Visa process
Student visa processes, for the people running them
Written for counsellors rather than for families: what gates each process, how long each step really takes, and the refusal reasons that keep recurring. The milestone lists are the ones Visatory ships, so the page and the software agree.
Running a US F-1 case
The F-1 process has one hard dependency and everything else hangs off it: the school will not issue an I-20 until it has seen money. Plan the case backwards from that, not forwards from the offer.
Gated on: Form I-20
Running a UK Student visa case
Two things decide a UK case and neither is the application form: the CAS, and whether the maintenance funds sat still for 28 days. Get both right and the rest is administration.
Gated on: CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)
Running a Canada study permit case
Canada added a step most counsellors' old checklists do not have. Without a provincial attestation letter the application is returned unprocessed, and the LOA alone is no longer enough.
Gated on: PAL - provincial attestation letter
Running an Australia subclass 500 case
Australia assesses whether the student is genuinely coming to study, and it does so in the applicant's own words. The Genuine Student statement is the part of the file that decides most borderline cases.
Gated on: CoE - Confirmation of Enrolment