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International Students UK

If you are a national from outside of the UK, you may require a student visa to enter the UK and study with us. The type of visa you may require will depend on the course you wish to study. The following sections provide further information on the types of visas, requirements and application process.

If you are a national from a country within the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, from 1st January 2021 onwards, Home Office regulations state you will now need a visa to study. Visa advice for EU applicants can be found here.

Application process

a) Courses longer than 6 months

Students from outside the UK wishing to study a course longer than six months may require a Student Visa. 

You are able to apply for the following courses: 

In order to be accepted onto one of these courses, you will need to meet the academic requirements of the course as well the requirements for the Student Visa.

The following steps outline the application process for these courses. It can take a few weeks to finalise your visa application, so please do complete your HE application as soon as possible to ensure you can arrive for your preferred start date.

  1. Review the information on the Home Office website for applying for a Student Visa. 
  2. Complete and submit this Application Form or apply via UCAS. Please remember to attach copies of your passport or ID, in addition to your academic qualifications
  3. If you are accepted onto your chosen course, you may enrol with the usual deposit fee
  4. After you have enrolled, you will need to provide us with the documents required for your Student Visa application. The documents and requirements are listed in this Check Sheet and Financial Evidence Guide.
  5. Once you have provided us with your documents and we are satisfied you can meet the requirements of the visa, we will request a payment for the remaining course fee
  6. After you have paid the course fee, we will issue you with a CAS with which you can apply for your  Student visa

Step 1 – Start preparing your financial evidence

You will need evidence of funding for your tuition fees and your living expenses, including accommodation. There are strict requirements for the amounts and forms of evidence accepted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). It's essential to get it right or your application will be rejected.

Start planning your financial evidence early – ideally a few weeks before you plan to make your visa application. If you or your parents will pay your fees, you will need bank statements showing you have held the required funds in your account for at least 28 days. The last transaction date must be no more than 31 days before you submit your visa application.

Before we issue your CAS you must:

·         Demonstrate living expenses of £1,265 per month for the first nine months of your course (£11,385) – or for the full course duration if it's shorter than nine months. Due to fluctuations in exchange rates, we would recommend aiming for £12,000.

  • Pay your first year of fees, or your full fee if your course is 12 months or shorter.

Tuition fees you have already paid to Point Blank will be noted in your CAS.

Take time to prepare your financial evidence correctly so that your visa application is successful.

Guide to Financial Evidence

Step 2 – Prepare your other supporting documents

It's wise to prepare your supporting documents early, as with your financial evidence, so that you can apply quickly once you received your offer to study from Point Blank.

Make sure you have your original academic certificates and transcripts, and English language test certificate if needed.

Admissions Officer will confirm which documents you need to submit as evidence. The documents required will also be stated on your CAS.

Students from some countries must take a tuberculosis test. Check on the UK government website to see if this applies to you.

Some students may need extra documents, including:

  • official translations of any evidence not originally provided in English
  • a letter of parental consent if you are under 18
  • evidence about any changes to your name

Step 3 – Send your evidence to your Admissions Officer for review

To apply for a Tier 4 student visa, you will need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the university where you will study.

This is an essential part of your visa application: it shows that we are accepting you as a student and expect you to attend our course. We can only issue a CAS to students who have firmly accepted our offer and met all their offer conditions.

Your designated Admissions Officer will review your documents with the visa team to ensure that all documents meet the visa regulations stated in the Home Office Student Visa Guidance

Our team member may ask you to make some changes to your documents or source additional documents. Please be assured this is to ensure you have a positive outcome for your visa application – they are there to help!

Once your documents have been reviewed and approved, your Admissions Officer will draft your CAS and Acceptance letter

 

Step 4 – Completing your online application form

You’re nearly there!!

Once you have the go ahead from your Admissions Officer, you can start completing your application form here

We will ask you to complete all sections up to the Sponsor information section, which we will fill in for you.

Please do not submit your form or sign the declaration before you have been issued with your CAS number.

Should you need one to one help with your form, please do let your Admissions Officer know. Support can be provided via video call.

 

Step 5 – Finalising your application

Your Admissions Officer will send you a copy of your draft CAS and Acceptance letter for review. This is your opportunity to point out any changes you would like to request, such as how you are addressed in the documents or to highlight any inaccuracies. This is an important stage of the process, as only minimal changes can be made to the CAS once it has been confirmed.

We will then send you a final version of your documents, you can pop your CAS number on your online application form and submit the form.

You will be asked where you would like to collect your BRP from as part of the application. If you know where you will be staying, please enter your UK address. If you have not yet planned your accommodation, you will need to insert our postcode: N1 5DL.

Point Blank is not currently a location that provides BRP collection from campus. Collection will be from your assigned Post Office.

 

Step 6 – Pay for your IHS and book appointment

Your Admissions Officer will send you a copy of your draft CAS and Acceptance letter for review. This is your opportunity to point out any changes you would like to request, such as how you are addressed in the documents or to highlight any inaccuracies. This is an important stage of the process, as only minimal changes can be made to the CAS once it has been confirmed.

We will then send you a final version of your documents, you can pop your CAS number on your online application form and submit the form.

You will be asked where you would like to collect your BRP from as part of the application. If you know where you will be staying, please enter your UK address. If you have not yet planned your accommodation, you will need to insert our postcode: N1 5DL.

Point Blank is not currently a location that provides BRP collection from campus. Collection will be from your assigned Post Office.

 

b) Short courses (6 months or less)

Students from outside the UK wishing to study a course of 6 months duration or shorter will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. 

Please find information regarding the Standard Visitor Visa here.

Our Admissions Team will be happy to supply you with a course confirmation letter to accompany your visa application. 

Those students who are permitted to apply on the UK Border are welcome to use the E-Gates, however we will ask for a copy of a travel ticket to confirm your entry date to the UK for Home Office purposes.

Visa nationals will need to apply in advance for their visa, and we will need to take a copy of your vignette page in your passport. 

 

 

FAQs

What is a CAS?

CAS stands for Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies. A CAS is a unique number provided by Point Blank. You will need this number before you can apply for a Student Visa. Students applying for a Short Term Study visa will not require a CAS.

We do not issue a CAS to everyone who applies. You must be able to meet the requirements of a Student Visa before we can issue a CAS.

You do not need a CAS if you are studying a course 6 months in duration or shorter.

What are the requirements for a Student Visa?

The exact requirements for a Student Visa can be found in the Check Sheet in the application process above, however here is a quick summary of what you will need:

1. Academic qualifications (equivalent to high school or above)

2. English language qualification (if you are from a non majority English speaking country)

3. To be able to pay your fees for the first year of the course in full

4. To show you have a minimum of £12,006 (£1,334 per month) to support your living costs (this is known as 'maintenance' and is in addition to the full course fees)

5. Valid passport

6. Tuberculosis Test if you are resident of these countries

What are maintenance fees?

Before we can issue you with a CAS for a Student Visa, we need to see evidence that you have the funds to cover your living costs. This is in addition to the course fees.

If you are applying for a Student Visa for a course over six months in duration, you will need to show you can support your stay for the first nine months of your course. We recommend you have a minimum of £12,006 (£1,334 per month) however the more money you have available the stronger your visa application will be. This amount is in addition to the total course fees for courses under one year in duration, or the course fee for your first 12 months.

To show you can cover your living costs, we need to see a bank statement or letter confirming that this money is available in your account or a legal guardian's account. This money must have been cleared in your account for at least 28 days before the date when you apply for your student visa. Please refer to the Check Sheet in the application process above for the exact requirements.

 

What are the English language requirements?

  • All applicants must be able to demonstrate English language at CEFR level B2, equivalent to grade C / 4 at GCSE. Please note this requirement also applies to mature students (21 or over) without formal qualifications who have been admitted based on their admissions test and/or prior experience.
  • All international students requiring visa sponsorship require an IELTS Academic test. If you have / are going to take an IELTS exam, the minimum level is 6.0 overall (with 5.5 in each category: reading, writing, speaking and listening). Only IELTS Academic tests will be accepted.
  • If you are an international student applying for a Student Visa and do not currently have a valid IELTS Academic test, Point Blank will be happy to provide a fee waiver equivalent to the cost of one IELTS Academic test fee, to be waived from your fees upon successful registration only. Point Blank will not provide further waivers for resits and the IELTS test booking receipt must be provided as proof of test fee paid. Fee waivers are applicable to tests completed post-application date only.

What are the course fees?

The fees for each course can be found on the course webpage. 

If you click the "Enrol Now" link of your chosen course and navigate to step 2, you will see the payment options available and total fees. After being accepted on a course, students can reserve their place with a registration fee. The remaining course fees (or first year's fees if the course is longer than a year) will need to be paid before we can issue an acceptance letter or CAS (for a Student Visa).

There are different fees for EU students arriving for our January 2021, April 2021 and July 2021 start dates. You may be eligible for 'Home' fees. Please find our helpful information page here. 

 

How long can I stay in the UK?

Student Visa 

Once you have acquired your Study Visa, you are permitted to enter the UK up to one month in advance of your course start date.

If you are studying a Diploma course with Point Blank, you can remain in the UK up to two months after the course finishes. For Degree courses, this increases to four months.

Students who complete one of our BA (Hons) courses will be eligible to remain in the UK to work for an additional two years. Details of the Graduate Visa can be found here: Post-Study Work

Standard Visitor Visa

A Standard Visitor Visa usually permits you to enter the UK for six months. During this period you will be permitted to study on campus for the full duration of your course, but you must leave the UK before your visa expires.

 

Can I work whilst studying? 

International students on a Student Visa are permitted to work part time during their studies. The amount of hours and type of work permitted will be stated on the BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) you receive. Students on a BA (Hons) degree programme will generally be allowed to work 20 hours per week during term time and unlimited hours during holiday breaks.

From Summer 2021, successful students who have completed a Bachelors Degree qualification will also be able to apply for the Graduate Route Visa which allows. This route will provide students with the opportunity to stay in the UK to live and work after they graduate for 2 year. Useful information regarding the Graduate Route Visa can be found here. 

Students on a Standard Visitor Visa are not permitted to work.

What if I don't get my visa?

Point Blank will check all your documents before you submit your visa application and we will not issue a CAS (Student Visa applicants) until we are confident your application will be successful.

In the rare event that your visa application is rejected, there is an option to reapply. If you require extra time for your application, we are happy to postpone your course until the next start date at no extra cost.

If you visa application is refused, you are entitled to a full refund minus a £500 administration fee. This fee will remain on your account and can be used against a future course at Point Blank London or our online school.

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