With the Indian cricket team having
made it to the Super Six all eyes will be on England for
the next few weeks. And those of you who are planning
to go there as students in this September will definitely
be wishing that you could have gone there earlier than
later and cheered for India. But never mind let's take
a closer look at how you will go about applying for a
student visa or Entry Clearance to study in a University
in UK.
1) Who needs entry clearance to enter the United Kingdom?
If you are the holder of a desi passport then rest assured
you will definitely need an Entry Clearance or a visa
to enter the UK. The Entry Clearance certificate will
be stamped on your passport by the British Deputy High
Commission in Mumbai. This stamp will allow you to take
a flight to UK and enter the airport as a potential student
for higher education.
2) What is the port of entry and
how important is this stage?
The port of entry is the airport that you will disembark
upon after your flight. Technically the entry clearance
or the visa allows you entry only till this stage of your
journey. At the port of entry you have to meet the immigration
officials again and it is they really who give you permission
to enter their country. You will have to convince the
officers at the port of entry that you are a genuine student
and that you are in perfect medical shape. But that should
not be too difficult provided that you have all the important
documents , that you took for your visa interview in Mumbai,
ready for inspection in your handbag and can take them
out easily for scrutiny at the port of entry. Once the
entry clearance is stamped on your passport there is a
very remote chance that you will not be allowed entry
into their country. But it is important to remember that
the officers at the port of entry do reserve the right
of interviewing you again before allowing you permission
to enter. Of course if you are wanted by the Indian police
then travel at your own risk!
3) How long will it take me to
get this entry clearance certificate or visa stamped on
my passport in Mumbai?
Plan to spend a considerable amount of your time in getting
this all elusive stamp on your passport. The entire visa
process takes at least a month and at the end of it all
you would have visited the British Deputy High Commission
(BDHC) at Maker Chambers three times. During the first
visit you are interviewed by a visa officer (more about
this later). If at the end of this interview you are asked
to pay the visa fee and get your medical check - ups done
then you can almost open that bottle of champagne. 'coz
unless there is some ghoch in your medical you are almost
destined to catch that flight to UK. The other two trips
to the BDHC will be fairly routine in which one of them
will be dedicated to submitting your passport and the
necessary documents. The last visit will be final stage
of collecting your passport with the visa stamp.
4) How can I certify that I &
my family have the necessary funds in India or abroad
to pay for my education?
If your education is going to be sponsored by somebody
in UK then they need to send a letter of sponsorship giving
details of their occupation and salary.
5) How much money do I really need
to show at the time of visa?
There is absolutely no upper limit to the amount of funds
that you should be showing for your visa interview. However
there is no need to go to the obscene limits of putting
crores and crores in your bank accounts unless they already
exist there.
6) All my family money is in Indian
Rupees how can I show the money in pounds?
There is absolutely no reason for you to worry on this
account. Any bank that deals in foreign currency can issue
you a certificate stating that they will be able to provide
you with the necessary amount of foreign currency, for
further education, after you get your visa.
7) What questions will they ask
me in the visa interview?
Relax there is absolutely no need to be nervous about
your student visa interview at the BDHC. The people at
the counter are fairly friendly and will not grill you
and have you for lunch!
8) Do the medical check-ups need
to be done in specified hospitals and laboratories?
After the visa interview you will be given a sheet of
paper in which the designated hospital will be mentioned
for your medical checkups. Almost all people have to go
to the Breach Candy hospital for their meds. After you
have collected the medical test reports you will have
to meet a designated doctor for the health checkup. All
international students are covered by the National Health
Insurance in UK thus while you are a student there you
will not incur any additional health costs.
9) If I go to UK on a visitor visa
can I convert this visitor visa to a student visa while
I am still in UK?
The answer to this question will have to be a
big no. Under no circumstances should you plan to convert
your visitor visa into a student visa while you are still
in UK. It is best to complete your visit and after returning
to India apply for a student visa along with the necessary
papers mentioned above.
10) From where can I get the form
IM2A?
This form is available free of charge from the BDHC. Their
address is as follows: British Deputy High Commission
Maker Chamber IV, 222 Jamnalal Bajaj Road, Nariman Point,
Mumbai - 400021.
