IMPERIAL COLLEGE GUIDE TO THE OVERSEAS STUDENT

IMPERIAL COLLEGE GUIDE TO THE OVERSEAS STUDENT ROUTE

VISA APPLICATION FORM

This document will take you through the overseas application form for a Student Route visa.

We aim to highlight specific sections that require further explanation, but the application form is quite

straightforward.

Please use this guide in the first instance, if you still have a query about the information required please contact the

International Student Support Service.

What will my visa look like?

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who hold a biometric passport and use the UK Government’s smartphone app ‘UK

Immigration: ID Check’ to confirm their identity will not be issued with a vignette in their passport nor will they

receive a BRP. The visa will be entirely digital.

If for any reason you are unable to use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, then you will be required to attend an

appointment at a Visa Application Centre and your visa will be issued in the form of a vignette for travel t the UK and

you would need to collect a BRP once you arrive in the UK.

All other nationalities

All other nationalities will receive a vignette (sticker) in their passport which can be issued up to 30 days before the

start date of the course. This vignette will provide a window of time that allows you to travel to the UK to collect

your BRP. Your visa is the BRP card that you collect when you arrive in the UK.

Where will my BRP be sent in the UK?

Once you have submitted your visa application form, paid the Immigration Health Surcharge and paid the application

fee you will be able to choose where to have your BRP sent in the UK. This can either be to a Post Office or to

Imperial.

WE STRONGLY ADVISE THAT YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE YOUR BRP SENT TO IMPERIAL. Please use our ACL code

2HE497 and this will select the Imperial address.

We will hold your BRP until you are able to collect.

Student Route Visa application link

Please go to the GOV.UK website and scroll down the page to click on the green ‘Start Now’ button to begin the

application.

Student Route Visa application form

The first step is to follow the instructions on screen and register an email address that you have access to and check

regularly.

You will then be asked to provide the following information:

• A contact telephone number

• Scholarship information – this is only relevant for individuals who are in receipt of the following

scholarships: Marshall, Chevening or Commonwealth scholarship. If you are receiving one of these

scholarships, you can say YES and proceed. If you are not receiving any scholarship or your scholarship is

not one of the one’s listed above, then answer NO and proceed.

• CAS number – you will be asked to provide the CAS number allocated to you by the College at this stage.

• The following screens will request your details: name, gender, relationship status, address where you

are currently living and passport details.

• ID Card – if you your country has issued you with an ID Card then you must provide those details here. If

you do not have an ID Card answer NO and proceed.

• The following screens will request your details: nationality, country and date of birth

• Other nationalities – if you hold any other nationalities then you must provide that information here. If

you hold no other nationalities please answer NO and proceed.

English language questions

• Previous evidence of English language ability: if you have previously applied for a visa to the UK and you

were required to show evidence of your English language ability then you may need to answer this

question. This could have been demonstrated in one of the following ways:

o An approved English language test which assessed your reading, writing, speaking and listening

skills and you scored level B1, B2, C1 or C2

o have a degree which was taught in English

o have an English GCSE, A level or Scottish National 4 or 5, Higher, or Advanced Higher

qualification

• If you have not previously applied for a visa or not previously been required to show evidence of English

language, please answer NO and proceed.

• Have you received an English qualification from a UK school? You can use a GCSE, A level, National 4 or 5,

Higher, or Advanced Higher qualification as evidence to meet this requirement, if applicable.

• English Language assessment: As you have an offer from Imperial this means the College has assessed your

English language ability. Please select YES for the option ‘Are you coming to the UK to study at a higher

education provider with a track record of compliance?’

• Does your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement indicate that your English language ability

was assessed by your institution or that you are a ‘gifted’ student? YES

Family information

You will now be asked to provide information about:

• People who may be financially dependent on you

• Your parents

• Any family you may have living in the UK

Travel-related questions

The next set of questions are related to travel to the UK and accommodation upon arrival. The questions request

information about:

• If you will be travelling as part of an organised group to the UK

• If you will be travelling with another person

• Where you will be staying in the UK

o If you already know your address, then answer YES and provide the details. You will also be asked if

you plan to stay anywhere else in the UK e.g. a hotel

o If you do not yet know your planned address when you arrive in the UK, please answer NO. You will

then be asked to briefly explain your accommodation plans e.g. stay with a friend, at a hotel.

Previous travel history

Please provide information about any previous visas and travel for:

• UK Travel history / Previous visas for the UK

• Travel to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area

• World Travel history

• Planned date of arrival in the UK

Immigration history

Please read each question carefully and answering as accurately as possible. These questions require a YES or NO

response.

• For either the UK or any other country, have you ever been: refused a visa; refused entry at the border;

refused permission to stay or remain; refused asylum; deported; removed; required to leave; excluded or

banned from entry.

• Have you ever breach UK immigration law: entered the UK illegally; remained in the UK beyond the validity of

your visa or permission to stay; breached the conditions of your leave, for example, worked without

permission or received public funds when you did not have permission; given false information when applying

for a visa, leave to enter, or leave to remain; breached UK immigration law in any other way.

• Convictions and other penalties in the UK or any other country

• War Crimes

• Terrorist activities, organisations and views

• Extremist organisations and views

• Person of good character

Employment history

This question is concerned with specific areas of previous employment e.g. intelligence services. If you have not

worked in any of the areas listed please select ‘I have not worked in any of the jobs listed above’.

Course-related questions

• For the College Sponsor license number and address please refer to the screenshot below:

• Type of sponsor – please select ‘Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance’

• Primary site of study – if the physical location for your studies will not be at the South Kensington Campus

then please refer to our website for a list of the different campus addresses.

• UCAS details – Students studying an Undergraduate course (eg. BSc) or an integrated Masters programme

(eg. MSci) will have applied for their course through UCAS. For UG students you must answer YES to this

question and provide your UCAS number.

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) - Certain courses may require you to apply for an ATAS

certificate. If applicable, this would be a condition of your offer and you would not have been issued a CAS

number without first having been issued an ATAS certificate. You will have a PDF of the ATAS certificate,

please refer to the certificate for the reference number.

• Future official financial sponsor – Students who are being financially by an education institution,

international company, the UK Government or an overseas Government must select YES to this question

about ‘financial sponsor’ and provide a scholarship letter with their visa application that provides the details

of that sponsorship.

o If you are receiving a scholarship from Imperial or through your Department at Imperial, you can

request to have this information added to your CAS as a Sponsor Note. Please note that this will not

automatically happen and you must contact your Admissions team to ask for the information to be

added.

o Please note that parents or any other family member/friend are not considered an official financial

sponsor for the purposes of your visa application.

• Course information

Please log into your My Imperial portal to access your course information.

The level of course and qualification is as follows:

• for a 3-year Undergraduate programme select ‘RQF Level 6’

• for a 4-year Undergraduate programmes eg MEng and MSci select ‘RQF Level 7’

• for Masters studies select ‘RQF Level 7’

• for PhD studies select ‘RQF Level 8’

• Course dates – please log into your My Imperial portal to find this information.

• Accommodation payments – Please select NO to this question. Even if you have paid for your

accommodation in Halls this will not be reflected on your CAS number.

• Course fees – please write your tuition fees for the current year of your studies here and if you have paid

any money towards the fees please write this here. To locate your fee information log into your My Imperial

portal.

• Student loan – if you are being funded through a student loan please provide the details here.

• Maintenance – please refer to our Financial Requirements webpage for detailed information on how much

maintenance you need to show and the acceptable evidence.

• Additional information about your application – this is the last section of the application form and provides

you with an opportunity to provide any further details or explanation that may be relevant to your

application.

What happens next

• Check your answers – you have opportunity now to correct any information in the form.

• Evidence showing the required maintenance funds – provide the details of your financial evidence here.

• Documents – listed of documents you are required to upload, please tick the boxes.

• Conditions and Declaration – confirm you have read and proceed.

• Immigration Health Surcharge – you will be taken to a separate webpage to pay the IHS.

• Pay application fee

• Choose where to have BRP sent –use the Imperial ALC code 2HE497 so the BRP is sent to Imperial.

• Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre to provide Biometrics.