Tier 4 Applications made in the UK How to use the new Apply Online service This guide is for students who are ready to complete the online Print and Send visa application form in the UK. This booklet should not be used as a stand-alone guide. Before beginning your visa application you must ensure that you read UKBA s Tier 4 Policy Guidance and the RCM s booklet Important Guidance Notes for Tier 4 (General) Student Visa Applications Extending Leave to Remain. 1 Page
A few things you should be aware of before you start your application UKBA is currently using a print and send form. This means that once you complete the online application form, you have to print it out and send it to UKBA. This guide takes you through the online application process screen by screen. Before you start you should have your passport and other immigration documents to hand, as you will need to copy information from them. You should also make sure you have your CAS Statement, as you will need to copy the information about your course from it. Please also note that: Once you complete and pay for your online application form, you will not be able to make any further changes, so make sure you check it thoroughly. Once the online application is complete, your application does not count as submitted. You will only be considered to have submitted an application one you have either posted the form to UKBA or attended an appointment to have your application considered in person. If you are applying by post, you have 15 days from the moment you complete and pay for your online application to send your printed form and supporting documents to UKBA. If you wish to apply in person at a Public Enquiry Office, please note that appointments currently book up a long way in advance. We recommend that if possible you begin preparing your visa application about 3 months before your current visa expires to ensure you have plenty of time to book and attend an appointment. If your current visa is going to expire soon, it may be safer to apply by post to ensure you do not overstay your leave before you can get an appointment. If you have problems answering any of the questions on the online application form, and cannot find the answers in the guidance notes, contact international@rcm.ac.uk for assistance. An incorrect or missing answer could result in your application being refused, so if in doubt please do not guess, ask us. We are here to help! 1. Getting started The Apply Online service can be found at https://apply.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/iapply.portal Go to the Apply Online homepage and complete the form as shown. Note that if you are applying outside the UK you cannot use this service. Find out information on how to apply in your home country at: http://www.ukb a.homeoffice.g ov.uk/countries/ 2 Page
Check the information is correct. Then select the print and send option and click apply. You can check your eligibility to apply by clicking on and completing the selfassessment tool. If you have already checked you are ready to apply, you can skip straight to the online application by clicking on Log in to apply online. 3 Page
2. Creating an account You will need to register for an account before you can use the Apply Online service. Click the register link. Once you have registered, you will receive an e-mail from UKBA asking you to verify your e-mail address. 4 Page
You can log into your account and access your information throughout the application process by clicking on the My account Log in button. You will find this in the topright corner of the Apply Online page. Make sure you save your work regularly. 3. Customising your account Make sure you read the information on this page before you start. There are also lots of help notes provided by UKBA as you complete each question, so please read these thoroughly. 5 Page
The Print and Send form selects and hides questions based on the answers you give on this page. For example, if you indicate you are not bringing any dependants with you then questions about dependants will be hidden on future pages. 4. Completing the form You must complete each section of the form. You can check your progress on the home page. In this example, no sections have been completed yet. If at any point you need to check the Tier 4 Policy Guidance you can find it in the right-hand toolbar. 6 Page
Personal Details When you fill out your personal details, you will find some of them have already been filled out, especially if you completed the self-assessment tool. Check that these are correct. Contact Details You must give at least one contact telephone number (even though this is not marked with an *) as you have to indicate your preferred contact number in the question below. 7 Page
Reference Numbers If you applied for your last visa outside the UK, you may have been given a reference number by your Visa Application Centre. If you last applied in the UK you can use: the number on your acknowledgement letter; the number on your biometrics invitation letter or the Case ID on the letter advising you of the decision on your application. If you have ever worked in the UK then you should have a National Insurance number. Passport or Travel Documents You must give details of ALL passports you have ever used to travel to the UK. If you do not have any of them because they have been lost or stolen, you should indicate this. Additional questions will appear to allow you to add further details. 8 Page
If you indicated in the Customise section that you have a BRP (rather than an old-style visa sticker) you will be asked to provide details here. Again, if the BRP has been lost or stolen there is the opportunity to explain this. Previous Addresses You must give the addresses of all residences where you have lived in the UK for the past five years, even if you were only there for a short period of time. 9 Page
Personal History If you are unsure what any of these questions mean, click on the question and you will see the explanation in the orange box. PBS (Points Based System) Immigration History This question asks about your visa that was issued when you first had permission to come to the UK. This may not be your current visa. This is the number that begins with VAFXXXX, which you will find in the top right hand corner of your visa sticker (this still refers to your first entry visa for the UK). This question refers to your CURRENT visa. If you have ever been refused entry to the UK, or have ever overstayed your leave even for a few days you MUST give details here. You will be given the opportunity to give an explanation, e.g. if you were appealing an incorrect decision. If your current leave has expired but you have overstayed by no more than 28 days, your application will still be considered by UKBA. However, there are significant risks that you need to be aware of, and you must speak to the International & Awards Officer before submitting your application. 10 Page
Public Funds Examples of Public Funds are unemployment benefit, child benefit, housing benefit etc. This does not include using the National Health Service. T4 Course Details Before completing this section you should make sure you have your CAS Statement to hand. If you do not yet have a CAS, consult the RCM Guidance Notes for details of how to request one. The answers you give in the remaining sections must match the information given by the RCM on your CAS. If you think there is an error on your CAS, contact international@rcm.ac.uk 11 Page
You can find the RCM s term dates up until the year 2020 at: http://www.rcm. ac.uk/visit/term datesandopeni nghours/ Maintenance (Funds) If you have already paid some of your tuition fees and this is NOT shown on your CAS, you must contact the International & Awards Officer to get this updated. If you do not know whether you have an established presence you should read the UKBA Policy Guidance. If you are using funds in your parents name you should select no here. You can only enter a maximum of 1000 in this box, even if you have paid more. Please see the Guidance Notes for details. 12 Page
Tier 4 General Attributes Your course level will be on your CAS Statement. Music students do not require an ATAS certificate. Check your application You will now have the chance to run an electronic check of your application. The system will identify whether there are any errors based on the information you have provided. This will only identify missing information, so you should also check your answers manually. 13 Page
If there are any errors, they will be shown on the home page. Once you have completed making your corrections on a section, click check section at the bottom of that page, otherwise the changes you made will not be recognised. Supporting documents The next screen will tell you which documents you need to send with your application, based on the answers you have provided. You should indicate yes for all those you are enclosing with your application. NB documents must always be originals, not copies. Make sure you read the UKBA Policy Guidance very carefully to ensure you understand what types of financial evidence are acceptable. 14 Page
5. Final Check At this point you should STOP! Do not go beyond this point without thoroughly checking your form. After this point you will not be able to go back and amend your answers. You should print off a pdf of your completed form (go to My Account, then click View Application ). Check through all of your answers and make sure that they are correct and that they match the information on your CAS. If you are a current RCM student applying for a new visa, you are strongly advised to make an appointment to see the International & Awards Officer (Nicola.peacock@rcm.ac.uk) to get your application checked. You should print off your pdf and bring it to the appointment, along with your supporting documents. New students starting at the RCM in September are welcome to e-mail their pdf print-out to international@rcm.ac.uk for us to check the answers they have given. IF YOU ARE APPLYING BY POST, ONCE YOU COMPLETE THE NEXT STAGE YOU HAVE 15 DAYS TO POST YOUR FORM AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO UKBA, SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THEM READY! 6. Declaration and payment You should now read and complete the declaration. You will then be directed to the payment page to pay for your application by debit / credit card. Make sure you know before paying whether you want to apply by post or in person, as you cannot change your mind once you have paid! 15 Page
7. Submitting your application You must now print off the final version of your application form and submit it to UKBA. You can choose to submit the form by post or in person. The submission date of your application will be counted as: The date you posted the application to UKBA OR The date you attend your appointment at a Public Enquiry Office (PEO) Applying in person (Premium Service) IMPORTANT: Please note that you should not book a Premium Service appointment before completing your online application, as the system will not be able to detect that the application and appointment are linked. If you have indicated during payment that you require an appointment at a PEO, you will be directed to the booking screen. Appointments book up many weeks in advance, so if you want to use this application method, you should prepare your application as early as possible. Please note that from 5 April 2013, 100 of the Premium Service application fee will be the cost of your appointment. If you do not attend your appointment, UKBA will not return this 100. 16 Page
You should try to keep your search as wide as possible to increase your chances of finding an available appointment. If possible, try to look at PEOs in more than one location. To see the maximum options just put the year in the date ranges. Applying by post When you print off your application form you will find information on the final page about how and where to post your application. Before posting the form and original supporting documents, make sure that you: Sign the printed application form (it will be invalid without your signature) Enclose all your supporting documents Take a copy of your application form and supporting documents (strongly recommended, as if your application is refused UKBA retains these documents until you leave the country, causing difficulties if you need to appeal the decision) Send your application via Special Delivery and keep a copy of the receipt of postage and the tracking number 17 Page