Length of your stay in the UK

If you are studying at degree level or above, you can stay for the full duration of the course plus up to an extra four months.

If the course is below degree level, you will be allowed to stay for up to three years.

Extending your permission to stay as a general student in the UK

From the end of March 2009, if you want to extend your stay on a general student visa (or a student visa), you must pass the points-based assessment and score 40 points.

The cost is currently £357 by post or £565 in person, plus £50 per dependant. There is no difference in what you need to apply for when you first come to the United Kingdom to study, and when you are applying to extend your stay. Everyone must pass the points-based assessment.

If you need to resit examinations or repeat any part of your course, you can do so twice for each individual examination or module. If your existing visa ends before you have finished the resit or repeated the appropriate studies, you will need to apply to extend your stay. It is unlikely that extensions will be given to study at a level that is below level 3 of the National Qualifications Framework (or its equivalent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), if you are over 16.

Finances for extending leave to remain

If you need to apply for an extension to complete a current course or to undertake a further course (the application should be made within four months of a previous course completion) you will be required to provide evidence of fees for the course (only the first year if the course is longer) and just two months’ maintenance

If you are completing a course of six months or less (including pre-sessional) and seeking an extension within one month to go on to further studies you will also have to provide evidence of fees for the new course (only the first year if the course is longer) plus the maintenance costs per month for each month, up to a maximum of nine months.

If you are switching into the student route from outside Tier 4 you will also be required to provide evidence of fees for the course (up to one year if the course is longer) plus maintenance per month of the course, up to a maximum of nine months.

Working in the UK

At present international students can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during vacations. Depending on the course you may also be eligible to switch into the post-study worker category of Tier 1.