Will I have to attend an interview?

This will depend on where you apply:-

If you are applying for a Tier 4 (General) visa from outside the UK, you may be selected to attend a short credibility interview when you attend your appointment or shortly after you have attended your appointment.

If you are applying for a Tier 4 (General) visa from within the UK, you may be required to attend an interview. You are more likely to be invited for an interview if there are discrepancies between the supporting documents you have provided and the information included in your visa application form, or if the caseworker considering your application requests an interview in order to obtain more information before they can make a decision on your application.

If you have previously studied a course which is at the same level as the new course and you received an academic progression justification statement alongside your CAS, you are also more likely to be invited to an interview to ascertain whether you genuinely wish to pursue further studies in the UK. When making this assessment, the caseworker will consider the level of the courses, the subject matter of the new and previous courses, your education history, the credibility of your rationale for wishing to study the new course, and whether the justification statement sufficiently explains why you are applying to study a course at the same level. If you are invited to an interview, you should be prepared to talk to a sufficient extent about the reasons why you want to pursue the new course.

What do I need to do before attending an interview?

You need to confirm your attendance using the completed Reply Form before the deadline stated on the UKVI’s letter. Please remember to bring the original signed forms to your interview.

If you are overseas, the interview will take place at a (VAC) Visa Application Centre as stated on UKVI’s letter. The interview will be conducted in English and therefore your ability to communicate in English will be tested.

The interview will normally last for 30 minutes and it will be conducted via video link with a Home Office member of staff in Sheffield in the UK. The report of the interview will then be sent to the visa officer who will consider it alongside your visa application and supporting documents. You can request a copy of your interview transcript and we suggest that all students do this.

If you are invited for an interview in the UK, you can expect to be interviewed for around 30-60 minutes and this will usually be conducted by Skype with a Home Office member of staff in Sheffield in the UK.

You need to be aware that failure to attend an interview when invited may result in your visa application being refused.

There are no set questions you will be asked, however from the feedback we have received the common types of questions are listed below:

Q: Why did you choose the University of Warwick?

Think about why you chose the UK rather than your home country, another English-speaking country or a country which other students of your nationality choose to study. You may find it useful to refer to the university profile on the following link: https://admissionsgateway.co.uk/about/ Warwick is a campus university – what attracts you to the student lifestyle on a campus rather than in a city location?

Q: Why did you choose your course?

There may be many courses in the same subject area as the one you plan to study at Warwick. What is it specifically about the Warwick course which you prefer and which suits you over other course choices? Think about your decision process. Did you apply for other courses – why did you choose Warwick over them?

Q: How do your studies fit into your career plans?

Think about what your plans are after you graduate – how will the knowledge and skills you gain from your course at Warwick help you with the type of work you hope to do. Does your course lead to any professional exemptions or qualifications and are these recognised in your country? Do you know what others graduating from the course you will be following went on to do, e.g. the types of roles and organisations they work for? If the course you plan to study is at a similar academic level to previous studies, how does it represent progression and does it have a vocational focus? If this is the case, be prepared to explain this.

Q: If the costs of pursuing your course of study are higher in the UK than in your home country, why have you decided to incur the extra costs involved with studying in the UK?

Think about the advantages that a degree from the UK might give you and why you and/or your family are prepared to make this investment. Have you made a realistic assessment of all the costs involved and how you plan to pay for them? These costs include accommodation and costs of living.

Q: You have previously studied in the UK – why have you chosen to return?

Think about how the new course relates to previous studies and how it might build on your previous learning.

Q: You have had a long break in your studies, why are you returning to study now?

Think about how you explain your decision in the context of your long-term career plans.

Q: Do you plan to work in the UK?

You cannot rely on funds from working to pay your course fees and living costs so you need to be aware of this. The main purpose for being in the UK is your studies and so, if you do hope to work, think about how this would enhance your academic studies. You also need to demonstrate an understanding of the hours you are allowed to work and typical rates of pay.

Q: How will you fund your studies?

The purpose of this question is to check that your funds are genuinely available to you for your studies. As part of your application you will have submitted proof of your finances – ensure that you are very clear about the source and availability of these funds, also how you plan to pay for subseqent years’ fees if your course is more than a year in duration. If you have official financial sponsorship make sure you are aware of the amounts and exactly what is covered. If you have a loan, how will you afford to pay this back? How much will your accommodation cost and are you clear about the cost of living in the UK?

The interviewer will also be checking your ability to converse well in English, and if there is any issue with hearing them clearly e.g. via the video link, you should ensure that you raise this so that they are aware that it is a technical issue, not one of comprehension.

Following your interview we would welcome any useful feedback you think it would be useful for us and other students to know. Please let us know using our online Contact Form.

UKVI Interview Questions

•  Please can you confirm your full name, date of birth and nationality?
• What are your parents’ names and DOBs?
• How much have you paid towards the tuition fee?
• Have you ever travelled outside your home country before?
• Can you hear me clearly and understand what I am saying?
• Are you feeling fit and well enough to be interviewed today?
• I am going to be typing my questions and your answers down therefore I need you to speak slowly and clearly for me. If at any point you are speaking too fast, I will ask you to stop, slow down and repeat what you just said. Is this okay?
• If at any point you do not understand my question, please stop me and ask me to repeat it. I will repeat the question and rephrase it for you if necessary. Is this okay?
• What job role would you like in future after you have completed your studies?
• Which companies/organizations would you like work for?
• What are the job requirements for this job role? For example, what qualifications do you need?
• Where have you found this information from?
• Can you tell me which job advert you were looking at?
• How would you apply for this job? Can you explain the recruitment process? How do you know this?
• What is the average salary for this job role in your home country in local currency and how do you know this information?
• You completed your studies in 2017; is this correct? What have you been doing since then?
• What skills and knowledge will you gain from studying this course in the UK?
• Will you be able to gain these skills and knowledge by studying in your home country?
• Who is funding your studies?
• What is their total yearly income in local currency?
• What does your financial sponsor work as?
• What is the name of the business and what product/services does it offer?
• How long have they had the business? What kind of market? What does it sell?
• Is this business registered with the relevant local tax authority in your home country? If yes, who is it registered with?
• Are you able to submit business registration documents and tax documents?
• How many people are dependent on your financial sponsor’s income?
• Where exactly has the money from to fund your studies? Was this a special savings account just for your education?
• Which other institutions did you consider for your study?
• What is the name of the course you considered at these institutions? Was it the same course at all the universities?
• What are the entry requirements for these courses at the institutions you’ve considered?
• What advantage does your chosen institution have other the institutions you considered?
• Which module are you most looking forward to studying and why? And out of all of those, which are you most looking forward to? Why?
• Have any of your family members ever travelled to the UK before?
• Do you have any family in the UK, regardless of whether you are in contact with them or not? But he’s not your relative, no?
• Do you know where he lives? Do you know his name? Do you know his immigration status?
• If, because of COVID-19, your chosen institution asked you to complete your first year of study by distance learning, how would this affect you?
• How would your plans change if you were unable to travel to the UK due to lockdown restrictions?
• What plans have you put in place if your course is cancelled due to further COVID-19 restrictions or another lockdown?
• Have you understood all the questions? 40.Is there anything else you wish to add? 41.Are you happy with the conduct of the interview?