The English Blog

Monday 25 January 2010

22 February 2010 – put it in your diary for the latest Student Visa Changes


Another important change in Student Visa regulations will be taking place shortly.
Currently, students who wish to apply for a General Students Visa need to receive a Visa Letter from their sponsor school. The next stage of the development of the UK Border Agency Points Based System is to stop Visa Letters and replace them with a new system called Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS.) A CAS is not a certificate or a letter but an online “code number” which is generated on the UK Border Agency website by the sponsor school.

The switchover date from Visa Letters to CAS has now been confirmed as 22 February 2010. If you plan to apply for a Student Visa before this date, you must ask us for a Visa Letter, but if you plan to apply on 22 February or after, you must ask us for a CAS (the date of a visa application is the date that the visa fee is paid.) Any applications for a Student Visa made with a Visa Letter after 22 February 2010 will be automatically refused.

If you wish to learn English in London and require a Student Visa and will apply after this date, please ask us for a CAS number and quote this number when applying for your Visa. Please also remember that you will have to provide us with proof of your English language level.
Remember, however, that if you plan to apply for a Student Visitor Visa (which you can do if your course is less than 6 months in duration) you will not be affected by any of these changes, and simply need to ask us for an invitation letter.

Visit the official UKBA Guidance Notes for more information.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

New Year, New Website! And you can win an English course in London with us!

To celebrate the new SGI website, we're offering an English course in London. All you need to do is answer a quick survey about our new website.