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Adult students

Visa letter

This page explains what your visa letter must contain and how you must provide the documents you used to get the visa letter with your application.

The visa letter must be on your approved education provider's letter-headed paper, and signed and dated by an authorised official.

More information

  • The visa letter

    The visa letter from an approved education provider must be:

    • original;
    • on their letter-headed paper;
    • signed and dated by an authorised official (original or electronic signature). An electronic signature can be a digital signature or a scanned signature.

    You cannot get a visa letter from a representative of your approved education provider - you must get it direct from the approved education provider.

  • The visa letter for adult students

    The visa letter should contain the following information:

    Route This should say 'general student' or 'adult student'  
    You (the student)
    • Your name (as shown on your passport if applicable)
    • Your nationality
    • Your passport or travel document number (optional)
    Approved education provider (also known as 'sponsor')
    • The education provider's licence number
    • The education provider's address (if different from the letterhead)
    • The education provider's contact details (if different from the letterhead)
    • The name and address of any partner institution (if you are studying at another institution as part of this course)
    • The name and address of any overseas higher education institution (if the time you spend in the United Kingdom studying is part of an overseas higher education course)
    Course
    • The course title - or, if the visa letter is being issued for you to undertake a post at a sabbatical officer, details of the post
    • The academic level of course or qualification you will get when you complete the course (the National Qualifications Framework level or the type of qualification - for example, a bachelor's degree). If you will be studying an English language course, the level of the course should be the Common  European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level - for example, CEFR level A2
    • The start date (the date you start your main studies, or the date you start an induction or course to prepare you for study if you have an unconditional offer to do your main course)
    • The latest date you can join the course (optional)
    • The expected end date
    • The number of hours per week (optional if studying a full-time degree course that leads to a United Kingdom recognised bachelor or postgraduate degree, or an overseas higher education course equivalent to a United Kingdom higher education course)
    • The address of your main place of study, if different to the approved education provider's main address
    • The address of any organisation offering you a work placement, if known and applicable
    Evidence used to obtain the offer (visa letter) 

    A list of evidence that the approved education provider used to assess your academic ability to finish the course, which may include:

    • the level or type of your existing qualification (if applicable)
    • the qualification awarding body and/or institution (if applicable)
    • confirmation that an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate is needed (if applicable)

    If you are applying to continue or complete the course of study for which you currently have permission to stay, and your approved education provider has used your progress to date to assess your suitability to continue this course, the education provider must explain this on the visa letter.
    Money (also known as maintenance)
    • Course fees for the first year, or the length of the course
    • Course fees that you have paid so far (if applicable)
    • Accommodation fees that you have paid so far (if applicable)
    The visa letter must provide all the information listed above, except where the information is marked 'optional' or 'if applicable'.

    If your approved education provider is giving you a new visa letter to finish your course, they will have told us how they have assessed you.  This may be on your qualifications or the progress you have made.  If you have been assessed on your progress on your course, we do not need to see any documents as proof.

  • The visa letter for postgraduate doctors and dentists

    The visa letter for postgraduate doctors and dentists should contain the following information:

    Route This should say 'general student' or 'adult student'  
    You (the student)
    • Your name (as shown on your passport if applicable)
    • Your nationality
    • Your passport or travel document number (optional)
    Approved education provider (also known as 'sponsor')
    • The education provider's licence number
    • The education provider's address (if different from the letterhead)
    • The education provider's contact details (if different from the letterhead)
    • The name and address of any partner institution (if you are studying at another institution as part of the course)
    Course
    • The course title
    • confirmation that the Foundation Programme is recognised by the medical community, if the visa letter is from the relevant postgraduate Dean. If the visa letter is not from the relevant postgraduate Dean, you must include a separate letter containing this information with your application
    • The start date (the date you start your main studies, or the date you start an induction or course to prepare you for study if you have an unconditional offer to do your main course)
    • The expected end date
    • The latest date you can join the course (optional)
    • Confirmation that the Foundation Programme is full-time
    • The address of your main place of study, if this is different from the approved education provider's main address
    Evidence used to obtain the offer (visa letter)

    A list of evidence that your approved education provider used to assess your academic ability to complete the course. This must include:
    Money (also known as maintenance)
    • Course fees for the first year (as stated on your visa letter), or for the length of the course if the course will last for less than a year - this should be the amount that is relevant when the visa letter is issued
    • Course fees that you have paid so far (if applicable)
    • Accommodation fees that you have paid so far (if applicable)

    If you have already paid a portion of your course and/or accommodation fees before applying for your visa, this amount will be deducted from the total amount of money (maintenance) that you must show. This deduction will only be made if you will be staying in accommodation arranged by the university or college
    The visa letter must provide all the information listed above, except where the information is marked 'optional' or 'if applicable'.



    If your approved education provider is giving you a new visa letter to finish your course, they will have told us how they have assessed you, which may be on your qualifications or progress. If you have been assessed on your progress on your course, we do not need to see any documents or proof.

  • Documents used to get the visa letter

    You must send us the documents that you used to get your offer (visa letter) from your approved education provider. These documents will be listed on your visa letter.

    If your approved education provider has assessed your qualifications in order to issue your visa letter, it must include details of these qualifications on the visa letter.

    For each qualification listed, you must provide:

    • the original certificate(s) of qualification; and/or
    • the original transcript of results.

      • If your course is at National Qualifications Framework level 3 or above and you have been assessed by other means (for example, references or a portfolio of artwork), you do not have to include these with your application. However, your approved education provider must say, on the visa letter, how it assessed you.

      If you have been offered a place because of progress you have made on an existing course, your approved education provider must state this on the visa letter. You will not need to send any documents if this is how you have been assessed.

      The table below shows our requirements for specific types of course. 

      Qualification studying for Supporting documents needed
      English language courses at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR)

      If your approved education provider assessed you using one or more references, your visa letter must confrm the details of the reference(s).

      For each reference listed on the visa letter, you must send the original reference. Each reference must contain:

      • your name;
      • confirmation of the course type and level or previous experience;
      • dates of your study or previous experience;
      • the date of the letter; and
      • contact details of your referee.

        • If you cannot provide the original reference(s), you can submit a copy, together with a letter from your approved education provider confirming that it is a true copy of the reference they assessed.

      Courses requiring an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Clearance Certificate

      You must obtain an ATAS Clearance Certificate if you are applying to take:

    • postgraduate studies leading to a doctorate or Master's degree by research in one of the subjects listed in paragraph 1 of Appendix 6 of the immigration rules; or
    • postgraduate studies leading to a taught Master's degree in one of the subjects listed in paragraph 2 of Appendix 6 of the immigration rules; or 
    • study or research in the United Kingdom of longer than six months which is part of an overseas postgraduate level course, in any subject listed in Appendix 6 of the immigration rules.

      • Applications for an ATAS clearance certificate must be made online on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. This site also contains information about the scheme and the list of designated subjects.

      If you are applying to study a course that requires an ATAS Clearance Certificate, you must provide a print-out of the certificate. If the certificate is not provided, your application will be refused.
      Recognised Foundation Programme (postgraduate doctor or dentist)

      The qualification(s) you send with your application must include:

      • the original certificate and/or original transcript of results of the United Kingdom recognised degree in medicine or dentistry that you completed while in the United Kingdom as a student; and
      • an original letter from the postgraduate Dean, confirming you have been offered a place on a Foundation Programme that is recognised by the medical community. This letter must be on the letter-headed paper of the relevant Deanery. If your approved education provider is the relevant Postgraduate Deanery, you can include this information on the visa letter they issue.

        • If you provide a visa letter without the written confirmation from the relevant Deanery, we will not give points for the visa letter.