When should I apply for a Student Visa?

Studying abroad requires meticulous planning to say the least. Students are always advised to plan their admission/ application process keeping in mind university deadlines and working backwards. Students are required to appear for English eligibility tests as per the university policy and also have required documents in place for the smooth processing of their application. Hence, students are always advised to apply 3-4 months in advance to avoid any last-minute rush. Candidates seeking financial aid, scholarships and education loans should add another couple of extra months to the process as these applications take more time.

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. Each and every country is governed by its own 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.

What types of visa do I need?

• Student Visas are often classified on the basis of two broad distinction points:

• Student Visa Classification Based on Program’s Duration:

  Depending on the length of tenure of the program the applicant is planning to undertake, the countries often divide the student visa into Short Term Student Visas or Long-term Student Visas. Often, the short-term visas are given to students who plan to take a short course of a language or a diploma certificate course and the entire duration is often limited to 90 days (3 months). Long term visas, on the other hand, are given to students who are planning to take up degree courses extending beyond the 3-month period. These could include the internships and small certificate programs of 6 months and so on. European Union Countries often have this broad classification.

• Student Visa Classification Based on Type of Program/ Student:

  Irrespective of the duration of the course, some countries classify the student visas basis 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 student, you could be going for 3month or 3 years, the category would still be based on the type of student and not the tenure.

List of documents required for getting the student visa:

• Valid passport
• Proof of funds
• Proof of acceptance by the respective institution
• Medical examination report:Various countries require that international students should undergo a medical test from the list of doctors authorized by them. It is advised to do it a few days before you start the visa application as the doctors need some time to prepare the medical reports.
• Student visa interview:After submitting the application for the visa, now it’s time to gear up for the visa interview. Although, student visa interview is not mandatory for every country, as for some countries it is conditional. But wherever you need to give the interview, you should prepare well for it, as you won’t get the visa without clearing it.
• Proficiency in language:Learning the native language of your destination country is a must for the majority of the nations. As it acts as a proof that the student can easily communicate in the language which is going to be his/her medium of instruction. For English speaking countries, students need to give language proficiency exams like IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE.