A UK Student visa applicant must prove they can pay for their course and support themselves while studying. This is the financial requirement, and it is a mandatory part of the points-based assessment under Appendix Student. A minimum amount of funds are required and held for a set period, or the application may be refused. This post provides an overview of the financial requirement and the 28-day rule for a UK Student visa.
What is the student visa financial requirement?
The student visa financial requirement is the rule that an applicant must show enough money to pay course fees and living costs. It must be met to score the points needed for the Student visa.
The requirement has two parts. The applicant must show enough to pay the outstanding course fees for the first year of the course. They must also show enough to cover living costs for up to nine months. The level of funds is set out at paragraph ST 12 of Appendix Student, and how funds are evidenced is governed by Appendix Finance. GOV.UK publishes the current amounts on the Student visa money guidance. The course fee figure for each applicant is the amount stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
How much money do you need to show?
The amount depends on the course fees, the length of the course, and where in the UK the applicant will study. Living costs are set at one rate for study in London and a lower rate for study outside London.
The living-costs element covers a maximum of nine months, even where the course is longer. The figures change over time and are published on GOV.UK and in Appendix Student. The current rate, which is subject to change, should be checked at the date of application. The course fees element is the outstanding balance for the first academic year, as shown on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. Where part of the fees has already been paid, the amount still to be shown reduces accordingly.
What is the 28-day rule?
The 28-day rule requires the applicant to hold the required funds for a consecutive 28-day period before applying. The funds must remain at or above the required level on every day of that period.
The closing balance must not dip below the required amount at any point in the 28 days. The end of the 28-day period must fall no more than 31 days before the date of application. Applicants therefore time the application carefully against the bank statement or financial document they intend to rely on. A single day where the balance falls short can cause the application to be refused, even where the money was available before and after.
Which funds count, and how are they evidenced?
Funds must be held in cash in an account the applicant can access, and evidenced by a document that meets Appendix Finance. Money tied up in shares, bonds, pensions or overdraft facilities does not count.
Acceptable evidence usually takes the form of personal bank or building society statements, or a regulated financial institution’s letter, covering the 28-day period. The account may be in the applicant’s name, or in the name of a parent or legal guardian. The applicant must then provide their birth certificate and the parent’s written consent. The financial institution must be one that Appendix Finance accepts, and statements must be authentic and verifiable. Funds held by other relatives or friends do not meet the requirement.
Who is exempt from showing the funds?
Some applicants are not required to evidence the funds, mainly those who have been in the UK long enough to be treated as established. The exemptions are set out in Appendix Student and the Home Office Student caseworker guidance.
An applicant inside the UK who has held valid permission for at least 12 months on the application date meets the financial requirement automatically. A Student Union Sabbatical Officer is treated the same way. Nationals listed under the differentiation arrangements are not usually required to submit evidence of funds. They must still hold the required amount and may be asked to provide proof. The exemption removes the evidential step, not the underlying requirement to have the money.
Can you use a student loan or official sponsorship?
A student loan or official financial sponsorship can be used to meet the financial requirement, and the 28-day rule does not apply to those funds. Different evidence applies instead.
The 28-day holding period does not apply to a student loan, official sponsorship, or a bursary from the student sponsor. This covers academic or financial sponsorship from a government or international sponsorship agency. The applicant evidences the loan or sponsorship through the relevant letter rather than through bank statements. An official financial sponsor covering both fees and living costs simplifies the position. Where the sponsorship covers only part of the costs, the applicant must still show the balance under the ordinary rules.
How do course fees and accommodation deposits affect the amount?
Money already paid towards course fees or sponsor accommodation reduces the amount the applicant has to show. The reductions must be evidenced.
Where course fees have been paid in whole or in part, the outstanding balance falls accordingly. The paid amount is confirmed on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, or by a receipt from the sponsor. An applicant who has paid a deposit for sponsor-provided accommodation can offset that payment against the funds required, up to a published maximum. The offset applies only to accommodation provided by the sponsor, not to payments made to a private landlord or third party. The amount counted is the figure shown on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises students and their families on the student visa requirements. To discuss a Student visa application with our immigration team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- Immigration Rules Appendix Student – GOV.UK
- Student and Child Student caseworker guidance – GOV.UK
- Student visa: money – GOV.UK
Written and reviewed by the Whytecroft Ford immigration team. IAA Accredited. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules, Home Office caseworker guidance and GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a rule change.
