UK Student Visa Instructions 1. Upload Your Passport & Receive

UK Student Visa Instructions

(Students applying WITHIN the United States)

BU Study Abroad London Programmes – Spring 2022

Visa Application Steps and Linked Page Index

1. Before October 22

: Upload Your Passport & Receive Your CAS Number ..... 1

2. Before October 29

: Apply Online for Your Visa ......................................... 1

3. Before October 29

: Schedule Biometrics Appointment through VFS Global11

4. Before November 22

: Attend Your Biometrics Appointment .................... 13

5. Before November 23

: Mail Your Visa Application Materials ...................... 14

6. By December 15

: Upload Visa to London Personal Page ............................ 14

1. Upload Your Passport & Receive Your CAS Number

Upload a signed, color copy of your passport* to the London Personal Page “Passports & Visas”

tab, and input passport information in the fields provided on the right-side of the tab.

*If you are a dual-passport holder upload the passport image you will use to travel and NOT your

U.S. passport. You will not need to apply for a UK student visa if you have a UK or Irish passport.

Please let your Program Manager know if this applies to you.

Once the upload is complete and verified by the London staff, you should receive

your “Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies” (CAS) number on your London Personal Page

within 5-7 business days.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Apply Online for Your Visa (Before October 29

)

Create an account for your visa application on the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) website. Use

the Sample Form below as a guide to completing your application accurately.

Here

is a helpful outline for what the various steps in this process are.

UKVI APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Starting Application

Are you intending to live in one of the

Crown Dependencies of the United

Kingdom?

All students answer “No”.

Do you have a current EU, EEA or Swiss

passport?

Most students will answer “No”.

Select your language

Select the language you will fill out the

application in.

Confirm your visa type

All students answer “Student”.

Select a country to provide your biometrics

United States of America

You must check the available biometric

enrolment locations for your country of

application. You will not be able to change

your country of application after you have

submitted your application.

When checking, select USA – Application

Support Centers. Then click: For a full list of

Application Support Centers run by the

Department of Homeland Security,

please click here. The large city locations

shown before this are only for premium

services, which cost much more. Check to

see which USCIS Service location is closest to

you for later in the application. You cannot

change this later, so please ask your

Program Manager if you are unsure at this

point where you should select.

Select: I have checked available biometric

enrolment locations and can travel to a

location in my selected country. If no location

is available in that country, then I confirm

that I can travel to a location in the

redirected country.

Apply Now

Select “Apply Now”.

Account Creation

Email Address & Password

Please use an email that you frequently

check and note your password for future use!

Who does this email address belong to?

Select “You”.

Additional Email

We recommend you put “No”

Telephone Number

Please use current mobile number that you

use “whilst out of the UK,” including country

code (+1 for US).

Any other telephone numbers

We recommend you put “No”

Are you able to be contacted by telephone?

Answer as appropriate.

Personal Details

Do you have a Marshall, Chevening or

commonwealth scholarship?

Select “No”.

Do you have a Confirmation of Acceptance

of Studies Number?

*If you have not received your CAS number,

do not proceed with your visa application*

All students answer “Yes”.

Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS)

Reference Number

Enter the 14-digit CAS number from your

“Passports & Visas” Tab of the London

Personal Page starting with the letter “E”.

Enter your name as shown on your passport

or travel document.

Enter your Given Name (First) and Family

Name (Last).

Are you now or have you ever been known

by another name?

Most students answer “No”.

What is your gender, as shown in your

passport or travel document?

Enter gender as appropriate.

What is your relationship status?

Most students will answer “Single”.

U.S. Address

Enter your US address. International

students should enter their US-based

address. Ensure this is the address you will

be able to receive mail in this summer.

Is this address also your correspondence

address?

All students answer “Yes”.

How long have you lived at this address?

Enter length of time as appropriate.

What is the ownership status of your home?

Most students answer either “I rent it” or

“Other: I live with my family”.

Continue entering address information for

past two years as requested.

Passport/Personal Information

Passport or travel document reference

number

Enter your passport number

Issuing Authority

Enter the country or province your passport

was issued from

Issue Date

Refer to passport for issue date.

Expiry Date

Refer to passport for expiry date.

Do you have a national identity card?

All US citizens and most international

students answer “No” unless given a

nationality identity card by their government.

Country of Nationality

Enter your nationality

Country of Birth

Enter country where you resided at birth.

Place of Birth

Enter state/city where you were born.

Date of Birth

Enter date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format.

Please note European date format.

Other Nationalities

Answer as appropriate

Travel & Family Information

Spoken language preference?

Enter “English” or other language as

necessary.

Does anyone rely on you for financial

support?

All students answer “No”.

Parent/Guardian Information

Enter details for two parents, including:

Given Name, Family Name, Date of Birth,

Nationality, and Nationality of Birth.

Do you have any family in the UK?

Most students answer “No”.

If yes, enter immediate family details as

appropriate. Do not indicate “Yes” for any

family other than the categories mentioned!

Will you be travelling to the UK as part of an

organised group?

ALL STUDENTS ANSWER “No”.

Will you be travelling to the UK with

someone who is not your partner, spouse or

dependant?

All students answer “No” regardless of whom

they are traveling with.

Do you know where you will be staying in

the UK?

All students answer “Yes”.

Enter a UK postcode

“SW7 4JU”

Immigration Status (QUESTION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY)

Have you provided evidence of your English

language ability in a previous application?

Most students will answer “No” unless you

have applied previously for a UK visa

We may have to talk to you about your

application. Which language would you

prefer to use?

Enter “English” or other language as

necessary.

Do you have an English language or

literature qualification from a UK school?

Most students will answer “No” unless you

have applied previously for a UK visa

Are you coming to the UK to study at a

higher education provider with a track

record of compliance?

All students answer “NO”.

Are you attending a short-term study

abroad programme in the UK as part of a

university course in the USA?

All students answer “Yes”.

Select the below address information from

the dropdown list.

Boston University

43 Harrington Gardens

Town/City: London

Will you be staying anywhere else in the

UK?

ALL STUDENTS ANSWER “No” even if you

have travel plans.

Travel History

Have you been to the UK in the past 10

years?

Answer as appropriate.

Have you been issued with a UK visa in the

past 10 years?

Answer as appropriate.

How many times have you visited the

following places in the past 10 years?

Answer as appropriate and to the best of

your historical knowledge.

US citizens should not include the US in their

response as having “visited.”

Have you visited any other countries in the

past 10 years?

Answer as necessary; when international

travel history is complete answer “No” to

continue.

Date you plan to arrive in the UK

09/01/2022 even if you plan to arrive a few

days early. This is the date your visa starts

and it must be this date.

Immigration & Criminal History

Have you ever been: refused a visa for the

UK, deported from the UK, removed from

the UK, required to leave the UK, refused

entry at the UK border

Most students answer “No”.

Have you ever: entered the UK illegally

remained in the UK beyond the validity of

your visa or permission to stay

breached the conditions of your leave, for

example, worked without permission or

received public funds when you did not

have permission; given false information

when applying for a visa, leave to enter, or

leave to remain; breached UK immigration

law in any other way

Most students answer “No”.

At any time have you ever had any of the

following, in the UK or in another country: A

criminal conviction; A penalty for a driving

offence; An arrest or charge for which you

are currently on, or awaiting trial; A caution,

warning, reprimand or other penalty; A civil

court judgement against you, for example

for non-payment of debt, bankruptcy

proceedings or anti-social behaviour; A civil

penalty issued under UK immigration law;

No, I never had any of these

Most students answer “No, I never had any

of these”, but please do report any speeding

tickets or other offences you have received.

Parking tickets do not need to be reported.

In either peace or war time have you ever

been involved in, or suspected of

involvement in, war crimes, crimes against

humanity, or genocide?

All students answer “No”.

Have you ever been involved in, supported

or encouraged terrorist activities in any

country?

All students answer “No”.

Have you ever been a member of, or given

support to, an organisation which has been

concerned in terrorism?

All students answer “No”.

Have you, by any means or medium,

expressed views that justify or glorify

terrorist violence or that may encourage

others to commit terrorist or other serious

criminal acts?

All students answer “No”.

Have you ever been a member of, or given

support to, an organisation which is or has

been concerned with extremism?

All students answer “No”.

Have you, by any means or medium,

expressed any extremist views?

All students answer “No”.

Have you, as a part of your employment or

otherwise, undertaken paid or unpaid

activity on behalf of a non-UK government

which you know to be dangerous to the

interests or national security of the UK or its

allies?

All students answer “No”.

Have you ever engaged in any other

activities which might indicate that you may

not be considered to be a person of good

character?

All students answer “No”.

Is there any other information about your

character or behaviour which you would like

to make us aware of?

All students answer “No”.

Previous employer information

Most students indicate “I have not worked in

any of the jobs listed above”.

Visa Sponsor Information

What is your sponsor license number?

3UNW4WWE2 (same for all students!)

Sponsor’s address?

Use the below address information exactly as

presented:

Boston University London Programmes

43 Harrington Gardens

Kensington

Town/City: London

Postal Code: SW74JU

What type of sponsor will you be studying

with?

All students answer “higher education

provider”.

Is this the site where the majority of your

study will take place?

All students answer “Yes”.

Did you apply through your course through

UCAS?

All students answer “No”.

Do you need to obtain permission from the

ATAS?

All students answer “No”.

Maintenance & Fees

Will you be receiving money from an official

financial sponsor for your continuing

studies?

ALL students answer “No”.

Name of sponsor institution

Boston University London Programmes

Course Name

London Internship Program

Qualification you will get

“RQF6/SCQF9/10”

Are you going to be a student union

sabbatical officer?

All students answer “No”.

Course Start Date

09/01/2022

Course End Date

22/04/2022

Have you or your parent(s)/legal guardian(s)

already paid any money to your sponsor for

accommodation?

All students answer “Yes” even if your bill is

not yet paid to BU or your home institution.

How much has been paid?

London Internship - 4,670 GBP

How can you prove this amount has been

paid?

All students answer “My sponsor has

confirmed this information on my CAS”.

What are your course fees for your first

year?

London Internship - 10,424 GBP

Have you or your parent(s) or legal

guardian(s) already paid any of your course

fees?

All students answer “Yes” even if your bill is

not yet paid to BU or your home institution.

How much has been paid?

London Internship - 10,424 GBP

How can you prove this amount has been

paid?

All students answer “My sponsor has

confirmed this information on my CAS”.

Are any of the funds required for this

application in the form of a student loan?

All students answer “No” even if they may

have a student loan for the program.

Are all of the maintenance funds required

for this application in a bank account with

your name on it?

All students answer “Yes” even if your fees

are being paid by your parents or by financial

aid.

If you needed to add more information but

were not able to, you can write it here

“None.”

REVIEW AND CHECK YOUR ANSWERS!!!

Documents showing the required

maintenance funds QUESTION WILL APPEAR

FOR CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

ONLY!

Most students will select “Statements from a

bank or building society account” or “Letter

from a bank, building society or other

recognised financial institution”.

Mandatory Documents

Tick the box to confirm your understanding

of the mandatory documents to send to the

visa processing center. Refer to the UK Visa

Application Document Checklist to double

check that you have the correct documents.

Most students will need to upload their

passport information later in the application,

and international students will be asked for

their passport as well as evidence that you

have permission to be in the country you are

applying from, in addition to some extra

documentation.

Conditions & Declaration

Review and accept the conditions by the UKVI to advance in your application.

Review and accept the declaration by the UKVI to advance in your application.

IMMIGRATION HEALTH SURCHARGE

Immigration Health Surcharge

Students studying less than 6 months in the

UK are not charged an Immigration Health

Surcharge, but must register regardless.

Scroll to the bottom and click “Go to IHS

Website”.

Pay towards your healthcare in the UK…

Scroll to the bottom and click “Continue”.

IHS - Your Details (Enter only the missing information)

Are you applying from within the UK?

Are you applying to stay in the Isle of Man,

Jersey or Guernsey?

Course Start Date

09/01/2022

Course End Date

22/04/2022

Are you applying to continue on the same

course for which you were last given Tier-4

Leave to Enter or Remain?

All students answer “No” (even if you have

been granted a Tier-4 visa before).

Is your course at NQF7?

All students answer “No”.

Is your course a Master’s degree?

All students answer “No”.

Is your course for 13 months or less?

Yes

Please select the location of your course

All students select “Other”.

Summary

Scroll to the bottom and click “These details

are correct”.

Declaration

Scroll to the bottom and click “I agree”.

Total Charge

Total charge should be USD 0.00

Complete

Record your IHS reference number and click

“return to my visa application”.

BIOMETRICS RESIDENCE PERMIT

Biometrics Residence Permit

Students studying less than 6 months in the

UK do not need to collect a Biometrics

Residence Permit, but must indicate a post

office regardless in order to continue their

application.

Scroll to the bottom and click “Collect from a

UK Post Office” then “SW7 4JU” as the Postal

Code. If done correctly, the location will

show as:

Post Office - Kensington

208 - 212 Kensington High Street

London

W8 7RG

Click “Save and Continue”.

VISA PROCESSING SERVICES

Choose a service

Please use the document linked below to

help you select the most appropriate service

and cost for your unique visa application:

How Should I Submit My UK Student

Visa Application?

Most students will select either “Standard

service at a Department of Homeland

Security Application Support Center (no

additional fees) or “Priority Service”

(additional fee applies, check in with your

Program Manager if you think you need this

option). If you’re participating in the BU

group mailing you are following the standard

service.

Please DO NOT purchase “Priority Service”

“Bronze,” “Silver,” or “Gold” services until

first emailing your Program Manager.

PAYMENT PROVIDER

Choose your card provider

It is best practice to contact your

bank/credit card company BEFORE

submitting the payment, as the charge

comes from the UK and may be flagged by

your bank as fraudulent if not cleared in

advance.

Select card type, then “Continue to

WorldPay” to be redirected to the payment

portal.

DOWNLOAD & PRINT

Print Application & Document Checklist

At this stage, you can no longer go back and

make changes to your application. Contact

your Program Manager if you notice an

error.

PLEASE NOTE – YOU ARE NOT FINISHED

WITH THE VISA APPLICATION AFTER

SUBMITTING THE ONLINE APPLICATION.

Download and print your:

• UK Student Application (found at

bottom of this page)

• Download and print “Document

Checklist”

PLEASE PROCEED TO COMPLETE THE

PROCESS.

** Once you have paid the visa fee (approximately $450 - $515) you will reach the

“Further Actions” page that has an option for you to schedule your biometrics

appointment. Please click the “provide documents and biometrics” box that will

redirect you to the VFS Global website **

3. Schedule Biometrics Appointment through VFS Global

Once you are redirected to the VFS Global website, you will be asked to register

with VFS Global. Once you are registered and signed in, you will complete these

steps:

Location Details (choose location to have

biometrics taken)

a. If applying in U.S., choose “United States

of America”

b. Then, if applying from Boston, choose

“USCIS Boston” (students applying

WITHIN U.S. but OUTSIDE of Boston,

choose USCIS location as appropriate)

*Please note that location cannot be

changed in this system once selected. If

you want to have your appointment while

home on break or outside of Boston,

select that location instead.

Customer Details

Auto populates information from UKVI

application

Choose Services

**Use the Visa Submission Flow Chart to

determine which service to purchase and how to

submit your visa application**

a. Choose “Round-Trip Courier Service”

b. Choose “Priority Visa Service” and the

“round-trip courier service” if you would

like to pay extra to expedite your visa

application (6 – 10 business day

processing time versus the standard

processing time of 14 – 21 business days)

Document Upload

a. Upload scanned PDF versions of your

“Mandatory Documents” you were asked

to include from your “Document

Checklist”. This is most commonly:

i. A copy of your passport photo and

passport information page

ii. A copy of your U.S. immigration

documents (I-20 copy, or

permanent resident [Green Card]

copy)

b. Click “I have previewed the attachments

and confirm that it meets the

specifications given above”

c. Click “Upload Documents”

Choose an appointment

Date & Time

Choose carefully – you must be prepared to

mail/submit your application materials

within 5 business days after your biometrics

appointment if you selected a “Standard

Service” or “Priority Service” appointment,

or in person if you selected a “Premium”

service package.

Choose a date and time to attend your

biometrics appointment in person.

NOTE: YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR

LOCATION AFTER YOU CONFIRM AN

APPOINTMENT. PLEASE BE SURE TO LOOK AT

VARIOUS LOCATIONS BEFORE THE DEADLINE

BEFORE CONFIRMING. You will need to

restart the application and get a refund which

takes months if you end up needing to

change your location.

______________________________________________________________________________

4. Before November 22

: Attend Your Biometrics

Appointment

During this appointment, no evaluation of your visa application will take place. Electronic

fingerprints and a photo will be taken and stored in the US State Department database.

• If you chose a “Standard Services” or “Priority Service” Appointment

To attend this appointment, you will need to bring:

 Your actual passport, signed

 Registration Details Page (printed from VFS website. An email will NOT substitute)

 Printed UK Student visa application (from your UKVI account)

• If you chose a “Premium Services (Bronze, Silver, Gold)” Appointment

To attend this appointment, you will need to bring:

 Your actual passport, signed

 Photocopy of your passport

 Biometrics Appointment Details (printed from your UKVI account. An email

will NOT substitute)

 Printed UK Student Visa application (from your UKVI account)

 Additional, mandatory documents indicated on your application (will be listed on

last page of application, if applicable)

 Receipt of your “Premium Service” payment

 Printed return shipping label

** Students who book a Premium Appointment will be required to submit their visa application

materials in person at the Premium Application Centre, and are finished after this step **

• Once scheduled, print Registration

Details document which has biometric

appointment details and address (this

has been emailed to you as well)

5. Before November 23

: Mail Your Visa Application

Materials

Submit your full visa application via mail to the UKVI Scanning Hub in New York. If you are

applying in the US, you must use this processing center. The only way to submit your full visa

application is by mail – in person appointments, drop-offs, and pick-ups are not allowed in NYC.

Applications are typically processed in 14-21 business days upon arrival at the processing center.

You may request a time to meet with your program manager, either in person or by

phone/email, to go over your full application prior to mailing.

1) You will need to have purchased “Round-Trip Courier Service” from the VFS Global website

2) Use the UK Visa Application Document Checklist to ensure you have all items you need to

submit

3) Submit your application directly to the UKVI Scanning Hub in New York City

Use the Spring 2022 UK Visa Submission Flow Chart to help you decide which method is best for

you.

6. Before December 15

: Upload Visa to Personal Page

An image of your visa needs to be uploaded to the London Personal Page. Staff will review your

visa to ensure there are no errors.