Congratulations! You have made it this far. With Unconditional Offer from the university in hand, you are one step closer to stepping on the United Kingdom soil!

Once you have gotten your unconditional offer, the university will then send or email you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) Statement. It contains a unique CAS Number that you will need in order to apply for a student Visa.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all of the information in the statement, especially your passport number, is correct. This is because incorrect information may lead to a visa refusal. 

The CAS Number is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and you must apply for your visa within this 6 months period.

Eligibility

Fees

1. £322 to apply for this visa from outside the UK
2. £322 per person for any dependants (if applicable)
3. £225* for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your application process

*Cost varies. Check how much you will have to pay here: IHS Calculator

Visa Validity 

1. Start: up to 1 month before your course commences
2. End: 4 months after your course is completed

Documents Needed

1. A current passport or other valid travel documentation
2. 2 passport-sized colour photograph* with your name written on the reverse side
3. Your tuberculosis test result**
4. Proof that you can support yourself and pay for your course (bank statements etc.) - this will vary depending on your circumstances

Guidance on the UK Passport Photograph - No cheeky smiles and covered face!

Note: you must be tested ONLY at a clinic that has been approved by the Home Office. Check this link for the location of the approved clinics, what you need to bring and other information.

READ PART 1 HERE: Pursuing UK Master's Degree

Before this, I thought that the online application process for overseas universities would be very complicated. But once you have read the instruction, I would say most of them are pretty straightforward. If you are not sure about a particular requirement, they would usually have a help button explaining what is needed.

Each and every university has a different system of the online application process; but as a general guide, I will be using University of Birmingham as an example and here are the things that one commonly has to do:

You may also required to show your SPM Certificate (For Malaysian students) because I have been informed that the universities may want to evaluate your progression throughout your studies from high school up to degree.


*Reference Letter

Reference Letter is basically a recommendation letter whereby the referee (or person who writes the letter) would assess your qualities and capabilities and put them in words. The referees would be the ones who tell the reader how well you have performed throughout your educational journey and if they think you are a suitable candidate for the admission to higher education institutions.

Asking for a reference letter can be quite stressful because you would need to figure out who could vouch for you and write letters of recommendation that would eventually help you get into your university of choice.

I cannot stress this enough but everyone should be nice to their professors and lecturers (and even your employers!). Treat them with respect and never get on their nerves. Because someday you might need their help, whether it be for future employment or in my case, asking for reference letters.

I am lucky to have been taught by my parents to never, never disrespect my teachers and never be on their bad side no matter what. Now I am grateful because I have obtained not only one, but two lovely reference letters that described me in ways that I could not think of.

If you have trouble on this part, do check out this guide on How to Ask for a Reference Letter where you will basically learn about the process as well as the proper etiquette in getting your letter of recommendation.

**English test result
As per the requirement, you will need to scan and upload your English test result such as IELTS. More information can be found on my previous entry for the English Language Requirements.

***Personal statement
Personal statement is a word document that tells the reader why you are interested in the course that you have selected and what are the skills and qualities that you have to indicate that you are a great candidate for it.

This is where you describe your ambitions and goals in life. You should also demonstrate your enthusiasm for the subject and any relevant work experience or placements is an added bonus. It is like a resume for higher institution admissions and thus it should be taken seriously and given some time to draft before you write it.

UCAS Personal Statement Mindmap

Check out this UCAS website for more information on Personal Statements and their useful Personal Statement Worksheet to get you started.



After you are done, carefully proofread and triple-check everything before hitting the submit button.

Some of the universities would not allow you to make amendments via the portal once you have submitted the applications online; so it is important that all of the information given are as accurate as possible.

Now relax, and wait patiently for the results (which could take up to 4 weeks or more).

Good luck!