What is Student Visa
Student Visas, as the name suggests are visas issued to applicants whose primary purpose of visit to a foreign country is for the pursuit of education. Needless to say, while getting admission to the university is extremely important, these legal documents stand in the way of all your pursuits. Every country is governed by its Immigration Laws. These could vary in terms of the requirements of documents to the different proof of funds acceptable to what all the visas would let you do apart from studying in the country. Also, some broad commonalities are visible in all student visa applications.
What is a Visa?
Simply put, a visa is an official travel document. The visa which is usually stamped or glued onto the passport of the bearer allows him to legally enter a foreign country. A visa can be of multiple types. To start with, there is a Tourist Visa for people looking to visit a country for tourism, there is a Student Visa for students looking to travel to a foreign country to pursue education and so on.
When should I apply for a Student Visa?
Studying abroad requires meticulous planning to say the least. Students are always advised to plan their admission/ application process keeping in mind university deadlines and working backwards. Students are required to appear for English eligibility tests as per the university policy and also have required documents in place for the smooth processing of their application. Hence, students are always advised to apply 1-3 months in advance to avoid any last-minute rush. Candidates seeking financial aid, scholarships and education loans should add another couple of extra months to the process as these applications take more time.
What type of visa do I need?
Student Visas are often classified based on two broad distinction points
Student Visa Classification Based on Program Duration
Depending on the length of tenure of the programme the applicant is planning to undertake, the countries often divide the student visa into Short Term Student Visas or Long-term Student Visas. Often, short-term visas are given to students who plan to take a short course of a language or a diploma certificate course and the entire duration is often limited to 90 days (3 months). Long-term visas, on the other hand, are given to students who are planning to take up degree courses extending beyond the 3 months. These could include internships and small certificate programmes of 6 months and so on. European Union Countries often have this broad classification.
Student Visa Classification Based on Type of Programme/ Student
Irrespective of the duration of the course, some countries classify student visas basis the type of student. This could be the level of degree applied for (undergraduate, graduate or doctoral), exchange student or student applying for a vocational/ diploma course. Broadly speaking, as these visas also depend on the type, of course, the student is applying for, these are somewhat linked to tenure. However, in these categories, the first point of distinction is not how long the programme would be for. If you are, say, for instance, an exchange student, you could be going for 3 months or 3 years, the category would still be based on the type of student and not the tenure.