Information about the Points Based System
  

Swansea University’s Sponsor Licence Number (SLN) is 18UEHPGX4

Application

• Use the Online application form if possible (this can save at least one day’s processing time): www.swan.ac.uk/international/apply/

• Provide good quality attachments/documents.  We will need:

• For Undergraduate: school certificates, reference and English certificate (if applicable)
• For postgraduate: degree certificate/transcript, English certificate (or school English qualification for exempted countries), references, CV/resume for MBA or research proposal for research degree
• Copy of passport – will be required for the new style visa support letter. If this is not available when you send the application, send it later to Admissions-enquiries@Swansea.ac.uk
We cannot issue the Visa Support Letter without a copy of the passport.

• Include full contact details

• Your agency address, telephone and e-mail listed in the correspondence address section; AND
• The student’s current home address (including e-mail) - this will be required for the new style visa support letter

• If we have any queries about the application we will contact you using the e-mail address you provide with the application.  If we do not receive a response, the application will be placed on hold and may be withdrawn.

For further information and guidance notes for students applying from 31st March 2009 under tier 4 of the points-based system, please visit the UK Home Office website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/tier4

Offer

The decision letter will be scanned and e-mailed to the e-mail address you provide on the application form.  The original will also be sent by mail.  We aim to process applications within:

• 9 working days for taught programmes
• 20 working days for research programmes

We cannot process applications until all of the required documents have been provided.

Deposits

All international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 to Swansea University before we can offer the Visa Support Letter.

Payment details are here: www.swan.ac.uk/international/money/FAQs-money/
Cash and credit card payments will not normally be accepted.

Refunds will be given in full if:

1. Proof of visa refusal is sent to Swansea
2. You do not meet the entry requirements

£1000 will normally be retained for administrative costs in all other cases.

Proof of availability of money

Students need to show they have access to money to support the first year of tuition fees and upto 9 months living costs.

Proof can be shown as follows:

1. Students have cash in an account which is in their name or they are named on a joint account.

2. A loan in the student's name

3. Official financial or government sponsorship

4.  From 21st August all students can use a bank account which is in their parents' name to prove they meet the maintenance requirement.
For more information please click here: 

Visa Support Letter

We will send the visa support letter after April once the following steps have been met:

• Student has been made an unconditional offer of a place (or has met all of the conditions of the offer)
• Student has accepted the offer by sending back the acceptance letter
• Provided the Admissions Office with a photocopy of the student’s passport
• Provided the student’s address in the country where they live now (not just your correspondence or contact address)
• The student has paid the £2000 deposit

Once all of these have been done, we will e-mail a copy of the visa letter and send the original via DHL.
Please look here for more information about the Visa Support Letter.

New Student Materials from UKBA

Please follow this link to a short film which explains the points requirements, what evidence you need to provide with your application, biometrics and entering the UK through passport control.

This animation is about 4m30secs and has been developed to be used on websites, in presentations and at student fairs.  We have also put it up on YouTube - to view the English version just click here.

To find the animation just go into the Student strand and look under 'web resources'.  The animation comes in 8 languages - you'll see these when you get to the animation.  Just click on the version you want, download and save it.
The languages available are:  English, Brazilian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, Spanish, and Russian.

ATAS Scheme

The ATAS scheme affects non-EEA candidates wanting to study the following qualifications in the science, engineering and technology fields:

PhD, Master’s by research (MRes, MPhil) and Taught Master’s degree in the following areas:

Materials Science
Physics (including Nuclear Physics)
Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Materials Technology, not otherwise specified.

We automatically issue the ATAS document with the offer for any candidate in one of the above areas

British Council Education UK Advice for Student Visa for the UK - new requirements: 

Please click NEW Student Visa requirements 09 .

Questions

If you have applied to a different UK university and want to change your sponsor to Swansea University, see here for information.

If you have any enquiries about individual applications please contact us at admissions-enquiries@swansea.ac.uk.  Quote the student number in all e-mails.

We expect there will be some issues as the new system settles down and will work with you to resolve them as fast as possible.

The Admissions Office and the International Office