If you are planning to study abroad this year, your student visa will be an essential travel document. Even when you focus all your attention and energy on choosing the appropriate study course at a prestigious university, you should give due importance to acquiring a valid student visa well before your course starts and ensure that your visa will cover the entire period of your stay abroad.
Applying for a visa should be your very first step after you have been accepted onto an academic course abroad where you wish to study. Since the student visa application process can differ from country to country, it is best to apply in advance to avoid any last-minute surprises. Most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days (3 months) before the date of travel. In some cases, you can apply for a student visa up to 6 months before your intended start date. VFS Global's Education Services will take you through each and every step of the visa application process (from assembling the correct documents to support the application, to the submission of the application itself) regardless of the country from which you are travelling, the passport that you are holding or the destination country of your studies.
Each country has different processing timelines for student visas. These are clearly outlined on their websites. During peak seasons, visa processing may take longer than expected, so applying early is advisable to avoid last-minute rush. VFS Global has no role in the processing timelines of a visa application. The decision on the granting or refusal of visa is at the sole directive of the respective embassies/consulates.
In most cases, you must submit original copies of documents concerning your identity, your financial circumstances and your academic qualifications. Once again, our Education Services team will guide you on the documents you need, specifically tailored to your personal visa requirements. Some of the documents required may include:
Once your application is submitted, you can opt for our SMS service and receive timely updates on your application's progress. The status will be updated as and when your passport is ready for collection/delivery. Please note that VFS Global cannot track your application during the assessment process within an embassy or consulate.
VFS Global's Education Services team can advise you on every aspect of your student visa application. Once a student has connected with VFS Global's specialist Education Team, they will take the applicant through detailed checklists to ensure they have all the necessary documents. They will then pass their expert eyes over every document the student needs to submit to ensure that nothing is missing or inaccurately stated. Their assistance continues until the visa application needs to be submitted, with support such as administrative tasks, visa application account creation, uploading necessary documents, and booking an appointment at a visa application centre for biometric data submission.
While having a passport is a given requirement, having a passport with sufficient pages for stamping is key. Some countries require that your passport have at least two usable blank pages. Once more, the VFS Global Education Team will advise you on whether the passport conforms with the regulations of the destination country.
The VFS Global Education Services will assist you with questions that a student might have concerning the alignment of their visa validity with their academic course timeline and other aspects, such as the number of entries permitted. They can also advise whether, if necessary, other family members can travel with the student, or whether the student might work part-time, and, if so, for how many hours per week. Even after graduation, VFS Global Education Services will advise students about any application they wish to make for a work permit and how long it might be valid. All such advice is given on a bespoke and personal basis, as every country has different requirements for these issues.
Once a visa application has been submitted, VFS Global cannot play any role in expediting the application process. Taking any of VFS Global's optional value-added services has no bearing on the processing time of the application itself or the final decision on the application. In some cases (like travel to the UK), it may be possible for a student to seek an expeditated visa processing service. Details are available on https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement and the Education Services Team can discuss with the applicant.
Some countries have health restrictions that are part of the student visa application process. For example, the student may need to undergo medical tests to demonstrate that they do not carry any infectious diseases or show that they have been immunised if their home country has had a recent outbreak of diseases such as cholera or yellow fever. Some countries may also require mandatory health insurance before they grant a student visa. As with many variables in the student visa application processes worldwide, the VFS Global Education Services team stands ready to assist you in addressing these and other questions.
For more information on VFS Global’s Education Services, please reach out to our team at studentservices@vfsglobal.com
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