Just been accepted into school.... now what ?!

hello all, I've been kind of a troller here for wee bit, just reading about other peoples stories, etc... but now it's my time to ask some questions, hopefully without sounding too daft. Right, so I just got back from glasgea, and I've been accepted into uni ( ) but they can't send me a letter of acceptance until january, because they're not actually taking applications for next year yet (they just gave me an answer on the spot, because I went all the way over to the UK for an interview) But I was wondering, (since it seems the mission of any government webpage pertaining to visas to be as vague as possible...) once I get an unconditional in the mail stating I've been acccepted, what should I take to the visa interview (and also.. do I actually need to physically go to the consulate.. or can you do it through mail.. that bit confused me. although the consulate is only 4 hours away, so it's not a big deal) I know I need to take the letter from the school, my passport, proof of funds, and possibly some educational qualifications, etc. But when my GF tried to come to the US for school from the UK for one year she applied twice and was denied by the US embassy and it was a nightmare of paperwork, and documents trying to prove intent to return to home country, etc. If I wanted to stay in the UK after I was finished on some sort of VAF2 settlement visa, or even become a UK citizen... what are the best ways to go about doing this? any help is appreciated

cheers,
dan

A student visa for the UK is pretty straight forward and the list of documents are listed on www.ukvisas.gov.uk

At the moment there is a programme specifically for graduates of Scottish Universities to allow them to remain in the UK for up to two years after graduation, as there is a shortage of workers in Scotland.  However, there is a good chance that this will have changed by the time you graduate, so it is probably something that you can't really prepare for now.

You can apply by e-mail or post, but you may be called in for an interview.

Victoria

hello all, I've been kind of a troller here for wee bit, just

Completely off topic, but I think you meant a lurker.

A troll is someone who posts on a message board for the sole purpose of starting fights and otherwise causing trouble.

I don't think that's what you are.

VictoriaS is right about it being a fairly straightforward process - just follow the instructions at the web-site, and you should have no problems.

If doubt you'd be called in for an interview - it's my understanding if there are questions, you'd be called by telephone.

I applied for my visa through the mail, and my documents were out of my hands for less than 5 days - that means my passport came back to me with my student visa in it!

A student visa for the UK is pretty straight forward and the list of documents are listed on www.ukvisas.gov.uk

At the moment there is a programme specifically for graduates of Scottish Universities to allow them to remain in the UK for up to two years after graduation, as there is a shortage of workers in Scotland.  However, there is a good chance that this will have changed by the time you graduate, so it is probably something that you can't really prepare for now.

You can apply by e-mail or post, but you may be called in for an interview.

Victoria

Thanks for the info, It's good to hear that it's fairly straight forward.  About staying in the UK after graduation.. another question came to mind, If my GF and I chose to do so, are you able to marry on a student visa, or would I have to apply for a fiance visa as well? and if so, would I have to wait for my student visa to expire to do so?

Completely off topic, but I think you meant a lurker.

A troll is someone who posts on a message board for the sole purpose of starting fights and otherwise causing trouble.

I don't think that's what you are.

no.. I'm a troller!!! wanna fight?    hehe thanks for the correction, my internet lingo isn't all there I guess 

VictoriaS is right about it being a fairly straightforward process - just follow the instructions at the web-site, and you should have no problems.

If doubt you'd be called in for an interview - it's my understanding if there are questions, you'd be called by telephone.

I applied for my visa through the mail, and my documents were out of my hands for less than 5 days - that means my passport came back to me with my student visa in it!

I'm actually glad to hear that applying by post can be such an easy process, if I do that I'll end up saving a bit of money for gas    That's awesome that you got your passport returned in 5 days, the turnaround for the US embassy is anything but quick.. I'm so nervous about applying because of the nightmare my GF had with the US, but it seems to not be the case with the UK.. and I'm glad to hear it

I've got one more question that just popped into my head... do you think it would be a good idea to show that I have a job lined up in the UK waiting for me if I get a visa, or would that look bad? Also, I think I read somewhere that you can move to the UK 6 months prior to the start of your studies.. is this true? If not, when is the earliest you can move to the UK?

Thanks a load for all the help from you guys thus far, I really do appreciate it, it's like having a team of legal advisors... without the bill

cheers,
Daniel

About staying in the UK after graduation.. another question came to mind, If my GF and I chose to do so, are you able to marry on a student visa, or would I have to apply for a fiance visa as well? and if so, would I have to wait for my student visa to expire to do so?

Hehe, Daniel, you're in luck- I happened to answer this exact question a little while ago so I'm just going to copy and paste what I said then onto this thread 

You can get married in England while on a student visa.  You have to get a COA- Certificate of Approval- from the Home Office. Your visa has to have at least 3 months left on it when you apply for the COA, and once it's granted you can register and get married in the UK, then get FLR (good for 2 years.)  You'd have to make sure you allow enough time on your visa past the three months to get the COA approved (not sure how long it takes), get married, and get your FLR approved so it doesn't expire in the midst of the process.  You can get a COA only if you're on a visa that is good for more than six months, student or otherwise- you wouldn't be able to do this as a visitor or any other visa that's valid less than six months.

Yep, that's the way the rules work today about marrying on a student visa - rules seem to change on a fairly regular basis, so once in the UK studying, you might want to keep an eye on the rules!

Also, I wouldn't say anything about any kind of a job when applying for a student visa.  You are entitled to work part-time whilst on the visa; however, it is NOT a settlement visa, and any hint that you may plan to stay on at the time you apply for the visa is a no no IMO. 

I was questioned at the time of my entry on the visa by the IO as to why I would want to study in the UK - why wasn't an American university good enough for what I wanted to study.  I was prepared for this question - I tried to prepare in advance for every question under the sun - and I answered it quite honestly from my own personal perspective.  Even though I had a visa in my passport entitling me to live in the UK as a full-time student for three years, if I had said something to her that showed I had a different intent, I believe she could very well have sent me back to the US. 

Also, on the visa application form, it asks what date you intend to arrive in the UK - I'm not certain, but I think you can arrive 3 months prior to the start of your studies, but I'm  not sure.  In any event, I gave a date that was 2 months prior to my start date, and that was approved, no questions asked - I actually arrived about six weeks before the start of my studies.