Study Visas, are visas given to applicants whose main purpose of travelling to the country is the pursuit of education. Obviously, while getting admission into the university is immensely important, these legal documents are what makes your pursuits achievable.
Studying abroad requires accurate planning to say the least. Most students are always requested to plan their admission/ application process having in mind university deadlines and documents required.
It is mandatory to seat for the English eligibility tests depending on the university policy and also have required documents ready for steady and smooth processing of their application. Hence, students are always told to apply 3-4 months in advance to avoid any last-minute rush.
Applicants that want financial assistance, scholarships and education loans should add another couple of extra months to the process as these applications could be longer than expected.
International students who need a student visa need to get an admission before pursuing one.
Study Visas, as the name suggests are visas issued to applicants whose primary purpose of visit to the country is the pursuit of education. Needless to say, while getting admission in the university is extremely important, these legal documents stand in the way of all your pursuits. Every country is governed by its Immigration Laws. These could vary in terms of the requirements of documents to the different proof of funds acceptable to what all the visas would let you do apart from studying in the country. Also, there are some broad commonalities that are visible in all student visa applications.
Steps To Follow Before Applying For A Study Visa
International students who need a student visa need to get an admission before pursuing one . Following is the process to getting admission in most western countries:
- Decide the course and institution
- Fill & Submit the application form to the chosen institution or college online
- Get letter of acceptance from the education provider
- Receive Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE)
- Apply for the Study Visa
Nevertheless, there are some documents which you would need to begin your visa application;
- International Passport (with 6months validity)
- Student visa application form (gotten from the embassy)
- Previous university records
- Proof of admission
- Evidence of funds to prove you can take care of yourself
- Other documents like birth certificate, marriage certificate and CV
- International student health insurance (this depends on the country)
The complete list would depend on the country you are applying to. While some countries would require medical proofs, some might require a blocked account. Many countries also require an SOP. Provided below are the link for the individual country visa requirements and the process, visa fees and documents required.
CATEGORIES OF STUDY VISA
1) Student Visa Categorization In Line To Type of Program/ Student:
Irrespective of the duration of the course, some countries classify the student visas based on the type of student. This could be the level of degree applied for (undergraduate, graduate or doctoral), exchange student or student applying for a vocational/ diploma course. Broadly speaking, as these visas also depend on the type, of course, the student is applying for, these are somewhat linked to the tenure. However, in these categories, the first point of distinction is not how long the program would be for. If you are, say for an instance, an exchange undergraduate, you could be going for 3month or 3 years, the grouping would still be based on the type of student and not the tenure.
2) Student Visa Categorization In Line to Program’s Duration:
Depending on the time span of the period of the program the applicant is planning to take-up, the countries often divide the student visa into Short Term Student Visas or Long-term Student Visas. Regularly, the short-term visas are appointed to students who are willing to enrol into short course of a language or a diploma certificate program and the entire time-span is often limited to 90 days (3 months). Long term visas, however, are given to students who are willing to start degree courses extending beyond the 3 month period. These could contain the internships and small certificate programs of 6 months and so on. European Union Countries regularly have this wide classification.
