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on April 22, 2025
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The UK’s reputation as an attractive destination for students from across the globe has remained very much intact in recent years – and indeed, has gone from strength to strength.
This much was apparent when it emerged that the UK Government’s target of hosting at least 600,000 international education students in the UK each year by 2030, had been achieved a decade early. Specifically, there were 605,130 international students in the UK in 2020/21.
Over the last few years, however, ministers in the now-former Conservative Government have also felt the need to take tougher action in relation to the Student visa route.
With effect from 1st January 2024, most international students were prevented from bringing family members to the UK. This tightening of the visa category was in response to what then-migration minister Tom Pursglove had described as a “surge in the number of dependants being brought by students, which is contributing to unsustainable levels of migration.”
Last July, of course, brought further seismic change of a slightly different kind with implications for UK immigration. The Rishi Sunak-led Conservative administration was voted out of office, and the Labour Party’s Sir Keir Starmer took over as UK Prime Minister.
However, if there is at least one other thing that rarely stays the same for long, irrespective of the occupant of 10 Downing Street, it is the UK’s ever-complicated immigration policies.
Sure enough, further modification has now been made to the Student visa category, now in relation to the maintenance requirements.
On 10th September 2024, the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) published a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, HC 217.
A key requirement for prospective applicants for the UK Student visa, is that they must have sufficient money to support themselves and to pay for their course. The exact amount of money they will require is dependent on their circumstances and what they’re applying for.
The amount of money that you will be expected to have available in order to fulfil the maintenance requirement, will depend on where in the UK you will be studying.
Previously, the maintenance requirements were:
However, for Student visa applications on or after 2nd January 2025, higher maintenance requirements have applied. These are:
For the purposes of this requirement, “London” is defined as the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.
The Home Office will expect you to have had this money for at least 28 days in a row. The end date of this 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you submit your application for the Student visa.
Under the Student visa route, the “accommodation offset” enables applicants to deduct a portion of their maintenance funds if they have already paid for their accommodation in the UK. This would lower the total amount they need to demonstrate for their visa application.
The maximum amount for this offset has been increased by the UK Government, in line with the changes to the maintenance requirement.
The Government limits the maximum offset to a single month’s maintenance. This was previously £1,334, corresponding with the higher funds level for London students, but it has now gone up to £1,483 for Student visa applications lodged since 2nd January.
You are able to deduct the following from the total amount of money you require as part of your Student visa application:
It is important to note that you are not permitted to deduct any advance payment for any other type of housing. Nor is it possible to adjust the amounts if you won’t have any accommodation costs – for example, if you will be living with a relative free of charge.
When you’re making an application for the UK Student visa, you will need to have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
This is an electronic document that your college, school, or university will issue when they make you an unconditional offer. This will be stored on a database that is visible to the Home Office.
In a word: no. It will not be necessary for you to prove the “financial requirement” when you’re applying for a UK Student visa, if:
You also won’t need to prove you have sufficient money to support yourself if you’re a British national overseas, or if you’re from a country listed under the “differential evidence requirement”.
Examples of some of those countries or territories are listed below; a fuller rundown can be seen on the GOV.UK website.
As a holder of the Student visa, you must leave the UK by the expiry date of your visa, unless you have lodged a new visa application to extend your permission in the UK.
If you applied for new immigration permission prior to your Student visa expiring, you will have the right to stay in the UK until you have been given a decision on your application. In the event, however, of your application being denied, you will be expected to leave the UK immediately.
Student visa holders who wish to stay in the UK after their present visa expires, have various potential options. They may be able to:
You may be looking to move to the UK for the first time via the Student visa category, or you might have spent time previously in the UK on another valid immigration route. Perhaps you are interested in extending your visa or switching to another UK visa? Regardless of your specific situation, our specialists at Cranbrook Legal can provide the complete service.
We realise that meeting the various criteria set out under the Student visa category or another UK immigration route can be overwhelming and challenging. For these reasons, you will be thankful for our comprehensive project-managed service, whereby we hold your hand through every stage of the visa application process. Why wait any longer to place your faith in one of the leading UK immigration firms? Simply fill in and submit our online contact form today, or call 0208 215 0053, to book a free consultation and discuss your needs with a knowledgeable expert in UK immigration law.
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