Visa Application?

[anglerfish_9]

I am totally clueless on application for visa due to the new point-based rules system. What should I do now other than waiting for the offer letter from the university. It is written that 'proof of enough fund to support course fee and living expenses for the first year.' So, do I have to request for a financial statement from JPA? I am very blur now... @_@

Source: www.thestar.com.my
Points-based rules apply to UK-bound students from March 31
By PAUL GABRIEL
KUALA LUMPUR: It will be a new experience for Malaysians applying to study in Britain with the points-based visa system to be enforced from March 31.

Under Tier 4 (student tier) of the system, foreign students will have to pass an online points-based assessment (www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk) and need 40 points to qualify for a general student visa.

Thirty points are awarded if a letter of acceptance is issued by a British institution registered with the UK Border Agency, and 10 points if the student shows proof of enough funds to support course fee and living expenses for the first year.


This time, the minimum amount of funds needed is listed (see chart). There was no fixed amount stated in the past.

The new rules state, among others, that an approved student can swap courses at the same institution without contacting the agency but must seek its permission to change institutions. UK Border is a shadow agency of the British Home Office.

A student who is denied a visa can seek an administrative review which must be done within 28 days of the refusal notice.

British Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Moody said the new system was ?much simpler, and more straightforward and transparent.?

?Students will be protected as there will be quality assurance, and only go to an approved education provider which will have to get a licence from the UK Border Agency.

?This makes it much safer for them, as there will be no bogus outfit involved,? he said.

?The self-assessment system is much quicker too as there is a very clear checklist of things. All a student has to do is to be honest.

?For example, if you have been refused entry before you must say so, as we will have a record to check against it,? he said in an interview.

Also present was UK Border Agency visa manager Nicola Bowling, who is visiting local educational institutions to brief students on the new points-based system.

Last year, the High Commission issued 8,380 student visas. Despite the gloomy economy, the High Commission expects more Malay-sians students to apply to study in Britain due to the better exchange rate now.

Moody said nine out of 10 Malaysian students who qualified went on to obtain their student visas.

?This year, we will ensure that there is enough staff so that visas can be issued within the normal time range, which is between five and 15 days,? he said.

[Sillyboy]

Go the the vfs website and go through with your parents the procedure involved. Also, get hold of the application form and try to fill it up. It will give you an idea with regards to the requirement documents and etc.

[teddyen]

wondering if anybody got their visa letter already. cause imperial has yet to send mine...
and there's a difference between an offer/acceptance letter and a visa letter right?

[mehul91]

Hey i would like to know if its possible for you to study in overseas, lets say australia and do your internship in new zealand. How does the visa work. Do you get the visa after you get the job . And besides, when you enter the country they will normally give you visa on arrival, the period is short and intended for tourist. Can you change that visa status to a working visa. And yes how tedious is the paperwork.

correct me if i'm wrong

[Sillyboy]

Originally Posted by teddyen

wondering if anybody got their visa letter already. cause imperial has yet to send mine...
and there's a difference between an offer/acceptance letter and a visa letter right?

I think it is the same. They might have changed their policy this year...hmmm....

[Redwine2]

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story...471&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Britain’s new points-based visa system for foreign students got off to a nervous start for Malaysians, with many ap pli cations rejected due to “glitches” on the part of British universities.

The cause was traced to the universities not adhering to tedious policy requirements under the UK Border Agency’s student tier (Tier 4) of the points-based system en forced from March 31.

There are 49 policy requirements under the student tier, with universities having now to list everything from total course fee to course du ration.

British High Commissioner Boyd McCleary described the early stages of the student tier implementation here as “teething”.

“This is a new system and some of our universities weren’t used to it. At the start, the universities didn’t actually get everything right although we told them what we wanted.

“Frankly, we were rejecting too many (visa) letters (issued by the universities to students) on technical grounds,’’ he said yesterday.

Under the system, foreign students have to pass an online points-based assessment (www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk) and need 40 points to qualify for a general student visa.

Thirty points are awarded if a letter of acceptance is issued by a British institution registered with the agency and 10 points if the student shows proof of enough funds to support the course fee and living expenses for the first year.

When it was first introduced, the new Tier 4 visa system was touted by British authorities to be “much simpler, more straightforward and transparent”.

McCleary said since the early setback, the rejection rate for the student visas here had dropped to a single digit-level from the 25% to 30% weekly rate previously.

“This is because the universities have begun to comply with the requirements. The high commission, on its part, is also trying to interpret the rules as flexibly as it can.

“If it is just a minor issue, we make a phone call to sort things out. We don’t want to turn away genuine students,’’ he said, adding that he had just sent off another “reminder letter” to several British universities to comply with the new visa system.

He said a student could request for an administrative review if an application was rejected, adding that the reviews would be handled by the British High Commission’s visa unit in Bangkok.

The high commission here, which received about 6,000 applications from Malaysians to study in Britain last year, has beefed up its visa unit with more staff as the peak August-September application period approaches.

McCleary also said the UK Border Agency had eased certain student visa policies from June.

They include proof of availability of funds, content of loan letters, higher maintenance requirements in London only applying to those who study in inner London, and allowing those applying to study A-Levels in Britain to make visa applications based on a conditional offer from their education provider while they await their GCSE results.

[Cantabile]

Originally Posted by anglerfish_9

I am totally clueless on application for visa due to the new point-based rules system. What should I do now other than waiting for the offer letter from the university. It is written that 'proof of enough fund to support course fee and living expenses for the first year.' So, do I have to request for a financial statement from JPA? I am very blur now... @_@

As students, we apply for Tier 4 General Student visa. To be eligible, we need 40 points, that is 30 points for a visa letter from the uni and remaining 10 points to show you have enough funds to support yourself there, also known as 'maintenance funds'. Do note that the uni offer letter may NOT be the same as the visa letter. A visa letter contains info like the uni's Sponsor License No., the duration of the course, what qualifications you have that they consider in granting you a place etc, and is fully listed in the Policy Guidance you can find online in the VFS website. As for the remaining 10 points, JPA will send you a letter called the Financial Affidavit, which states that they are sponsoring you, and how much they are giving you etc. If they haven't sent you yet, better call up and ask. This proves that you're a sponsored student. It is *compulsory* to apply online first, then only you book an appointment where you submit all your hardcopy documents and passport. Good luck.

Website for more info:
http://www.vfs-uk-my.com/index.aspx

To make things easier, go to this page. It summarizes the visa application process for foreign students, with the necessary links which you can follow as you go along.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/features/applyingtostudy

However, do note that it is compulsory for Malaysians to make an online application 1st, before booking an appointment at the visa application centre to submit your hardcopy documents. Plus, by doing so, you shorten your waiting time when you get there.

So basically,documents needed are available online:

1) Your printed online application form (VAF9)
2) Self-Assesment Form (Appendix 8 or Appendix 9 if you're underage)
3) Student Survey

Document Checklist and Student Survey form, scroll right to the bottom and you will see download links for both under Tier 4 PBS:
http://www.vfs-uk-my.com/documents.aspx

[luminodreamer89]

Thanks Cantabile for this lengthy yet informative post. lol

So, you have applied and got the visa already? So from your post, online application is much faster than going to Wisma Ampang to fill in the forms?

Btw, when are you leaving for King's? =)

[Cantabile]

Lol welcome. I had to keep editing cuz I also get confused halfway. I rmb jumping around the UKBA and VFS websites until @.@ before finding my way. The links are all over the place! And yeah, those who already applied online get the 'Priority' queue if not mistaken. Less waiting.

Halfway there actually, going down to KL to submit my documents, then if all goes well, can get visa in 2 weeks' time. I'll be leaving around mid-september, tentatively. Heheh. How bout u?

[luminodreamer89]

yea..it's quite a hassle. But, I think we just need some times to scrutinize the details and eventually we will be able to sort it out. haha.

Good. That's what Mabecs advisor told me too. haha.

You are fast. I have just got the affidavit not long ago. Just completed the stack of JPA docs. lol. So, maybe will apply for it later.

Mid-sept. Hmm, I might leave around end of sept. My class will commence in early Oct. ^^