When you submit your student visa application, a visa officer will thoroughly check it.
After checking your visa, the officer will decide whether to approve it, reject it or ask for additional documents/information.
The particular decision the officer will make depends on what the officer will notice when checking your visa.
The check for the following:
What do visa officers check for student visa?
To decide on your student visa, visa officers check your:
1. Proof of admission (Acceptance Letter)
This is the first thing every visa officer checks.
They’ll confirm that you’ve been officially accepted by a recognized school.
There is no need to issue you a student visa if you have not been accepted to study by any approved school, therefore, they check this first.
Read also: Why is my admission status showing sorry you have not been given admission yet?
Your proof of admission is your admission letter or Certificate of Acceptance (like the CAS for the UK or I-20 for the US).
Example:
If you’re applying for a Canadian student visa, the Canadian visa officer will check your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from your school in Canada.
2. Visa officers check your financial proof (Ability to pay tuition and living expenses)
Visa officers want to be sure that you can afford to pay your tuition fees, living expenses and others fees.
This is why they check your proof of funds.
If the money shown in your proof of funds isn’t enough to cover the reported expenses you’ll make, they’ll not approve your visa.
Proof of funds can be:
- Bank statements
- Scholarship letters (if you’re on scholarship)
- Financial sponsorship documents
- Proof of income (yours or your sponsor’s)
Read also: Why study in the USA why not the UK or Canada?
They don’t just check the amount in your proof of funds, they also check the source of the money and whether it’s readily available to you.
For example: If you want to study in Canada, you must present proof of enough money for your first-year tuition fee, first-year living expenses, travel fee and extra funds for miscellaneous expenses.
3. They’ll check if you have ties to your home country
The officers want to be sure you’ll return home after your studies.
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Therefore, they check if you have strong ties back home, like:
- Family connections
- Property ownership
- Employment prospects or job offers
- Social and economic commitments
4. They check your academic qualifications
If you want to get your student visa approved, your academic records should align with the program you intend to study.
This is because visa officers will check your:
- Transcripts
- and Certificates
Read also: How early can I travel to Australia after being granted a student visa 500?
In addition, they’ll check for consistency between your previous studies and the course you want to study now.
Take for example: If you’re applying for a Master’s in Engineering, they’ll expect to see a Bachelor’s degree in a related field like Mechanical or Civil Engineering.
5. They’ll check your English Language proficiency
For countries where English is the primary language of instruction, you need to prove your proficiency.
Visa officers will check your language:
Example: For an Australian student visa, an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no band less than 5.5 is what you need.
6. They’ll check if you have genuine intentions (Genuine Temporary Entrant Test)
Another thing that is very important to visa officers is your intention.
They want to know whether you genuinely intend to study, and not use the student visa for other immigration purposes.
They’ll check:
- Your statement of purpose (SOP)
- Personal statements
- Consistency in your study plans
- Answers during the visa interview
Example: If you’re applying for a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing when you already have a Master’s in the same field, this will raise questions and you need to explain what’s happening clearly.
Read also: Can I pay my acceptance fee when JAMB has not given me admission?
7. They also check your previous travel history and visa compliance
Your past travel records help visa officers to know if you’ll comply with your student visa’s terms if issued to you.
They check:
- Previous visas issued
- Any overstay history
- and immigration violations (if any)
8. They also check your visa interview performance
In-person or online interviews are common in countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia and the rest.
Visa officers take note of your:
- Confidence and clarity in responses
- Knowledge about your course, university, and study plans.
For example: If asked, “Why did you choose this university?” and you can’t explain beyond “It’s a good school,” it’ll look like you’re not serious.
9. Statement of Purpose (SOP) or Personal Statement
In addition, visa officers read your SOP to understand why you chose the course, the university, and your plans.
They want to know if your SOP is convincing and reflects genuine intent.
Example: If you’re applying to study Data Science, make sure that your SOP explains how the course aligns with your past education and future career goals, like becoming a Data Analyst.
10. They check your health and medical records
In some countries, visa officers will go to the extent of checking your health and medical records.
They do this to ensure that you don’t end up being a health risk to the country when issued a visa.
Example: If you’re applying for an Australian student visa, you must do a health check and submit the result with your visa application.
The visa officers will then check the result before declaring you fit to travel.
11. Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)
Visa officers also check if you have a clear police clearance certificate.
PCC proves you don’t have a criminal record.
It’s usually needed for long-term courses.
Example: If you want to study in Canada, you need to present a PCC from all countries where you’ve lived for more than 6 months since the age of 18.
12. Consistency in documents
Visa officers also look for consistency in all your information and documents.
Any mismatched dates, names, or details will cause suspicion.
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Example: If your passport birthdate is different from the date on your academic transcripts, they’ll ask you to submit an affidavit to explain the discrepancy.
13. They check the completeness and accuracy of your application
Finally, visa officers thoroughly go through every part of your application and ensure that:
- All your details are correct.
- No discrepancies or false information
- All required documents are submitted
- Forms are correctly filled
If you’re applying for a student visa, ensure you follow the guidelines.
Make sure that all your information and details are the same across all forms and documents.
Do not make false claims (it’s the easiest way to get rejection).
Lastly, include all the required documents.