UK Border Agency

The UK Border Agency is responsible for securing the United Kingdom borders and controlling migration in the United Kingdom. They manage border control for the United Kingdom, enforcing immigration and customs regulations. They also consider applications for permission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom, citizenship and asylum.

You can apply for a student visa from inside the United Kingdom, if you are in an immigration category that allows you to switch in to the adult student category.

You must give your biometrics when applying, and how you give them will depend on if you are applying inside or outside the United Kingdom.

When and where you apply from depends if you are applying from inside or outside the United Kingdom, as do the waiting or processing times.

Your approved education provider is your immigration sponsor while you are in the United Kingdom and must comply with a number of duties.

The education provider must be approved by the BIA and have a licence to bring students to the United Kingdom. Once they are licensed, they are given a rating and added to our tier 4 register of sponsors (also known as education providers).

You should be aware that the status of their licence may affect your application.

Once they are approved, the education provider is able to issue the visa letter that you need to apply, which is the proof you are doing a course with an approved education provider.

Your approved education provider must issue you a visa letter or confirmation of acceptance for studies for you to be able to apply as a student. The visa letter or confirmation of acceptance for studies is confirmation of your unconditional offer of a place on a course of study. You must have a visa letter or confirmation of acceptance for studies when you apply, or your application will be refused.

As of 5 October 2009, approved education providers are able to start using the BA IT system (sponsor management system) to start issuing confirmation of acceptance for studies, which is an electronic number, to allow you to apply for a student visa.

From February 2010 the UK Border Agency will only accept a confirmation of acceptance for studies and will no longer accept a visa letter.

Your approved education provider must keep a copy of your passport, ID card or immigration status document. This is because they are your immigration sponsor while you are in the United Kingdom.

Your approved education provider must report certain things to us, like if you do not turn up for your first day of your course, or if they think you may not be complying with the conditions of your stay.

If you think your approved education provider is not complying with their duties, you should let the BA know.

The BA account managers or compliance officers may visit your approved education provider, and may want to talk to you as part of their visit.