About us

How we can help

The International Office provides support services to guide students through the visa process.

International Office application service

If you wish to apply to extend your student (Tier 4) visa by post from within the UK, the International Office can apply on your behalf - all you have to do is to complete the application form and obtain the right documents.

Throughout the visa application process, any correspondence will be sent to the International Office and we will contact you if there is anything you need to do, such as arranging biometrics or bringing in further documentation.

All the documents are securely returned to the International Office and we notify you when they are ready to be collected - leaving you to focus on your course work.

Our advice and application service is free of charge.

Workshops

The first stage of using the International Office service to extend your visa is to attend a Tier 4 Workshop. This is a group session for up to 20 people in which we give guidance on:

How to complete the Tier 4 visa application form
What documents you will need to provide to make a successful application
How the application process works by post or in person
Any latest information about how applications are being processed

As this is a group session, we do not give individual advice but we can answer general questions about the application process. After you have attended a workshop, complete your application form, arrange all your required documents then book an appointment with an adviser by emailing immigration@ed.ac.uk

The next Tier 4 workshop is on Wednesday 22 May at 3pm (David Hume Tower, room 3.01)

Appointments

Monday - Thursday, 09.30 - 12.30 at International Office

Friday, 10.00 - 13.00 at King's Buildings (Student Association building)

When booking your appointment please let us know where you would like to attend you appointment.

Drop-in sessions

Monday & Wednesday, 14.00 - 16.00 at International Office

Drop-in sessions are for queries. For visa application checks please make an appointment.

Whether you intend to apply in person or you wish to use our service to post your application, we will check your documents and application form to ensure as far as possible, that it is the strongest application you can make.

Appointments are 30 minutes in duration and are booked through the International Office Reception at 33 Buccleuch Place.

If you are applying with dependants, please say so at the time of booking your appointment and you will be given a 1 hour appointment.

Appointments during peak period

Our peak visa application period runs from September to January. We aim to assist as many students as we possibly can however, there is a limit to the number of appointments we have available. Therefore during this time, we prioritise appointment availability according to your visa expiry date.

If you have a general immigration question, as opposed to needing an appointment to hand in a completed visa application, please email us for a response.

This article was published on May 16, 2013