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If you are applying for a Student visa from inside the UK, this page answers some of the most common questions about whether you are eligible to apply, academic progression, your CAS, supporting documents, financial requirements, dependants, making your application, and what happens while you are waiting for a decision. Applying from inside the UK is subject to additional requirements, including rules about switching immigration categories, application timing and your current immigration status, so you should read this guidance carefully alongside the official gov.uk Student visa information and advice provided by UKCISA.
Jump to:
Before you apply
Documents and evidence
Financial requirements
Making your application
Dependants
While your application is being decided
After a decision
Working and studying under your new Student visa
You may be able to apply for a Student visa from inside the UK if you currently have valid UK immigration permission that allows you to switch to, or extend under, the Student route.
You must normally:
If you do not meet the requirements for an application from inside the UK, you will normally need to leave the UK and make your Student visa application from overseas.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply from inside the UK, contact International Student Services before submitting an application.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides detailed guidance on making a Student visa application from inside the UK.
Official guidance is also available on GOV.UK.
Applying from inside the UK is different from applying from outside the UK. In particular, you need to check that:
If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply from inside the UK, contact International Student Services before submitting an application.
Many people who already have valid UK immigration permission can switch to the Student route from inside the UK.
However, you cannot normally switch to the Student route if you currently have, or were last granted, permission as:
You must also not be on immigration bail.
If you are in one of the categories from which switching is not permitted, you will normally need to leave the UK and apply for a Student visa from overseas.
If you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you do not normally need a Student visa.
If you currently have, or previously had, Student or Tier 4 (General) permission and want to make another Student visa application from inside the UK, you will normally need to meet the academic progression requirement.
In most cases, this means you must have successfully completed the course for which your previous Student permission was granted and your new course should normally be at a higher academic level.
A new course at the same academic level may be permitted where it is at degree level or above and the University can confirm that:
There are also specific exceptions, including circumstances where you need additional Student permission to complete your existing course, repeat modules or resit examinations.
If your proposed study does not meet the academic progression requirements for an application made inside the UK, you may still be able to study the course, but you would normally need to leave the UK and apply for your Student visa from overseas.
International Student Services will assess academic progression before issuing a CAS for an application from inside the UK.
No.
If you are applying for Student permission from inside the UK for a new course, your new course must normally start no more than 28 days after your current immigration permission expires.
For example, if your current immigration permission expires on 1 December, your new course must normally start no later than 29 December.
If the gap is more than 28 days, you will normally need to leave the UK and make your Student visa application from overseas.
The 28-day requirement applies regardless of the type of immigration permission you currently hold.
Contact International Student Services before making travel or visa arrangements if this applies to you.
You should submit your Student visa application before your current immigration permission expires.
If your immigration permission expires before you make a valid new application, you will normally become an overstayer.
Overstaying can have serious consequences for your immigration status and future immigration applications.
Although the Immigration Rules contain limited circumstances in which a short period of overstaying may be disregarded, you should not rely on these provisions in order to make a Student visa application.
The University will not normally issue a CAS to support an application from inside the UK where you have overstayed your immigration permission.
If your visa is due to expire and you do not think you will be able to submit a valid Student visa application in time, contact International Student Services immediately. You may need to leave the UK before your current permission expires and apply from overseas.
If you are applying from inside the UK for a new course, the earliest you can normally submit your Student visa application is three months before the course start date shown on your CAS.
You must submit your application before your current immigration permission expires.
Your new course must also normally start no more than 28 days after your current immigration permission expires.
If you are applying for additional permission to continue a course you are already studying, for example because you need more time to complete a PhD, the three-month restriction does not apply in the same way.
You should apply as soon as reasonably possible once you:
UKVI currently advises that Student visa applications made inside the UK are usually decided within eight weeks.
Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) can normally be used to make a Student visa application for up to six months from the date it was assigned.
A CAS can only be used for one visa application. Once it has been used, it cannot normally be used again.
If you are applying from inside the UK for a new course, you must also not normally submit your application more than three months before the course start date shown on your CAS.
If your previous visa application was refused or withdrawn, contact International Student Services before making another application. We will need to determine whether a new CAS is required.
Check your CAS carefully as soon as you receive it.
In particular, check your:
If any information appears to be incorrect, contact International Student Services before submitting your Student visa application.
Do not submit an application using information that you know is incorrect and assume that it can be corrected afterwards.
No.
If you make an additional tuition fee payment after your CAS has been issued, do not assume that your CAS will automatically show the new payment.
Contact the University so that we can check that your payment has been received and update your CAS where appropriate.
Tuition fees you have already paid can normally be deducted from the amount you need to demonstrate for your visa application where the payment is recorded on your CAS or otherwise evidenced in a way permitted by UKVI.
It is your responsibility to make sure that the information on your CAS is correct before submitting your Student visa application.
Some students studying or researching particular subjects at postgraduate level require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
If ATAS is required for your course, this will normally be identified during the admissions or CAS process.
You must receive your ATAS certificate before submitting your Student visa application where ATAS is required.
You may also need a new ATAS certificate if you are extending your Student visa because your course end date, course content or research has changed.
ATAS applications can take several weeks and there is no priority service, so apply as early as possible.
You can check whether ATAS applies to you on GOV.UK.
No. Your passport does not normally need to remain valid for the entire length of your course.
However, you must have a valid passport or other acceptable travel document when you make your Student visa application.
If you obtain a new passport after your CAS has been issued or while your visa application is being considered, contact International Student Services for advice.
You should also make sure that your current passport or travel document is correctly linked to your UKVI account.
The documents you need will depend on your individual circumstances.
You will normally need:
Depending on your circumstances, you may also need:
If you have been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months on the date of your application, you will normally meet the Student financial requirement automatically and will not need to provide evidence of your course fees or living costs.
Your online application will provide information about the documents you need to submit.
Documents used for your Student visa application must be in English or Welsh.
If an original document is in another language, you must normally provide the original document together with a fully certified translation into English or Welsh.
The translation should confirm that it is an accurate translation of the original document and should include:
You should not translate documents yourself.
If you are applying to study a course at degree level or above at the University of Gloucestershire, you will not normally need to submit the qualifications used to obtain your offer with your Student visa application.
This is because qualifying Higher Education Providers with a track record of compliance are permitted to assess this evidence themselves.
However, UKVI can request additional evidence while considering your application.
You should therefore keep your original academic and English language documents available.
If your CAS or application instructions specifically tell you to provide academic evidence, you should do so.
If you have been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months on the date of your Student visa application, you will normally meet the Student financial requirement automatically.
This means you do not normally need to demonstrate that you have:
The 12-month period must have been spent in the UK with valid immigration permission.
If you have been in the UK for less than 12 months, you will normally need to meet the financial requirement in the usual way.
If you are unsure whether the 12-month exemption applies to you, contact International Student Services before applying.
If you do not qualify for the 12-month financial exemption, you will normally need enough money to cover:
1. Your outstanding course fees
You must normally have enough money to pay any outstanding course fees for the first academic year of your course, or the whole course if it lasts less than one academic year.
The amount will be shown on your CAS.
2. Your living costs
As the University of Gloucestershire is outside London, for applications submitted before 30 November 2026, the Student visa maintenance requirement is:
£1,171 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months.
The maximum is therefore:
£10,539.
For applications made on or after 30 November 2026, the outside-London requirement will increase to:
£1,203 per month, giving a maximum of:
£10,827.
Always check the current GOV.UK financial requirement immediately before submitting your application.
If you are required to meet the Student visa financial requirement, you may normally rely on:
If you are relying on money held in a bank or building society account, the required funds must normally have been held for at least 28 consecutive days.
The final date of that 28-day period must normally be no more than 31 days before the date you submit your Student visa application.
The money must also be held in a form which meets the requirements of Appendix Finance.
Please read our Student route financial requirements guidance carefully before preparing your evidence.
If you are required to meet the Student visa financial requirement, yes.
You can normally use money held by your parent or legal guardian.
The financial evidence must meet the normal Student visa requirements, including the 28-day requirement where applicable.
You must also normally provide:
Potentially.
A certificate of deposit or similar account may be acceptable where it is issued by an appropriate financial institution and meets the requirements of Appendix Finance.
The evidence must demonstrate that the required funds have been held for the required period and that the funds are accessible to you.
You should check the exact wording and terms of the financial product carefully before relying on it.
If you are unsure whether a particular fixed-term deposit or certificate of deposit meets UKVI requirements, contact International Student Services before submitting your application.
This will only be relevant if you are required to meet the Student visa financial requirement.
If you have been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months, you will normally meet the financial requirement automatically.
If you do need to demonstrate funds, qualifying accommodation payments made to your Student sponsor may be deducted from the living-cost requirement up to the maximum permitted by the Immigration Rules.
For applications made before 30 November 2026, the maximum permitted accommodation deduction is £1,529.
From 30 November 2026, this will increase to £1,570.
Payments made to a private landlord or independent accommodation provider cannot normally be deducted.
If you are required to demonstrate funds and your money is held in a currency other than pounds sterling, UKVI converts the money into pounds using the exchange rate specified under the Immigration Rules.
Exchange rates can change from day to day.
You should therefore avoid holding exactly the minimum amount required.
We strongly recommend maintaining a reasonable financial buffer so that a change in the exchange rate does not cause your available funds to fall below the required amount.
You should not submit a Student visa application unless you meet all of the relevant financial requirements on the date you apply.
Where you are required to provide financial evidence, the money and documents you rely on must meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
Submitting an application without the required funds, or relying on financial evidence that does not meet UKVI requirements, creates a significant risk that your application will be refused.
The University will not normally issue a CAS to support an application from inside the UK where you are required to demonstrate funds but cannot provide satisfactory evidence that you meet the financial requirement.
Contact International Student Services before submitting an application if you are unsure whether your financial evidence is acceptable.
The current fee to extend or switch to a Student visa from inside the UK is:
£558.
You will normally also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
The current discounted IHS rate for students is:
£776 per year of immigration permission.
The exact amount you pay depends on the total length of immigration permission you will receive.
Visa application fees and IHS rates can change, so check GOV.UK immediately before submitting your application.
You pay the Student visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the online application process.
Payment is normally made online using a debit or credit card.
If you are eligible for, and choose to use, a Priority or Super Priority service, you will also need to pay the additional fee for that service.
Your application is normally treated as submitted on the date you complete the online application process and pay the application fee.
It is important that you meet all of the relevant Student visa requirements on that date.
Student visa applications made from inside the UK are submitted online through GOV.UK.
At the University of Gloucestershire, International Student Services will support you through this process.
Once we have completed our checks and are satisfied that you are eligible to apply from inside the UK, we will issue your CAS and arrange a one-to-one appointment with you to help you complete and submit your Student visa application.
As part of the application you will normally:
Your CAS will normally be retained by International Student Services until your appointment so that we can confirm that you are ready to apply and that the information used in your application is correct.
You must be physically in the UK when you submit your Student visa application.
Do not submit your application independently before your appointment unless International Student Services has confirmed that you should do so.
As part of your Student visa application, UKVI will tell you how you need to prove your identity.
Depending on your circumstances, you may either:
If you are required to attend a UKVCAS appointment, this will normally involve providing your fingerprints and photograph.
During your one-to-one Student visa application appointment, International Student Services will help you identify which process applies to you and explain the next steps.
If a UKVCAS appointment is required, you will need to follow the instructions provided after your online application has been submitted.
You should not book or attend a biometric appointment before submitting your online Student visa application unless UKVI specifically instructs you to do so.
Possibly.
UKVI can ask you to attend a credibility interview as part of deciding whether you meet the requirements of the Student route.
Questions may include:
The purpose is not to test whether you have memorised prepared answers.
You should answer naturally, honestly and in your own words.
UKVI may consider whether you are a genuine student and your ability to communicate in English.
If UKVI asks you to attend an interview, you must follow the instructions carefully. Failure to attend without a satisfactory explanation may result in your application being refused.
UKVI currently advises that Student visa applications made inside the UK are usually decided within:
eight weeks.
Some applications can take longer. For example, UKVI may need additional time if:
You may be offered the option to pay for a faster decision.
The Priority service currently costs an additional £500 and normally aims to provide a decision within five working days.
The Super Priority service currently costs an additional £1,000 and normally aims to provide a decision by the end of the next working day, subject to the conditions of the service.
These services are not available for every application. You will be told whether a faster service is available when you apply.
Potentially.
Your partner or child can only apply as your Student dependant if you meet the Student dependant eligibility requirements.
You will normally need to be:
There are also provisions which may allow existing Student dependants to extend their permission in certain circumstances.
Your dependant must also be eligible to make their application from inside the UK.
They cannot normally switch to Student dependant permission from inside the UK if they currently have, or were last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household.
Because dependant eligibility can be complicated, we recommend contacting International Student Services before submitting an application.
The exact documents required will depend on their individual circumstances.
A dependant will normally need:
Examples of relationship evidence include a marriage or civil partnership certificate for a partner and a birth certificate for a child.
UKVI may request further evidence to establish that a relationship is genuine and continuing.
If your dependant has been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months, they will normally meet the financial requirement automatically.
This depends on how long they have been living in the UK with valid immigration permission.
If your partner or child has been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months on the date of their application, they will normally meet the financial requirement automatically and will not need to demonstrate maintenance funds.
If they have been in the UK for less than 12 months, they will normally need to meet the Student dependant financial requirement.
Different evidence arrangements may also apply to certain nationalities under the differential evidence requirements, but this does not remove the requirement to actually have the necessary funds.
As the University of Gloucestershire is outside London, each dependant who is required to demonstrate funds currently needs:
£680 per month for up to nine months.
The maximum is therefore:
£6,120 for each dependant.
This money must be available in addition to any funds you are required to demonstrate for yourself and any other dependants.
Where financial evidence is required, the funds must normally have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, with the final date of that period no more than 31 days before the dependant submits their application.
A dependant who has been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months will normally meet the financial requirement automatically.
Each dependant must make a separate visa application and pay the relevant application fee.
The current Student dependant application fee for an application made inside the UK is:
£558 per applicant.
Dependants will also normally need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.
The current discounted IHS rate for Student dependants is:
£776 per year of immigration permission.
The exact amount depends on the length of immigration permission being granted.
Visa and IHS fees can change, so check GOV.UK before submitting an application.
A child born in the UK does not automatically become a British citizen simply because they were born here.
A baby born in the UK can remain in the UK without immediately making an immigration application.
However, you should normally apply for Student dependant permission for your child if you want them to travel outside the UK and return, as they will need appropriate immigration permission to re-enter the UK.
You will normally need:
Contact International Student Services following the birth of a child so that we can advise you on the immigration implications and the appropriate timing of an application.
If you submit a valid Student visa application before your current immigration permission expires, you can normally remain lawfully in the UK while UKVI considers your application, even if your existing visa expires before you receive a decision.
This is known as section 3C leave.
While section 3C leave applies, the conditions attached to your previous immigration permission normally continue.
For example, if your previous visa allowed you to work subject to particular restrictions, those restrictions will normally continue while your application is pending.
Section 3C leave can end if you take certain actions, including withdrawing your application or leaving the UK.
If you are unsure about your immigration status while your application is being considered, contact International Student Services.
If you submitted a valid Student visa application before your previous immigration permission expired, your existing permission can normally be extended automatically under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 while UKVI considers your application.
This means you normally remain lawfully in the UK even though the expiry date shown on your previous visa has passed.
The conditions attached to your previous immigration permission normally continue during this period.
You should keep evidence that you submitted your Student visa application before your previous visa expired.
Do not assume that section 3C protects you if your application was submitted after your previous permission expired or if the application is invalid.
You should not travel outside the Common Travel Area while your application is pending.
The Common Travel Area consists of:
If you leave the Common Travel Area before UKVI has decided your in-country Student visa application, the application will normally be treated as withdrawn.
This applies even if you still have your passport.
If you urgently need to travel, contact International Student Services before making arrangements, as withdrawing or abandoning an application can have significant consequences for your immigration status.
Potentially, but only in certain circumstances and with the University’s agreement.
Home Office Student sponsor guidance allows a Student Sponsor to permit a student to begin a new course before UKVI has decided their application where the relevant requirements are met.
These include that:
Additional requirements can apply depending on whether you are continuing with the same sponsor or changing Student sponsor.
Starting your course before UKVI has granted your new Student visa is at your own risk, because your application could subsequently be refused.
You must therefore not assume that you can enrol or start your new course while your application is pending. The University will confirm whether you are permitted to do so.
If you submitted a valid application before your previous immigration permission expired and section 3C leave applies, the conditions of your previous immigration permission normally continue while UKVI considers your application.
This includes your existing work conditions.
For example, if your previous Student visa allowed you to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time, that restriction normally continues while you have section 3C leave.
You must continue to comply with the work conditions attached to your previous immigration permission until your new Student visa is granted.
Once your new Student visa is granted, the work conditions attached to your new permission apply instead.
You can ask UKVI to withdraw a Student visa application before it has been decided.
However, withdrawing an application made from inside the UK can have serious immigration consequences.
If your previous immigration permission has already expired and you are relying on section 3C leave, withdrawing your application will normally bring that section 3C leave to an end.
This could mean that you no longer have permission to remain, study or work in the UK.
You should therefore contact International Student Services before withdrawing your Student visa application.
Do not withdraw an application simply because you need to travel without first obtaining advice.
Contact International Student Services immediately and send us a complete copy of your refusal decision.
We will review:
Your refusal decision will tell you whether you have the right to request an Administrative Review.
For an application made inside the UK, an Administrative Review must normally be requested within 14 calendar days of receiving the decision.
An Administrative Review considers whether UKVI made a caseworking error. It is not normally an opportunity simply to submit a new application with different evidence.
You cannot pursue an Administrative Review and make a new immigration application at the same time. If you make another immigration application while an Administrative Review is pending, the Administrative Review will normally be treated as withdrawn.
Always contact International Student Services before deciding whether to request an Administrative Review or make another immigration application.
An eVisa is an online record of your UK immigration status and the conditions attached to your immigration permission.
If your Student visa application is successful, your new Student permission will normally be recorded digitally through your UKVI account.
You should access your UKVI account and check your eVisa as soon as your application is granted.
In particular, check:
You can use your UKVI account to prove your immigration status where required.
Check your eVisa carefully as soon as your Student visa is granted.
You should check:
If you believe anything is incorrect, contact International Student Services and follow the relevant GOV.UK process for reporting an error with your eVisa.
Do not assume that an incorrect visa end date or condition will correct itself automatically.
If your application from inside the UK is successful, your new Student permission will normally start on the date UKVI grants your application.
From that date, the conditions attached to your new Student permission apply.
This means, for example, that any work conditions attached to your new Student visa replace the conditions attached to your previous immigration permission.
Check your eVisa carefully as soon as you receive your decision to confirm the start date and conditions of your new Student permission.
Your Student permission normally includes an additional period after your course has finished.
For most students:
Course lasting 12 months or longer
Course lasting at least six months but less than 12 months
Pre-sessional course lasting less than six months
Other course lasting less than six months
The additional period after your course is sometimes called the wrap-up period.
UKVI will use the course dates recorded on your CAS when calculating your permission.
Check the expiry date shown on your eVisa as soon as your Student visa is granted.
Your right to work depends on the conditions attached to your Student visa and the course you are studying.
Students studying a full-time course at degree level or above with an eligible Higher Education Provider are normally permitted to work:
Some Student visa holders have a lower weekly work limit or are not permitted to work.
The weekly limit applies across all jobs combined, not separately to each employer.
There are also restrictions on the type of work you can undertake. Student visa holders must not normally:
You are responsible for making sure that any work you undertake complies with the conditions attached to your Student visa.
Postgraduate students should be particularly careful when deciding whether they are in term time. A dissertation or research period is not automatically a University vacation.
While a valid in-time Student visa application is pending and you have section 3C leave, the conditions attached to your previous immigration permission normally continue.
Your new Student visa conditions do not normally apply simply because you have submitted the application.
Once UKVI grants your new Student visa, the conditions attached to your new Student permission take effect.
For example, if your previous immigration permission gave you different work rights from those attached to your new Student visa, you must follow:
Check your eVisa as soon as your application is successful so that you understand the work conditions which now apply to you.
If you are unsure whether you are permitted to undertake particular employment while your application is pending or after your Student visa is granted, contact International Student Services before working.