UK Study Visas for U.S. Citizens

Likewise, the study visa does not permit American students to:

• Claim public benefits and pensions inside the UK
• Get a job or work placement in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach or be self-employed
• Study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school)

To apply for a Student Visa, American students will first need an unconditional acceptance letter from the UK educational institution they wish to attend.

Students in the U.S. are permitted to apply for their visas either in the United States (or anywhere outside the UK) or from within the UK. The application form is available online, making it quite easy and efficient to complete. There is also an application fee that needs to be paid upon making an application for the student route.

If you are applying from the U.S, you can apply for a Student Visa up to 6 months before the course start date.

If you are applying for a visa from within the UK, you are permitted to make the application 3 months before the start of your course. In this case, you will need to begin your application before your current UK visa expires, and within 28 days of your current visa expiring.

If the student visa is granted, American students can enter into the UK either 1 week their course start date (if your course lasts 6 months or less) or up to 1 month prior (if the course lasts more than 6 months).

Like all UK visas, as part of the UK student visa requirements, US applicants will need to provide specific information and documentation to showcase their eligibility for this visa.

These supporting documents are as follows:

• A valid, current passport or another valid travel document
• The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your course provider
• Proof of parental or other legal guardian consent (for under 18-year-olds)
• Proof of your relationship to your parent and guardian if you are under 18 years old.

All documents have to be submitted in either English or Welsh. If you need it translated, it has to be done by an accredited translator. Both the original and the translated versions must be included in your supporting documents.

Applicants under 18 years of age will need written consent from both parents, both legal guardians, or one parent/guardian (if they have sole responsibility for the child) in order to study in the UK.

The parents/guardians must provide proof to the UK government that they consent to the following:

• The student visa application
• The living and care arrangements for their children(s) while in the UK
• All travel/transport to and from the UK
• The student’s birth certificate (or any other valid U.S government-issued document) confirms the relationship between student and parent.

The fee for a UK Student Visa is £348 if applied for from outside the UK. However, if you switch to a Student Visa from different immigration permission from within the UK, the fee is £475.

In addition to the standard application fee, American international students’ annual immigration health surcharge costs £470 per year.

If you have family dependents from your home country that you wish to come along with you while you study in the UK, they will need their own immigration permission. Generally, it’s possible for dependents to join students in the UK if the student is either:

• A government-sponsored student starting a course that lasts 6 months or longer
• Enrolled in a postgraduate course designated as a research programme that lasts 9 months or longer

Eligible postgraduate programmes include PhDs and other doctoral qualifications or masters programmes with a research component, including a requirement to produce original work.

International students who do not fit either one of these categories will not be eligible to bring their dependents with them to the UK.

This restriction will apply for all international students starting courses from 1 January 2024.

The UK government defines a dependent as a legal spouse, civil partner, common-law partner, or children under the age of 18. Families will need to prove relationships with the dependents by marriage/civil partnership paperwork and/or birth certificates for children.

These applicants need to show the relationship by providing:

• A bank account statement
• Credit card bills
• Driving license
• NHS (health insurance) registration document
• An official letter from their university degree program or college
• Marriage certificate/civil law certificate

Dependents will not receive a visitor visa, but all dependent visas will be valid for as long as the student’s visa is valid.