If you are from a country that is not part of the United Kingdom or outside of the European Union, you may need to apply for the Tier 4 Visa in order to study in the UK. You can check if you need a UK Visa here:
https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
In order to apply for the student visa you have to:
- Be over the age of 16
- Have a offer letter for the course
- Have English Qualifications
- Be able to financially support yourself and pay for the course
- Be from a country outside of the EEA or Switzerland
- Meet all eligibility criteria
You can make your visa application no sooner than 3 months before you start your course. The decision is usually presented to you within 3 weeks, or if you want a faster decision, you may be able to pay for it.
Applying for a visa from outside the UK costs £348, any dependents which you would like to bring will also cost £348 per application. You will also need to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application, the cost of this varies, you can check how much you will have to pay here:
https://www.immigration-health-surcharge.service.gov.uk/checker/type
You can arrive in the UK up to 1 week before the course starts if your course lasts for 6 months or less. Otherwise, you can arrive in the UK up to 1 month before the course start date, if your course lasts more than 6 months. The amount of time you can stay in the UK with the Tier 4 Visa depends on several factors like course duration and previously completed studies.
| With the Tier 4 Visa | |
| You can | You cannot |
| Study | Get public funds |
| Work as a student union sabbatical officer | Work in certain jobs (e.g. professional sportsperson or sports coach) |
| Apply from inside or outside the UK | Study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school) |
| Apply to extend your stay | |
| Work in most jobs – depending on what level your course is and what kind of sponsor you have | |
SOURCE :https://study-bridge.co.uk/blog/uk-student-visa-requirements/