Question about new Adult Student Visa money requirements

I'm a little confused on one question. The pdf from the UK Border Agency says

Bank statement or letter confirming that you have enough money available to cover your course fees and monthly living costs for up to one year, at the time you submit your application

(emphasis mine)

Does this mean that I don't have to have it an account for three months before I apply as long as I have the money in when I apply? It seems to say that, but after reading all the stories and commentary, I'm worried about getting something wrong. I can't keep up with the changes.

Amy

I just found this:

For courses of up to 9 months duration you will be required to show that you have the full tuition fee plus the appropriate monthly amount for each month you intend to be in the UK. On a course of more than 9 months you will be required to show that you have the first year of the tuition fees plus either £7200 or £5400 depending on whether you intend to study inside or outside of the Inner London Boroughs (see below). These amounts must be held in your personal bank account for a minimum period of 28 days. The end of that 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of your application, for which you must show bank statements/other evidence.
If you apply before 1 June 2009 you will only need to show proof that you have the money needed, on the day that you apply. You must still provide the correct documents to support your application.   

*****

So if I apply before 1 June 2009, I should be okay with having the money on the day. I think.

Now I need to find out how much for each child I need to have and what kind of letter I need to get from their dad in order to get their visas.

I'm confused - why did you think you needed the money in the account for 3 months for a student visa?

The only 3-month rule I know of is the one for Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant workers visas which requires that your maintenance funds are at least £2,800 and have not dipped below £2,800 for three consecutive months before you apply for the Tier 1 visa. This is a completely separate visa though and the requirements for it have nothing to do with applying for a student visa  .

It looks to me that for students they have never before required that the money be in your account for a certain period of time before you apply, but from June 2009, they will require that the money has been in your account for 28 days.

I'm confused - why did you think you needed the money in the account for 3 months for a student visa?

The only 3-month rule I know of is the one for Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant workers visas which requires that your maintenance funds are at least £2,800 and have not dipped below £2,800 for three consecutive months before you apply for the Tier 1 visa. This is a completely separate visa though and the requirements for it have nothing to do with applying for a student visa  .

It looks to me that for students they have never before required that the money be in your account for a certain period of time before you apply, but from June 2009, they will require that the money has been in your account for 28 days.

ksand...  You need to read up on Tier 4...    http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf in particular Paragraph 28-30 on page 11:

Money needed
28. The money you need to show covers your course fees for your first year of study and living costs for up to a maximum of nine months. The amount you will need depends on whether you are applying as a child or adult.
29. Your money must be held in cash. Shares, bonds, pension funds and similar savings accounts will not be accepted.
30. You must show that you have held the money for at least 28 days. The end of that 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of your application.

Isn't ksand24 right....it doesn't need to have been there for 3 months, just 28 days?

Vicky

Isn't ksand24 right....it doesn't need to have been there for 3 months, just 28 days?

DOH!  That is what I get for trying to correct someone else...  I thought, when reading quickly, that ksand was saying it didn't have to be maintained for any period of time and that only applied to Tier 1.  So both of us are correct.

So not 3 months, 28 days.  Having the money on the day gets you bupkis.

I think that's 1-1, K!

 


Vicky

I think that's 1-1, K!

 


Vicky

Lol .

I actually did read up on Tier 4 before I posted my reply (albeit only briefly) to make sure that my reply was as accurate as possible .

I actually did read up on Tier 4 before I posted my reply (albeit only briefly) to make sure that my reply was as accurate as possible .

I realise that now!!!! I would delete my post, but oh well, I will let my ignorance shine. 

I appreciate the answers and the back and forth discussion equally. It helps me feel less of an idiot that I'm having a hard time understanding. And I'm a process person so I like seeing how decisions are arrived at.

Correct me if I'm wrong, I won't need the money in the bank for 28 days if I apply before June 1st.

Amy

Correct me if I'm wrong, I won't need the money in the bank for 28 days if I apply before June 1st.

Students will need their maintenance funds (years tution plus expenses) in their bank accounts 28 days prior to applying.  It is not 3 months though, which applies to other visas that are part of the points based system.

The bit we were bantering about is that both myself and ksand were saying the same thing, though I thought she was saying something else because I read her post too quickly.

Students will need their maintenance funds (years tution plus expenses) in their bank accounts 28 days prior to applying.  It is not 3 months though, which applies to other visas that are part of the points based system.

The bit we were bantering about is that both myself and ksand were saying the same thing, though I thought she was saying something else because I read her post too quickly.

But it also says that the 28-day rule doesn't come into effect until 1st June 2009 (as per Amy's second post, the source of which is the visa guidance on the UK visa site), so if she applies before June 1st, it looks like she won't need to worry about the 28 day rule.

The only problem that you might have, Amy, is that you may not be able to apply before June 1st due to the rule that visas can only be post-dated by 3 months. If your course starts in September and you will be travelling then, the earliest you can apply for the visa is June. However, you are allowed to enter the UK up to one month before the start date of your course, so you will be able to apply 3 months before this date.

Looking at your previous posts, I see you will be studying at LSE. The 'Fall' 2009 term at LSE begins on October 1st, which means that the earliest date you can enter the UK is September 1st. Therefore, the earliest date you can apply for your visa will be June 1st.

Looking at your previous posts, I see you will be studying at LSE. The 'Fall' 2009 term at LSE begins on October 1st, which means that the earliest date you can enter the UK is September 1st. Therefore, the earliest date you can apply for your visa will be June 1st.

Does anybody know if I'm able to get in the country based on when the children's school starts? They start around September 1st, so I really need to get into the country, get a place to live, get some school supplies, etc.  I haven't started the process yet so I'm not sure if there is a place for explanations on the application.

Amy