UK Student Visa Guides
Detailed, plain-English guides to each part of the UK Student visa, checked against official GOV.UK guidance and updated as the rules change. Start with the requirements, then work through the money rules — between them they account for most refusals.
Visa Requirements
The complete eligibility checklist: 70 points, CAS, English level, money and documents.
paymentsFinancial Requirements
How much money to show, for how long, in which account — plus worked examples.
schoolGraduate Visa
Stay and work after your degree — and why your application date now matters.
family_restroomChild Student Visa
For children aged 4–17 at independent schools: fees, length of stay and care rules.
confirmation_numberCAS Explained
The document worth 50 of your 70 points — what to check before you apply.
scheduleProcessing Times
Standard and priority timings, when to apply and what causes delays.
Where to start
If you are at the beginning of the process, read the requirements guide first to check you qualify, then confirm your institution can sponsor you in the licensed sponsor list. Once you have an offer, the financial requirements and CAS guides cover the two things applications most often fail on, and the fee calculator gives you the total upfront cost.
Already studying in the UK? The Graduate visa guide explains your options after graduation — including why applying on or before 31 December 2026 gets you two years instead of 18 months.