Requirements for your application

If the Home Office classifies your nationality as coming under the 'differential evidence requirement' you do not have to send evidence of your funding or previous qualifications with your application, although you still have to meet all the requirements and be prepared to provide funding or qualification evidence promptly if requested. The Home Office list of countries whose nationals can apply under these arrangements is here. Scroll down to the list of countries. 

If you have more than one nationality, you can only use the differential evidence provision if you apply with the a passport for a country on the list.

If the 'differential evidence' provision applies to you, do not submit evidence of funding or qualifications unless you are requested to do so. If dependants are applying with you, they can also use the provision if they are a national of a country on the list and apply at the same time as you. If they apply at a later time, they may need to provide evidence of funding.

We explain the financial requirements in full here, but depending on your circumstances or nationality you may find you don't have to submit evidence:

• if you have already been in the UK for 12 months you are deemed to have met the living costs requirement
• some continuing students no longer have tuition fees to pay, if your CAS says £'0' for fees then you won't have to show any funding for fees
• if you come under the 'differential evidence' arrangements because of your nationality you only have to submit evidence of funding if asked as part of a spot check, and this is unusual

If you are required to submit evidence, for your student visa application you are required to have funding to cover your fees, or fees for one year if your course is more than one year, as stated on your CAS plus an amount for living costs if you haven't already been in the UK for one year. Before starting a course at the University you will have completed a Financial Declaration for your college or, for some courses, your department. The evidence requirements for your visa application are separate from those for your Financial Declaration. Make sure the documents you get ready to use as evidence of funding for your visa application meet Home Office requirements.

'Low-risk' applicants don't need to submit funding evidence with their visa application but should have it ready in the required format in case it is requested.

Funding for course fees

If your course is more than a year long, you will only need to show you have fees for the first year as stated on your CAS. If you do not need to pay fees, for example because you are continuing as a DPhil student including a DES applicant and are no longer pay fees, or you are a visiting student and your fees are paid through your home institution, your CAS will state your fees are £0.

If some or all of your course fees have already been paid, and your CAS shows this, or you have a receipt for them, you can reduce the amount you need to show for your  fees by the amount already paid. Ask your college or department to update your CAS with the amount you have paid, but note they may not be able to do this if you have already made your visa application and are waiting for the decision.

Funding for living costs

For Student permission applications made in the UK  you are deemed to have already met the funding for living costs requirement if you have been living in the UK for 12 months or more with UK visa permission at the time of your application.

If you have not already been living in the UK for 12 months then the amount you need to show for living costs is £1,171 for each calendar month or part of a month from the start date on your CAS to the expected end date up to a maximum of nine months. If the period is more than nine months the maximum you will need to show is £10,539. 

Additional funding for dependants

If your dependants are also applying, if they have not already been in the UK for the past 12 months they will each need to show funding for their living costs at a rate of £680 per calendar month  for the duration of the visa you will yourself be granted up to a maximum of £6,120 for each dependant. They will not need to submit the evidence of this if they apply at the same time as you and come under the 'differential arrangements'. See also our page about visas for your family. 

Money paid for Oxford accommodation

If you will be living in an Oxford college or University accommodation and you have paid an amount towards this in advance, the payment should be shown on your CAS or on a receipt. You can reduce the amount you need to show for your living costs by the amount already paid up to a maximum deduction of £1,529. Ask your college or department to update your CAS with the amount you have paid. You can't deduct anything for payments made for private accommodation.

Evidence of your funding

This is a summary only. For complete information on funding and evidence requirements, you must very carefully read the Home Office's guidance sections on the documents needed. If you are a ‘differential arrangements’ student you do not have to submit evidence of funding with your visa application but you need to have it ready to provide if requested.

Some students funded by an official financial sponsor need the sponsor’s written permission for a visa application.

This requirement will only apply if:

• you are currently sponsored or have been within the last 12 months AND
• your sponsor is or was a government or an international scholarship agency AND
• you are or were supported by the sponsor for both fees and living costs.

'Differential arrangement' students are not exempt from this requirement.

If you need sponsor consent you need a letter from the sponsor to include with your visa application confirming they have no objection to you continuing your studies in the UK. If your sponsor is providing you with a letter for evidence of funding, they could include a statement confirming they have no objection to you continuing your studies in the UK in the same letter.

If your course is a degree course (undergraduate, masters or DPhil) or at degree level or above you don't need to provide any evidence of qualifications for your visa application.

If your course is below degree level, you only need to have evidence of your previous qualifications that are listed on your CAS statement under the heading, ‘Evidence Considered in Accepting Application’. If you are a ‘low risk’ student you do not have to submit qualifications certificates or transcripts with your visa application but you will need to provide them if requested.

For any qualification listed you need to provide the certificate or final academic transcript confirming the qualification was awarded. 

For your visa application you must use the passport which is listed on your CAS. If you have renewed your passport since your CAS was issued and before you apply for your visa, email your college (undergraduate and visiting students) or department or divisional office (graduate and recognised students) immediately, copying in the Student Immigration team so the correct passport number can be added to your CAS.

Ensure your passport is not about to expire very soon. However, it is OK to apply for your visa with a passport that will expire before the end of your course – you will still be issued with a full length visa.

You will need to take your passport to your biometrics appointment if you have one. It will be handed back to you at the appointment.