UK student visa from Pakistan: the process explained

The UK Student visa is for people aged 16 or over who want to study a course with a licensed student sponsor, such as a university or college. This guide walks through the usual process for applicants who live in Pakistan, in the order most people go through it.

1. Choose a course with a licensed student sponsor

Only education providers with a student sponsor licence can sponsor your visa. Before you pay anything, check that your university or college appears on the register of licensed student sponsors (opens in a new tab).

Universities set their own academic entry requirements. Many ask Pakistani applicants for transcripts and degrees, and some ask for attested copies: the Higher Education Commission (HEC) attests degrees, and the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) attests Matric and Intermediate certificates for use abroad. If you studied O and A levels, IBCC issues an equivalence certificate instead. Ask the admissions office exactly what they need, so you can start attestation early.

2. Accept your offer and receive your CAS

Once you accept an unconditional offer (and usually pay a deposit), the university issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). This is an electronic reference number, not a paper document.

Check every detail on your CAS: your name as it appears in your passport, passport number, course dates, fees and anything already paid. Mistakes are much easier to fix before you apply.

GOV.UK sets two timing rules to plan around:

• the earliest you can apply from outside the UK is 6 months before your course starts, and
• you must apply within 6 months of receiving your CAS.

3. Prepare evidence of your money

You usually need to show that you can pay for your course fees (for up to the first year, minus anything already paid) and your living costs. The living-cost amount depends on whether you will study in London or elsewhere, and it changes, so check the current figures on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).

The money usually has to be held for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. These two dates trip up many applicants, so mark them on a calendar.

If the money is in a parent's or legal guardian's account, you usually need their written consent and proof of your relationship, such as your birth certificate. Documents not in English need a certified translation.

4. Show your English

For degree-level study at a university, the university usually decides how you prove your English and records it on your CAS. For some other courses you need a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. Ask your university which applies to you before booking a test.

5. Get a TB test certificate

If you have been living in Pakistan and are coming to the UK for more than 6 months, you need a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate (opens in a new tab) from a clinic approved by the UK Home Office. Only certificates from approved clinics are accepted.

6. Check whether you need ATAS

Some postgraduate courses in sensitive science and engineering subjects need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before you apply. Your CAS will say if your course needs one.

7. Apply online and pay the fees

You apply online on GOV.UK. As part of the application you pay the visa fee and, in most cases, the Immigration Health Surcharge (opens in a new tab), which gives you access to the NHS. Both change from time to time, so check the current amounts when you apply.

Answer every question honestly, including about previous visa refusals. False information or false documents can lead to a refusal and a ban on future applications.

8. Give your biometrics

After you apply, you book an appointment at a UK visa application centre in Pakistan to give your fingerprints and photo and submit your supporting documents. Only use the appointment system linked from your GOV.UK application.

9. Get your decision and plan your travel

GOV.UK publishes the usual processing time for applications from outside the UK, and you may be able to pay for a faster decision. Most new visas are now issued as eVisas, which you access through a UKVI account. Follow the instructions in your decision letter, and don't book non-refundable travel before you have a decision.

Bringing family members

Since January 2024, most students on taught courses can no longer bring family members as dependants. There are exceptions, for example for some postgraduate research courses. Check the current position on GOV.UK before making family plans.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Funds not held for the full 28 days, or a bank statement dated more than 31 days before you apply.
• Different spellings of your name across your passport, CAS, bank letter and certificates.
• Letting anyone "arrange" funds that are not genuinely yours or your sponsor's.
• Starting HEC or IBCC attestation too late.
• Paying an agent who says they can "guarantee" the outcome. Nobody can.

When to get professional help

Many students apply without help. If your situation is complicated, for example a previous refusal, gaps in study or complex finances, consider speaking to an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a regulated UK lawyer. When Verified consultants opens on Pardes Path, advisers will be listed there only after their licence has been checked. Until then, you can check an adviser yourself on the IAA's public register.