New student immigration system launches from 31st March 2009

From 31st March 2009, Vietnamese students looking to study in the UK will be able to apply for their visa through Tier 4 of the new streamlined Points Based System.

Under the new transparent system, students will need to prove that they have been accepted onto a course run by an education institution which is a UK Border Agency (UKBA) licensed Tier 4 sponsor,  prove that they have the means to support themselves, and supply their biometric details at the Embassy/Consulate General.

If granted a visa, the new regulations allow international students to undertake part-time work of up to 20 hours per week during term time, full time work during the holidays and undertake any course related work placements

The UK Border Angency commented: “students have a lot to gain from studying in the UK and can now  see whether they are eligible for a visa before they even apply – making the system much clearer and easier to understand. The aim is to make the application process more transparent and straightforward”

For the first time, all independent fee-paying schools, colleges and universities that want to accept international students to study with them now need a licence to do so, This will help the UK Government crack down on bogus colleges, something which will be welcome news to many students, who can now be sure the language school, college or university they intend to study at is an approved educational institution.  So far over a thousand UK institutions have signed up to sponsor international students.

About the UK Student Visa
Applying for a General Student visa or a Child Student visa under Tier 4  is a simple process and should be done in the country of which you are a national or a legal resident. For your application to be successful you will need:

o A current passport or travel document
o A visa letter from the institution you are planning to study at. This will give you 30 of the 40 points you need before your visa application can be processed. The register can be found at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/.
o Proof of maintenance funds: completing this stage means that you can earn the final 10 points needed to get your visa application underway
o Evidence of any qualifications the sponsoring institution took account of when deciding to accept you for the course you plan to study
o Any other supporting documents relevant to your application

You will also need to make an appointment at the British Embassy Hanoi or Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to submit your visa application and to provide your biometrics details (10 digit finger scans and a digital photograph) as part of the application process. Once these steps are completed, your visa application will be sent to Bangkok for processing. This whole process will normally be completed in 7 to 15 working days. The British Embassy/ Consulate General will then inform you the date that you can pick up your passport.

The UK Border Agency will refuse your application and you may be banned from coming to the UK for 10 years if you use a false document, lie or withhold relevant information.

Students looking to study in the UK for six months or less, and who do not wish to take any employment while they are in the UK, or to extend their stay while they are in the country, can enter the UK on a student visitor visa.

Changes to the UK visa service from 2 March 2009

All passports, applications & related documents will be sent to the British Embassy in Bangkok, where they will be assessed

- As before, applicants should start the application well in advance before they plan to travel.

- The British Embassy & Consulate General will no longer have any ability to arrange visas at short notice.

From 2 March 2009, visa applications will be handled as follows.

Step One: Apply On-line & Make an Appointment

All applicants are strongly required to make an initial online application

As part of this online process, the applicant chooses a date and time for his/her appointment at the British Embassy in Hanoi (including all applicants from the North & non fast-track applicants from the South- details of fast-track applicants can be searched from our website) or at the British Consulate General in HCMC. Appointments will normally be available within 4 weeks of the online application. Hours available for the appointments remain the same: from 8:30 to 11:30 from Monday to Friday except public holidays which will be advertised on our website.

Applicants who cannot make the initial application online, may instead come to the British Embassy or Consulate without an appointment. But they will be treated with lower priority than those who have already made an appointment online.

Step Two: Appointment at the British Embassy or Consulate General

All applicants must come to the British Embassy in Hanoi or British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City at the set appointment time.

At the appointment, the applicant:

- submits his/her passports, a hard copy of the application, and supporting documents
- provides fingerprints
- pays the non-refundable fee.

The British Embassy or Consulate General tells the applicant when to return to pick up the passport.

Step Three: Assessment of the Application

All passports, applications and related documents will be sent to the British Embassy in Bangkok, where they will be assessed. The passports and documents will then be returned to the British Embassy in Hanoi or British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City

This whole process including the above 3 steps will normally be completed within 7 working-days for non-settlement applications. If there is any delay, the British Embassy/Consulate General will contact the applicant and give a new date for passport pick-up.

Step Four: Pick up Passport

The applicant returns to pick up the passport at the British Embassy/Consulate General on the agreed date.

The changes make it more important than ever that applicants should apply for a UK visa even more well in advance of travel.  

We  recommend to all applicants that they should start the process online at least 2 weeks before they plan to travel. Applicants who do not allow 2 full weeks are likely to find that their application cannot be processed in time.

Appointments to apply for a UK visa can actually be made 4 weeks prior.  We recommend in particular that people applying for student and settlement visas should apply 3 months in advance of the travel date if possible.

Please note that, after 2 March 2009, the British Embassy in Hanoi & the British Consulate General in HCMC will not be able to arrange visas at short notice. 

People who travel frequently to the UK may be eligible for a long term visa. This saves having to reapply regularly for a new visa.  A long-term visa also works out cheaper than making frequent 6 months visa applications. 

Supporting document checklist
We have issued a number of supporting document checklists for different visa categories. With immediate effect, applicants who wish to submit visa applications at the British Embassy in Hanoi, or the Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City are advised to refer to the relevant checklist according to what visa category you are applying for. The checklist is designed to assist you in the visa process.

English translation of supporting document
Applicants are also required to provide English translations for all Vietnamese and other languages documents (including written statements from applicants/sponsors). Translations do not need to be notarised. This new requirement effects all visa categories. Failure to meet this new requirement may result in your application being refused.

Important changes to the way we handle visa applications come into effect on 17 April. These changes are part of a global initiative to streamline visa processing and are a vital step in helping us to match increasing demand.

Online applications
There is already a link from the British Embassy website: www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk

Online applications become mandatory from 17 April. It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete the form - note that the applicant themselves must complete the online form, as they are required to tick certain boxes which act as a legal disclaimer. From 17 April we will be unable to complete any data entry on behalf of applicants - they must have completed the online process themselves in advance. 

The applicant enters their details, selects the relevant visa section where they will lodge the application (fast-track criteria from HCMC will still apply), and makes an appointment for biometrics capture/ possible interview.

Online appointment booking
All applicants will now be required to make an appointment before calling on either the Embassy or Consulate. From 17 April, we will no longer be able to operate the current first-come first-served basis. Each appointment will be a 15 minute slot to give biometrics and, if necessary, await interview.

Appointments are booked at the same time as the online application is completed.

We will no longer be offering a next-day service. The biometrics data will now be matched against various immigration databases in the UK and it will take between 12-24 hours to confirm the result. The system will not allow us to issue a visa until this check has been completed, so we will not be able to waive this requirement. Non-applications will now take from 7 to 15 working days for processing in Bangkok. Settlement applications will still be processed within 12 weeks.

We will continue to offer the same excellent service, and in fact the majority of our applicants will find the new system will be considerably easier - our top-end customer will now be able to complete everything themselves online, and will only need to spend 10 or 15 minutes calling in to the visa section for biometrics (no more waiting around for hours because it's a "lucky" day).

But the key message to now pass on to your stakeholders is that applicants should begin the process - themselves - in plenty of time, to make sure they are able to book an appointment slot

The main advantages of this system are:

The step-by-step online process, using cutting edge technology, helps guide you through questions and answers ending with a completed e-application to submit. An immediate e-mail acknowledgement and reference number is generated.

The e-application system uses an encryption programme to ensure the secure transmission of your personal information.

One application form is required for each person when applying for a group of people (e.g. a family).

Applicants will only need to spend a very short amount of time - at a timing they have selected - actually visiting the Embassy or Consulate.