Getting a student visa is a pre-requisite to ensure that you are officially permitted to reside and study in a particular country. The approval of your student visa depends on your interview with the visa committee. The ticket in your hand would not mean anything unless you get a nod from the Visa Counsel. Sometimes, you need to submit a Visa Statement of Purpose to the counsel which can really strengthen your chances of going abroad. As a study abroad aspirant, there are three major guidelines you should know before applying for a student visa and they are:
1. Type of Visa
You must get clarity about the various types of student visas that are being issued by the Visa counsel. There are both short-term and long-term student visas and these depend on the duration of the course you have opted to pursue. Short-term visas are applicable if you are applying for a short language course or a diploma certificate course which will be valid for 6 or 11 months. On the other hand, if you are applying for a degree course, you should apply for a long-term visa which will be valid for 5 years.
2. Proof of a Bonafide Student
Irrespective of the countries, you need to prove yourself as a bonafide student. This is a confirmation that you have actually studied a definite course (schooling/undergraduate/graduate degree, as the case may be) from a particular institution. The certificate is issued by the institution and is given when applied in writing to the head of the school/college/university.
3. Financial Lucidity
This is to validate if you are capable of funding your tuition fees as well as able to carry out your living expenses in a foreign country. Many countries in Europe (like Germany and the Netherlands) have a minimum living cost but you have to provide proof of your financial lucidity.
As evidence of financial liquidity, the universities ask for liquid asset proofs which can be a scanned copy of fixed deposit/savings accounts or a loan sanction letter. For the second year, the students can submit non-liquid assets which are like the ownership proof of property and property size, jewelry assets, scanned papers of life insurance, General Provident Fund/Employee’s Provident Fund Statement, which can belong to the candidate, his/her parents or spouse(if married). Some countries also require certificates from Chattered Accountants(CA), which actually specify the total assets as well as the liabilities held by the student/sponsor, which encompasses the current assets like bank balance, fixed deposits, shares, bonds, as well as fixed assets like land, property, and gold. The document should be duly signed and stamped by the CA.
Overseas education is a dream for many Indian students and hence, it is very important to understand the process and requisites which are necessary for the application process. Keeping the constraints in mind, you should be ready with the required fund. If eligible, you can also apply for a 100% fee waiver or scholarship, which is given to the well-deserving students. The idea of getting a scholarship or fee waiver depends largely on your GRE score, degree scores, statement of purpose, letters of recommendations, and resume. These are a few important guidelines which you should keep in mind before applying for a student visa.
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