Student visa application guidance
Applying outside the UK (entry clearance)
1
Student visa entry clearance application
• This document is intended to provide guidance to University of Cambridge students on
completing an application for a student visa from outside the UK (entry clearance), and is for
those who have a nationality that is not a member of the European Economic Area or
Switzerland.
• The guidance has been prepared by the University’s International Student Office using screen
shots from UKVI’s website.
• Students are advised to read the application guidance on the University’s webpages as well as
on the gov.co.uk website prior to making an application.
• Apply for a student visa online using the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/apply
Once you have logged in and created a password you will have 10 weeks to submit your
application.
• For visa purposes, the University of Cambridge is a Higher Education Provider with a track
record of compliance.
2
Student visa entry clearance application
3
You must select
'England, Scotland,
Wales or Nothern
Ireland' in answer to
this question.
Student visa entry clearance application
5
Enter the country where you will
enrol your biometrics.
You will next be asked to check
the available visa application
centre locations in this country
and confirm that you have
identified where you will provide
your biometrics. The form will
then provide information on how
you data will be used.
After reading this, click ‘Apply
now'.
Student visa entry clearance application
Register your email
You must register your email address and create a password. You will then be emailed a link to enable you to
return to your application at a later stage, if you wish.
We advise using an email address that you will continue to have access to during your studies in the UK.
As you go through the application, you will be able to review and change your previous answers if required, or log
out and return to the application at a later stage via the link emailed to you.
Confirm your contact number
You must provide a contact number as UKVI may use this to contact you about your application. You’ll be able to
confirm whether can be contacted by call or text message (SMS) using this number.
6
Student visa entry clearance application
Confirm you have a CAS and enter
the CAS reference number.
This should be copied and pasted
from your CAS statement.
Do not submit an application
without a CAS number.
7
These are specific government
scholarships. Only answer ’Yes’ if
you are sure you have been
awarded one of these scholarships.
Student visa entry clearance application
Please enter your name as per your
current passport.
This should be the same passport
that the University of Cambridge
has used to produce your CAS
statement.
8
Please enter as appropriate.
If you are not, and have never
been known officially by another
name, you can answer no.
9
Student visa entry clearance application
Please answer as appropriate and
then select your relationship status
from the options in the drop down
menu
'Single' means that you have never
been married or been in a civil
partnership, and that you do not
currently consider yourself in a
relationship.
'Unmarried partnership' means that
you currently consider yourself in a
relationship but are not married or
in a civil partnership.
Enter your address details.
You are able to provide a
correspondence address if this is
different to your home address.
Student visa entry clearance application
10
Student visa entry clearance application
Enter how long you have lived at
the address provided in the
previous section .
If you have lived at your current
address for fewer than 2 years
you will need to add additional
addresses here.
11
Student visa entry clearance application
The passport should match the one
you have provided to the University,
and has been used in your CAS.
12
Student visa entry clearance application
Some countries issue national
identity cards. Select the
appropriate answer.
13
Student visa clearance application
If you have multiple nationalities,
enter the nationality of the passport
you are using to apply for your visa.
This should match the passport that
was used to produce your CAS
statement.
14
Student visa entry clearance application
If you have more than one nationality, you
should answer ‘Yes’.
You will then be asked for information about
this nationality. If you still hold the nationality,
you can leave the ‘date held to’ boxes blank.
If you hold a valid passport for other
nationalities, you will be asked for the details.
You will have the option to add more
nationalities if applicable.
15
16
Student visa entry clearance application
17
This question will not
appear if you are a national
of a majority English
speaking country (as
defined by UKVI).
Student visa entry clearance application
You should only answer ‘Yes’
to this question if you have
previously applied for a UK
visa which was granted and,
for that application, you
fulfilled the English language
requirements using one of the
methods listed. If you are
unsure, answer ‘No’.
18
If you selected ‘No’ to the
previous question you will next be
asked whether you have one of the
listed qualifications from a UK
school.
If the answer here is ‘No’ you will
be asked the following question.
The University of Cambridge is a
higher education provider with a
track record of compliance. You
should therefore answer ‘Yes’
to this question. Confirmation
your English language ability was
assessed should be stated on your
CAS.
Student visa entry
clearance application
Student visa entry clearance application
If you intend to bring family to the
UK, a separate visa application
will need to be completed for each
dependant. Please note only
certain students are eligible to
bring family to the UK as a visa
dependant. Information is outlined
at:
www.internationalstudents.cam.ac
.uk/dependant-visas
Answer as appropriate
19
Student visa entry clearance application
The form will ask for details
about two of your parents.
If you do not have your
parents’ details you should
click here and you will be
asked for further
information.
20
Student visa entry clearance application
You must include information about
any immediate family who live in the
UK.
If you have family who live in the UK
the form will ask you for further
information about this person.
You do not need to include extended
family, i.e. cousins, aunts and uncles.
21
Student visa entry clearance application
If you select ‘Yes’ to this question,
the form will ask you to provide
further details.
If you will travel to the UK with
someone who is not your partner,
spouse or child, select ‘Yes’ to this
question. The form will ask you to
provide further details.
The form only allows you to include
the details of one person, even if
you will be travelling with more.
22
Student visa entry clearance application
Only select ‘Yes’ to this question if
you have confirmed accommodation
arrangements. You will then be
asked for the address details of
where you will be staying.
The next question asks whether you
will be saying anywhere else in the
UK. For example, this might include
when you first arrive.
23
If you select ‘No’, you will be asked
where you plan to stay. If you have
not yet confirmed arrangements,
you should explain what your plans
are for accommodation. It is not a
visa requirement to have confirmed
details of your accommodation at
the point of application.
Student visa entry clearance application
If you have travelled to the UK in the past 10 years you
will need to answer ‘Yes’ and confirm the number of
times.
You should include visits to the UK in transit.
You will then be asked to provide further details for up
to 3 of your most recent visits to the UK.
24
If you select ‘No’, you will be asked if you have been
issued with a UK visa in the past 10 years.
You can then skip to slide 29.
Student visa entry clearance application
25
You will only be asked this question if you
selected that you have been to the UK before.
If you have come to the UK in the past 10
years you will be asked for the details of the
three most recent times you have been to the
UK, including the reason and the dates
travelled.
Provide the relevant details for your second and
third most recent trip.
Student visa entry clearance application
This question will only appear if you confirmed in the previous
section that you have been to the UK in the last 10 years.
26
If you select ‘Yes’ you will be asked whether you were told
to pay for the treatment. If your answer is ‘Yes’, you’ll be
asked whether you have paid the full amount. You will then
be asked for details of each occasion you received medical
treatment in the UK including the name and address of the
hospital or doctor’s surgery you attended and dates of the
medical treatment. If you cannot recall exact dates and no
longer have records, you should complete this section to
the best of your ability and add a note in the Additional
Information section at the end to explain this.
You will then be asked if you’ve been given any other
medical treatment in the UK for which you were told you
had to pay but have not yet paid in full. If the answer is
‘No’, you will not need to provide any further details
Student visa entry clearance application
‘Leave to remain’ means
apply for a visa extension
inside the UK. If you have
previously made a visa
application in the UK,
answer ‘Yes’ to this
question. You will then be
asked for further
information.
This question will only
appear if you confirmed that
you have been to the UK in
the last 10 years.
27
Student visa entry clearance application
A National Insurance number
is issued to anyone who works
in the UK. You normally need
to apply for one.
If you answer ‘Yes’ to any of
these questions, you will need
to provide the relevant details
These questions will only
appear if you confirmed that
you have been to the UK in
the last 10 years.
28
Student visa entry clearance application
29
If you have been to one or more
of these countries the past 10
years you will need to enter the
number of times here.
You should include visits in
transit.
You will be asked for further
questions about your two most
recent visits to these countries
as outlined on the next slide.
If you select ‘Zero’ here, skip to
slide 31.
Student visa entry clearance application
30
If you declared in the previous question that you have
been to one of the listed countries in the past 10 years
you will need to record details in this section
You should include visits in transit.
You will only be asked for the details for the two most
recent times you have been to one of these countries.
If you cannot recall exact dates and no longer have
records of these visits, you should complete this section
to the best of your ability and add a note in the
Additional Information section at the end of the
application to explain this.
Student visa entry clearance application
If you have been to a country other
than the UK, USA, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand or the EEA
in the past 10 years you will need
to record the number of times here.
You should include visits in transit.
You will be asked for the details
of time you have been to a
country that is not the UK, US,
Canada, Australia, New
Zealand or any countries in the
EEA.
You should list all time spent in
these countries over the past 10
years, including the reason for
the visit and the dates travelled.
If you cannot recall exact dates and
no longer have records of these
visits, you should complete this
section to the best of your ability and
add a note in the Additional
Information section at the end of the
application to explain this.
31
Student visa entry clearance application
Enter your planned arrival date in the UK. This is
only an indication of when you might travel to the
UK and does not mean you will need to arrive on
this date. Please note the earliest the vignette can
be valid is one month before your course start
date.
32
Student visa entry clearance application
If you answer ‘Yes’ to either of these
questions, you will be asked to
provide further details.
33
Student visa entry clearance application
Answer as appropriate.
You must provide full and
honest answers.
The subsequent questions
ask about any involvement
in war crimes, terrorist
activity, and extremist
organisations and views.
You’ll also be asked
questions about being a
person of good character
34
Student visa entry clearance application
If you have been
employed by any of the
organisations listed you
will be asked to provide
further details.
35
Student visa entry clearance application
Complete this section with
these details.
36
Student visa entry clearance application
Select that you will be
studying at a Higher
Education Provider with a
track record of
compliance.
37
Student visa entry clearance application
38
Select ‘Yes’ unless you are a PhD
student studying at a University
Partner Institute and this is listed
on your CAS.
UCAS is an organisation which operates an
application process for UK Universities. At
Cambridge, undergraduate students apply through
UCAS. You will need to provide your UCAS
personal identification number.
Other students will have applied directly to the
University and can select ‘No’.
Student visa entry clearance application
Your offer from the
University will have
confirmed whether or not
you required ATAS
approval as a condition of
admission. This is also
confirmed on your CAS.
If you select ‘Yes’ to this
question you will need to
provide the reference
number issued on your
ATAS clearance
certificate.
Please note if you required ATAS clearance, you must upload the
certificate issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO) as a supporting document with your visa application.
39
Student visa entry clearance application
Select ‘Yes’ to this question if you will be financially
sponsored by the UK Government, your home
Government, a University, or an international company or
organisation.
If you select ‘Yes’ and you are receiving financial
sponsorship which covers full course fees and living costs,
you will need to confirm whether this information is stated
on your CAS or you have a letter from your financial
sponsor as evidence of this. Funding is only stated on the
CAS where it is being provided by the University or your
College. Check your CAS to confirm if this is included.
The following questions
are about your finances.
Your answers will
depend on how you are
funding your studies at
Cambridge.
40
If you select ‘Yes’ to this question
you will be asked to confirm if you
are being ‘wholly sponsored’.
Wholly sponsored here means
your entire fees and full living
costs will be covered by an
official financial sponsor.
Student visa entry clearance application
Enter the course name as listed in your CAS
Select from the dropdown the
qualification you will receive
as stated in your CAS
statement.
Enter ‘University of Cambridge’
41
A sabbatical officer is a full-time officer elected by
the members of a students' union. Select ‘No’.
Student visa entry clearance application
Enter the start and end date as stated on
your CAS.
42
Student visa entry clearance application
This question relates to accommodation
payments which may have been made to your
College for accommodation only.
If you select ‘Yes’ you must confirm the
amount that has been paid and how this is
evidenced. Any advance accommodation
payment to your College can be added to your
CAS. For it to be included, you will need to
request this if does not already show on your
CAS statement.
Enter your first year course fees as stated on
your CAS
If you select ‘Yes’ to this question then you
must confirm the amount that has been paid
towards your course fees and how this is
evidenced. Any advance payment towards
fees can be added to your CAS. For it to be
included, you will need to request this if it does
not already show on your CAS statement.
43
Student visa entry clearance application
44
If you select ‘Yes’ to this
question you will be asked if
you have already received
your loan.
Student visa entry clearance application
‘Maintenance funds’ refer to
courses fees, as stated on
your CAS, and living costs. If
you are unsure of the
requirements for your visa
application, check
the information on the gov.uk
website.
This section is asking
whether the required funds
are held in your bank
account or your parent/s
bank account.
If you are receiving official financial sponsorship, as outlined in
slide 40, which covers the required funds in full, you can
answer ‘no’ to the funds being in a bank account.
45
Student visa entry clearance application
46
Student visa entry clearance application
You should now check through your
answers to ensure all the information
you have entered is correct.
If any answers contain mistakes you
are able to go back and correct them
at this stage by clicking on the
‘change’ hyperlinks.
Once you have agreed to the
subsequent declaration, you will no
longer be able to edit your answers
so you should check through the
form carefully at this stage before
proceeding.
47
Student visa entry clearance application
48
Student visa entry clearance application
This slide will only appear if
you reflected earlier on in
the application that you were
relying on funds held in
either your own, or your
parent's, bank account.
If this slide appears for you
please complete the details
as appropriate.
49
Student visa entry clearance application
All students are required to submit
their passport as a mandatory
supporting document.
The other supporting documents
listed will vary depending on your
course and nationality.
Note the requirements for
applicants who need to
submit a TB test.
50
Student visa entry clearance application
The application form
explains how you
provide your
supporting documents
to UKVI's commercial
partner. Please read
this information
carefully and let us
know if you have any
questions.
51
As shown on the previous slides, you are now given a list of supporting documents you need to provide based
on the answers you have entered in the application. This can vary depending on your course, nationality and
where you are applying. If you are unsure of the supporting documents you need to provide, contact the
International Student Office. Whether you upload your supporting documents or need to take them to the visa
application centre will depend on where you are applying. You will be provided with the next steps once you
have submitted the application.
You will be required to take a TB test if you have lived for at least 6 months in one of the countries specified by
the Home Office in the period prior to submitting your visa application. The list of countries is outlined at
www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa The test must be from an approved clinic. You will be required to submit your TB
clearance certificate with your visa application.
If you are a national of one of the listed countries, you will qualify for differentiation arrangements:
Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, The Dominican
Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, New
Zealand, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab
Emirates, United States of America, British National Overseas.
This means you will not need to include evidence of finances as supporting documents with your application.
Student visa entry clearance application
52
Once you have
checked all your
answers, you will be
asked to read and
confirm you
understand and accept
these conditions.
Student visa entry clearance application
Once you have
checked all your
answers, you will
be asked to read
and agree to a
declaration.
53
Student visa entry clearance application
Payment of the
immigration health
surcharge is mandatory
and will enable you to
access the UK’s National
Health Service during your
studies.
54
To pay the immigration health surcharge,
you will be asked to enter your course
start and end dates. Ensure these match
the dates on your CAS.
Student visa entry clearance application
Evidence of your permission to be in the UK
After the declaration you will be asked about collecting your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
When your visa is granted you will be issued a time-limited entry vignette (sticker) in your passport to enable
you to enter the UK. You will be required to collect the BRP after arrival. The BRP is the evidence of your full
UK immigration permission.
In the application, you will be asked to enter an Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code. You will have
been emailed a code by the International Student Office after your CAS was issued. By using this code, you
will be able to collect your BRP at the University. If you do not use this code, you would instead collect your
BRP from the Post Office by entering the postcode for your accommodation or for the University (as outlined
in your CAS).
Students are advised to use this code in their student visa application except for those on the PGCE
programme who are advised to collect their BRP from the Post Office as they have an earlier start date.
Check the further information is outlined at https://www.internationalstudents.cam.ac.uk/student-visa-
responsibilities/collecting-your-brp.
55
Student visa entry clearance application
The final sections of the application require you to pay the visa application fee and book an
appointment to enrol biometrics.
If you have any questions or are unsure about anything in the application, or with your
supporting documents, contact the University’s International Student Office by emailing
international.students@admin.cam.ac.uk
This guidance is correct as of May 2024. Please note that changes can be made to the
application by UKVI without notice, which means this guidance document may not be fully up
to date. This document is provided as general guidance on completing a student visa
application. Contact the International Student Office if you are unsure of anything in the
application as you complete it in relation to your circumstances. The International Student
Office cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for decisions made by the
Home Office.
56
Student visa entry clearance application
