A Guide for Student Visa Applications Financial Requirements

Updated July 2014

This guide will cover the following:

❖ 1. How much money you need to show

❖ 2. Self-funded students – Using your own or your parent’s money

❖ 3. Using a parent’s bank account – Additional documents required

❖ 4. Sponsored students – Letter from an official financial sponsor

❖ 5. Previous financial sponsorship – Consent letter

❖ 6. Evidence which is not accepted

❖ 7. Appendix A – Template letter of parental consent

❖ 8. Appendix B – Template Government sponsorship letter

❖ 9. Appendix C – Template international company/University sponsorship

letter

Student Immigration Team

Student Services Centre

Updated May 2024

A Guide for Student Visa Applications

Student visa applicants are required to submit evidence to show that they can meet the

financial requirement set by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

All evidence submitted can be original, copies or scans. If any documents are not in English they

must be accompanied by an English translation which meets specific requirements. Please refer

to our translations guide for further information.

You can either be self-funded or have an official financial sponsor and different evidence is

required.

Financial Requirements

You need to show that you have held your first year's tuition fees plus maintenance/ living

expenses in your bank account or your parents’ bank account for at least 28 days as part of

your visa application.

Tuition Fees:

The amount you need to show for your tuition fees will be stated on your CAS. This will be

the fee amount for one year of your course.

Any payments towards your fees can be deducted from the total fee amount you need to

show, provided that your CAS shows the amount you have paid. Your CAS should

automatically be updated to show any tuition fees you have paid within a few days of the

University receiving payment and you should be emailed the updated version.

Maintenance:

If you are studying outside of London the maintenance amount is set by UKVI at £1023 per

month of study up to a maximum of 9 months. This means that most students need to show

at least £9207 for maintenance. The only exception to this is if your CAS has a start and end

date which is less than 9 months in total. If so, please contact us to check the exact amount

you need.

If you have made payments towards University-owned accommodation you can deduct a

maximum of £1334 from the total maintenance you need to show for your visa application.

This is the maximum amount you can deduct even if you pay more than this for

accommodation. Your CAS has to be updated to show any accommodation payments, and

this only covers University-owned Halls of Residence.

Dependants:

If you are eligible to have dependants on your Student visa then each dependant needs to

show at least £680 per month up to 9 months. This means most Student dependants need

to have at least £6120.

Each dependant needs to:

• Submit bank statements with their application from their own or the main student’s

account which meet the requirements detailed below; Or

• Be included on the main student’s official sponsor letter as detailed below*

Note: The amount of maintenance that Student dependants need to show for their visa

application is based on the duration of the visa they will be granted and not the length of

the main student’s course (up to 9 months maximum). This means that if the main student

is continuing their course for only a few months, any dependants would need to show a

higher maintenance amount than the student. Please contact us if you are applying to

continue your course for a period of less than 9 months and you have dependants.

*Only students who are Government sponsored and studying a full-time course of more than

6 months are permitted to bring dependants to the UK unless the student is studying a

research based degree such as a Masters by Research, MPhil or PhD.

How much money you need to show

You must show that you have held the correct amount of money for at least 28 consecutive

days before the date you submit your visa application online.

The money must be shown in your bank account, a joint account (you and another person)

or your parents' bank account (if you use a parent’s account you will need to submit

additional documents as stated below).

You can use an overseas account, but you should have the funds converted to pounds

sterling using the OANDA currency conversion website to ensure you definitely hold the

equivalent to what you need to evidence to UKVI.

You can use more than one bank account to show the right money, but all statements need

to show the funds in your account for at least 28 days and you must maintain the required

amount of money in total across the same 28-day period.

If you are using your own money or your parent’s money to support your Student visa

application, you can submit the following documents with your application:

Bank Statements:

• Your bank statement must be no more than 31 days old before you complete your

visa application online.

• The statement can either be a bank statement produced by the bank directly or an

electronic print-out. You do not need to have electronic bank statements stamped

by the bank.

• You can use a joint bank account as evidence provided that you are named on the

bank statement and there are no restrictions for you to access the funds freely at

any time.

• The statement should include all the following information:

➢ Your name or your parents’ name.

➢ The account number.

➢ The bank’s name.

➢ The date it was issued.

➢ The amount of money available.

➢ Transactions covering at least 28 consecutive days and ending no later than

31 days before you complete your visa application online.

Bank Letter:

• The letter must be clearly dated and no more than 31 days old before you complete

your visa application online.

• The letter must state that you have held the correct amount of money in your

account and that you have held it for at least 28 consecutive days.

• The letter should include all the following information:

➢ Your name or your parents’ name

➢ The account number.

➢ The bank’s name.

➢ The date of issue.

Self-Funded Students

Deposit Certificate:

• To be acceptable as evidence the certificate of deposit must meet the following

criteria:

➢ It must have been issued within 31 days of the date of your visa application.

➢ At least 28 days must have elapsed between the date of the deposit and the

date of issue of the certificate.

➢ The funds can be accessed at any time.

Loan Letter:

If you wish to use a loan letter as evidence of your funds, the letter must confirm

that the loan is provided by either the relevant government or a government

sponsored student loan company or an academic or educational loans scheme

regulated by the official regulatory body for the purpose of issuing student loans in

the country the institution is in and where the money is held.

• The letter should confirm:

➢ Your name (you cannot use a loan letter in a parent’s name).

➢ The date (the letter must less than 6 months old on the date that you apply).

➢ The financial institution’s name and logo.

➢ The amount of money available as a loan.

➢ Confirmation that the funds will be available to you directly before you travel

to the UK, or paid directly to the University, before you begin your course

➢ Confirmation that there are no conditions placed on the release of the funds

other than your visa application being successful.

• The loan funds can alternatively be paid directly to the University for tuition fees. If

so, the loan letter must contain all the information as stated above but also confirm

➢ The funds will be paid directly to the University to cover tuition fees before

you travel to the UK, and that the remaining amount for living expenses will

be paid directly to you before you travel to the UK.

If the loan is not provided by the government (whether directly or through an official

educational loan scheme) or by a private loan company, you should not use this

letter. If you will be using a loan from a different source (such as from a bank) then

you should transfer the funds into your own account (or that of your parents or legal

guardian) and wait 28 days before using one of the other forms of evidence listed

above. If you cannot provide a loan letter that specifically confirms each of the above

requirements, then you should also have the funds transferred and use bank

statements instead.

You may need to use bank statements from your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) as evidence

that you have the required funds – your course fees and living expenses.

You cannot use bank statements or financial documents from friends or any other relatives.

Using a parent’s bank account – Additional Documents

Required

UKVI specify that you must provide all 3 of the following documents otherwise they will

refuse your application:

1) Letter of Consent – See Appendix A for a template letter

• A letter, written in English from your parent(s)/legal guardian(s). The letter

should be signed and dated and the letter should confirm:

➢ the relationship between you and your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and

➢ that your parents(s) or legal guardian(s) have given their consent to the

funds being available for you to study in the UK.

A legal document confirming the relationship between you and your parent(s) or legal

guardian(s).

• The legal documents you can use are:

➢ your birth certificate showing the name(s) of the parents(s) who has

provided the bank statements (if you were born in China, UKVI will accept

a document called a Household Register) or,

➢ a certificate of adoption showing your name and the name(s) of the

parent(s) who has provided the bank statements or,

➢ a court document stating the name of the legal guardian(s) who is/are

holding the funds and your name.

• There are no other exceptions and you cannot use any other type of legal document

such as an affidavit to confirm the relationship.

3) A bank statement or bank letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

• This document must meet the requirements for a bank statement or bank letter as

stated earlier in this guide.

Official Financial Sponsor:

If you are partly* or fully supported by an “official” financial sponsor, you must submit a

letter confirming the details of the funding as part of your Student visa application. An

“official” sponsor can only be one of the following:

• the British government or your home government

• the British Council or any international organization

• any university

• an international company - this has to be a company with an office in more than one

country and a website with clear contact details for all the overseas offices

• a UK independent school

Your sponsor letter does not have to be original, so an electronic version that has been

emailed to you should be sufficient but the letter should still be signed by your sponsor and

include all the required information.

sponsored.

• If you are partly sponsored then you need to show evidence of having the rest of the

money needed from another source, for example by also submitting your personal

bank statements.

• These bank statements need to show that you have held the remaining amount of

money to make at least £1023 per month when combined with your sponsorship,

multiplied by 9 months in total. You need to have held this money for at least 28

days before your submit your visa application online.

If you have studied in the UK previously and have been financially sponsored you may need

to provide a letter of consent from your past financial sponsor, in addition to your new

financial evidence to show that you are self-funded e.g. bank statements.

This consent letter is only required if:

• you were financially sponsored for both tuition fees and living expenses; AND

Previous financial sponsorship – Consent letter

• your financial sponsor was a government or an international scholarship agency;

AND

• you received money from this financial sponsor within the last 12 months prior to

making your new Student visa application.

If this is the case you must provide a letter of consent from your previous financial sponsor

with your visa application alongside your new financial evidence. The letter must specifically

confirm:

• That your previous financial sponsor gives you consent to remain in and re-enter the

UK.

• That this consent is for an unlimited time

You do not need to provide this if you were not fully financially sponsored, if your financial

sponsor was not a government or international scholarship agency, or if you received

money over 12 months ago.

The following evidence will not be accepted and may result in a visa refusal:

• Bank statements from any relatives who are not your parents or legal guardians.

• Bank statements from friends.

• Bank statements in a company’s name.

• Any bank accounts other than cash funds – this includes any salary accounts, credit

cards, overdrafts, shares or bonds.

• Employment contracts, payslips or evidence of any future pay or salary. Employment

is not considered the same as official sponsorship, so you would be considered self-

funded and must show the appropriate evidence as stated above.

• Sponsor letters by a family member.

• Sponsor letters by any organisation, company or business that is not an official

financial sponsor as detailed above – this includes a church or local company.

Unacceptable Financial Institutions:

UKVI will not consider funds if they are held by a financial institution where: -

• The case worker is unable to make satisfactory verification checks; or

• The financial institution is not regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the

country in which that institution is operating; or

• The financial institution does not use electronic record keeping.

It is your responsibility to check if your bank account meets these requirements.

Evidence which is not accepted

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I, (name of your parent/ legal guardian/ adopted parent), have provided bank statements to

show that (your name) meets the tuition fees and maintenance requirements of their

Student visa application.

I am the (parent / adopted parent / legal guardian) of (your name) and I give my consent to

these funds being available to (your name) for (his / her) studies in the UK.

Please contact me if you need any additional information.

Yours faithfully

(Signature) (Date)

(name)

(address)

(telephone)

(email)

To Whom It May Concern

UK Visas and Immigration

Home Office

Date:

Dear Sir/Madam

(name of student) / (date of birth) / (nationality)

(name of spouse) / (date of birth) / (nationality)

(name of child) / (date of birth) / (nationality)

We confirm that (name of student) has been awarded a financial scholarship by (sponsoring

Government) for study at the University of Manchester for the degree of (qualification) in

(subject). The scholarship will commence (date) and last for a period of (months).

Appendix A – Template letter of parental consent

Appendix B –Template Government sponsorship letter

The scholarships covers (name of student) and his/her family members listed above. The

scholarship covers all the student’s tuition fees and living expenses and all of their

dependant’s living expenses.

In addition, (sponsoring Government) gives unconditional consent to (name of student) to

make an application for immigration permission to stay in or re-enter the United Kingdom

for an unlimited time.

Yours faithfully

(Signature) (Date)

(name)

(address)

(telephone)

(email)

To Whom It May Concern

UK Visas and Immigration

Home Office

Date:

Dear Sir/Madam

(name of student) / (date of birth) / (nationality)

We confirm that (name of student) has been awarded a financial scholarship by (sponsoring

organisation) for study at the University of Manchester for the degree of (qualification) in

(subject). The scholarship will commence (date) and last for a period of (months).

The scholarships covers (name of student). The scholarship covers £… for tuition fees and

£… for living expenses/all of the student’s tuition fees and living expenses.

Yours faithfully

(Signature) (Date)

(name)

(address)

(telephone)

(email)

Appendix C –Template sponsorship letter (international

company/University)

Please see our website for more information about applying for a Student visa and the

documents you will need to include with your application.

The Student Case Worker Guidance includes more information about the Student visa

requirements.

Student Immigration Team

Student Services Centre

[email protected]k

0161 275 5000

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