The United Kingdom has updated its financial requirements for Student and Child Student visa applicants, retaining strict documentary rules that require Nigerians and applicants from most African countries to submit proof that they have sufficient funds to study and live in the country.
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Under the revised guidance published on Monday, only nationals of Botswana, Mauritius and Tunisia were exempted from submitting financial evidence at the initial stage of Student and Child Student visa applications among African countries.
Applicants from the three countries must still meet the financial requirements and may be asked to provide supporting documents during the visa decision-making process.
The reduced documentary requirement also applies to nationals of several countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The UK government stressed that the exemption does not remove the obligation to possess the required funds, but only means that qualifying applicants may not need to submit the evidence with their initial applications.
“You must meet the financial requirements for this route when you apply; however, you may not need to submit evidence upfront as part of your application,” the guidance stated.
“In these circumstances, the decision maker may still request the evidence from you during the application process to prove you meet the financial requirements.”
The updated policy means applicants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt, which account for significant numbers of African students travelling to the UK, must continue to provide financial documents when submitting their visa applications.
Student visa applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to pay the tuition fees stated on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, in addition to the amount required for living expenses.
Applicants studying outside London must show that they have access to £1,171 for every month of their course, calculated for a maximum of nine months.
This means that a student studying outside London may be required to demonstrate access to as much as £10,539 for living expenses, excluding tuition fees.
Those studying in London must show £1,529 for each month of their course for up to nine months, amounting to a maximum maintenance requirement of £13,761, in addition to the tuition fees stated on their CAS.
Applicants travelling with eligible dependants must also provide evidence of additional maintenance funds.
For each dependant accompanying a student studying outside London, the applicant must show £680 per month for a maximum of nine months, representing up to £6,120.
Students studying in London must show £845 monthly for each dependant for up to nine months, amounting to a maximum of £7,605 per dependant.
For Child Student visa applicants, the amount required depends on the child’s accommodation and care arrangements.
The applicable financial requirement may differ depending on whether the child will attend a boarding school, live with a foster carer, reside with a parent or legal guardian, or live independently where the applicant is aged 16 or 17 and eligible to do so.
The UK government also clarified the sources of funds that may be accepted as evidence.
Applicants may rely on government-backed student loans, official financial sponsorship, personal savings or funds belonging to their parents or eligible partners.
Those relying on money belonging to a parent or partner may be required to provide documents establishing the relationship and confirming that the funds are available for the applicant’s education and living expenses.
However, visa applicants cannot rely on overdrafts, cryptocurrency holdings, stocks and shares, pension funds or money kept in financial institutions that are not appropriately regulated.
Applicants relying on personal or family savings must demonstrate that the required amount was held continuously for at least 28 consecutive days before the visa application was submitted.
The closing balance on the financial document must also fall within 31 days of the date on which the application is lodged.
Failure to satisfy the required holding period, provide acceptable documents or demonstrate access to the full amount needed for tuition and maintenance may affect the outcome of the visa application.
The government retained existing exemptions for certain categories of applicants, including persons applying to extend their stay after legally living in the UK for at least 12 months on a valid visa.
Other exempt categories include Student Union Sabbatical Officers, doctors and dentists undertaking recognised training programmes, and nationals who qualify for the reduced documentary requirement.
Despite these exemptions, all applicants must still satisfy the underlying financial eligibility rules and may be required to present evidence if requested by the visa authorities.
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