Student Visas

Preparing to move overseas for a year is a pretty daunting task. The UK Boarder Agency hasn't made the process any easier for students. Requirements for obtaining a student visa were changed in March and there has been a lot of confusion over the new processes.

Student visas now fall into what is called the "Points Based System." Applicants receive a number of points for supplying various documents and must receive a total of 40 points. 30 are awarded for providing a visa letter from their university stating that they are, in fact, going to be students at a UK university. 10 additional points are awarded for providing documentation proving the applicant has the necessary funds to pay their tuition fees and to support themselves for the first nine months of their degree program.

Personally, I think the points just confuse things. Why they don't just say that you are required to provide the various documents is beyond me. I don't see the reason for adding the points system at all. Adding additional confusion is the new requirement for "maintenance funds." Applicants must now show that they have at least 800 pounds a month for studies in London or 600 pounds per month for studies outside of London. Starting October 1st, applicants must have the necessary funds in a bank account under their name for at least 28 days prior to the date they submit their visa application. Since I applied before October 1st, I only had to prove that I had the necessary funds on the day I applied.

I understand the idea of requiring applicants to show that they can support themselves without relying on public funds once they get to the UK, but this whole process is, in my opinion, ridiculously complicated and unnecessarily confusing. A number of news articles confirm this. The number of international students in the UK is much lower than expected, in part due to problems obtaining a visa. Many students are turning to schools in Australia or the US because it is easier to get a student visa for these countries.

Thankfully, my visa application went through fairly easily. Applications from my home state are processed at the British Consulate in Los Angeles, which has an advertised turn around rate of about 15 days. However, due to the new requirements for student visas, all of the British Consulates faced delays processing applications. The Consulate in LA was backed up even further because they had a new IT system installed in mid-September and could not process new applications while the new system was being installed. I'll admit that I got nervous when I received an email this past weekend saying that my application was now in their system and should be processed in 10 days. I'd been planning to leave for York on October 2nd, but that would have been cutting it really close if I didn't get a visa until September 30th. I'd been waiting to buy plane tickets until I knew whether or not my visa application would be approved. But on Monday, I got an email that my visa application was approved, so I should receive it tomorrow and be all set.

Now to buy plane tickets and figure out how I'm going to get everything over there!