International Student Team

UK Immigration and Visas

The UK Immigration System

The UK operates a points-based immigration system. This system consists of five tiers; Tier 4 is relevant to full-time students at Cambridge. This includes students registered for a full-time course at Cambridge, and students registered at an overseas institution coming to Cambridge as part of those studies.

If you are coming for a course or period of study which is for less than six months, you may be able to come as a Student Visitor instead of under Tier 4.

Tier 4 applies to nationals of countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland [1]. You must receive a 'Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies' (CAS) from the University of Cambridge before applying for your Tier 4 General Student visa. To obtain your Tier 4 visa, you must submit a valid application and you must score 40 'points' (30 'points' for a valid CAS and 10 'points' for proving finances to cover fees and living costs). Applications under Tier 4 are subject to a time limit on studies, andcan also be refused under the general grounds for refusal.

You must obtain this visa before starting your studies at Cambridge. Your Tier 4 visa must be for the course you are undertaking at Cambridge. You may not start on a visa issued for another course at another institution. You will not be able to start your course until you hold the correct visa.

If you have UK immigration permission in another capacity, for example a dependant visa, work visa or ancestry visa you may be able to study on that visa without needing to apply under Tier 4. You will have to evidence this permission before starting your course. Before embarking on your study, you must consider the pros and cons of the legitimate alternative visas for studying. For example,

  • If you are in the UK as a dependent, if the person on whose visa you depend ceases to hold their visa, you must apply for a Tier 4 visa. It is not currently possible to switch from a dependent to a Tier 4 visa from within the UK.
  • If you hold a Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 5 visa, you may study. However, you should be aware of the limitations on this visa and remember that the UK Border Agency prefers you to hold a Tier 4 visa.

If you wish to bring family members, please check that this is possible.

Contact us through our visa advisory service if you are unsure or seek legal advice if your situation is complex. However, it is your responsibility to make sure you understand and meet the UK immigration requirements.

[1] The countries of the EEA are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.