When preparing for your visa application, you may encounter terminologies which you are not familiar with.
We have thought of some most asked terms and produced a list of glossary for your reference. We hope this would help ease your visa application!
ATAS | Academic Technology Approval Scheme: a compulsory additional security clearance which some postgraduate students studying science and engineering subjects must obtain before they can apply for their Tier 4 visa. |
BRP | A BRP (biometric residence permit) is a small, plastic card. It is the evidence for having a visa and is therefore proof of the right to stay, work or study in the UK. |
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) | This is not an actual certificate or paper document but is a virtual document similar to a database record. This record will be produced by King’s College London for each international student.
Each CAS has a unique reference number and contains information about the course of study for which it has been issued and the student’s personal details |
Immigration health surcharge (IHS) | Payment that must be made at the time of applying for a Tier 4 visa to allow the student to receive healthcare treatment through the UK’ National Health Service (NHS) |
Main “Site” of study | The address of the campus where you will mainly study (as confirmed on the CAS) |
Maintenance funds | The term is used to mean the money that a Tier 4 applicant must hold, to cover their course fees and living costs during their studies and also that they must provide evidence of when making a Tier 4 visa application |
Official financial sponsorship | Financial sponsorship is where a student is given money from institutes, a companies, agents or other third parties to cover some or all of their course fees and/or living costs.
Parents paying for your course fees and living costs is not considered to be official financial sponsorship. |
Sabbatical officer
| A full-time, paid, student officer, elected by the members of a University’s student union to work for a year representing the needs and wishes of the student body. |
Tier 4 (General) Tier 4 (Child)
| The Tier 4 (General) student category is for people coming to the UK for post- 16 (aged) education. The Tier 4 (Child) student category is for children coming to the UK who are under 18. |
Tier 4 sponsor | An educational organisation - in this case King’s College London - that is approved by the UK government (UKVI) to provide a CAS to international students so they can study in the UK under Tier 4 of the Points Based System |
Vignette | A visa sticker placed in a passport or travel document, confirming and setting out the wjem terms of the holder’s right to enter the UK. |
