What is Established Presence??

Established presence is the terminology given to a DISCOUNTED amount of maintenance needed to show UKBA when applying for a Tier 4 extension.

In other words, when a student comes to the UK for the first time, they need £7200 maintenance (If studying in London) plus the first year of their school fees

BUT....

Once in the UK, and applying for an extension, it is possible to need LESS money to show to UKBA.  (£1600 pounds if in London - Less if outside London)

Now the recent changes to UKBA rules have changed significantly the Established presence rules.  In order to show LESS money the following MUST be adhered to...

1.   (NEW)  You MUST have a VALID VISA when applying for an extension  (PLUS)

2.  You must have finished six months of a CONTINUING course   (OR)

3.  You must have FINISHED a course, that lasted at least six months, during your last visa

Miss any ONE of the above and you need £7200 maintenance to get an extension.

Now the PROBLEMS we are seeing, is if a student is studying a course, and chooses to leave that course and go to a new Tier 4 sponsor, then,  many do not realise that although they may have a valid visa, they LOSE the established presence (As they have not finished their course) and hence need £7200 to apply.

Give us a call or send a text or email with any questions or if you need an appointment.

EMAIL:  britishvisas@gmail.com

CALL / TEXT:  0794047 6082

Tier 4 (Student Visa) & You...what you need to know

Firstly, we believe that many students will shortly be caught up in the new rules allowing Tier 4 students to only study THREE YEARS below degree level.


The new rules allow a maximum of EIGHT years as a Tier 4 student, with only THREE years below degree level. (Three years from the START of Tier 4)


Tier 4 replaced student visas in March 2009, and so the new Tier 4 rules start counting from March 2009.



SO HOW DOES THAT AFFECT A TIER 4 STUDENT?
Effectively, the new rules start counting from the day that a person was issued a Tier 4 visa AFTER March 2009. This means that each Tier 4 student has to be assessed individually, to work out how LONG they have already been on a course under Level 6, before they would breach the three year maximum.

UKBA when approving an application, will be calculating each individual case, looking at the date the person first was granted Tier 4, and if a students current application is to continue studying below Level 6, and will take the student beyond the maximum three years, that application will be REFUSED.

This means that many students that are on courses now, where their visas do not cover the entire course, are in danger of being refused extensions IF the further extension would take them past three years under Level 6. (When a student runs out of the three year period at Tier 4, they either HAVE to be on a level 6 course, or leave the UK)

So for example of a student became a Tier 4 student in March 2009, and is still on a level 3,4 or 5 course, and they apply for a further visa NOW to continue a level 5 course next year THEY WILL BE REFUSED. (As their three years below degree would be finished). 

If this applies to you, contact us now: 
EMAIL: britishvisas@gmail.com,   CALL / TEXT: 0794047 6082

FREE advice via email.

Choose the correct college - Highly Trusted or A rated only

Let the experienced team at British Visas help you.

The UKBA rules are rapidly changing and becoming stricter.

Colleges are required to be under the Highly Trusted grade to accept international students by April 2012.

• Thinking of studying in London ?

• Already in London, thinking of changing colleges?

• College recently closed or suspended?

•  Are you currently attending a B rated college?

Then you need to contact us now.

Do you know that you will not be allowed to work under the new rules if your college is not Highly Trusted?   You may also be restricted to only working 10 hours.

You may not be allowed to bring your dependents (spouse or children) with you on your student visa.

Your spouse/dependent may not be allowed to work.

Our expereinced team have contacts in various reputable colleges with reasonable tuition fees which are in full compliance of UKBA regulations and are Highly Trusted.

Contact us now, let us know what course you are interested in and other relevant details and we will be in touch with you to guide you through the admission process.


EMAIL:  britishvisas@gmail.com


CALL / TEXT:  0794047 6082 

Ankara Agreement - - Turkish Nationals

The Ankara agreement also called the stand-still clause was signed on 12th of September 1963 between Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC), following the request of Turkey to join the EEC in 1959.

The Ankara Agreement provides special rights for Turkish nationals and offers less stringent requirements for coming and living in the UK (and all other EU member states) under a business or worker visa.

The experienced team at British Visas can assist, guide and advise Turkish nationals in their application under this agreement.

Contact one of our team today.

CALL:  0794047 6082

EMAIL:  britishvisas@gmail.com

'B' RATED COLLEGES - possible closures

As you all may know within the last couple weeks, the UKBA has suspended several college's license AND downgraded others to B rating, which means they are no longer a Highly Trusted Sponsor or have an A rating. 

Please be advised of the following:

1.  Many of these colleges that have been downgraded to B rating have until 20th October 2011 to meet with the strict guidelines and policies given to them by UKBA.

Should these colleges not meet with UKBA approval, the colleges can lose their license and be shut down/closed permanently with immediate effect. This affects you the student.

2.  If you are currently attending a B rated college, you may lose your right to work in the UK.

3.  If your visa is up for renewal and you are at a B rated college, your visa may be held up by UKBA for months or your visa may be refused.

4.  You may be asked to leave the country or find another college that is highly trusted within a certain time frame.

To avoid any complications or uncertainty, we advise that you discuss your visa needs with our dedicated team who will advise you on the best next step.

If your visa is due to expire within September / October we advise that you set up an appointment as soon as possible:

CALL:  079 4047 6082

EMAIL:  britishvisas@gmail.com

CAS Letters & Student Visa Renewals

Do you have your CAS letter (Confirmation of Acceptance) from your college?

Remember Tier 4 - Student Visas are on the Points Based system:
* 30 points for a Confirmation for Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
* 10 points for maintenance funds

Is your school/college HIGHLY TRUSTED?  or 'A' rated?  If not, your student visa renewal may encounter many problems and be refused -   If your college is ‘B’ rated or lower, they may be restricted to how many CAS letters they can give. 

You may not get a CAS letter at all.

Without a CAS letter from your college, you will not be able to apply for your visa or renewal.

Don't be a victim of a visa refusal or lack of CAS letter.

CALL OR TEXT US NOW:   0794047 6082

Consultation appointments for students are reasonably priced and will be deducted from your overall fee should we be taking your case forward, representing you at UKBA or any appeals or court.

Send us an email with the details of your case / requirements and we will respond to you with an appointment date and time if needed.

Student Visa Renewals get tougher

Is your student visa due for renewal soon?

As UKBA gets tougher on visas, Student Visas are being refused in great numbers for the simplest spelling mistake.

It does not matter how long you have been here or if you have been given a visa before - they will refuse to renew and your application will not be valid.

Is your school/college HIGHLY TRUSTED?  or 'A' rated?  If not, you may not be able to get your STUDENT VISA renewed.

Don't be a victim of a visa refusal.

If you are refused a visa you can be removed from the UK immediately.

You also lose the right to apply for Post Study Work Visa.

CALL OR TEXT US NOW:   0794047 6082