Worked example
Student visa: a worked example from Punjab with real numbers
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
In practice
Example: a Patiala graduate starting an MSc in Birmingham in January 2027
A file like the ones the desk prepares; the figures are from the datasets and dated.
The situation
Harpreet Kaur, 23, a fictional applicant, finished a BSc in Computer Science at a Patiala college in 2025 and then worked for a year at a Mohali IT firm. She holds an unconditional offer for a 12-month MSc in Data Science at a Birmingham university starting on 18 January 2027. Tuition on the CAS is £19,500, of which she paid a £5,000 deposit, so £14,500 is still owed. She submits the online form on 3 December 2026, after the maintenance uplift, so the new outside-London rate of £1,203 applies. Her father, a government schoolteacher, has an education loan sanction and a savings account in his own name. The university assessed her English itself and said so on the CAS, so no separate SELT was needed.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Visa fee, Home Office table of 8 April 2026 | £558, about ₹73,840 at the Home Office rate of ₹132.33 per pound |
| Health surcharge at the student rate: 12-month course plus a 4-month wrap-up is 16 months, charged as 1.5 years | £1,164, about ₹1,54,032 |
| Tuition still owed per the CAS | £14,500, about ₹19,18,785 |
| Living costs outside London for an application on 3 December 2026: 9 x £1,203 | £10,827, about ₹14,32,737 |
| The same living costs had she applied before 30 November 2026: 9 x £1,171 | £10,539, about ₹13,94,626 |
| Total to hold for 28 consecutive days | £25,327, about ₹33,51,522 |
| Education loan sanction letter from a nationalised bank, in her name | ₹25,00,000, about £18,892 |
| Father's savings account, lowest balance across the 28 days | ₹9,00,000, about £6,801 |
| Funds evidenced against the requirement | £25,693, a margin of £366 |
| Standard decision time from biometrics at VFS Chandigarh | 3 weeks; priority of 5 working days costs £500 extra |
Outcome
Harpreet's visa was granted 15 working days after biometrics and she flew on 10 January 2027. Had her father's balance dipped to ₹8,00,000 for a single day in the 28, a common wedding transfer, the total would have fallen below £25,327 and failed ST 12.3. Had the loan letter said she was eligible rather than sanctioned, the university's Basic Compliance Assessment screen would have stopped the CAS before the Home Office ever saw the file. Had she been unable to name three modules and her Birmingham accommodation cost at the credibility interview, ST 5.1 would have ended it.
The Home Office charges behind the figures
Exchange rate used
132.33 INR/GBP
The Home Office quarterly rate used when you pay in rupees on gov.uk
Verified 8 October 2026
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa, main applicant application fee | £558 | ₹73,840 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, 1.5 years at £776 a yearCharged for the full grant length up front; refunded only if the visa is refused. | £1,164 | ₹1,54,032 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST includedPaid to Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd. Home Office fees are paid by you on gov.uk. | ₹24,999 | |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £1,722 | ₹2,52,871 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Related questions
How much money do I need to show for a UK student visa from India in 2026?ShowHide
Tuition still owed for the first year, as shown on the CAS, plus £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. That is £13,761 in London and £10,539 outside London for a 9-month course, on top of unpaid tuition. From 30 November 2026 the monthly figures are expected to be £1,570 and £1,203. Our maintenance calculator applies the right figure for your application date.
What is the 28-day rule?ShowHide
The closing balance must stay at or above the required amount for every one of the 28 days before the final balance date. One day below the line resets the clock. The statement must also be no more than 31 days old when you submit the online form.
Does an education loan sanction letter from an Indian bank count?ShowHide
Yes, if the loan is sanctioned, not just approved in principle, and the letter is from a bank regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. The letter should state your name, the amount, the course and that funds will be released. NBFC loans are accepted only where the lender meets the Home Office's definition of a regulated financial institution, so ask us before you rely on one.
Tools
Student maintenance calculator
The 28-day funds you must hold, now and from 30 November 2026.
CAS readiness check
Is your file ready for the CAS and the credibility interview.
English requirement lookup
The CEFR level for your route and the SELT centres near you.
Fee calculator in rupees
Every Home Office fee and the health surcharge, totalled in rupees at a dated rate.
Graduate route planner
Your apply-by date and whether you get 24 or 18 months.
Refusal reason decoder
Paste the paragraph from your refusal letter and read what it means.
Related routes
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.