Important notice
The Tier 4 Pilot Scheme closed to new applications at 9am BST on Monday 5th October. Any applications submitted after this date and time will not be processed under the Tier 4 Pilot Scheme.
About the tier 4 pilot scheme
The University of Reading is pleased to have been selected by the Home Office to take part in a small pilot scheme, which provides Master's level students the opportunity to benefit from a streamlined visa application process, and six months extra time on their Tier 4 visa to look for work.
- Eligible students will be granted six months leave after the course end date which will be helpful if you wish to stay on in the UK to look for work.
- You do not need to include any documentation with your application to demonstrate you meet the financial requirements. You are also not required to include evidence of your academic qualifications with your visa application.
- You are still required to meet the Tier 4 Immigration Rules and may be asked to provide documentation as part of the application process or a spot check.
- You can find further information in Annex 6 of the Tier 4 policy guidance on the Government website.
Eligibility
- Students applying for a Tier 4 visa to commence a Master’s degree of 13 months duration or less at the University of Reading. You are eligible for the pilot scheme if you are applying for a visa overseas (entry clearance) or if you are applying from within the UK following successful completion of an undergraduate, previous postgraduate degree or pre-sessional English course. Postgraduate certificate or diploma students are not eligible.
- Dependants of an eligible student who makes a Tier 4 student dependant visa application at the same time as the main applicant.
Atas certificate and TB screening certificates
You still need to submit an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate and a Tuberculosis (TB) screening certificate if the course you are applying for or the country you live in requires additional clearances.
Maintaining funds for 28 days
It is essential that you meet the Tier 4 maintenance requirements at the time you submit your online visa application, including the requirement to maintain funds for 28 days.
Although under the pilot scheme you do not have to submit these documents to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), your caseworker can request to see them or may carry out spot-checks. If you are asked for your documents and cannot provide them your application will be refused.
It is also essential that you have enough money to pay your tuition fees and living expenses during your time in the UK.
Financial or qualification documents
As part of this pilot scheme, you do not need to submit financial or qualification documents as part of your visa application. If you do submit your documents and they do not meet the Tier 4 requirements, your application will be refused.
Please note:
- that evidence of your academic qualifications will still be required for your application to the University and for your CAS.
- it is still essential that you meet the Tier 4 maintenance requirements at the time you submit your online visa application, including the requirement to maintain funds for 28 days.
Pre-sessional courses
If your entry to the main course is conditional based on successful completion of your pre-sessional programme, you will get an initial visa for the pre-sessional programme. You will then benefit from the pilot when you make your visa application for your Master's course.
If you are eligible for a combined CAS for our Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes course and one of our Master's courses then you will be eligible under the Tier 4 Pilot scheme as long as the Masters is 13 months or shorter in duration. The University of Reading will state on your combined CAS the duration of your Masters course.
Visa processing timescales
It is anticipated that your application will be more streamlined as the caseworker will be assessing fewer documents. However, faster processing times cannot be guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Below you will find frequently asked questions about the Tier 4 Pilot Scheme for Master's level study at the University of Reading.
Who is eligible?
- Students applying for a Tier 4 visa to commence a Master’s degree of 13 months duration or less at the University of Reading. You are eligible for the pilot scheme if you are applying for a visa overseas (entry clearance) or if you are applying from within the UK following successful completion of an undergraduate, previous postgraduate degree or pre-sessional English course. Postgraduate certificate or diploma students are not eligible.
- Dependants of an eligible student who makes a Tier 4 student dependant visa application at the same time as the main applicant.
What are the benefits?
You will be granted an additional six months visa on top of your course end date which will be helpful if you wish to stay on in the UK to look for work after you have completed your studies.
You will be considered as ‘low-risk’ for immigration purposes and therefore, although you are required to meet the Tier 4 Immigration Rules, you do not need to include any documentation with your visa application.
This includes the following:
- Documents demonstrating you meet the financial requirements.
- Academic qualifications upon which the University of Reading made you your offer. Evidence of your academic qualifications will still be required for your application to the University and to enable us to create your CAS.
- Evidence of your English language level
Please note that UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) can request this evidence during the visa process, therefore, you should make sure you satisfy all the Tier 4 requirements before making your visa application.
Do I still need to submit an ATAS certificate (if my subject requires this) or a TB screening certificate (if required in my country)?
Yes. If you require either of these additional clearances, you must include these with your visa application.
What happens if I submit documents when they are not required, will they still be considered?
Yes. If you submit financial documents or previous qualifications with your application when they are not required, the caseworker will assess them in the normal way. If they don't meet the Tier 4 requirements, your application will be refused.
If I don’t have to supply financial documents with my visa application, does this mean I don’t need to hold money for 28 days before I apply if I am self-funded or funded by my parents/guardian?
No. It is essential that you meet the Tier 4 requirements at the time you pay for your Tier 4 visa application online, including the requirement to maintain funds for 28 days. Although students under the pilot will not have to submit these documents to UK Visas and Immigration, the caseworker can request to see them if required and may do spot-checks on applicants applying under the pilot. If you are asked for documents and cannot provide them, your application will be refused.
I am attending the Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes course before my main Master's course, am I still eligible for this scheme?
Yes. Although, if your entry to the main course is conditional based on successful completion of your pre-sessional course, you will get an initial visa for the pre-sessional course only. You will then benefit from the pilot once you make your visa application for the main masters course. If you are already unconditionally accepted on to the main course but are choosing to undertake a University of Reading pre-sessional course, your application will be considered under the pilot scheme and a visa issued including the extra 6 months to cover the pre-sessional and the main course
My dependant is planning on coming to the UK under Tier 4 but they will not be making their visa application at the same time as me. Will they still be included under the pilot?
No. If your dependant is not applying at the same time as you they will be required to include full evidence of their finances with their visa application. They will, however, get the extra time so that their visa expiry date will be the same as yours.
Can I opt out of this scheme?
No. If you are applying for a Tier 4 visa to study an eligible course at the University of Reading then your Tier 4 visa application will automatically be considered under the pilot. You are of course not obliged to remain after the end of your studies if you do not wish to use the additional time added to your visa end date.
Am I exempt from Credibility Interviews as part of the Tier 4 visa application process?
No. UKVI can still request to interview you as part of their decision making process.
I have previously been refused a visa for the UK, can I still be included in the Tier 4 pilot scheme?
This will depend on the reason for refusal, therefore please email the International Student Advisory Team on immigration@reading.ac.uk and include the title 'Tier 4 visa pilot (and your student number). Please attach a copy of your previous visa refusal notice to the email.
Does the University of Reading's Institutional Tier 4 Policy still apply to me?
Yes. The University's Institutional Tier 4 Policy still applies and it is important that you understand your responsibilities as a Tier 4 visa holder.
Who should I contact for further information?
Please contact immigration@reading.ac.uk and include the title 'Tier 4 visa pilot (and your student number)' in the email subject so we can easily identify these queries and help you.
Need more help?
If clarification is needed on any aspect of the Rules or you have questions about your visa application, please email the International Student Advisory Team at immigration@reading.ac.uk where we will respond to you as soon as possible, alternatively telephone +44(0)118 378 8038 or you can book an appointment to speak to an International Student Adviser.