Visa Requirements

Visa Information for Students Applying for a Central Film School Programme

If you are not a citizen of the UK, or you do not have EU Settlement or Leave to Remain, you will need to apply for a visa.

Student Visa

For Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes, you will need to apply for a Student Visa which is part of the Points-Based Immigration System. This is true for any programmes of study longer than 6 months in the UK.

Standard Visitor Visa

For Short Courses, including the 6 Month Independent Filmmaking, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa.

Introduction to Filmmaking

When to apply

You can begin the Student Visa Application from the 27th of March. The School will send you an email with details on how to apply once you have accepted an unconditional offer from us. 

An application for a Standard Visitor Visa can be made up to 3 months before the start of the short course. 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes

Once you have satisfied all conditions of your offer, or have received an unconditional offer, the school will send you a checklist to ensure you have all of the correct documentation.

We will carefully check each document you supply to us against the Points-Based Immigration System requirements. Before we issue a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS), we will confirm that you:

Visa Requirements
Visa Requirements

Once we have received your documents

When you have supplied us with all the correct documentation, we will send you a copy of your CAS via email. This email will include detailed information on what your next steps need to be and what we will expect from you. Remember that you should keep in contact with the school at all times throughout the process and immediately let us know when you have received your visa. If you are refused by the UK visa and Immigration office you must notify us the same day and one of our admissions team will be able to advise what steps to take next.

English language requirements

Students whose first language is not English, must provide recent evidence that their English language ability is sufficient for the programmes for which they have applied. This may be evidenced in the form of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as IELTS for UKVI (Academic) or any other qualification listed on our Language Requirements page. You will need to be level B2 for our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with an overall score equivalent to 6.0 on the IELTS test (5.5 in each band minimum). The UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) service requires educational institutions to verify that applicants have a minimum level in English before we are permitted to issue the CAS.

The UKVI does not require SELTs from the following countries which they consider majority English speaking:

The UKVI will confirm your nationality using your passport.

You are also exempted from requiring a SELT if you have completed a degree from the countries listed below:

A full list of acceptable English Language tests can be found here

Financial requirements for International Students

Student Visa

The current requirements of United Kingdom Visas and Immigration state that all students applying for a Student VISA must be able to demonstrate that they have £1,265 per calendar month for living expenses for the first nine months of their course.

Since requirements are often very complex and sometimes subject to change, you are advised to consult the latest and most detailed Student Visa guidance.

Before we issue your CAS, the school needs to check all the documentation that you will later submit to UKVI with your visa application. This section outlines the school and UKVI financial requirements which must be satisfied before you can apply.

Visa Requirements
Visa Requirements

The UK Government specifies how much money applicants need to have at the time they apply for a Student VISA. When providing financial documents, you need to show that you can afford:

A maximum of £1,334 paid to your sponsor in advance for your accommodation can be deducted from the amount of maintenance you must show that you have, even if you have paid more than £1,334 in advance.

How do I show this money?

You need to be able to show that you have access to this money in one of the following ways:

For all these three sources, if your account is not held in UK pounds (GBP), you should demonstrate to us that you have sufficient funds by making a currency conversion calculation of the funds that you hold into UK pounds, and then clearly displaying this sum on the proof of your finances. The UK Home Office (the government ministry which runs UKVI) uses the OANDA website to convert currencies into GBP. You should use this site for your calculation.

1. BANK ACCOUNT

You may use either an account in your name or a joint account which you hold with other people or an account in your parents’ name.

The money in the account(s) must be ‘cash’ e.g. not shares, bonds, property or a fixed‐term deposit (a deposit which you are not allowed to withdraw whenever you want). You may use more than one account to show that you have the total money required. You should also check that your bank statement is issued by a financial institution accepted as valid by UKVI.

Your financial document will need to show the following:

bank statements

Your financial document will need to show the following:

Documents which you may use:

UKVI is very specific about the documents which it accepts as proof that you meet the financial requirements. The document must be either:

a bank statement

or

a bank letter

It must show the following information:

The document(s) which you provide must be original; copies are not accepted.

Note: If you have only internet bank statements, these must contain all of the details listed above and you must include a letter from your bank on headed paper confirming that the statements are authentic. Some banks will stamp and sign a printed internet bank statement, and you should check whether your bank offers this service. A statement of your finances (as detailed above) stamped and signed by your bank is acceptable.

Using your parents’ bank statements

If you are using a bank statement provided by your parents, you have to provide additional information.

Proof of your relationship to them

This can be one of the following documents:

You will need to submit an original signed and dated letter from the parent(s) or legal guardian when you submit your application form, confirming

Visa Requirements

2. LOANS

If you are using a loan made to you as your financial evidence, you must provide a document confirming the loan.

The UKVI will accept only government-provided loans or approved educational loans as proof to support a Student visa application. You will need to provide a loan letter, which must be from a regulated financial institution and be dated no earlier than 6 months before the date of your application.

The letter must be the original (not a copy) and must clearly show:

Library

3. FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIP

UKVI now defines an ‘official financial sponsor’ as:

The letter from your financial sponsor must be an original document, should be on the official headed paper of the organisation, have the official stamp of the organisation, and contain the following information:

If your official financial sponsor is providing all of the funds for your course fees and maintenance, you do not have to provide separate evidence of your savings.

If your sponsor pays only some of your costs, you will need a letter from the sponsor and proof that you have enough money of your own to meet the rest of the maintenance (living expenses) requirement – for example, your personal bank statements.

international students

International students can apply to do a short course with a Short-term Study Visa