Uk Student Visa/tier 4 Pbs - Your Questions Answered

Dear Nairalanders,

It has been a long time since I have been on this forum and after posting on a couple of topics today, I have realised a lot of people are receiving inaccurate or no advice in regards to tier 4 of the PBS system in relation to student visas in the UK. There are so many different types of visas and so many different types of applicant that this information cannot be contained in one thread lumped with every single visa the UK offers. So I am offering this thread as a platform for those who have queries relating solely to Tier 4 - the UK student visa (greater than 6 months stay for approved education).

Everyone is free to post questions on this page and even answers! But I will endeavor to answer all questions as an experienced education consultant. I realise many people are destroying their futures by following the wrong advice or following their own reasoning without looking at what the UKBA has to say about the application process, and I find this extremely upsetting. You may also post your experiences of different visa centres in Nigeria. My advice is free of charge, and will be displayed here for everyone to see as a public reference.

Happy posting!


Regards,


DegreeAngel UK Ltd
http://www.degreeangel.co.uk

Pls i need to b put thru on these.
how will u get your appl. ref. no?
where and how will u pay for d visa fee?
which of d appl. centers is better?
Also can i have your e-mail i need your assistance in getin an info for me about a sch in uk pls,

see this guy

he is still asking for assistance in getting info about schools in UK

Yet he wants to know HOW to pay visa fee and get application reference number

people sef

Talk about putting the cart before the horse

@ylab - I appreciate your opinion, I assume some others share this opinion and i am glad you brought this up.
QUESTION 1
why create another thread

Their is already a GENERAL UK VISA ENQUIRIES THREAD which has been very useful in answering various enquiries. The good thing about that thread is its continuity. New information is updated from time on to time. It is only a lazy individual that will fail to read through the thread. Even if its the last few pages.

http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-127964.2368.html
ANSWER 1

You are perfectly right in the fact the thread has been very useful in answering VARIOUS enquiries. Superb in fact and I am glad Siena started it as he is a very straightforward and conscientious individual. However, he is not the one doing all of the advising and it is hard for any one individual to be an expert on all areas of visas for the UK as it is complex and varied. I have personally witnessed incorrect advice being dished out on the thread, which are so numerous I don't have enough time to go through the 75 pages to comment on or correct. Some updates cancel out previous schemes, whereas some are in addition to previous schemes/methods/criteria. In the thread some people state when the former or latter applies but not always. I see a lot of people advising others based on passed principles.

You state only a lazy individual would fail to look at the page. But by your reasoning this must be the same reason people look at the thread you suggested in the first place as most accurate information posted there has been taken from UKBA and VFS readily available to everyone.

QUESTION 2
Those that had unsuccessful visa applications were either as a result of  late submission, inadequate preparation ahead of the school resumption time and also not posting questions on the general thread on issues they needed clarification on. Others were wrongly advised by visa agents

Besides, this thread is a bit belated.  All UK universities have resumed for their September admission

ANSWER 2

Actually I would like to add to much of what you have said here. Unsuccessful visa applications have also been the result of fraud, spelling/administrative errors, university errors and wrong information posted on the very thread you referred to as many people post based on passed theories.

Even if all universities had resumed, knowing why people failed can help prevent people from failing the next time they apply (assuming no major changes were made before then) or at least knowing where to attribute the blame and learn some lessons.

HOWEVER, all universities did not resume in September, some resumed in October and have even given extensions up to a month long. Some will resume in November and some will even resume in January, February and March. So it is not belated at all, in fact with the new system we now have more fact under our belt as to the process thanks to the September batch.

If I told you to tell me the answer to for example, 'the meaning of life' lets say. Then gave you an hour to read a 75 page document which had the answers in there, updated daily over the period of a year. What would you do? Skip to the last page? Great! But what if you later found out that the person who wrote information on the last page actually was writing from his own view and not from fact. Then how many pages back do you go to find the fact? Then when you find the fact, does the fact, stand on its own or must it be read in conjuction with previous pages of known facts? How long would it take you to work out all this from the 75 pages? More than the allotted hour?

Would it not be easier if everything was regulated so that outdated pages were removed, or highlighted as being outdated or based on opinion or experience rather than fact? How can one person possibly do all of this?

The purpose of my thread therefore is not to replace the thread you mentioned, I myself have learnt a thing or two from that highly informative thread. But, this thread is to provide a running summary of the situation at a given point in time. For example if in September 2010 visas were free and someone asked me at that time I would display it in September 2010 on the forum. However, In March if visas are now £1,000, even though no one asked me again. I will still display it as being £1,000 based on knowing what people needed to know before. I can't have enough time to do this for all visas and I have specialised in STUDENT VISA's.

As an agent myself, I can charge for this information and tell people false information on a private basis then deny it in public. However, when I display information on a forum like this I am making information available to more people and preventing mistakes for those who can't afford to pay for help and don't research for themselves. It also means any advice I give may be questioned or criticized openly to prevent false information given by agents.

I feel this is now necessary. I need not do this as the opportunity cost for me is high, but I am dismayed by people whose dreams are dashed because of recklessness by others. I know how it feels to fall victim to someone else. Emotionally and economically I don't wish it on anyone. Hopefully you understand my reasons now, sorry if I did not make it clearer to all Nairalanders.

Thank you,


Warmest Regards

@ybab ad justwise
Why cnt we jst b our brods keeper instead of crucifying me u cld hav jst givn me a hlpin hand.
It a stupid idea to wait for d rain to start falling b4 u buy an umbrella.
I hav gone through d visa form but was nt clear abt those issues i raised.
On d sch issue since she is an agent i need a vital info abt a sch which i hav not being able to get frm their site.

'Even if i was caught in d act d law still say i have a right to an artorney and a fair hearing'

So can anyone giv me a hlping hand?

thks ell77
I have already applied and gotten al those info. I am gtin ready for visa application at most 4 jan intake.
But one of d schs i applied to did nt give me an info on weather
d 2009 admission is still open as if deir nxt intake is in nov, jan or feb.
So dats jst d info i am yet to get so i wil not b taken unawares

I am not sure I understand you. Did you apply to university already or did you make an enquiry. Applying would have required you sending supporting documents i.e. transcripts/certificates etc. You would then have been issude with a conditional offer letter, perhaps contingent on you paying a deposit or an  unconditional offer letter if you then accept this offer you will be issued with the visa letter which contains all the information the UKBA requires you to submit from the sponsor. If you are applying for January intake you should have you money by now so that the 28 days ending roughly the end of this month you can use to apply to the BHC for a student visa, through the VFS. You should normally allow up to three months for this process and not one month but a lot of evidence suggest most people receive their visa around 2 weeks (10 working days). January is the earliest admission you should look at unless , you have already had the money in your account for 28 days and have the offer letter and all else then you can hand the application form and supporting documents to the VFS immediately, expecting results before the end of this month. This would be cutting it extremely close for a November entry however. I cannot advise you what to choose it depends on your feelings. Phone or email the school for all course start dates - the intake you applied for should be written on your offer letter, so if you change you will need to be issued a new one which may take time and you need the original hard copy (sent by post/courier - no scans even if in colour). Not all universities list their non-Septemeber/October intakes as it varies from year to year and depends on demand. When they do list it, it is usually for January intake.

Regards.

Thks ell77
i hav already applied and sent my docs. online since last mth ad ws askd to wait 4 abt 4-6wks
for processing. i hav emaild dem 4 d start day bt no reply yet. mayb i'l cal dem

Don't try it only if u are coming from visa free country but if u are a Nigerian then don't even dream of it.

@i-toro

Thanks - but I am a female.

Anyway in answer to your question you should be fine. As long as it states on your visa letter that you can register up until 20th Oct, you should be fine. It is quite bizarre for you to have received the visa on the 29th and waited until the 15th to fly - in the Nigerian sense. As they usually can't wait to arrive, so they could be suspicious - but they have no right to reject you. If they question you over it having just a two week gap between, visa and flight booking is acceptable and normal in other countries. Perhaps you had other things to sort out. But don't tell them you were looking for money as, you were supposed to have enough! Why did you wait 2 weeks if you don't mind me asking?

Sorry maileby - the UK visa system and Australian visa system are quite different, the UK visa does not currently ask you to prove your source of funds before you can obtain the visa - they only require you to have the funds (or your parents).

I would not like to advise you wrongly, try creating your own thread - and hopeful someone else can be of more help! Sorry. Good luck - i am sure you will be fine! 

@dayonel - you have two options:
1. Try to enter the UK with your visa for the course hoping you will not be asked for your visa letter at entry and that the school was strictly against writing visa letters with longer extension because of the UKBA but will accept you if you arrive. You can also change your school with your visa although the process is long, so maybe if you ask them straight up if they would accept you if you entered the school without the written extension you will find that this is okay. TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THAT IS: you could be reufsed at entry and will have lost your flight money without even leaving the airport or if by some chance you escape the entry officer and enter and your school does not let you in you could be seen as staying illegally as your school may report to the UKBA that you are in UK but not in their school! You can see why this option is not really recommendable although for some people in certain circumstances it may be ok.

2. Apply to your school again for January intake now you should have had money in your account for close to 28days by now so when you receive the letter apply for a new visa for January, this will leave you plenty of time. You can't use the visa you have already. You will only have lost the previous visa fee. But N150k for flight ticket is not near the visa fee is it?! Once you have that visa you can enter the UK up to one month before your course starts i.e. December.

@ell77.

i was recently refused a student visa to the uk--today actually,im  quite devastated to be honest.

Anyway, i want to re apply but i'm thinking of the 28 day rule which came into effect on the 1st and i was wondering if you knew whether it would affect me since i am re-applying.

Also, if someone were to sponsor my education, like my uncle, for instance and i include a letter of consent with my application, do you think it would be suspicious, because i was refused on the grounds of incomplete maintenance funds. I scored 30 points for the visa letter, since i am going to be boarding in an independent school, i only need to show course fees for a year which is 19,507 gbp, but i only managed to show 11,300 gbp. Your views would be greatly appreciated.

@i-Toro: Then you don't have a problem, one week is perfectly reasonhable to get your things together. But if you are still uncertain, how about taking your annual eave before handing in your notice? Or asking your employer for one year sabattical?

All the best - either way, you are coming to UK!


@ b.iriah : Sorry to he hear this. Your rejection was, however to be expected. There are really only two criteria:
1. Having the offer and eveidence to support this.
2. Having the money asked for and evidence to supprt this.

It is not a case of they will just 'allow you' - even if you were N100 out due to currency fluctuations they have the RIGHT to reject you let alone £8,000. That's roughly N2 million Naira. They are not desperate for you to come to UK. They make thier money from your visa application anyway!

You need the full maintenance fee for the year and tuition fee in your account or the acount of your parents. Your uncle does not count, unless he is your legal guardian i.e. you are an orphan and he has legally adopted you. Apply again if your course has not yet begun (you cannot do administrative review as the fault was on your part) and is still at least a month away but not more than 6 months away i.e. the rare November courses, and larger number of January, February, March and April courses.

You must have the full money in your account for 28 days since it is a new application and as soon as you have this you must apply within a month of the balance statement. You must apply as if you had made no previous application i.e. you need a new visa letter if the date has changed and you must submit all supporting documents again.

Hope this helps?

All the best.

DegreeAngel UK Ltd

@ b.iriah
The money needs to be in your account, the account of your parents or a combination of the two. It can be in multiple accounts if it meets these requirements. But you must present the information clearly and write oanda conversion on each. To make it clearer you can reference and write this total of sums i.e.
Exhibit A - TOTAL SUM:
-Supporting bank statement 1 shows £4000 belonging to Miss Lola Thomas (the applicant),
-Supporting bank statement 2 shows £4000 belonging to Miss Lola Thomas (the applicant),
-Supporting bank statement 3 shows £10,000 belonging to Mr Kunle Thomas (the applicant's father - please see exhibit B for parental statement of consent/financial sponsorship).

Total Sum=£18,000 please check statements for individual conversion rates and Naira amounts held.

It is not part of the requirements for a UK student visa.