Your UK study journey,
clearly explained.

You normally need to be aged 16 or over, hold an offer from a licensed student sponsor, meet the financial and English-language requirements, and have parental consent if you are 16 or 17. A Child Student visa may be appropriate for an applicant aged 4 to 17 studying at an independent school. Read the official Student visa overview ↗

Check the institution on the Home Office register of licensed student sponsors ↗. The university name and sponsor details in your application must match your CAS. Do not rely only on an advertisement or an agent’s statement.

You can normally apply from outside the UK up to 6 months before the course start date. You also need a valid CAS and must apply within 6 months of the CAS being issued. Do not apply before you have checked every document and the information recorded on your CAS. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

A CAS is an electronic sponsorship record and reference number issued by your licensed university or college. It confirms important course, fee and sponsor information. It is not a paper certificate and does not guarantee a visa. Check your name, passport, course, dates, fees paid, English assessment and ATAS information before applying. Read the official CAS guidance ↗

Possibly, but “without IELTS” does not mean “without meeting the English requirement”. For degree-level study, English is normally required at CEFR B2. A higher education provider with a track record of compliance may assess English itself, or you may qualify through an accepted qualification, Ecctis assessment or an approved SELT. Your CAS should show how the requirement was met. Check the official English rules ↗

The usual Student route standard is CEFR B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening for degree-level study, and CEFR B1 below degree level. Your university may set a higher admission standard. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

No. A published alternative makes you potentially eligible for assessment; it does not guarantee a waiver, offer, CAS or visa. Some courses—especially regulated, clinical, health, education or high-English-demand programmes—may impose higher or test-specific requirements. Send your certificate, official results verification and any required MOI letter to the university and obtain written confirmation for the exact course and intake.

Prepare the official O-Level or A-Level certificate and results statement, any university transcript, and—where the policy permits it—an original Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter on headed paper confirming that teaching and assessment were wholly in English. Some universities require a wet stamp, a recent degree, an approved awarding institution or Sri Lankan online results verification. Names and dates must match your application documents. Never submit an altered or generic MOI letter.

Compare the curriculum, modules, assessment, placement opportunities, academic level, location, total cost and realistic career relevance. Be able to explain why this course is a sensible progression from your Sri Lankan qualifications or employment. For a PhD, research fit and supervisor expertise are central.

You must provide a current passport and CAS. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need financial evidence, qualification evidence used for admission, English evidence, an ATAS certificate, an approved TB certificate, sponsor consent, relationship evidence, parental consent and certified translations. Follow the document checklist generated by your own application. Open the official document list ↗

Current official maintenance figures are £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to 9 months, plus outstanding course fees shown on the CAS. London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs. Always recalculate using the rules in force on the application date. Use the current GOV.UK finance page ↗

The required balance normally has to remain available for 28 consecutive days. The final day of that 28-day period must fall within the 31 days before you submit and pay for the online visa application. A single day below the required amount can break the period. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

Parental funds can be acceptable when the account and evidence meet the finance rules. You should normally include proof of the parent-child relationship and written permission to use the money. The names, account details, dates and balances must be clear and verifiable. Read the financial-evidence guidance ↗

Yes, if it meets the rules. A qualifying student loan must come from an accepted government, government-sponsored company or regulated academic/educational loan provider. Official financial sponsorship must come from an eligible sponsor and the letter must contain the required details. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

Tuition already paid can reduce the outstanding course-fee amount if it is recorded on your CAS or evidenced by an acceptable university receipt. A deposit paid for accommodation arranged by the sponsor may be offset only within the permitted limit—currently up to £1,529—and must meet the rules. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

Any document not in English or Welsh normally needs a complete certified translation. It should identify the translator, confirm it is an accurate translation, show the translation date and include the translator’s contact details and signature. Keep the original-language document with the translation. Check current evidence guidance ↗

As reviewed on 20 August 2026, the Student visa application fee is £558 per applicant. Dependants pay their own application fees. Government fees can change, so verify the amount immediately before payment. Check the current Student visa fee ↗

The current student and student-dependant rate is £776 per year. The total is calculated from the length of immigration permission, which can be longer than the course, and each dependant pays separately. Use the official calculator rather than estimating your final payment. Check the current IHS rules ↗

Sri Lanka is on the TB-test country list. If you are coming to the UK for more than 6 months and meet the residence conditions, you will normally need a certificate from a Home Office-approved clinic. The certificate must cover the applicant, and eligible dependants may each need their own. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

The official Sri Lanka page currently lists the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre, Colombo. Book directly using the current contact details on GOV.UK, make clear the test is for a UK visa and allow extra time during the June-to-September student peak. Tests from non-approved clinics are not accepted. Open the official Sri Lanka clinic page ↗

Plan the appointment before your visa submission and allow extra time during the student peak. The certificate must still be valid when required. If your university, CAS or finance timing is uncertain, coordinate the date carefully so the certificate does not expire unnecessarily.

After submitting the online application, UKVI will tell you whether to use the identity-check app or attend the designated visa application centre for fingerprints and a photograph. You must apply online before booking a visa-application-centre appointment. Use the centre selected through the official application journey. Find the official visa application centre ↗

No. The visa application centre collects biometrics and handles document or passport services. It does not decide whether your visa is granted. UK Visas and Immigration makes the decision. Optional commercial services do not improve the legal merits of an application.

No. An interview is not automatic for every applicant. UKVI may arrange one when it needs to assess the genuine-student requirement, clarify evidence or explore risk factors. Monitor the email address and telephone number used in your application, including spam folders. Read the current Student caseworker guidance ↗

Current caseworker guidance allows UKVI to consider your knowledge of the course and sponsor, reasons for studying in the UK, academic progression, commitment, finances and source of funds, accommodation, immigration history, dependants, English ability and how the course relates to genuine future plans. Your interview must be consistent with the form, CAS and evidence.

UKVI may use video, telephone or another stated method. Follow the invitation exactly for the date, time zone, location, identity checks, equipment and documents. Use a quiet place, reliable connection and working microphone/camera if the interview is remote.

Be ready to explain, in your own words: why this course and university; key modules and assessment; alternatives you compared; how the course fits your previous study/work; total costs and funding source; accommodation and travel plans; permitted work conditions; any dependants; and realistic post-study plans. PhD applicants should also explain the research question, methodology, supervisor fit and expected contribution.

No. Understand your own application and answer naturally. Do not guess, exaggerate or repeat a prepared script. If you do not understand a question, ask the interviewer to repeat or clarify it. False, altered or unverifiable information—including invented AI-generated information—can lead to refusal.

Know who is funding you, their relationship to you, how the money was earned or obtained, what tuition has been paid, the outstanding fees, your maintenance calculation and the longer-term plan for the full course. Figures should match your CAS, application and evidence. Part-time work must not be presented as the main method of funding study.

Use the contact route in the invitation immediately. Keep screenshots, call logs or other evidence of a genuine technical failure and remain available. Do not ignore the invitation or rely on an adviser to attend for you. Failure to attend without a reasonable explanation can affect the decision.

No. This is your application and you must answer personally. A responsible adviser can help you review documents, identify topics and practise clear communication, but must not impersonate you, provide false facts or tell you to conceal information.

Prepare a focused research proposal, academic CV, degree certificates and transcripts, strong academic references, English evidence, a realistic funding plan and a clear explanation of why the department and potential supervisor fit the project. Requirements vary by university and discipline, so follow the department’s instructions exactly.

Explain the research problem, existing knowledge and gap, research questions, conceptual or theoretical basis, methodology, data or sources, ethics, feasibility, timetable and expected original contribution. Cite real sources. Never invent references or submit unverifiable AI-generated material.

It depends on the university and department. Some require you to identify and contact a potential supervisor before applying; others review applications centrally. Read recent publications and explain a genuine intellectual fit rather than sending a generic message.

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme applies to certain sensitive technology-related subjects at postgraduate and research level. Sri Lankan nationals are not generally in the exempt-nationality list, so check the CAH3 code and offer letter. If ATAS is required for your Student visa, obtain it before submitting the visa application. Check the current ATAS guidance ↗

For research study, prepare the official institution and course details, supervisor name, agreed research scope, relevant modules, previous study and employment, referee information and personal statement. The research description must match what your university has agreed. False or unverifiable information can lead to refusal.

A full-time PhD or other doctorate normally satisfies the qualifying course-type rule for dependants. Each partner or child must still meet the relationship, finance, TB and application requirements and receive their own permission. Check the dependant rules ↗

Check the conditions shown in your eVisa and your university’s research-student calendar. A full-time degree-level student sponsored by a higher education provider with a track record of compliance may normally work up to 20 hours per week during term-time. PhD “vacation” is not automatically the same as undergraduate holidays, so obtain written sponsor guidance before working full-time. Self-employment is not permitted. Check the Student work conditions ↗

An eligible doctoral graduate can apply from inside the UK after the university reports successful completion and before the Student permission expires. The Graduate visa lasts 3 years for a PhD or other doctoral qualification. It cannot be extended, though switching to another eligible route may be possible. Check the Graduate visa rules ↗

The main qualifying categories are a government-sponsored student starting a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time postgraduate student on a course of at least 9 months that—when starting on or after 1 January 2024—is a PhD, other doctorate or research-based higher degree. Taught master’s students usually cannot bring dependants under the newer rule. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

An eligible dependant can be a spouse, civil partner, qualifying unmarried partner or child under 18. You must provide the relationship evidence required for your circumstances, and UKVI may examine whether the relationship is genuine and continuing.

The current requirement is £845 per month in London or £680 per month outside London, for up to 9 months for each dependant, unless a valid exemption applies. This is additional to the student’s course fees and maintenance. Each dependant also pays a visa fee and IHS. Check current dependant finance figures ↗

Yes. Each family member submits an application and proves identity. If successful, each receives separate permission and needs access to their own eVisa through a UKVI account. A dependant may also need a TB certificate and relationship evidence.

For one dependant, the maximum 9-month maintenance calculation is £7,605 in London (£845 × 9) or £6,120 outside London (£680 × 9). This is money you must normally show as available, not a fee paid to UKVI. It is additional to the main Student’s outstanding tuition and maintenance requirement.

Each dependant currently pays a £558 visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge at £776 per year of permission. The online application calculates the exact IHS because permission may extend beyond the course dates. Standard biometrics have no separate government fee, but TB testing, translations, travel and optional visa-centre services are additional. Check dependant fees on GOV.UK ↗

Yes. An eligible partner or child can apply with the main Student or separately later. They need the main Student’s GWF or UAN application number. When applying separately, the dependant normally proves their own maintenance amount rather than the entire family’s funds. Their permission will end on the same date as the main Student’s permission.

Depending on who applies and when, qualifying funds may be held in an acceptable account controlled by the Student, dependant or eligible partner, or covered by a qualifying loan or official sponsorship. The money must be lawfully acquired and immediately accessible. Overdrafts, cryptocurrency, stocks, shares, pensions and unregulated accounts are not accepted. Check acceptable financial evidence ↗

Yes. Unless an exemption applies, the full required dependant balance must normally be held for 28 consecutive days. The final day of that period must be within the 31 days before the dependant submits the application. A balance below the required amount can break the qualifying period.

Prepare a valid passport, the main applicant’s GWF or UAN, marriage/civil-partnership or birth evidence as relevant, financial evidence where required, an approved TB certificate where applicable, certified translations and the documents requested in the online checklist. A child aged 18 or over continuing as a dependant may also need evidence that they are not living an independent life.

No. Under the current Student dependant route, a partner does not normally need IELTS, a Secure English Language Test (SELT) or another English certificate for the dependant application. Appendix Student lists validity, suitability, relationship, finance and other eligibility requirements for dependants, but no separate English-language requirement. Read the current Appendix Student rules ↗

No. A child applying as the dependant of an eligible Student does not normally need IELTS or a separate UKVI English-language test. The child must instead meet the applicable relationship, care, age, independent-life, financial, identity and TB requirements.

Yes. The main Student normally needs English at CEFR B2 for degree-level study or B1 below degree level, unless another permitted way of meeting the requirement applies. A partner or child applying only as a Student dependant has no separate UKVI English-test requirement. Do not upload an unnecessary IELTS result as though it were mandatory. Check the main Student English requirement ↗

Possibly. No separate test is normally required for the Student dependant application itself, but a later application under another immigration route may have its own English requirement. An employer, university, college or professional regulator may also set a separate language standard. Check the rules in force for the future application rather than relying on the dependant exemption.

UKVI currently states that an outside-UK Student application will usually receive a decision within 3 weeks. This is not a guarantee. Document verification, an interview, personal circumstances or application complexity can take longer. Check official processing information ↗

You may be offered priority or super-priority service when applying, depending on availability and location. It speeds up the target decision time only; it does not make weak evidence acceptable or guarantee a grant. Do not book non-refundable travel until you have permission.

Read the decision carefully. It will explain the reasons and whether you may request an administrative review or have another remedy. Do not immediately submit the same evidence again. For legal advice or representation, use an appropriately regulated UK immigration adviser or solicitor.

An eVisa is a digital record of your identity, immigration status and conditions. Successful applicants use a UKVI account to access it. UKVI stopped issuing visa vignettes to successful new applicants on 1 July 2026, subject to the transition guidance. Check that the correct passport is linked before travel. Read the official eVisa guidance ↗

You can normally arrive up to 1 month before a course lasting more than 6 months or up to 1 week before a course lasting 6 months or less. You must not travel before the start date of your immigration permission. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

Check your own eVisa conditions. Eligible full-time degree-level students at a compliant higher education provider may normally work up to 20 hours per week during term-time and full-time during official vacations. Below-degree study may have a 10-hour limit, while some study permits no work. Study must remain the main purpose.

Generally no. Student conditions prohibit self-employment and business activity. Other restrictions include professional sportsperson or sports coach and some permanent vacancies. Check the exact conditions of your permission before accepting any work.

Check your eVisa and passport details, complete university enrolment, attend every required induction and academic activity, follow your sponsor’s reporting process, arrange safe accommodation and essential services, and update both the university and UKVI when required. Keep copies of important application and travel records.

Under the current rules, the Graduate visa lasts 2 years for eligible non-doctoral applicants applying on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months when applying on or after 1 January 2027. It remains 3 years for a PhD or other doctoral qualification. Eligibility depends on the course, sponsor, successful completion and applying inside the UK in time. Check the current GOV.UK guidance ↗

Depending on your written service summary, support may include consultation, course and university guidance, application coordination, English readiness support, scholarship information, visa-document guidance, pre-departure preparation and accommodation guidance. The university and UKVI make their own independent decisions.

Yes. The initial consultation and English readiness assessment are complimentary. Paid work begins only after you receive and accept a written service summary. Read the Sri Lankan Student Study-Abroad Terms before purchasing a service.

No. Our service fee is separate from the UKVI application fee, IHS, university tuition or deposits, TB test, optional visa-centre services, translations, travel and other third-party costs. The written service summary and study-abroad terms explain the agreed service and £1,200 processing fee conditions.

No. Universities decide admissions and CAS sponsorship; UKVI decides visa applications. We can provide professional support, but we cannot guarantee an offer, scholarship, CAS, interview result, visa grant or processing time. Never trust anyone promising a guaranteed UK visa.

No. This page provides general educational information and planning support. Immigration rules and fees change, and individual facts matter. The current GOV.UK guidance and Immigration Rules take priority. Obtain advice from a regulated immigration professional or solicitor when you need legal advice or representation.