appointment where your fingerprints and photograph will be taken. If you have not already been asked to submit your supporting documents by post, you will have to submit them at your appointment.
Requesting a CAS
Once you have provided the above information, International Advice Service staff will request a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) if you are eligible.
You will receive an email with a CAS checklist for you to check and return. If all the information you submit is correct, we will produce a CAS within around five working days. This may take longer if staff need to request evidence of academic progress and payment of fees.
Book an appointment to check your application
When you receive your CAS, you should email the International Advice Service at internationalsupport@dundee.ac.uk for an appointment to check over your application
Please ensure you book this appointment as it is essential you have a successful visa application.
If you are experiencing a delay in providing supporting documents prior to your appointment, please contact us to organise an alternative appointment. We will try our best to assist you as long as you have given us sufficient time to prepare. We want to assist you in a successful application, however you need to provide us with the relevant documents well in advance of your visa expiry date.
Last minute applications may not be dealt with. Should you let your visa expire, you will run the risk of being refused a visa extension and your student sponsorship would be invalid. You would then be withdrawn from the course.
How to apply for your visa renewal
When completing your visa application, please list the delivery address as :
c/o Immigration Compliance Team
The Enquiry Centre
University of Dundee
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Once you have completed all the steps explained above, you can begin your application for a new Student visa at Gov.uk
Biometric enrolment
As part of the online application, you can scan and upload your supporting documents and also book an appointment at UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service centre (the nearest centres are Glasgow and Edinburgh).
When you have completed your online visa application you should download and print your receipts. One of those is your biometric enrolment letter which you should take to your appointment at UKVCAS service centre to enrol your biometrics as soon as possible (and within 15 days).
How long will my application take?
UKVI usually make a decision within two weeks from the biometric enrolment. You will receive a letter or email notifying you of the outcome of your application. However, your application can take up to eight weeks in total to process.
Following a successful visa application, if you have put the IAS as your correspondence address, your BRP card will be returned to the International Advice Service and we will email you to collect your BRP card from the Enquiry Centre.
If you receive your BRP card directly from the UKVI, you must let us know immediately. This is vital for compliance purposes as the University will need a copy of your new visa (BRP card) to continue your Student visa sponsorship.
Showing required funds
Funds must be shown in a bank account in your name for 28 consecutive (without any gaps) days, on the date you submit your online application, with closing balance dated no earlier than one month before the online application is submitted.
- You will be need to show maintenance of £1,023 for each month required for study, up to a maximum of nine months.
Therefore, if you are extending for nine months or more you should have £9,207 in your bank account.
- A maximum of £1,334 paid for university accommodation may be used towards evidence of maintenance.
- If you are to be accompanied by a dependant (spouse/children) you will need to show an additional £680 per dependant for each month (up to maximum of nine months) depending on the length of leave applied for.
If you cannot show the required funds in your bank account, you can ask your parent to post supporting documentation including an original bank statement held in your parent's name (held over 28 days), an original, signed supporting letter, and original birth certificate (all translated into English). If you have a spouse, and they are in the UK or are applying for a dependant visa to travel with you, you can provide an original bank statement in your spouse's name.
Please maintain the required funds in your bank account until you receive your new visa, as this will ensure funds are available if a re-submission of your application is required.
Differentiation arrangements
Under the differentiation arrangements, students of certain nationalities are not usually required to provide evidence they meet the financial requirements. However, applicants should still hold the required level of funds as UKVI reserve the right to request evidence of funds from these applicants.
Regardless of nationality, if you have lived in the UK for the past 12 months or more, you will be exempt from needing to show evidence of maintenance funds.
Financial evidence
All other nationals must provide bank statements as evidence of funds. The closing balance on the bank statement must be no more than one month prior to application, and show you have the required funds for no less than 28 consecutive days. If you cannot provide a bank statement in your name, you can provide a bank statement from your parent(s) – these must be accompanied by a supporting letter from your parent or spouse as well as your birth certificate (original) or spouse but your spouse must be either in the UK or applying for a dependant visa and travelling with you.
All documents must be in English, or accompanied by a certified translation.
If you have a financial sponsor
If you have a sponsor, such as your government, employer, or home university, you do not need to provide bank statements, but you must provide an original letter from your financial sponsor, confirming that they will provide you with the required funds during your studies.
Tuition fees
Your tuition fees are shown on your CAS. If you still have fees to pay at the time of your Student Visa application, you should show that you have this amount available in your bank account, in addition to the living costs as listed below.
If you have paid your fees in full after you received your CAS, please contact the International Advice Service so that we can arrange update this for you.
Examples of living costs
Main applicant:
UKVI have set the current maintenance/living costs at £1,023 per month of study, and this is used to calculate how much you must show in your account.
- you will be required to show maintenance of £1,023 for each month required for study, up to a maximum of £9,207 (this is the equivalent of £1,023 x 9 months)
- A maximum of £1,334 paid for university accommodation (not private accommodation), may be used towards evidence of maintenance.
Please maintain the required funds in your bank account until you receive your new visa, as this will ensure funds are available if a re-submission of your application is required.
Example 1:
If you are extending for 12 months and still have to pay £5,000 tuition fees, your bank statement must show £5,000 +
£9,207 = £14,207 for 28 days.
Example 2:
If you are extending for 2 years and still have to pay £5,000 tuition fees, and you have paid £3,000 to the University for your accommodation, your bank statement must show £5,000 + £9,207 - £1265 = £12,942 for 28 days
Dependants
UKVI have set the current maintenance for each dependant at £680 per month. If you are bringing dependants to live with you during your studies, you must show the above living costs for you as the main applicant, as well as an additional £680 per month per dependant up to a maximum of 9 months (depending on the length of leave applied for). For example:
- if applying for 4 months leave, dependants will be required to show maintenance/living costs of 8 months leave.
- if applying for 6 months leave, dependants will be required to show maintenance/living costs of 9 months leave.
Example 1:
If you are extending for 12 months you still have to pay £5,000 tuition fees, and you are bringing one dependant with you, your bank statement must show £5,000 + £9,207 + £6,120 = £20,327 for 28 days.
Example 2:
If you are extending for 7 months and have paid your tuition fees in full, and you are bringing three dependants with you, your bank statement must show £7,161 + (£6,120 x 3) = £25,521 for 28 days.
*Application fees used are correct at time of publishing. Current fee levels should be checked at Gov.uk