Tier 2 visa application guidance - University of Oxford

Overview 

The purpose of this document is to provide general guidance on the requirements for a Tier 2 

(General) visa application made overseas. 

Applicants are advised to refer to the UK Border Agency’s more comprehensive guidance 

alongside this guidance document. The UK Border Agency’s guidance can be found at 

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier2/general/outsideuk/ 

Once you have been issued with your unique Certificate of Sponsorship number by the 

University of Oxford, you must apply for your visa within three months from the date that the 

University issued the Certificate of Sponsorship. 

The Certificate of Sponsorship will automatically expire after three months if it has not been 

used to make a visa application. 

Please note, you cannot apply for your visa any sooner than three months before the start date 

given on your Certificate of Sponsorship. In addition, you can enter the UK no sooner than 14 

days before the start date for the job shown on your Certificate of Sponsorship. 

The Certificate of Sponsorship will be emailed to you by the University’s Work Permits Desk. 

Main Applicant 

Overseas applicants are required to complete two application forms to apply for a Tier 2 visa. 

First, you will need to complete the ‘VAF9 application form – points based system’ with your 

personal details. 

Migrants from some countries may be required to apply for this stage online. See 

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/ for information on how to apply in each country. 

You will then need to complete form ‘VAF9 PBS Appendix 5 – Tier 2 (all categories)’. 

These forms can be downloaded from 

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier2/general/outsideuk/ 

Dependants 

Updated: June 2012 

TIER 2 VISA APPLICATION GUIDANCE FOR OVERSEAS APPLICANTS 

APPLICATION FORMS 

If you are bringing dependants with you to the UK they will not require a Certificate of 

Sponsorship but they will need visas. Each dependant will need to fill in the ‘VAF10 application 

form – points based system dependant) which can be downloaded from 

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/migrant-workers-students/ 

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Dependant applications are usually submitted at the same time as the main applicant’s 

application, although dependant applications can be submitted separately, if required. 

POINTS CRITERIA 

All overseas applicants are required to meet the UK Border Agency’s points criteria. 

You must obtain 70 points in order to be eligible for a Tier 2 visa, as follows: 

Requirement Points 

Valid Certificate of Sponsorship. 30 

Salary meets the minimum rate detailed in the appropriate Code of Practice, 

(http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/june2012-cop/ ) 

or £20,000 per annum, whichever is higher. 

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Maintenance – either (a) the equivalent of £900 of personal savings held for at least 

three months prior to the date of the visa application, plus additional savings (£600) 

for each accompanying dependant, or, (b) confirmation from the employing 

department/college that it will if necessary maintain and accommodate the migrant to 

a minimum value of £900 (and accompanying dependants to a minimum value of 

£600 each, if required) during the first month of employment. 

English language: (a) national of an English-speaking country as defined by the 

UKBA, or (b) has studied for a degree via the medium of English, or (c) has passed 

an approved English language test 

You can check your points total at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/pointscalculator 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS – MAIN APPLICANT 

All applicants are required to submit the following original documents with their visa 

applications: 

� A valid passport 

� Biometric details (see note below) 

� Official record of any criminal convictions (if applicable) 

� One passport sized colour photograph, taken within the last month. (Please ensure that you 

read the photograph requirements at the end of form VAF9) 

� Payment of the appropriate fee(s). 


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All applicants are also required to provide documentary evidence to show that they meet all of 

the Tier 2 points criteria. The only documents that are considered sufficient evidence of meeting 

the Tier 2 points criteria are as follows: 

Evidence of sponsorship: 

� The Certificate of Sponsorship (containing a unique reference number) issued to you by 

email by the University of Oxford. 

Evidence of appropriate salary: 

� The Certificate of Sponsorship issued to you by the University of Oxford includes details of 

your salary. By issuing you with a Certificate of Sponsorship, the University of Oxford has 

confirmed that the UK Border Agency’s ‘appropriate salary’ criteria have been met. Please 

simply enter your current salary (and allowances, where applicable) on the application form. 

Evidence of sufficient maintenance funds: 

� Original personal bank/ building society statements covering at least the 90 day period 

immediately before making the application, showing your name, account number, date of the 

statement, financial institution’s name and logo, transactions covering the past 90 days, and 

that the account balance has always been at least £900 during this period. 

**PLEASE NOTE** If online statements are submitted these must be supported by a letter from 

the bank (on headed paper) confirming the authenticity of the statements, or the statements 

may be stamped and dated with the banks official stamp on each page. 

OR 

� An original building society pass book covering at least the 90 day period immediately 

before making the application, clearly showing your name, account number, date of the 

statement, financial institution’s name and logo, transactions covering the past 90 days, and 

that the account balance has always been at least £900 during this period. 

OR 

� An original letter from your bank (on headed paper) confirming funds for at least the 90 day 

period immediately before making the application. The letter must show your name, account 

number, date, institution’s name and logo and that the account balance has always been at 

least £900 during the past 90 days. 

OR 

� Confirmation from your employing department/college that it will, if necessary, maintain and 

accommodate you to a minimum value of £900 during the first month of employment. Your 

Certificate of Sponsorship will confirm if your department / college has certified your 

maintenance. 

**PLEASE NOTE** Applicants with dependants will need to show evidence that they have an 

extra £600 of funds for each dependant, and that these extra funds have been present in the 


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account for at least the 90 day period immediately before making the application, or evidence 

that the dependants are able to support themselves by showing they have had at least £600 in 

their own account for at least the 90 day period immediately before making the application. 

Alternatively, written confirmation from your employing department/college that it will, if 

necessary, maintain and accommodate your dependants to a minimum value of £600 per 

dependant for the first month of your employment is also acceptable. 

Evidence of English language proficiency: 

� An original and valid passport for nationals of a majority English speaking country (please 

refer to the application form for which countries qualify as ‘majority English speaking’). 

OR 

� An original certificate of award for a qualification that is equivalent to at least a UK Bachelors 

degree and was taught in English. The certificate must clearly show your name, title of the 

qualification, date of the award and name of the awarding institution. 

**PLEASE NOTE** If the UK Border Agency’s Points Calculator 

(http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/pointscalculator) does not show that your qualification was 

taught in English, you will need to submit a letter from the awarding institution on official headed 

paper, which includes your name, title of award, date of award and confirmation that the degree 

was taught in English. 

OR 

� An original test certificate from an approved English Language Test organisation showing 

the applicant’s name, the level of qualification obtained and date of the award. For a list of 

approved English Language Tests, see 

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier2/general/supportingevidence/englishlanguage/ 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS – DEPENDANTS 

You will be required to provide the following documents for each dependant application: 

� A valid passport 

� Biometric details 

� Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate (if applicable) 

� Birth Certificate (if applicable) 

� Official record of any criminal convictions (if applicable) 

� One passport sized colour photograph (please ensure you read the photograph requirements 

at the end of form VAF9) 


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� Evidence of the relationship to the main applicant if the dependant is an un-married partner 

� Evidence that the main applicant has an extra £600 of funds for each dependant, and that 

these extra funds have been present in the account for at least the past 90 days, OR evidence 

that the dependants are able to support themselves by showing they have had at least £600 in 

their own account for the past 90 days, OR written confirmation from your employing 

department/college that it will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate your dependants to a 

minimum value of £600 per dependant for the first month of your employment. 

� Payment of the appropriate fee. 

BIOMETRIC ENROLMENT PROCESS 

All UK visa applicants will need to provide their biometric details (fingerprints and photograph) in 

person at a Visa Application Centre as part of their visa application. 

URGENT APPLICATIONS 

The Work Permits Desk is not able to request that any visa application is treated urgently. 

Please check with your local Visa Application Centre/ British Embassy if you would like to 

enquire whether this is possible. In most countries, it is not possible to expedite a visa 

application. Therefore, you are strongly advised not to make any travel arrangements until your 

visa has been approved. 

IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE 

1. The Work Permits Desk cannot guarantee the successful outcome of any visa application 

since this decision is made by UK Border Agency, and not by the University. 

2. Applications are likely to be automatically rejected by the UK Border Agency if they are 

submitted with missing or incorrect documents. 

3. All documents provided must be original and not copies. 

4. Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a fully certified translation. 

Translations must be carried out by a professional translator, and must include details of 

the translator’s credentials, confirmation that it is a true and entire translation and show the 

date and signature of the translator. 

5. Bank statements must be dated no more than one month prior to the date of application. 


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Tier 2 visa application guidance - University of Oxford

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