Dear friends who want to study in the UK, be aware that this is not for the faint of heart,,this is some serious stuff and I must say I almost felt off my chair when i read this!!! BUT PLEASE READ IT, OTHERWISE YOU WONT OBTAIN YOUR STUDENT VISA.
This was added to the UK Border Agency website on March 9, 2009 and is valid for all students applying for a visa after March 31, 2009 (which is my situation and of most people here i think)
Among the things they want, they say that if you are studying in London, you need to have, at least 28 days before you APPLY (READ THIS CAREFULLY, IT SAYS BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR THE VISA), 7,200 pounds plus the total amount of fees for the course you intend to study (in my case UCL is 13,750 pounds, so you figure the total amount I need) and this money has to be CASH, no credit card, bonds no nothing! cash deposited into a debit card or something like that. THIS IS ON PAGE 12, POINT 29 AND 30 / MORE DETAILED ON PAGE 22, POINT 94 OF THE BROCHURE IN PDF
The university has to write the visa letter which is the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER in the exact manner described there otherwise it wont be taken into consideration. SO MAKE SURE the university is aware of these new changes because since its SO NEW most of them dont know as in the case of UCL. THIS IS ON PAGE 19, POINT 87
DONT MEAN TO SCARE YOU ,,,believe me I m in the same situation but its better to know beforehand so you can gather all the documents and money you need before you apply!
I will post the link so you know the exact information and verify what i'm saying its true!
GOOD LUCK :)

As promissed here are the links where you can find all this information. This first link is from the UK Border Agency website about studying in the uk:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/

and this other one is the whole brochure with the requirements to apply for a student visa (49 pages of fun yes!):
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS BEFORE GOING TO THE LINKS IT BEGINS AS FOLLOWS:

"This section explains how you can come to the United Kingdom as a student or student visitor.
From 31 March 2009, all students must apply either as an adult student or a child student (under tier 4 of the points-based system).
See our quick guides for more information on applying after 31 March 2009.The date you are applying means the date you will submit your application.
We have published policy guidance for students applying from 31 March 2009."

Thanks so much for the information! I had no idea that the visa requirement is so stringent now.

from the brochure it appears that the visa letter has to be less than 6 months old; visa applications are not accepted more than 90 days in advance. Therefore, for sept 09 travel, one will have to apply for the visa by mid june 09. Does this mean that any visa letters dated prior to mid dec 08 will not be valid ?

Well, as far as the issue does not concerns me (EU) I feel somehow uneasy reading this.
This whole procedure resembles a lot American way of dealing with student-visas. And that's the main reason I had to resign from applying there... I find it a little "humiliating". Being trusted and good enough for top Uni yet not being good enough for civil administration. I know it might sounds pretty exaggerated but whole situation is rather daunting. At least in my opinion.

Yes Zathanel is does not include you! LUCKY YOU :o)
the visa application process is really strict now and they are telling you straight to your face that you better have good money or you are not going there! its difficult for people applying for scholarship and loans who do not have that amount of money yet!

Venky53:

I dont think that the letter has to be dated june or something,,,what matters its the contents thereof so dont worry about that. And yes you have to apply around june otherwise it wont be processed.

yikes this is definitely a minus factor for going to london. I'm leaning towards giving up my place in UCL anyways, so this definitely pushes me in that direction!

Well, indeed it is humiliating, even if you want a regular tourist visa for EU & Schengen countries there is a load of documents to provide, scan your irises, etc...

However, this might be connected with new UK legislation allowing working permit for another year for students who completed master studies in the UK. (need to verify this info)

INTERALIA:
It doesnt apply just for people going to london, it applies to everybody going to the uk.
In case for students not studying in london you need the total amount of fees for your course plus 5,400 pounds for living costs,,so its still a lot of money!

Hi PUCCA,

thanks for the clarification. I was wavering between going to a school in the UK or Canada. :) The current uk regulations are a push factor towards canada for me :)

MAJDA 03:

With a student visa you can work only 20 works per week (part-time) and only during vacations you can work full-time.
You cannot work after you complete the course unless you work at the STUDENT'S UNION. You can also work ONLY if the work placement is part of your course and if the work placement is an assessed part of the course.
Here its what it says literally about any other type of work in the UK with an adult student visa: (PAGE 13, POINT 54-63)

TYPES OF STUDY AND WORK PLACEMENTS

Student union sabbatical officers
54. A student union sabbatical job is a full-time, salaried, elected executed union position. You may take this job during your studies or in the academic year inmediately after you graduated.
55. If you take the job while you still have time left in your permission to stay as an adult student, your approved education provider must let us know as they are responsible for you until your permission to stay runs out.
56. If you want to do the job at the end of your course, AND YOU HAVE NO MORE TIME LEFT IN YOUR PERMISSION TO STAY AS A STUDENT, you must apply again and emet the requirements of the category.
57. A sabbatical job is normally for one academic year and you may be given permission to stay as an adult student to cover this time. If you are re-elected after one year, you will have to apply again. You can only have the job for a maximum of two years.

WORK PLACEMENTS
61. You will be allowed to do a work placement as a part of your course of study, as long as the work placement is an assessed part of the course and the course is at an acceptable level for adult of child students.
The work placements must be no more than 50% of the lenght of the course in the UK. An example is if a course is two years long and the first year of the course involves full-time study, with the last year in a work placement.

HOPE THIS HELPS! BUT WELL NO, YOU CANNOT WORK AFTER YOU GRADUATE WITH THE STUDENT VISA UNLESS YOU WORK AT THE STUDENT UNION OF IF THE WORK PLACEMENT ITS AN ASSESSED PART OF YOUR COURSE OF STUDY. IF THE TIME LEFT ON YOUR STUDENT VISA HAS PASSED YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR THE VISA AGAIN.

Like I said before PLEASE check this information and ask the university you are attending if they are aware of the new changes about the contents of the visa letter (unconditional offer) they have to issue for you.
Im telling you this because UCL didnt know and i sent them by email this information!

You might want to look at the rules on post-study working - also available on the UK Border Agency website. That is the section containing the rules allowing students to stay in the UK after finishing their course.

Jesus Christ, you're telling me I need to have 20 grand in my UK bank account before I can apply for the visa? Oh my god this is insane!

Nerxiz Nerv: Yes, thats right! In my case I need 29,100 deposited into my account :o) thanks God my parents and my grandmother are giving me a hand (very big hand indeed) but its just crazy I know

You might want to look at the rules on post-study working - also available on the UK Border Agency website. That is the section containing the rules allowing students to stay in the UK after finishing their course.

Oh ok Majda I understand what you say,,thats very nice indeed hehe when you have your student visa and aftert you graduate you switch to the other type of visa (post-study worker)....I'll find more about that later :)

hi guys, these new rules are quite draconian and grossly bureaucratic. i am a nigersian student and need ova 20T with these rules bt wat I exactly dont understand is if one must have this cash in his local currency account or in domiciliary account in GBP?
pls answer

hi..is this applicable to those aaplying in ireland as well or is it confined to UK alone.suppsoe one wishes to apply to say trinity college dublin.then under such circumstances does the same rule apply?