Student Visas

If you come from a Visa National country and you would like to take a course at CES Leeds for 6 months or more, you have 2 options:

Extended Student Visitors Visa (ESVV) - this is for English language courses only, of between 6 and 11 months. You cannot work on this visa, or bring in dependents. Full details can be found here: ESVV Link

or -

Student Visa (otherwise known as a General Student Visa or an Adult Student Visa) which allows you to study a long-term English Course in the UK.

The UK Border Agency’s visa system is called the Points Based System. This is divided into 5 categories (“tiers”) – the category for students is Tier 4. The schools which have been approved by the UK Border Agency to accept students with Tier 4 visas have been placed on a list called the Register of Sponsors. These schools have also been graded "A" or "B" depending on the strength of their systems. You will be pleased to know that CES Leeds is registered as an "A" grade. Our sponsor licence number is T2MMGKF97. Only schools which appear on the UKBA Register of Sponsors may act as sponsors.

To proceed you should apply to CES Leeds for your course, and ask us to produce a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). A CAS is not a letter but a personal code number which is generated for you on the UK Border Agency website by your sponsor school or college. We will then send you your CAS by email, and you should quote it when you apply for your visa. Before we can produce a CAS for you, we will need from you:

• A completed CES Leeds student application form. This can be found on the school website.
• A copy of the personal details page of your passport.
• Proof that your English language level is at least B1 on the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of languages (CEF.) This can be done by sending official documents (translated into English by a professional translator) proving that your level is high enough for the course you have selected. This should be a document showing your English language level (if possible, an internationally-recognised examination certificate, such as IELTS). We may also ask you to complete an online level test to confirm your current English level.
• You should pay us a deposit of £150. You should pay the rest of your fees after you have received your visa. If you fail to receive a visa, we will refund to you £100 (course deposit, minus non-refundable registration fee). Before we can make a refund you must show us a copy of your official refusal notice first.

When you apply for your Student Visa, you should quote your CAS number on your application, and submit the originals of any documents that you have shown us as proof of your level. You also need to prove that you have enough money to pay your course fees and your living costs in the UK (the UK Border Agency calls this your maintenance funds.) You will be expected to show that you have the course fees minus your deposit, and £600 per month for your maintenance in Leeds – for example with a recent bank statement or letter from your bank.
To receive your Student Visa, you need to achieve 40 points in the Point Based System. Having a valid CAS from CES Leeds with supporting documents will give you 30 points, and being able to prove that you can afford your course fees and maintenance will give you another 10 points.

• You must give us a copy of your passport, visa and ID card if you have one.
• You must tell us your address in the UK and your contact details, including email and telephone number – and update us whenever these change.
• You must attend your lessons regularly for the duration of your course.

For full details please visit the UK Border Agency website at: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk