Students from outside of the UK applying to study on a course longer than 6-months may require a student visa.

This is relevant for non-UK Nationals or Nationals from other countries who do not have settlement or pre-settlement status in the UK. In order to be accepted onto a degree or masters qualification at ACM you will need to meet the academic requirements of the course as well as the requirements for the student visa.

The type of visa you may require will depend on the course you wish to study.

The following sections provide further information on the types of visas, the requirements and the application process.

Please note: If you are a national from a country within the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, from 1st January 2021 onwards, Home Office regulations state you will now need a visa to study unless you have pre-settlement or settled status in the UK.

Application Process

ACM advise applicants to start the application process as soon as possible to ensure that there is plenty time to complete the admissions process and visa application process before the start date of your course.

The application process is as follows:

  • Review the information on the Home Office website for applying for a Student Visa
  • Complete and submit your application to ACM via UCAS. Please remember to attach your copies of your passport or ID in addition to your academic qualifications
  • If your application is successful, you will receive an offer conditional on obtaining a visa to study
  • Once you have your conditional offer ACM you will need to provide us with the documents required for your student visa application. Your personal circumstances can be discussed with our applicant advise team although a standard checklist is provided below
  • Once you have provided us with your documents and we are satisfied you can meet the requirements of the visa we will request payment for the first year of course tuition fees
  • After you have paid the course tuition fee for the first year of study we will issue you with a CAS which you can use to apply for your student visa
  • To find information about the Student visa application process, please visit one of the below UKCISA websites:

Standard requirements checklist for CAS

 

Evidence Type Further information
Passport You must have a valid passport in order to enter the UK
English Language Proficiency All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency. The evidence required to demonstrate this will depend on your Country of origin and prior qualifications.

As a general rule:

  1. Applicants from English speaking countries will be able to demonstrate proficiency through their school qualifications
  2. Applicants from non-English speaking Countries who have studied a degree in an English speaking University will be able to demonstrate proficiency through their degree
  3. Most other applicants will be required to undertake an English proficiency test from an approved centre. Further details are available in the FAQs
Living costs All international students requiring a visa to study in the UK must be able to demonstrate they can support living costs for a minimum of 9 months.
Financial statements will be checked by ACM prior to a CAS being issued.
Required living costs vary by campus and are externally set by the Home Office. The current amount required are:

  • London Campus: £12,006
Deposit Before requesting a CAS, all international students must pay a deposit equivalent to one year’s tuition fees.

Please see the International Student Deposit and Refund Terms and Conditions.
Declaration of prior study in the UK You are required to inform ACM about any previous periods of study in the UK. Failure to disclose this information is likely to mean that you are not granted a visa by the Home Office
Declaration of prior applications for a student visa You are required to inform ACM about any previous applications for a student visa, even if these applications were unsuccessful.
Failure to disclose this information is likely to mean that you are not granted a visa by the Home Office
Tuberculosis (TB) Test Applicants from certain countries are required to take a TB test prior to entering the UK.
If this is a requirements for your Country then ACM will need to see evidence of a negative test before a CAS can be issued

For detailed information about Student visa eligibility and requirements, please check the UKCISA website.

Short courses (6 months or less)

Students from outside the UK wishing to study a course of 6 months duration or shorter will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa.

Please find information regarding the Standard Visitor Visa here.

Our Applicant Advisor Team will be happy to supply you with a course confirmation letter to accompany your visa application.

Those students who are permitted to apply on the UK Border are welcome to use the E-Gates, however we will ask for a copy of a travel ticket to confirm your entry date to the UK for Home Office purposes. Visa nationals will need to apply in advance for their visa, and we will need to take a copy of your vignette page in your passport.

FAQs

1. What is a CAS?

CAS stands for Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies. A CAS is a unique number provided by ACM. You will need this number before you can apply for a Student Visa. Students applying for a Standard Visitor visa will not require a CAS.

We do not issue a CAS to everyone who applies. You must be able to meet the requirements of a Student Visa before we can issue a CAS.

You do not need a CAS if you are studying a course 6 months in duration or shorter.

2. What are the requirements for a Student Visa?

The exact requirements for a Student Visa can be found in the Check Sheet in the
application process above, however here is a quick summary of what you will need:

  1. Academic qualifications (equivalent to high school or above)
  2. English language qualification (if you are from a non majority English speaking country)
  3. To be able to pay your fees for the first year of the course in full
  4. To show you have a minimum of
    1. £12,006 (£1,334 per month) to support your living costs if studying at our London campus
  5. Valid passport
  6. Tuberculosis Test if you are resident of these countries

3. What are the English language requirements?

All applicants to ACM must demonstrate English language proficiency. The evidence required for this will depend on a number of factors. Our Student Visa Compliance Officer can be contacted at international@acm.ac.uk to discuss your personal situation and the guide below will give you an outline of the likely requirements.

  • If you are from a country classified as English-Speaking by the UK government and have studied a degree or postgraduate diploma (taught in English) you will not usually be required to present other evidence of English language ability.
  • If you have a degree-level qualification taught in a majority English-speaking country or taught or researched in English then the requirement to provide other evidence of English language ability may be waived upon presentation of the certificate or results transcript plus a statement of comparability from Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) confirming the qualification meets or exceeds the level of a UK degree. Please see the UK ECCTIS website for more information on how to apply
  • If you have obtained a GCSE, A-level or Scottish equivalent in English language or literature following education in a UK Schools whilst below the age of 18 you will not usually be required to present other evidence of English language ability.
  • All other applicants will normally be required to take one of the Home Office’s approved secure English language tests (SELTs) as evidence of English language ability. To meet the requirement, the SELT must be UKVI-approved (UKVI Academic), and your result form must display the unique reference number (URN), along with evidence of achieving the required score in each component during a single sitting of the examination (unless exempt from a component due to a disability).

Only four test providers are considered to offer secure English language tests for Student visa applications from outside the UK – Pearson; PSI Services (UK) Ltd – Skills for English (UKVI); IELTS SELT Consortium; LanguageCert. A list of approved test centres, including those for applicants submitting their Student visa application in the UK, can be found on the Home Office website.

4. What are the course fees?

The course fees for each course can be found on the course webpage. International fees are listed below:

  • 2 year: £17,200 per annum
  • 3 year: £15,350 per annum

Only available in London.

5. Can I work whilst studying?

ACM students on a Student visa or a Visitor visa cannot undertake any work in the UK or apply for a Graduate Route (Post Study Work visa) if ACM has been their last Student visa sponsor’