Visas and Immigration

Admissions 

Our Admissions Officers will support you from your initial application through to issuing your CAS.  

• Jon Ward – Assistant Admissions Manager
• Becky Holifield – Admissions Officer
• Jess Hollinsworth – Admissions Officer
• Maggie Powell – Admissions Officer

International Advice

Our International Advice team will support you once you have your CAS. They are based on-campus in Suffolk and here to help with your arrival in the UK and throughout your entire student journey.

The Points Based System (PBS) is the UK system for managing migration for non-UK nationals who wish to enter the UK for work or study purposes.  

If you are 17 years old or above and intend to study for a full-time or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate programme at the University of Suffolk, you must apply for an adult Student visa.  

The application form is available on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website. 

You are required to score 70 points to make a Student Route visa application. The points will be based on the following:  

You may find the following websites useful: 

• UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration - for immigration application forms and policy guidance) 
• UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs - for further advice) 
• Prepare for Success (Learning activities to prepare you for study in the UK) 
• Student Visa Policy Guidance 
• Preparing and Planning 
• Protecting your Student Route Status 

Any student who applies either from within the UK or overseas to study in the UK under the Student Route of the Points Based System must hold a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from their prospective sponsor (the University). Visit our CAS page to find out what a CAS is and how to secure one.

When you are applying from outside of the UK, you are not permitted to apply for a visa until six months before your course start date. Visit the UK Government website for a full overview on student visas. 

The UKVI try to issue visas within three weeks of a visa appointment at an application centre, however at peak periods it can take longer. We encourage you to book a Premium Service visa appointment (i.e. Priority or Super Priority) when completing your online visa application to ensure that you receive the fastest possible outcome on your application.  

You will only be permitted to enter the UK up to one month before the official start date for your course of study, as per your CAS statement.  

If you currently hold a Student visa and are starting a course at the University of Suffolk, you will not be able to start your course until you have applied for a Student visa for the University of Suffolk. You can apply for a Student Route visa if there are 28 days or less between the expiry of your existing Student visa and the start of your new course. If there are more than 28 days, you will need to return to your home country to make your Student visa application. 

As part of your immigration application (if you are applying to stay in the UK for more than six months), you will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). This is an additional fee which entitles you to free hospital treatment under the National Health Service (NHS). Visit the UK Government website for more information.  

You will need to complete the online application form. You must include the following documents to support your application: 

1. A current valid passport (must be the same passport as stated in your CAS letter);
2. All previous passports you have used to travel to the UK;
3. Your CAS Statement letter containing your CAS number;
4. Original copies of any educational documents/certificates that are listed on your CAS statement e.g. school/college academic certificates from your home country;
5. Documents to show you have sufficient funding (maintenance and any outstanding fees for first year) including;

a) Bank statements covering a 28 day period (remember if you are using parents bank statements you must also provide your birth certificate and a letter from them confirming that they are your parents and that they consent to you using their money to study in the UK); and/or 

b) Scholarship letter (if applicable); and/or 

c) Receipts for tuition fees and/or accommodation (if paid) 

6. Confirmation of your English language ability;
7. Your biometric details if you are applying from outside the UK;
8. Recent passport sized photographs (please see the UKVI website for full details of acceptable photographs);
9. If any of the above documents are not in English, the original must be sent with a fully certified translation by a professional translator. This translation must include specific information, please see the UKVI website for full details.

You must provide specified documents with your application as the UKVI will not use any evidence sent in after they have made a decision. Furthermore, the UKVI will not contact you if you do not send the correct documents. If you fail to send the correct documents your visa may be refused.  

Credibility interviews are part of the Student Route visa application process and are used by the Home Office to ensure that your reasons for studying in the UK are genuine. Failure to attend a credibility interview without a reasonable explanation being given will result in your visa being refused. 

How does it work? 

1. If you are applying from overseas, the interview will take place via video link at a Visa Application Centre as stated on the Home Office covering letter 

1. If you are applying from the UK, you may have a Skype interview with a Home Office member of staff or at a centre in the UK.  

All interviews will be conducted in English. 

Your interview may last between 15-60 minutes and a further interview may be required if more information is needed, or to verify something that you have previously said. Once completed, you should request a copy of the interview transcript so that you can keep a record of what you said during the interview. The report of the interview is then sent to the Entry Clearance Officer who will consider it alongside your visa application and supporting documents. 

Questions you may be asked 

These are some typical questions that you may be asked during your Credibility Interview. Please note there are no set questions, and you may be asked additional questions not covered below. 

Q: Why do you want to study in the UK? 

Q: Why did you choose the University of Suffolk? 

Q: Have you researched courses provided by other institutions?  

Q: Why did you choose your course? 

Q: How is your course assessed? 

Q: What have you studied previously? 

Q: You have previously studied in the UK - why have you chosen to return? 

Q: How will you fund your studies? 

Q: Do you know what accommodation is available at the university? 

Q: Is there a distance between the accommodation and your place of study? 

Q: How does the course fit into your career plans? 

Q: What are your plans after you have graduated? 

The interviewer will also be checking your ability to converse in English. If there is any issue with hearing them clearly e.g. the video call connection is poor, you should let the interviewer know immediately so they know that it is a technical issue and not that you are unable to understand them. 

Top Tips: 

Try to remain calm and answer the questions in full and as naturally as you can. Some of the questions will be designed to check your English language skills. 

This is your opportunity to show that you have thoroughly researched the University of Suffolk and your course and have thought about how studying here will help you meet your career goals. It is important to provide detailed answers where possible. 

The Entry Clearance Officer will be able to compare your answers with the financial and employment information that you declared on your application form. They may also consider your family circumstances and any supporting documents you have provided. 

How you prove your immigration status in the UK is changing. The Home Office is replacing physical immigration documents with digital proof of immigration status.  

What is an eVisa? 

The UKVI is replacing physical documents with an online record of immigration status called an eVisa. eVisas will replace: 

• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) 

• Biometric Residence Card (BRC) 

• Legacy paper documents such as a passport containing an ink stamp or vignette sticker (where the holder has indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain)  

If you are using one of the above documents to prove your immigration status, you will need to visit www.gov.uk/evisa to find out what action you need to take to prove your immigration status digitally. The action you need to take will depend on the type of physical immigration permission you hold.  

Updating from a physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or conditions attached to this. If you have been issued with a BRP, you should still collect this and use it until its expiry date.  

Those under the EU settlement scheme (EU pre-settled or EU settled status) and those who used the ID Check app will already be using an eVisa to prove immigration status.  

An essential element to proving your immigration status digitally is to create a UKVI account.  

Official updates on the eVisa rollout can be found on the Government webpage. You can subscribe to the page to receive the latest updates. 

The Home Office explains what an eVisa is in this short video. 

Creating an account 

You will need to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa before your physical immigration document expires. For those with a BRP, this will likely be 31 December 2024. However, you should create an account and access your eVisa as soon as possible and well before the expiry date, especially if you intend to travel soon.  

To create a free account, visit the official Government webpage or refer to your grant email or letter, which will explain the process of creating a UKVI account.  

The Home Office have created a short video about how to set up an account. 

If you are not sure whether you already have a UKVI account and eVisa, you can either check on GOV.UK or refer to your original grant email or letter. 

Once you have created your account, you should check and update your passport and contact details. See more information in the ‘keeping details up to date’ section on this webpage. 

Once you have a UKVI account, you can share information about your immigration status and conditions using the view and prove service, which can generate a time-limited share code that you can provide to third parties.  

A new share code can be generated whenever it is needed. Share codes are valid for 90 days with no limit on the number of people who can use it. 

When requested by the University of Suffolk, you will use your share code to prove your immigration status to us. 

If you have an in-date physical immigration document, you should keep hold of this even after you have created a UKVI account and accessed your eVisa. You should continue to travel with your physical document until its expiry date (see more information in the travelling section of this webpage). 

Travelling 

If you have an in-date physical immigration document, for example, a BRP, you should keep this and continue to carry this with you when you travel internationally until it expires.  

You should always continue to travel with your physical passport or travel document. 

Take a look at this short video from the Home Office explaining how to travel into the UK and internationally with an eVisa.  

Keeping details up to date 

The passport or travel document you use to travel must be registered to your UKVI account, as your eVisa will be linked to this. 

You must ensure your UKVI account is kept up to date with your latest contact information and passport or travel document. Failure to keep your details up to date will result in complications and delays at the border when you travel. 

Use the ‘Update my details’ service at www.gov.uk/update-uk-visasimmigration-account-details to update your details. You will need to update your details if you change your passport. 

You should update your details in good time before travelling, as it can take some time for the UKVI to approve the change. 

You will not be able to change your details if you are awaiting the outcome of a visa application. 

If you have questions about eVisas, please contact our International Advice team.