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This document will assist you in completing the Tier 4 online form for applications made in the UK.

If you will be applying in the UK for a visa to study at Imperial College or to extend your existing student

visa you must come in and speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team. It is important

that you do this before paying for and submitting your application so we can eliminate any errors.

We can also post your application to the Home Office on your behalf using our Check and Send service. All

documents including the new visa will be returned to our office for you to collect.

Office Opening Hours The office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10-5pm. On Wednesdays we are open 11-5pm

Quick Queries Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10-12pm

Wednesday 11-12pm During this time we will not be able to check application forms but we can advise on what you need to do and what documents you will need to prepare. You do not need an appointment to see an adviser during Quick Queries.

Appointments Monday – Friday 2-4pm

Appointments need to be booked in advance and these are used primarily for students who need to have their application and documents checked. If you are applying with dependants we will need to book you in for additional time to check all the applications.

Contact Details International Student Support

Level 3, Sherfield Building Imperial College London South Kensington Campus London SW7 2AZ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7594 8040 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7594 8002

Email: international@imperial.ac.uk Website: www.imperial.ac.uk/international

TIER 4 ONLINE VISA GUIDE FOR APPLICATIONS MADE IN THE UK

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Start the application process by visiting the Home Office website at this link https://www.gov.uk/apply-tier-4-

visa and click the green ‘Start now’ button.

CREATE AN ONLINE ACCOUNT

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On the next screen select the option that says ‘extending your Tier 4(General) student visa’ and click

the ‘Next step’ button.

If you are changing from a different visa than Tier 4 please contact International Student Support to check

which option you need to select.

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Enter the Imperial College London sponsor licence number 1E82R2BR6

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Please click on the link that says ‘Apply to extend your visa’ below sponsor number.

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Click the ‘Log in to apply online’ button at the bottom of the screen.

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You will need to create a Home Office account to be able to access the application form. Once you have

created your account, log in and proceed with the remainder of the application.

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Now click on the ‘Apply online’ button at the bottom of the screen.

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Once you have logged in the screen below will appear.

Please note that you if you save your application form but do not log in again after 56 days then your form

will be deleted. If you log back in within those 56 days the 56 day window period will begin again.

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This online application form is only for people who are in the UK on a valid visa and who are able to extend

or switch into Tier 4.

If you are applying from outside of the UK you must apply online via this website

https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

From the drop-down menu select which Tier 4 route you will be applying under. The Tier 4 (Child) route is

for those studying who are under the age of 18 years.

If you will be applying with dependants (spouse/partner and/or children) then select ‘Yes’ here. The online

form will allow you to complete an individual form for each dependant.

CUSTOMISE

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Where you are using an agency or solicitor you would indicate ‘Yes’ here. If you have been receiving

advice from the International Student Support team then please indicate ‘No’.

Please select ‘I am’ unless you are using a solicitor or agent.

Is your most current visa a sticker in your passport or is it a separate Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)?

Select the relevant option that applies to you.

Select your age group from the drop-down menu.

Once you have completed this section select ‘Save’ and then ‘Next’

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The ‘Home’ tab lists all the sections of the form that need to be completed. You can refer back to this at the

end of the application to check you have completed all relevant sections.

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You are the ‘Lead Applicant’. Provide all the personal details requested.

PERSONAL DETAILS

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If you do not currently hold any other nationality please indicate ‘No’. However if you do you will be required

to indicate what this other nationality is.

Where you have previously held another nationality you are also required to indicate this here and provide

further details on when this nationality was held.

If you have changed your name you will need to provide these details (for instance have you married

recently and your name has now changed?)

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Provide details if you have in the past used another name. If you provide any documents with this

application that use a different name and are not mentioned here then these documents will not be

considered.

The Home Office does not need to know about informal nicknames.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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Now provide the current address where you are living in the UK.

Where you would like your documents and new visa to be sent to the College then please indicate ‘No’ that

your living address is not your correspondence address.

CONTACT DETAILS

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Please write the correspondence address as follows:

House Number or Name = International Student Support Att: Alan Smith

Street Name = Imperial College London

Town or City = London

County = London

Postcode = SW7 2AZ

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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Where you are asked about a Home Office reference number this refers to a previous visa application that

has been made from within the UK. You would have received a letter from the Home Office that has a case

reference number and this is what you would need to provide.

If you are currently still on your first visa that you applied for from your home country then indicate ‘No’ to

the first question.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

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A National Insurance (NI) number would be required if you doing any sort of paid work. This is not

automatically assigned and you would have had to apply for one from a Job Centre. The NI Card looks like

this:

If you have a NI Number you must provide that information here.

If you have previously held an NI Number and subsequently had to apply for a new one then please provide

the details of that previous NI Number here.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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This section requires you to provide your passport information.

TRAVEL DOCUMENT (Passports)

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If your passport has been lost or stolen please speak to an adviser in the International Student Support

team.

This section is asking about past passports that contain relevant visas for the UK. For example you may

have entered on a visa stamped in your passport but since then your passport expired and you obtained a

new passport. You would need to provide the details of the expired passport and include the expired

passport with your application as this contains your current or past student visa.

If you have previous passports that have no UK visas in them, please click ‘No’.

If your previous passport has been lost or stolen please speak to an adviser in the International Student

Support team.

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Once you have completed this section click

“Check this section” and then click “Next” to

move to the following section.

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If you have extended your visa from within the UK then you very likely would have been issued your visa in

the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) which looks like this:

In this section you will need to provide the information found on your BRP.

BIOMETRIC RESIDENCE PERMIT (BRP)

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If you no longer have your BRP you will need to indicate what has happened to the BRP from the drop-

down list. Where the BRP is lost or stolen you are required to have reported this to the Home Office and in

addition you would need to have reported this to the police to obtain a crime reference number.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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Where you have previously lived in Northern Ireland you will need to declare this here and provide your

previous address in Northern Ireland. If you have not lived in Northern Ireland click “No” and move on to the

next question.

The Home Office requires information on all addresses that you have lived at within the UK for the previous

5 years. If you have not changed your address within the last 5 years click “No”. Click “Check this section”

and then click “Next” to move to the following section.

If you click “Yes” to this question you will now be asked to provide your previous address including the

dates that you moved in and out of that address. If you have more than 1 address click “Add another” to

add all relevant addresses to cover the 5 year period.

PREVIOUS ADDRESSES

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Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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The Personal History asks a series of “Yes” or “No” questions. You must answer all these questions

honestly and accurately.

Where you indicate “Yes” for any question a text box will be provided so you can further explain your

situation.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

PERSONAL HISTORY

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You will need to select from the drop-down menu which option applies to you. If your leave has expired or

you are unsure which option applies to you please get in touch with an adviser in the International Student

Support team (our contact details are at the top of this help guide)

Once you have selected the option that applies to you provide further details about the visa category you

are currently under and indicate if you were required as a condition of your visa to register with the police.

Only nationals of certain countries are required to register with the police. It will say on your visa “required

to register with police within 7 days” or some similar variation.

Students with a Police Registration Certificate (PRC) must ensure that it is up-to-date and reflects the

current address where you are currently living. You can update your PRC at any police station.

IMMIGRATION HISTORY

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Before you arrived in the UK you would have had to obtain a visa, you will need to provide the information

about that visa here.

The entry clearance visa would take the form of a sticker in your passport and would look like this:

Where you are asked to provide the reference number please note that the reference number is the VAF

number which is printed below the visa expiry date on your visa.

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Some further questions about your immigration history in the UK.

Where you say “Yes” to any of these questions a text box will appear and provide you with an opportunity

to explain your situation. You must answer all these questions honestly.

If you have an application already with the Home Office or are waiting for a decision on an appeal then

please speak to an adviser in the International Student Support team immediately so we can discuss your

situation.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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As an international student on a visa you would not be entitled to claim public funds from the government.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

PUBLIC FUNDS

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The Sponsor Licence Number for Imperial College is 1E82R2BR6, enter this and click “Look up” and then

select Imperial College.

The Imperial College address: South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ

For “county” select ‘London’

COURSE DETAILS

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To be able to apply for a Tier 4 visa you will need a new and valid CAS number, indicate “Yes” for having a

CAS and enter the CAS number.

You will then need to select your level of study: Undergraduate (NQF 6); Masters (NQF 7) and PhD (NQF

8)

Course Dates MSc students should use a slightly different course end date to that mentioned on e-Service, as shown below:

Start Date End Date

1 September 2014 31 August 2015

5 September 2014 4 September 2015

4 October 2014 3 October 2015

PhD students should use their thesis submission deadline (4 years from course start date) as their planned course end date, e.g. if the course start date is 1 October 2014, the end date will be 30 September 2018, which should be listed under the “Research” section of the Course Information section of Student e-service. Please note that if you are a continuing student you must enter your start date as the original date your course began. If you are unsure about what your course dates should be, please contact International Student Support.

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Once you have selected your level of qualification you will be able to provide the details of your course:

course title, start date and end date.

Where your main place of study is at the South Kensington Campus then you can select ‘Yes’ to this

question.

However if your main place of study is Silwood Park Campus or one of the hospitals then you will need to

select ‘No’ and provide the relevant address.

Imperial College is an HEI so indicate YES here.

If you applied for your Undergraduate course via UCAS please indicate YES here and provide your UCAS

Personal Identification Number.

If you are applying for a Postgraduate course you must answer NO to this question.

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Please select from the options below how you will be able to meet the English language requirement.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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Enter the amount of fees listed on your CAS.

If you have paid some, or all, of your fees then indicate ‘Yes’ and write how much you have paid. Where it

shows on your CAS what has been paid then tick the box for ‘Information on the CAS’ otherwise you will

need to provide original paper receipts showing the fees have been paid.

MAINTENANCE (Money/Finances)

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If you currently hold a Tier 4 visa, Student visa or are here as a Postgraduate Doctor or Dentist then you

will need to select ‘YES’ to this question. If you do not hold such a visa then select ‘NO’ and continue with

the questions.

Once you select ‘YES’ you will be given 3 options, please select the relevant one to your circumstances.

This question relates to how much money you will need to show for your living expenses whilst you

continue to study.

You will be considered to have “established presence” where you currently have a valid student visa and

you have either completed 6 months on your current course or have already completed a course in the UK

that was more than 6 months in length.

If your student visa has expired or if you hold a different type of visa, you probably won’t qualify for

established presence, even though you may have been in the UK for some time

Where you have established presence you will be required to show £ 2040. If you do not meet the

established presence requirement you will need to show the full maintenance of £ 9180.

Silwood Park Campus students: If you are studying at the Silwood Park Campus and you meet the

established presence requirement you would only need to show £ £ 1640 but if you are required to show

the full maintenance then the amount will be £ 7280.

Silwood Park Campus students select ‘outer London’.

All other students studying at any other Imperial campus will select “inner London”.

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Unless your accommodation is specifically owned by Imperial College you would select ‘No’ to this

question.

Where you have paid accommodation fees to Imperial College you can only claim up to a maximum of

£ 1020 deduction off your maintenance and you will need to provide a receipt as this will not be stated on

the CAS.

An Official Financial Sponsor would be if you are receiving full or partial funding from a government or

international company.

You would also indicate ‘Yes’ here if you are receiving a full or partial scholarship/bursary from Imperial

College. You will need to provide a scholarship letter with your visa application confirming the details of

your scholarship.

If you are able to show the required fees and maintenance in a bank account in your name or you are fully

covered by a scholarship/bursary then indicate ‘Yes’ to this question.

Where you will be using your parents’ bank statements to show the required funds then indicate ‘No’. You

will be required to show original documents

- proving your relationship to your parent (eg. Birth certificate) and

- a letter from your parent(s) confirming that you are their child and they are happy for these funds to

be used for your visa application.

Once you have completed this section click “Check this section” and then click “Next” to move to the

following section.

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You will then need to select your level of study: Undergraduate (NQF 6); Masters (NQF 7) and PhD (NQF

8)

GENERAL ATTRIBUTES

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On certain courses you will be required to apply for and obtain an ATAS certificate. You should have been

made aware of this requirement at the offer stage.

Where ATAS is required you must indicate ‘Yes’ and then provide the reference number on the certificate.

Note that an ATAS certificate expires 6 months after it is issued: if yours is several years old,

please apply for a new one.

If you do not have your ATAS certificate then please speak to an adviser in the International Student

Support team.

Answer this question as appropriate.

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Once you have reached the end of the form click ‘Check Application’.

If there are any errors on the form these will be indicated by clicking on the ‘Home’ tab. Until all the relevant

questions are completed you will not be able to proceed any further.

CHECK FORM

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Once you have answered all the questions you will be able to click ‘Next’ and move on to the documents

required.

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To prepare for your appointment with an adviser in the International Student Support team

please bring your Home Office account log-in details so the adviser can review your

application.

Please also bring all your supporting documents to your appointment.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

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After you have completed the form a list will be automatically generated indicating the documents you will

be required to submit with your application. You must have your form and documents checked by an

adviser in the International Student Support team to ensure they meet all the Home Office criteria.

You may also have exceptional circumstances that require some explanation and you will need an adviser

to guide you on drafting a covering letter together with any additional documents you may need.

You will need to provide your passport (s) and 2 passport size photos. The photos must be new photos

taken on a cream or light grey background and meet the Home Office criteria for photographs.

Please refer to the Home Office website for full photo guidance: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports

All applicants will be required to submit passport (s) and photos.

DOCUMENTS

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Depending on what you have indicated through the course of your application form you

may be required to show a combination of the following documents:

If you were required to register with the police you must provide your Police Registration Certificate. Make

sure that it has been updated with your current address.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-registration-ecb16

If your fees and/or maintenance are paid by a sponsor (e.g you receive a scholarship from Imperial

College) you will need to provide an official letter confirming the scholarship and the amount.

Click ‘Yes’ for the type of document you will be including with your application and ‘No’ for all the

documents that do not apply to your application.

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If you will be relying on your parents’ bank statements to show your fees and/or maintenance you will need

to provide:

The original bank statements meeting the Home Office criteria

If the bank statements are from an overseas account check that the Home Office recognises the

financial institution

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-rules-appendix-p

Your original birth certificate

A letter from your parent(s) confirming that you are their child and that this money is for to cover

your fees and/or maintenance for the visa application.

Click ‘Yes’ for the type of document you will be including with your application and ‘No’ for all the

documents that do not apply to your application.

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If there are documents listed on your CAS you will also need to provide these with the application.

Click ‘Yes’ for the type of document you will be including with your application and ‘No’ for all the

documents that do not apply to your application.

If you are required to obtain an ATAS certificate for your course you must include this with your application.

If your ATAS is several years old you must apply for a new one.

If you are being sponsored by your home government, the UK government or an international scholarship

agency you must provide a letter confirming the scholarship and the amount awarded.

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On the declaration page the system will have automatically worked out how much you will be required to show for tuition fees + maintenance. By indicating ‘Yes’ here you are declaring that you have this money and that you are able to show proof of the funds according to the Home Office criteria. Before you sign this declaration make sure that you have shown your financial documents to an adviser in the International Student Support team.

DECLARATION

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EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: The online application and all

supporting documents must be checked by an adviser in

the International Student Support Team before you submit

this form online. Please save your online application and

make an appointment with an adviser NOW! Once you

have ticked this declaration there is NO opportunity to

correct any mistakes.

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Book an appointment with the International Student Support team

Print off your draft application form

Bring the draft application form together with all supporting documents

to your appointment

Discuss with the adviser how you plan to make your application (postal

or in-person)

The International Student Support team will contact you with what steps

you need to take after your application has been double checked

International Student Support, Room 301, Level 3, Sherfield Building South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ

Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 8040, Email: international@imperial.ac.uk, Website: www.imperial.ac.uk/international

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?