The UK has traditionally been one of the world’s leading educational destinations. It boasts of centuries-old universities that have a legacy of producing the finest minds in the world. Today, it remains one of the best destinations for students seeking high-quality education and a welcoming educational environment. Visa n Immigration helps students at every step of their UK admissions process. We have the experience and comprehensive service package to make your student journey stress free and help you begin your education at the right time, in the best possible university.
The UK is second to the US as the favored destination for international students. It has some of the best ranked universities in the world, some of which appear in the world university rankings.
Many sectors of higher education in the United Kingdom, such as engineering, business, management, art, design, and law, are world leaders. Every year, over 600,000 international students come to the country to pursue a variety of academic programs ranging from bachelor’s degrees to PhDs.
The degrees offered by the UK higher education institutes are recognized worldwide. Students from UK universities get an opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge at competent levels.
There are options to continue with post-graduate studies in most UK universities with some of them even promising to sponsor Tier 4 visas.
The United Kingdom (UK) and its universities have an undisputed reputation for academic excellence and quality with thousands of courses available for students, as well as being an ideal destination for many decades for over a million international students from all over the world.
Tuition fees vary between 4 countries that comprise the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The fees can vary widely depending on the type of program you choose and the university you decide to study at.
Study Program | Average Tuition fee in GBP (£) |
Undergraduate Bachelor Degree | £6,000 to £16,000 yearly |
Postgraduate master’s degree | £10,000 to £20,000 yearly |
Doctoral Degree | £13,000 to £29,000 yearly |
The academic year in the UK runs from September to July. Universities and Colleges in the UK have 3 intakes and some of them may also refer to intake as a term. The 3 intakes available in the UK are:
Intake 1: Term 1 – It commences in September/October and is the major intake
Intake 2: Term 2 – It commences in January/February intake is also available
Intake 3: Term 3 – It commences in May/June and is available for selected Courses.
Student Applicant:
Spouse:
Dependent Visa holders can work freely in the UK however they are not allowed to work as a doctor in training. If your dependent spouse is highly skilled and secures sponsorship with a Tier 2 licensed employer on his or her own account please note that they will not be able to ‘switch’ in country to a Tier 2 General Visa.
On the Tier 4 dependent visa, your family members including your spouse and dependents will be able to join you or stay with you in the UK during your course of study.
Definition of dependent:
You will be eligible to bring a dependent provided you are:
When to apply for a dependent visa
A dependent can apply at the same time as the Tier 4 applicant or after the student has obtained the result of their application for a visa.
When the applicant has applied for further leave to stay in the UK under Tier 4 and has not yet obtained a ruling, family members will have to wait until his permit is approved before submitting their permit for entry clearance.
Where to apply
Like a Tier 4 student application, dependents should apply for nationality or country of residence in their country. The application will be filed online. For each dependent, a separate application must be completed.
In most countries, an appointment to attend the visa application center for biometrics enrolment and submission of supporting documents is booked as part of the online applications.
Financial requirements
Dependents who apply for a visa must have ample funds to meet the cost of living in the UK. It is £680 per month for which the visa is valid, up to a maximum of 9 months. That is a total of £6,120 per dependent if the visa is granted for a period of 9 months or more (9 x £680).
A bank statement or bank letter can be required to satisfy this requirement, and the funds must be kept in the name of the student or the name of the spouse/partner. If the student has an official sponsor that covers the living expenses of any dependent, a letter from the sponsor stating this may be submitted to meet the financial criteria.
QS World University Rankings | University Name | QS World University Rankings | University Name |
5 | University of Oxford | 69 | University of Glasgow |
6 | University of Cambridge | 74 | Durham University |
8 | Imperial College London | 75 | The University of Sheffield |
10 | UCL | 79 | University of Birmingham |
18 | The University of Edinburgh | 82 | University of Nottingham |
29 | The University of Manchester | 93 | University of Leeds |
31 | King’s College London | 96 | University of Southampton |
38 | London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | 97 | University of St Andrews |
51 | University of Bristol | 119 | Queen Mary University of London |
54 | The University of Warwick | 131 | Lancaster University |