The Tier 4 applicants chat thread and FAQ *read the first post*

I expect they tell us not to apply until three months before so they can keep their workload fairly consistent. Otherwise you'd have people applying for courses starting in one week and people applying for courses starting in six months at the same time. As long as they don't receive your application more than three months before your course starts, I don't think they will care.



Where does it say that?

On the application form it asks where your old passport is, so you can just check "lost" or whatever.

On the paper application form where it tells you what documents you need to provide it says "previous passports." But they do ask you to say "where it is now" in a different section, which means a lot of people probably don't have it. I guess its not a big deal now that I think about it...

I'm still waiting for the 2nd version of my Visa letter since the first one had a mistake in it - they got my previous qualification wrong. They mailed it last week, or so they say. So as soon as I get that I will apply so as not to delay this any further.

And I'm gonna go get my picture taken at some point today

It doesn't say that anywhere on the online application or the visa guidance, so if you're going to apply online it doesn't matter what the paper application says. I doubt many people who are applying online even look at the paper application, so they wouldn't even know about that.

I've just uncovered another problem....
They ask for all your passports from the last 10 years but I no longer have one of mine. I think the Canadian embassy kept the old one when I renewed it last time. Is this a huge deal? What should I do?

They probably just need your old passport numbers to check if visa was ever issued to you or if you overstayed in UK before.

I have the same problem as I lost one of my old passports, however I read somewhere on the website that if you don't have old passports for some reason you should file a paper from passport issuing office that will list all passports you had in last 10 years, with numbers and expiry dates.

I did that at our passport office and have that paper that I will file with my visa application.

Oh lovely, more work. How long did it take to get that paper? And where did you read that - do you remember?

Just got my photos back and the background is white as can be, when the photo guidance specifically says to ensure that the background is NOT white.

Why can't any element of this process be straightforward??

*bangs head on wall*

Relax, it must be within 30 days of your application and that one must be valid for sure. Think of all those people who have to translate bank statements in English, translation takes at least a day, so in that case the statement can't possibly be dated the same day.

However I am worried about the date you have to write on the application, which one you write, the date you filled the application or the day you paid the fees, in case the date is different?

Oh lovely, more work. How long did it take to get that paper? And where did you read that - do you remember?

Just got my photos back and the background is white as can be, when the photo guidance specifically says to ensure that the background is NOT white.

Why can't any element of this process be straightforward??

*bangs head on wall*

just got back from picture taking , meh, 2 photos is the minimum you can get at the place I went to anyways...so I'll just give them 2, it couldn't hurt! I'm gonna go back and pick up my pics in a few hours, hopefully they'll meet all the crazy requirements lol

I also just realized I paid my accommodation deposit after they already sent my Visa letter, so its not gonna show up on my letter in "fees already paid" ...is this a problem? ARGH this whole process is just one problem after another!

EDIT: Now that I think about it...it shouldn't even matter if I paid my accommodation or not, since, even though I am staying in halls, the accommodation contract is with a third party, not with the sponsor (the Uni). So its not like the Uni even knows I paid nor would they be able to issue me a receipt. I think I just answered my own question...
unless anyone has any other ideas?

hmmm....wouldn't the "date of your statement" still be the date the bank gave it to you though? Not the date it was translated?

Yeah it would be, and that is my point exactly, we can't pay application fees online, so date of my application will be the date when I have my biometrics appointment and the same day I have to submit all documents.

There is no way I could get the bank statement, translate it and submit it the same day.

OH, that makes sense. I thought you were paying online.
I'm planning to just get a letter from my bank and pay online on the same day...but yeah, for you it is logistically impossible. I'm sure they recognize that

"plain, evenly lit, and light background" - straight from my completed and printed application form

I was referring to this pdf:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/flr/photoguidancenew0409

page 2 :
"If you choose to use a professional photographer, please ensure that they are aware of the format requirements specified in this guidance, particularly that the photographs will not show a white background when printed."

I guess they just don't want it to be a high-contrast white, which is exactly what mine were.

Just did them again. Went back to the original photo place but they were closed on the weekend. Went to a different photo place and they were better but still looked too "white." He did them again but they looked bright pink. Then i got into an argument with the guy behind the counter (who couldn't speak much english) about the difference between cream, white, beige and pink but he eventually managed to convince me that I was crazy and the first set he did was fine.

I am also currently wondering when exactly I lost my mind.

Actually I don't think you lost your mind, they ask for light grey or cream background, and I just checked all my photos and they all have white background so I guess I should watch for that one when taking a new ones

I surely hope so though I had some plans like "get the appointment as late as possible, be at the bank at 8 am, have it with translator by 8:30 am" lol

I'm going to do that like some idiot because there's not even one bit of logic in this . Luckily I don't need a translator as my bank issues the letter in English , but that is insane . I actually changed my appointment so I can do that just to be on the safe side but I really don't want to as my bank is in another city ...

I tried asking Worldbridge about this but I didn't get a clear answer .

Yeah that is one thing they are very good at, not giving clear answers