Before you leave to study in the UK you will, in most cases, need to obtain a Tier 4 Student visa. Applying for a visa can take time, so it’s important to plan far enough in advance to get one.
To help you navigate the visa application process, our dedicated Admissions Visa and Applicant Services team can offer advice on what this process entails. Our UK visa advice Live Chat feature lets you ask any questions you may have.
The visa advice Live Chat is available between 9.30am and 11.30am on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and between 11am and 1pm on Tuesday and Friday (Greenwich Mean Time). It is designed to help you navigate the visa process, Tier 4 requirements, what you need to do to get your CAS, and what to expect at a visa appointment. Our visa and applicant support team are able to talk to you in either English or Arabic.
| Day | Time (GMT) |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:30 - 11:30 |
| Tuesday | 11:00 - 13:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:30 - 11:30 |
| Thursday | 09:30 - 11:30 |
| Friday | 11:00 - 13:00 |
Outside these times, you can contact us and an adviser will reply as soon as possible.
Studying in the UK is a big investment, so you need to plan ahead. You must have at least £1,015 for each month of your pathway course (or £1,265 per month if you’re studying in London), up to a maximum of 9 months, as well as funds to cover any unpaid tuition fees. This must be held in a recognised bank account for at least 28 days before you make your application for your Tier 4 Student visa.
You can be sponsored by a number of different bodies, including your own government, the UK government, an international organisation, a university, the British Council or an international company. Alternatively, you may rely on your parents or legal guardians to pay for your studies. If you’re using money from parents or legal guardians, you will need evidence of your relationship to them, such as a birth or adoption certificate.
Unfortunately, Kaplan is unable to financially sponsor students to study in the UK. However, we can offer some partial scholarships to help you in your studies. You can find out more on our scholarships page.
Only students who are studying at postgraduate level for 12 months or more may bring dependents to the UK. This period applies to degree study only, and does not include any time spent studying a Pre-Master’s. Sponsored students may bring dependents at any level of study as long as the study duration is longer than 6 months.
Any student who doesn’t hold a degree or nationality from a majority-English-speaking country will need to satisfy the UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) English language requirement. You can do this by taking a UKVI IELTS test, and reaching the required English level no more than 2 years before your pathway course enrolment date. If you have a degree from a majority-English-speaking country, you’ll need to show that it is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree by obtaining a statement of comparability from UK NARIC. Due to curriculum differences, Canadian students are not exempt from UKVI IELTS requirements.
Even if you’re under 18, you won’t be able to apply for a Tier 4 Child visa to study at a Kaplan college, as Kaplan colleges are not independent schools. This is in accordance with UK immigration laws.
Holding a passport from a British Overseas Dependent Territory is not sufficient to exempt you from the UKVI English language requirement, so you will still need to meet the criteria in question 5. Unless you are a naturalised British national, you will also still need to obtain a Tier 4 visa.
The vast majority of students who want to study with Kaplan International Pathways can make the most of our Live Chat service. The only exceptions is if you want to study a Foundation Certificate in Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Nottingham, or any course at the University of York International Pathway College, in which case you should contact the university directly.
Join a live chat session to get the answers to all of your UK visa questions – we’ll be happy to help.
