student visa question

probably a redundant question here, but are the student visa and Entry Clearance visa the same thing, or are they seperate with seperate applications?
Sorry if this is redundant, but after combing over this and the visauk sites, I am confused.   And is there any way to apply MORE than three months ahead of your course start date?

No, they are different. You get the visa while you're in the US and it's activated when you pass through immigration on your way in - that's your entry clearance.

I doubt you could get the paperwork together more than 3 months ahead as you need stuff from the school - letters of acceptance, financial documents, etc. and I think most people will report only getting this stuff quite late in the game. I spent a ton of time trying to get my uni to get everything to me in a timely manner!!

Actually, it's not quite like that.  The visa issued is now deemed as entry clearance as well...it all changed a few years ago.  In principle, however, it has made no difference...Immigration at the airport can stilll refuse entry if they think something dodgy is going on.

I agree about the 3 months.


Victoria

I disagree about the 3 months, I applied in late April of 2004, (April 28th I think, I still have my copies of everything at home) - got approved a few short weeks later, and got approved and my documents returned at some point in May.

I requested to have my visa good from July 6 2004 to July 6 2005 due to wanting to travel and settle into Bristol for the summer months, and it was approved from July 1 2004 to Oct 31 2005.

Uni started the last week in September 2004.

I ended up arriving in the UK on July 6th 2004, and leaving July 21 2005.

As long as you have the paperwork from your uni, you should be able to apply more than 3 months ahead, I had no problems with mine!

It might help to see if your uni has an international students office, they might be able to speed the process up, though all I THINK I needed was the acceptance letter from my uni stating that I was accepted, my dates of study, and the tuition/fees I'd have to pay.  Other than that it was bank stuff and the application I beleive.

if you want, I'll list out what I still have copies of at home, I beleive it's everything except the application form (did that online) - but i'll need to double-check.

I hope this helps!

That's remarkable, Katie- everything I've heard and read says that they won't grant you a visa that starts earlier than a few weeks before beginning the course, but evidently not...hmm.  Thanks for sharing your experiences

That's remarkable, Katie- everything I've heard and read says that they won't grant you a visa that starts earlier than a few weeks before beginning the course, but evidently not...hmm.  Thanks for sharing your experiences

no worries If anyone wants to know exactly what I put on the letter I can transcribe it when I get home - but it more or less said that I want to travel, that I beleive that education and the experience is about more than just going to school, and that I wanted to be able to concentrate on my studies during the term, so I was planning on traveling in july-Aug, and during breaks in Jan and April (hence why I was requesting early entry)

I said that if they had any questions about my plans to contact me directly (and gave them my cell number)

I sort of assumed that it was a standard thing that people wanted to do, travel before school - I never realized it was odd until right now!

So if I am undrstanding this correctly, there is only one application, and that is for your student visa.  EC happens when you meet with IO at airport, and are cleared for entry.  Correct?
And regarding the length of visa in relation to your studies, is it possible that there is a difference in the way they would treat a request for extra time from someone whose course is only one year as opposed to someone whose course is the full three or four year program?
Happy BST to you all!!!

So if I am undrstanding this correctly, there is only one application, and that is for your student visa. EC happens when you meet with IO at airport, and are cleared for entry. Correct?

As I understand it (and from what Victoria wrote above) the student visa sticker in your passport is both the student visa and the entry clearance all in one (there's no reason you should be refused entry with visa/EC in hand if all is in order, but the IO at the airport always has the final final say, regardless of whatever entry clearance you might hold.)

but the IO at the airport always has the final final say

Actually they changed that rule when the Immigration Service got reorganised and incorporated as a branch of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate a few years ago.  They cannot refuse an entry clearance unless (as Victoria says) "something dodgy going on".  In precise terms, that means fraud or substantive change of circumstances...

Good to know Garry, thanks!

So if I am undrstanding this correctly, there is only one application, and that is for your student visa.  EC happens when you meet with IO at airport, and are cleared for entry.  Correct?
And regarding the length of visa in relation to your studies, is it possible that there is a difference in the way they would treat a request for extra time from someone whose course is only one year as opposed to someone whose course is the full three or four year program?
Happy BST to you all!!!

My course was listed as a 3-year course, even though I stated in my letter that I was only going to be abroad for one year  - I wouldn't think that it would make any difference, and if it does, i'd be curious to know which side they put me on!