UK Student Visa Processing Time
The number of students coming to the UK from Nigeria is rising yearly. But before they can start benefiting from the country’s top-quality university system, Nigerian students need to get a student visa. That means they will need to apply in plenty of time so that the processing times don’t get in the way of Nigerian students’ studies.
Read this article to find out about what you can expect the processing time to be, and you can then contact IAS at our Lagos office on +23413438882 or visit us online to find out how our immigration advisors and lawyers can help you in the process of getting a UK student visa. Alternatively, you can call us at +44 (0) 3316300929.
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We have successfully helped numerous Nigerian students in securing their UK student visas. If you’re looking to study in the UK and need guidance the Student Visa processing times, reach out to us for expert support. Our team of lawyers is here to address any questions you may have regarding your application.
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Overview of the UK Student Visa and Processing Times
The UK Student visa is an incredible tool for Nigerian teenagers and adults who want to study in the UK. It is available for Nigerians over 18 with unconditional offers at a university level or for Nigerians over 16 below the university level. You can remain in the UK for a maximum of five years at degree level or two years at below degree level. The UK Student visa also has fantastic ways to transfer onto other visas if you want to remain in the UK once your studies are completed, such as the Graduate visa.
Generally, you can expect that your application will take three weeks to process. However, there are some factors which will mean it might take longer, which are broken down in the sections below, along with further information about the processing times.
Processing Time for UK Student Visa
As stated above, the general short-term study visa processing time is three weeks. However, this does not start as soon as you begin the UK student visa process. Rather, visa processing starts once you have verified your identity and submitted and documents online using the UK Immigration ID Check app.
The visa processing time also won’t start until you have attended an appointment at your local visa application centre. Here, you will provide fingerprints and a photograph and may be asked interview questions. Remember that you are not supposed to visit the visa application centre until you are contacted asking you to do so.
Your application processing time will then end when you receive a decision via letter or email confirming if you have received a UK Student visa.
You can see that the processing time is longer than it will take for you to get a student visa. Therefore, you must leave over three weeks to process your visa. Otherwise, you might miss the start of your course.
Cases When the Processing Time May Be Longer
The most common case that would lead to an application taking longer than three weeks is if you are making the application from inside the UK. Switching to a Student visa will usually take around eight weeks, although you will be allowed to remain in the UK while this process is being carried out before you study in the UK.
Other less common reasons that your UK Student visa might take longer to process include the need to verify your documents. If the UK Visa and Immigration services find discrepancies in your application for a UK Student visa and documents, you might be called in for an interview to clear anything up.
Finally, the UK government is responding to reports that immigration is far higher than was promised in the Conservative Party’s manifesto. They are already taking measures against some international students, including planned restrictions on post-graduate students bringing their dependents to the UK. Make sure you keep an eye on this space to see if the UK government brings in further measures to make getting a UK Student visa take longer or be more challenging.
Getting an Answer Quicker
If these waiting times are too long for your needs, you can pay to have your UK short-term study visa prioritised to study in the UK.
The standard priority visa service costs £500 for a UK Student visa and will guarantee that you will get a decision within five working days.
If you need an even faster decision on your UK student visa, you can pay for the super priority visa service, which will cost £800. This service gets you a decision by the end of the next working day.
How Can IAS Help?
IAS’ expert immigration lawyers and advisors are experienced in helping Nigerian students to realise their dream of getting a university education in the UK when they apply for a student visa.
We help you to compile documents, and prepare you to appear at a visa application centre. However, we also recognise that waiting to get an answer back can be highly stressful after you submit your application.
We help by using our connections within the Home Office to constantly keep you updated about the progress of your application and when you can expect the processing to be completed.
To learn more about our services to help you study in the UK, please call our Lagos office at +23413438882 or our UK office at +44 (0) 3316300929. Or, use the online contact form to submit an enquiry.
Last modified on October 25th, 2023 at 9:19 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
We have seen that the waiting times for a UK short-term study visa will change based on whether it is an application from outside the UK or inside the UK or an extension. This will also change the application fee that you will need to pay.
If your UK Student visa application is made from outside of the UK will cost you £363. Meanwhile, an application inside the UK will cost £490. An extension to your UK Student visa will also cost £490.
A perfectly completed application when you apply for a UK Student visa will always have a shorter processing time. It will help the immigration authorities to get an answer to you without having to call you in for a second interview. Your application must prove that you fit the following criteria to study in the UK:
- You can legally travel
- Your sponsoring institution has given you an unconditional offer shown by a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
- You have scored 70 or higher in the points-based system
- You have the qualifications needed to complete your course
- You have enough money to look after yourself and any dependents
- You have good English Language skills (B2 or higher in a CEFR assessment.