Students applying for a visa to study in the UK will now have to show that they have the required funds in their personal or their parents’/legal guardians’ bank account for a minimum period of 28 days prior to making their visa application.
The UK High Commission, in a media release, has stated that rules regarding funding requirements for student visa applications have been changed. The changes are for all applicants who are making a Tier-4 student visa application with effect from October 1 2009. The end of that 28-day period should not be more than one month before the date of the visa application. Applicants must show bank statements or other evidence specified in the official Tier-4 guidance.
“Tier-4 is the name of the visa for students, like Tier-1 is for highly skilled professionals and Tier-2 is for work permits. The funding had changed for all the tiers except students, so as to give them a temporary window.
Initially, they had to show only one day’s required finding in their bank account. Now, it has increased to 28 days. The transitional arrangements that were in place allowing funds to be held on the date of application only, will no longer apply to applications made overseas on or after 1 October,” said a high commission spokesperson.
Under Tier-4, applicants for student visas need to acquire the requisite number of points from holding a visa letter, which is an unconditional offer to study by an education provider in the UK and fulfilling the maintenance requirements, that show the applicant has sufficient funds to support him/herself and pay course fees.
