The UK Student visa is for studying a course at a licensed student sponsor once you hold a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Pakistani applicants apply online on GOV.UK and then prove their identity at a visa application centre or through the UK Immigration: ID Check app, depending on what they are told. Degree-level students aged 18 or over can usually stay up to 5 years.
Processing timeUsually within 3 weeks when applying from outside the UK
Validity / stayDepends on course length: usually up to 5 years for degree level (18 or over) and up to 2 years below degree level
Official fees (approx.)PKR 493,526
Documents11 items
You need an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, shown by a CAS reference number. You must also show enough money for your course fees and living costs, and prove your English (CEFR B2 for degree level, B1 below degree level).
- Living costs: £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. You also need 1 year of course fees as shown on your CAS.
- The money must be held for at least 28 days in a row, and the 28-day period must end within 31 days of your application.
- Pakistan is on the TB test list, so you need a TB test certificate from a Home Office-approved clinic.
- Only government-sponsored students, and postgraduate students on PhD or research-based courses, can bring a partner or children.
How to apply:
- Get your CAS and apply within 6 months of receiving it. The earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts.
- Complete the online form, then pay the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Prove your identity using the ID Check app or at a visa application centre, as instructed.
- You can arrive up to 1 month before a course of more than 6 months, or up to 1 week before a shorter course.
Money to show (not a fee):
- Living costs to show - London (per month, up to 9 months): 1,529 GBP
- Living costs to show - outside London (per month, up to 9 months): 1,171 GBP
- Dependant living costs - London (per month, up to 9 months): 845 GBP
- Dependant living costs - outside London (per month, up to 9 months): 680 GBP
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Converted at today's exchange rate. Embassies and visa centres may use their own rates. Estimate your total cost
This summary is for guidance. Requirements can change at short notice; always confirm on the official website before you apply.
Common refusal reasons & how to avoid them
Not a genuine visitor (Appendix Visitor V 4.2)
Under Appendix Visitor V 4.2, you must show that you will leave at the end of the visit, will not make the UK your home through frequent visits, and are coming for a permitted purpose. If your circumstances, funds or history make any of these doubtful, the application is refused.
How to fix it: Read the refusal letter carefully and address each point it raises. Strengthen evidence of your job, business, family and property in Pakistan. Make sure the visit length and purpose are sensible for your situation. Provide six months of bank statements and income proof. Write a clear cover letter explaining your plans and your reason to return. Reapply only when you can answer the specific concerns.
Third-party support not shown to be genuine (V 4.3)
V 4.3 allows a third party to pay only if they have a genuine relationship with you, are lawfully in the UK and can and will support you. Without their immigration status, finances and proof of relationship, the officer cannot accept the support.
How to fix it: Get a signed invitation and sponsorship letter from the host stating the relationship, visit dates and what they will pay for. Attach their passport or BRP copy, proof of address such as council tax bill, recent bank statements and payslips. Add relationship evidence. Include your own proof of ties and any funds you have. Make sure accommodation details match the host's address.
Living in the UK through frequent or successive visits
Appendix Visitor requires that you do not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make it your main home. If the time you spend in the UK is close to half the year, officers may decide you are effectively living there.
How to fix it: Keep visits shorter and less frequent, and spend substantial time at home between trips. Explain the reason for each past visit and show evidence of your life in Pakistan: employment, business, family and property. If you need to be in the UK regularly for work, consider whether a different visa category fits your situation better.
Deception or false representations (Part 9)
Part 9 of the Immigration Rules allows refusal where false documents, false information or failure to disclose material facts are used. Where deception is found, later applications can be refused for up to 10 years.
How to fix it: Read the letter carefully to see exactly what was considered false. If it was a genuine mistake, collect evidence showing it, such as bank confirmation of an authentic statement. Consider seeking advice from a regulated immigration adviser before reapplying. In any new application, declare the previous refusal and deception finding honestly and provide full, genuine evidence. Do not try another application with the same documents.
Intention to undertake prohibited activities (V 4.4)
Visitors must not work in the UK, including taking employment, doing work for a UK business, or providing goods and services. If your plans or documents suggest work, the application fails the genuine visitor test.
How to fix it: Separate your visit from work. Remote work for your existing Pakistani employer or clients may be allowed in limited form, so check the permitted activities guidance first. If you intend to work for UK clients or an employer, apply on the proper work route. State your real activities clearly in your application and bring only evidence that matches them.
Not a genuine student (credibility)
UK student rules require that you are a genuine student intending to study the chosen course. If you cannot explain why you chose the course, university or UK, or how it fits your career, the officer may doubt your intention.
How to fix it: Research your course thoroughly: modules, how it links to your past study or work, why this university, costs and living arrangements. Explain how the qualification helps your career in Pakistan. Practise explaining it in your own words, not memorised scripts. Keep your statement consistent with what you said before, and bring documents that support your plans.
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