International studentsStudent visa - supporting documents guidance

All Student visa applicants are required to provide:

• Your original current passport

• Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number.  There is no requirement to upload any CAS documents.

• Evidence you meet financial requirements - please read "Check if you must provide Student visa financial documents" for information

• Translations of documents if they are not in English

Check if you must provide Student visa financial documents

Whether you have to provide financial documents will depend on a number of factors, such as whether you are applying in the UK or outside the UK, how long you have been in the UK with a valid UK visa and whether your nationality is listed as a differential evidence requirement. These are just a few examples.

Applicants may also need to provide:

• Evidence you meet finance requirements

• Financial sponsor letter, if you have one

Depending on what kind of documents you have as evidence you meet Student visa financial requirements, you may need to provide additional documents. 

See the Who needs to show finances? dropdown to find out if you need to submit financial documents.

Some Student visa applicants may need to provide:

• Tuberculosis test - usually applicants outside the UK if you have lived in certain countries for more than 6 months

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate - certain courses only, this will show on your offer letter/CAS

• Your original current Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) if you have one - for applicants in the UK only

• Evidence you have completed your most recent programme, such as official transcripts or certificate showing you were awarded qualification - for applicants in the UK currently on Student visa, this will show on your CAS

• Written consent from your official financial sponsor to apply for the Student visa 
  • If you are continuing a course and will continue to receive financial sponsorship or scholarship money covering both your tuition fees and living costs from a Government or international scholarship agency or
  • If you completed a course in the UK in the 12 months before you apply for your Student visa where you received financial sponsorship or scholarship money from a Government or international scholarship agency covering both your tuition fees and living costs

• If you are under 18 years old - written consent from both parents or legal guardians to your Student visa application, including confirmation of your relationship, consent to your living and care arrangements in the UK and consent to your travel and reception arrangement in the UK, signed by both parents or legal guardians

When you submit your visa application, you will be asked to confirm that the supporting documents you are submitting for your visa will be used to support your application and that the documents are genuine.

Differential evidence requirement

Some nationals specified by the Home Office may have their Student visa route application considered under the differential evidence requirement.

This means that you do not have to submit certain documents, such as evidence you meet financial requirements or qualification documents, with your visa application.

See the Differential evidence requirement dropdown for more information.

Dependants

If you have dependants who are applying for their visa with you at the same time, they will also need to provide their documents. 

Some examples include a marriage certificate, birth certificate and/or evidence you are living at the same address. For more information, see the Dependant supporting documents dropdown. 

Depending on your dependants' situation and where they are applying from, they may also need to provide a Tuberculosis test certificate and prove they meet financial requirements. Please check whether they must provide financial documents to show they meet financial requirements.

If any of your supporting documents for your visa application are not in English or Welsh, you must provide a certified translation of these documents.

The translation must be a fully certified translation from a professional translator or translation company that can be independently verified by the Home Office.

The translation must include all of the following information:

• confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the document
• the date of translation
• the full name and signature of the translator or an official from the translation company
• the translator or translation company’s contact details

Certain nationals may not have to provide certain documents in support of their Student visa application, such as documents to show you meet finance requirements or your academic qualifications. 

However, UKVI confirms that they reserve the right to request evidence you meet finance requirements, even if you qualify under differential arrangements. If you are asked to provide this evidence you will have a very short time to provide it. Failure to provide the requested evidence will result in a visa refusal.

The list of nationals in the differential evidence requirement is listed in Appendix Student of the UK Immigration Rules in paragraph ST 22.1.

Can my dependants apply for the differentiation arrangements?

If a dependant:

• is applying at the same time as the Student visa main applicant and
• has both their nationality and the nationality of the Student listed in the differential evidence requirement (Appendix Student ST 22.1)
• is making an application for entry clearance (applying outside the UK) or a visa extension (in the UK) while meeting both above conditions

Then the dependant can be considered under the differentiation arrangement and will not need to submit certain additional supporting documents. The dependant will have to indicate on their visa application form that they are applying under differentiation arrangements and declare they can provide evidence they meet requirements.

If my dependant is applying under differentiation arrangements, do they still need to show funds?

UKVI have confirmed that when a visa application is being considered under differentiation arrangements, they can still request supporting documents.

If a dependant does not provide documents relating to funds, the visa application will be refused. We therefore advise for you and your dependants to maintain your financial documents that meet Appendix Student requirements in case this is requested by UKVI.

My dependants are applying separately from me (the main Student visa applicant). Can they be considered under the differentiation arrangement?

If the dependant is applying separately from the main Student visa applicant, even if the dependant is from a country listed in the differentiation arrangement, then the differentiation arrangement will not apply and they will be required to provide all supporting documents.

This is confirmed in the Student route caseworker guidance.

More information:

• Student route caseworker guidance

Whether your nationality is listed under the differential evidence requirement in Appendix Student will also determine whether you have to show finances for your Student visa application.

Please see the table below for who needs to show evidence of finances.  

Main Student visa applicant

	In UK now and been in UK less than 12 months	Applying outside the UK	In UK now and has been in UK for 12 months or more with valid UK visa***
Student visa applicant	Must show finances	Must show finances	Does not need to show finances
Student visa applicant with nationality listed in 'differential evidence requirement' list**	May need to show finances*	May need to show finances*	Does not need to show finances

Dependant applicants

	In UK now and been in UK less than 12 months	Applying outside the UK	In UK now and has been in UK for 12 months or more with valid UK visa***
Dependant visa applicant (applying together with Student)	Must show finances	Must show finances	Does not need to show finances if applying together with main Student applicant
Dependant visa applicant with nationality listed in ‘differential evidence requirement’ list** (applying together with Student)	May need to show finances*	May need to show finances*	Does not need to show finances if applying together with main Student applicant
Dependant visa applicant (applying separately from Student) – all nationalities	Must show finances if applying separately from Student	Must show finances if applying separately from Student	Must show finances if applying separately from Student

 *UKVI advise if you are applying under differential evidence requirement, you will be asked to declare you can demonstrate meeting the financial requirement and UKVI can request evidence of this from you before you get a decision on your application.

**See “Differential evidence requirement” drop-down for details.

*** Holidays and short absences from the UK do not break the 12 month qualifying period.   Absences under 3 months will not affect this concession. 

Showing finances for nationalities listed under differential evidence requirement

While Student route caseworker guidance confirms that as an applicant who qualifies under the differentiation arrangements (meaning you do not have to show certain documents, such as finances or qualifications) UKVI has also advised that applicants applying under the differential evidence requirement should still hold the required level of funds as UKVI reserve the right to request evidence of funds.

We would therefore advise applicants, even if your nationality is listed under the differential evidence requirement, to maintain the appropriate level of funds that meet Student visa requirements.

More information:

• Differential evidence requirement - Immigration Rules Appendix Student 22.1
• GOV.UK guidance - Financial evidence for Student route applicants
• GOV.UK - Student route caseworker guidance
• GOV.UK - Financial requirement caseworker guidance

You must show that you have enough money to cover your course fees plus a specified amount for living costs.

You must show your course fees plus £1023 for each remaining month of your course up to a maximum of 9 months (£9207).

Calculating the maintenance

If the length of your course is less than 9 months you will need to work out how many months you need to show. The number of months’ maintenance you show must be calculated based on the start and end dates on your CAS.

For example: if your course start date (on your CAS) is 1st February and your course end date (on your CAS) is 1st August, you will need to show 7 months maintenance (7 x £1023 = £7161).

If your study period includes a part month, you must round this up to a full month (for example a study period of 5 months and 1 week means you must show 6 months of maintenance).

Please see table below: 

Length of new course	Amount Required
Nine months or less	Any unpaid course fees + £1023 multiplied by each remaining calendar month of the course to cover living costs
More than nine months	Any unpaid course fees + £9207 to cover living costs for the first 9 months.

If you have paid any course fees, check this is shown on your CAS.

More information:

• GOV.UK Student visa - Showing money you need
• GOV.UK - Financial evidence for Student route applicants guidance
• Immigration Rules Appendix Student ST 12.1 - 12.6
• Immigration Rules Appendix Finance

Most visa refusals are because of maintenance. UKVI are very strict in checking that you have the required funds and that the documents you provide as proof are in the correct format.

If you do not have the money required, your visa will be refused regardless of your circumstances. If you have enough money but your documents do not meet all the requirements below, your visa application will be refused.

It is very important to read the Student route caseworker guidance for further information on maintenance requirements and evidence required.

We have summarised the most important information below.

Currency conversion

If you are using a bank account or sponsor letter that shows funds in a currency other than British pounds sterling (GBP), you must do an online currency conversion to show what your funds are worth in GBP.

Please use the OANDA website to convert your currency into GBP. If the funds in your bank statement vary over the 28 day period, we recommend you do a conversion of the closing balance and also the lowest balance over the 28 day period.

If you do not hold your funds in GBP you should ensure that you hold a little more money than you need to meet Student visa requirements. This is because exchange rates vary and the value of your currency may fall in between the date you get your bank statements or sponsor letter and the date you submit your visa application.

If you know your currency value is likely to change quickly, you should keep a higher amount of money.

Financial evidence you cannot use

The following are not accepted as evidence to show you have the required amount of money:

• overdrafts
• bitcoin savings
• stocks and shares
• pensions
• bank accounts that are not regulated by the financial regulatory body in the country you’re applying from
• bank accounts that don’t use electronic record keeping

Financial evidence you can provide

Bank statements - if you are self-funded

If you are funding yourself, your funds must be held in cash. Funds can be in the following types of accounts:

• current account
• deposit account
• savings account
• pension savings
• investment account

The cash must be in account where it is immediately accessible and must have been acquired legally. The required money must have been held in your account for at least 28 days and must be from the 31 days before the date you submit your Student visa application. 

The 28 days start by counting back from the date of the closing balance on your most recent financial evidence. Your financial evidence must cover the whole 28-day period.

The following documents can be used to evidence funds held in a personal or parent(s) or legal guardian(s) account:

• bank statements
• building society passbooks
• certificates of deposit
• a letter from your bank or building society

If you are using a bank statement it should have the following information: 

• the date it was issued
• your name (or the account holders name if it is your parent or partner)
• the name of the bank or building society (preferably with contact details and/or branch code)
• the account number
• balance on the account clearly showing amount held for 28 days

Can I use printed out online bank statements?

Yes, but it should have the information listed above. UKVI have also advised they may do verification checks with your bank. If they cannot verify the funds, they will refuse your Student visa application.

Can I use bank statements from outside the UK? 

You can use bank statements from outside the UK, however you will need to ensure that the bank is regulated by the appropriate regulatory body in the country where it operates and that the bank uses electronic record keeping.

If your bank statements are not in English, you must get them officially translated.

My funds are not in GBP. How can I find out how much I have in GBP? 

Do an online currency conversion to show what your funds are worth in GBP. Please use the OANDA website to convert your currency into GBP. If your level of funds have varied, we recommend you do a conversion of the closing balance and also the lowest balance over the 28 day period.

Please select your closing balance date (or the date your statement was printed) as the date you use when you do the conversion. 

Using parents' or legal guardians' bank statements

If your parents are paying for your course fees and living costs, you must submit:

• your parents’ bank statements (in the same format as above) and
• your birth certificate, as proof of relationship
• a letter of consent from your parents confirming availability of the funds, purpose of you using the funds and confirmation of the relationship 

Letter of consent from parent(s)

Your parents must also provide a letter confirming you are their daughter/son and that they are allowing you to use their bank statements to make your Student visa application. It would be helpful if they include a statement confirming that the funds are solely controlled by the parents.

You cannot use bank statements from any other relative.

Letter from your bank

You can also use a letter from your bank confirming you have money for your course fees and living costs for a 28 day period. The letter should have a date of 31 days before your apply for your visa.

This type of letter must have:

• Your name or your parent's/legal guardian's name (whoever is the named account holder)
• The account number
• The date of the letter
• The bank's name and logo
• The bank's contact information
• The amount of money in the account
• The amount of money available confirming there is enough money to cover your course fees and living costs

You cannot use a bank letter that shows the closing balance on a date. This is because it will not show the money has been held for a 28-day period.

Official financial sponsor

Some students may receive financial sponsorship to cover their course fees or living costs. Students can receive official financial sponsorship from their home government, the British Council, an international scholarship agency or a university as some examples. 

If you have an Official Financial Sponsor they must provide you an original letter on official letter-headed paper or stationery of the organisation of the official financial sponsor which must have: 

• Date of the letter - if older than 6 months, you should ask your sponsor for a new letter
• Your financial sponsor’s name
• Your financial sponsor's contact details
• How much they are giving for tuition fees and/or living costs or confirmation that your sponsor will cover all your course fees and living costs
• How long they will sponsor you for (ideally with an end date)
• If any dependants who are covered by your financial sponsor, their names should also be included in addition to the information above

What if my sponsor will not fully cover my tuition fees and living costs? 

You will need to provide at least one additional form of financial evidence described above, to show you have access to the remaining financial requirements.

I have been receiving financial sponsorship in the last 12 months. I heard I need written permission from my sponsor to continue studying in the UK.

If you have received official financial sponsorship in the UK in the last 12 months before applying for your visa, your sponsor letter should confirm that they will continue to sponsor you and they give you permission to remain in the UK until either you complete your studies or until the end date stated on your CAS.

This must be confirmed on your financial sponsor letter or your visa will be refused.

I will be receiving financial sponsorship from the University of Strathclyde. What can I provide as evidence of this?

If you are a student starting a new course of study at the University of Strathclyde, please check your CAS for information about the financial sponsorship you received, such as a scholarship. This should be on your CAS.

Alternatively some applicants may have a letter which indicates the details of their financial sponsorship.

What if my sponsor will not sponsor me to the end date on my CAS? What if they will only sponsor me for a few months?

UKVI will issue you with a visa based on your sponsor end date, rather than your CAS end date. In other words, if your sponsor gives you a letter with an end date that is earlier than your CAS end date, you will be granted a shorter visa.

I no longer receive financial sponsorship, but I did in the last 12 months.

If you are not currently receiving financial sponsorship, but you have in the past 12 months received full funding (i.e. funding for your full fees plus living costs) from an official financial sponsor, then you will need a letter of permission from your previous sponsor. The letter should confirm that your sponsor has no objection to you staying in the UK until you have completed your studies.

Certificates of deposit

If you intend to use a Certificate of Deposit please note that these certificates must still meet the Student visa financial requirements. These certificates often show that money will be held until a certain date in the future. This is not enough to meet the Student visa requirements as you must show you have held your financial requirements for the past 28 days.

A certificate of deposit should show:

• A date within 31 days you submit your visa application
• Information similar to what should be on a bank statement
• At least 28 days have passed since the date of deposit
• You can access the funds at any time

Loan

Student loans must be provided to the Student visa applicant and must be from certain loan providers, such as a government, a government sponsored student loan company or an academic or educational loans scheme. For details please see Immigration Rules Appendix Finance paragraphs FIN 8.3(c) and FIN 9.2.

For student loans you need to show a student loan letter which:

• is dated no more than 6 months before the date of application
• confirms the loan is a student loan provided by either the relevant government or a government sponsored student loan company or an academic or educational loans scheme
• confirms there are no conditions on release of the loan funds other than a successful application to study
• confirms the amount of the loan
• confirms the loan is for you
• is on official stationery
• confirms the funds will be available to you, or paid directly to the sponsor, before you begin your course

If your student loan only covers some of your course fees or living costs, you must be able to provide additional evidence that you can show the rest of the funds required.

More information:

• GOV.UK Guidance: Financial evidence for Student route applicants
• Appendix Student ST 12.1 - 12.6
• Appendix Finance

You can check your CAS carefully in the Evidence Provided section under Other Evidence and in the section "Evidence used to obtain offer." This means that this evidence was assessed by the University of Strathclyde for your application for admission to the University.

If there are documents listed here, for example a certificate or transcripts, then if you will be studying at degree level or above, you do not need to provide them for your visa application. The University of Strathclyde is a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance. However if you will applied for a programme of study below degree level, you will have to submit your certificates or official transcripts of the qualifications the University assessed for your application to the course.

We do recommend students have original documents of these available. The Home Office does reserve the right to request an original certificate of qualification or transcript of results.

On your CAS	What do I need?
If your CAS has a specific English Language test	Keep record of the evidence you used to show this requirement
You met level CEFR B2 in English	No further evidence required
List of certificates or transcripts from educational institutions where you previously studied	Keep record of the evidence you used to show this requirement - for example certificates or transcripts

If you are in the UK on a Student visa and need a new Student visa

The following information is for Student visa applicants in the UK only.

If you studied in the UK on a Tier 4 or Student visa before starting a new course, you will have to show proof you have successfully completed your previous course of study such as by providing a transcript or degree certificate.

If you are continuing on the same course of study, your CAS will usually confirm that you have met level CEFR B2 in English. If this is the case, no further evidence is required.

Low-risk nationals 

If you are a low-risk applicant, you do not need to submit these documents. However, you should have them available in the case the Home Office requests to see these documents.

More information:

• Appendix Student 20.1 - 20.3
• GOV.UK - Student route caseworker guidance

Your CAS will confirm whether your level of English has been assessed in reading, writing, speaking and listening or if an assessment is not required. 

You will see this information on your CAS in the Other evidence section by Evidence used to obtain offer. This means this information was assessed by the University of Strathclyde for your English language ability. You will not have to provide evidence of this for your Student visa application.

The following are examples of what documents that may be listed on your CAS depending on how your English language has been assessed. Please check your CAS carefully for this information.

The University of Strathclyde is a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance.

Situation	Evidence to provide
National of a majority English-speaking country	Your passport
You have a degree-level qualification taught in a majority English-speaking country	Check your CAS - you may need to provide a certificate or results transcript plus a statement of comparability from Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) confirming your qualification meets or exceeds the level of a UK degree
You have completed a degree in the UK	Check your CAS - your certificate or results transcript
You are applying for Student visa at degree-level study and don't meet any of the previous situations listed	Check your CAS - it will confirm that your English language ability has been assessed at at CEFR B2 in all four components or through the Home Office's approved secure English language tests (SELT)
You are applying for Student visa at below degree level study and don't meet any of the previous situations listed	Check your CAS - it will confirm that your English language ability has been assessed at at CEFR B1 in all four components in all four components or through the Home Office's approved secure English language tests (SELT)

More information:

• Appendix Student ST 7.6 and 13.1 - 13.4
• Appendix English Language EL 8.1 - 8.4

This information is for Student visa applicants in or outside the UK.

Some courses (mostly in Science and Engineering) require ATAS clearance. The ATAS certificate can take awhile to process and even longer during busy periods, so it is advisable to apply early.

If you need an ATAS certificate, it is important to apply for it as soon as you can. You do not need a CAS or an unconditional offer to apply for ATAS. The application is free.

Apply for ATAS

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

I am starting a new course of study

If your course requires ATAS, this will be stated in the notes section of your University of Strathclyde online application.  You should take a note of your Common Aggregate Hierarchy (CAH3) code, which is a code that helps identify programmes that require ATAS. If you need ATAS you must apply for it online. It is your responsibility to check if you require ATAS clearance.

After your ATAS application has been approved, an ATAS certificate will be emailed to you. You must include this with your visa application.

I am continuing on the same course of study

You must apply for a new ATAS certificate if the duration/length of your course increases by more than three months. If you are applying for a visa extension, then the duration/length of your course has increased and a new ATAS certificate is required.

You do not need your new CAS to apply, but you will need to know the new end date of your studies as agreed with your department. You can apply for your ATAS using the information in your original research statement or ATAS certificate, provided your area of research has not changed. If your course contents or research proposal for your course of study change, you must apply for a new ATAS certificate.

It can take some time for an ATAS certificate to be issued, so you should apply as soon as you know your new end date. 

Nationals who are exempt from the ATAS requirement and condition

Some nationals are exempt from the ATAS requirement and condition and do not have to apply for ATAS. 

If you are a national of one of the following countries, then you do not require an ATAS certificate.

ATAS exempt countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• Iceland
• Japan
• Lichtenstein
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• Any country in the European Union

You can see the list of nationals in Appendix ATAS paragraph ATAS 3.1 for those who are exempt.

If you are not a national of an exempt country, then you will have to apply for an ATAS certificate. The differential evidence requirement does not apply to ATAS.

More information:

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
• Immigration Rules Appendix ATAS

This information is for Student visa applicants who are applying outside the UK and have been outside the UK for more than 6 months.

If you're coming to the UK for more than 6 months and resident in any of the countries where you need a TB test to enter the UK, you will need to have a tuberculosis (TB) test.

If your test shows you do not have TB, you will receive a certificate valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray. You must include this in your UK visa application.

Find out if you require a TB test.

More information:

• Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants
• Appendix Student ST 3.2
• Appendix T: Tuberculosis screening

This information is for Student visa applicants in the UK only.

On 5th August 2022, the Home Office removed the requirement to register with the police with immediate effect. 

This means that students are no longer required to register under the scheme or and no longer have to update their Police registration certificate. If you have made a request for an appointment or scheduled an appointment, you are no longer required to attend.

However, you are still required to report any changes of your address and personal details. This can be done at https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp 

Please visit Police Scotland's website below for frequently asked questions.

More information:

• Police Scotland - Overseas Visitor Registration
• UK Council for International Student Affairs - Protecting your student status - Police registration no longer required

This information is for Dependant applicants of main Student visa applicants in or outside the UK.

Depending on the main Student visa holder's circumstances, there is a possibility dependants may join the Student visa holder in the UK or stay longer in the UK.

Dependant partner

A dependant partner is defined as: 

• your husband, wife, or civil partner 
• your unmarried partner (you will have to provide additional evidence if this is your relationship status) 

Dependant children

A dependant child is defined as: 

• your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay 

Children must live together with their parents except when living away from the family home due to academic endeavours, such as:

• attending boarding school or
• attending college or university as part of full-time education

You may also have to provide evidence your child is not leading an independent life. This means they are unmarried or do not have a civil partner and they live with you, the parent(s).

If you are applying outside the UK together with your dependants, for your child(ren) to come to the UK, both parents must come to live in the UK together with your child(ren). Visit our International students with families page for details.

If you have a child that was born in the UK, please contact our team for advice. 

For Child Dependant applications made before 5 October 2023, if your child was over 16 years old at the time of application, they must demonstrate they were 'not living an independent life' and:

• were not employed full-time (unless aged 18 years or over) 
• were not depending on their parents for financial support (unless aged 18 years or over) and
• were not depending on their parents for emotional support 

Child Dependants who applied before 5 October 2023 would have been required to provide particular documents showing they met the above requirement.

This information is for Dependant applicants of main Student visa applicants in or outside the UK.

Applicants from specified countries who are applying for Dependant of a Student visa may not need to prove the financial requirement. The Home Office calls this the 'differentiation arrangement.' 

Whether your dependant applicants do not have to show finances will depend if:

• your dependant is the same nationality as you (Student visa applicant/holder) and
• if they are applying together with you (Student visa applicant/holder) from outside the UK or for a visa extension 

Applicants who are eligible will have their nationality listed under the 'differential evidence requirement.' You can find which countries are listed under the 'differential evidence requirement' from the GOV.UK Student visa webpage.

However, the Home Office confirms that when a visa application is being considered under differentiation arrangements, they can still request supporting documents from your dependant. This means it is important for your dependant to still have evidence available to show they can meet financial requirements, even if they don't have to submit the evidence.

The Home Office can request for this evidence any time the application is being processed. If your dependant is unable to provide evidence within the requested time, the application will be refused. 

The Home Office's Student and Child caseworker guidance explains how dependants can apply under differention arrangements.

Dependants will be required to provide certain supporting documents for their application.

Differential evidence requirement 

Please read the Differential evidence requirement tab for information on whether your Dependants are required to provide certain supporting documents.

Overview of Dependant supporting documents

Generally, dependants will require:

• Current passport
• BRPs - if applying in UK and previous visa was granted on BRP
• Proof of finances - see "Who needs to show finances" tab
• Evidence of relationship - see "Evidence of relationship" tab
• Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate - if required
• Certified translation document for any above documents not in English

Dependant partners may also have to provide additional documents depending on the situation. Further information can be found in the Relationship with a Partner caseworker guidance.

Dependant children may need to provide additional documents depending on what is being requested. Further information can be found in the Appendix Children caseworker guidance. 

Dependant applying separately from main Student visa applicant

The dependant will need to provide evidence of the main Student visa applicant's evidence of permission to enter or stay in the UK. 

Some examples of this are:

• The main Student visa applicant's copy of their passport showing their Student visa if issued or
• Copy of the main Student visa applicant's Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) if already in the UK
• Copy of CAS statement or student status letter from the University of Strathclyde if student is already enrolled

Your Dependant must be able to provide evidence of your relationship.

If this will be the first time your dependant is applying for a Dependant of a Student visa, they must provide evidence of your relationship.

If a dependant is applying to extend their Dependant of a Student visa, it is unlikely they will need to provide evidence of relationship again. However, you should have the evidence prepared and available to submit in case this is requested by UKVI.

Spouse or civil partner

This can be:

• A marriage certificate
• A civil partnership certificate for your partner

The marriage or civil partnership must be recognised by law in the country where it took place.

For Dependant visa applications made before 25 July 2023, your spouse or civil partner must intend to live together with you throughout your stay in the UK and must not have intended to stay in the UK beyond the period of the main Student visa holder.

Unmarried partner

For decisions on Dependant visa applications on or after 31 January 2024, unmarried partners must have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for two years before the application. While there is not a specific list of documents required to demonstrate this, caseworkers will look for evidence that your relationship meets requirements.

Check the Relationship with a Partner caseworker guidance for further details on documents.

For Dependant visa applications made before 25 July 2023, your unmarried partner must intend to live together with you throughout your stay in the UK and must not have intended to stay in the UK beyond the period of the main Student visa holder.

If your dependant is an unmarried partner or you are not in a civil partnership with them, you must have documents to show you have been living in a relationship similar to a marriage or civil partnership for a period of at least two years before the visa application is made. 

Documents can only be accepted from official sources. Some example documents (for applications made before 25 July 2023) include:

• tenancy agreements
• mortgage agreements
• utility bills - for example electricity; gas; water
• council tax bills

All Dependant partners (married and unmarried)

In addition to the above, your Dependant partner must also provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting (ongoing).

This includes evidence you are living together or share financial responsibility, as some examples. Documents assessed by UKVI look at how strong, acceptable or weak is the evidence you provide.

Details on what kinds of evidence you can provide are in the Relationship with a Partner caseworker guidance.

Children

If your child is applying for a Dependant Child of a Student visa for the first time, evidence of relationship must be provided.

Example documents include:

• full birth certificate
• government-issued household registration certificate
• official documents issued by overseas governments, if issued by a government or court, demonstrating the relationship with your child and is in English or with a verified translation

See the Home Office guidance on Appendix Children for information on how they assess this in the visa application.

This information is for Dependant applicants in and outside the UK.

Dependant funds

Dependant applicants must have £680 for each month of visa granted from the date of application, with a maximum of up to 9 months (£6120), for each dependant submitting their application with yours.

To calculate this, you need to know for how long the visa will be granted.

Calculating the funds needed

If the length of your course (from original start date to your new end date) is more than 12 months, you and your dependants will be granted a visa for 4 months after the end date on your CAS.

For dependant applicants outside the UK, the start date of the period is either:

• the date the dependant applicant intends to travel to the UK or
• one month before your course start date from your CAS

If the dependant applicant is extending a Dependant of Student visa in the UK, they must calculate the number of months between the date their current period of permission expires and the date your new visa will expire.

If they are switching from a different visa category, the start date would be the date of their visa application (when they applied online).

This is confirmed in the Student route: caseworker guidance under "Calculating funds needed for a dependant of a Student"

How do I calculate my dependant's maintenance?

To help you understand, this please see the examples below.

Example 1

Student A has 2 dependants. The application date is 02/01/17 and Student A has a CAS that shows his course start date as 02/02/2017 and course end date as 01/07/2017, the actual start date (shown as a sponsor note) was 01/10/2013. Student A is therefore doing a course of over 12 months) and he and his two dependants should receive a visa until 01/11/2017. Student A must show 5 months maintenance of £5075 (as there are 5 months between his CAS start and end date). His dependants must show 9 months maintenance of £6120 each (as there are 10 months between the application date and the date the new visas will expire and but you only need to show the maximum of 9 months). The total maintenance required for this application is therefore £17,315.

Example 2

Student B has 3 dependants. The application date is 02/01/2017 and Student B has a CAS that shows her course start date as 02/02/2017 and course end date as 01/09/2017, the actual start date (shown as a sponsor note) was 01/10/2013. Student B is therefore doing a course of over 12 months) and she and her two dependants should receive a visa until 01/01/2018. Student B must show 7 months maintenance of £7105 (as there are 7 months between her CAS start and end date). Her dependants must show 9 months maintenance of £6120 each (there are 12 months between the application date and the date the new visas will expire, but you only need to show the maximum of 9 months). The total maintenance required for this application is therefore £25,465. 

If you are unsure how much maintenance your dependants must show, or if the total length of your course is less than 12 months, please contact us for advice.

We will not be able to tell you how much you or your dependants need to show until you have your CAS or we have your CAS request form.

Dependant applicants should read the Home Office's Financial evidence for Student route applicant guidance. The guidance is also for Dependant of Student applicants.

The following are only a few examples.

Bank statements

If you have family members and you are using bank statements to prove you meet the dependant’s maintenance requirements, the money can be held in your bank account or the bank account of your dependant.

If you have children, their funds can be held in your bank account or the bank account of your spouse/partner. 

Official Financial Sponsor Letter

If you receive official financial sponsorship, your sponsor letter can state that your dependant’s funds/living costs will be covered or confirm an amount that will be paid per dependant (this must be equal to or higher than the finance requirements or you will have to use bank statements to show the difference). The letter must state the full names of all your dependants.

Helpful information for dependant applicants:

• International Student Support Team - International students with families
• UK Council for International Student Affairs - Dependants

UKVI guidance

UKVI requirements for Dependant of a Student visa applicants can be found in the Student route: caseworker guidance and UK Immigration Rules.

Areas with a specific focus on Dependant supporting documents are in:

• All Dependant applicants: Appendix Student - see "Dependants of a Student"

• Partners: see Appendix Relationship with Partner and Relationship with a Partner caseworker guidance
• Children: see Appendix Children and Appendix Children caseworker guidance

• Dependant financial requirements: Appendix Finance and Student route financial evidence guidance (also has information for Dependants)

For Student visa applicants in the UK only

Please do not make any travel arrangements or book flights while you are waiting for your visa. We cannot guarantee that you will have your visa in time for you to travel and you could lose money you have paid for your travel.

Although you are able to keep your passport while your visa application is in progress, the Home Office have confirmed that if you travel while waiting for a decision on your visa, your visa application will be withdrawn. You will then need to make and pay for a new visa application outside the UK in order to return.

For Student visa applicants outside the UK only

If your Student visa application is successful, you will receive an entry clearance vignette (sticker in your passport) that will be valid for 90 days. You must travel to the UK within this period. You must not travel to the UK before the validity period of your entry clearance vignette, as there is a risk you may receive the wrong immigration permission to start or continue your studies.

You will then need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) in the UK which will be your visa that should cover the duration of your studies at the University of Strathclyde. 

It is your responsibility to check your visa has the correct information and has been granted enough time to allow you to complete your studies. If you find errors on your BRP, please contact our team as soon as possible.