Prepare your UK student visa refund request package
We structure your documents into a clean, ready-to-submit package — based on publicly available information. You review everything and submit it yourself.
Uploads are temporary and deleted within 24 hours · Not legal advice
- Refund request.pdfPDF
- Editable request.txtTXT
- Email draft.emlEML
- Evidence summary.pdfPDF
Built on publicly available information
The background, in plain terms
A neutral summary based on publicly available information. We make no claims about outcomes and provide no legal interpretation.
Statutory fee set at £363
Line 1.3.11A of Schedule 1 to the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/330) set the Student entry-clearance fee at £363.
Charge raised to £490
Applicants applying from outside the UK began paying £490, an overcharge of £127 against the statutory fee.
Charge raised again to £524
The overcharge increased to £161 against the statutory £363. Two amending instruments (SI 2023/1004 and SI 2025/363) targeted line 1.3.11, which had already been deleted.
Correction takes effect
Refunds Policy v13.0 published; UKVI began processing refund requests for affected applicants within the five-year claim window.
You may be eligible if…
Eligibility is ultimately determined by UKVI, not by us. The points below reflect publicly reported information and are intended as general guidance only.
You applied for the Student or Child Student visa from outside the UK (entry clearance).
You paid the visa application fee yourself, or have authorisation to act on behalf of the payer.
You paid £490 or £524 between Autumn 2023 and April 2026.
You have access to your GWF or UAN reference and proof of payment (receipt or bank statement).
It has been less than five years since the date of payment.
You are willing to submit the request to UKVI yourself.
Meeting these points does not guarantee a refund. This is not legal or immigration advice.
Two ways to get prepared
Do it yourself with a free educational guide, or let us handle the preparation and hand you a complete package to submit.
Do It Yourself
A clear educational guide so you can prepare everything yourself.
- Step-by-step educational guide (PDF)
- Real fee figures, citations, and the address to submit to
- Letter and email templates
- AI-prepared request letter
- Structured evidence summary with citations
- Reviewed by two people before release
Done For You
We prepare a complete, citation-backed refund request package and hand it to you to submit.
One-time launch price
- Step-by-step educational guide (PDF)
- Real fee figures, citations, and the address to submit to
- Letter and email templates
- AI-prepared request letter, grounded in our knowledge base
- Structured evidence summary with statutory citations
- Reviewed by two people before release
From documents to a ready package
A simple, transparent flow. You stay in control at every step, and you submit the final package to UKVI yourself.
Check your profile
A 60-second check confirms your visa route and the period you paid in.
Upload your records
Send your application receipt, decision letter, and ID. Files are processed temporarily.
We prepare, two people review
Your package is drafted from a sourced knowledge base. An operations reviewer and a legal professional verify it before release.
Download and submit
Review the package, follow the included submission instructions, and submit it to UKVI yourself.
Everything in your package
One organised ZIP with everything you need to review and submit yourself.
Refund request letter (PDF)
A personalised letter citing line 1.3.11A and the specific overcharge band that applies to you.
Editable text version
A plain-text copy so you can adjust any detail before submitting.
Email draft
A ready-to-send message addressed to the UKVI Refunds Team.
Evidence summary
Structured overview of the documents supporting your request, with statutory references.
Submission instructions
Where to send your request (address from your visa correspondence or contact UKVI), and what to expect.
ZIP package
Everything bundled together in one organised download.
Your documents, handled with care
We designed the flow to be privacy-first. You always know what happens to your files, and they are removed once your package is prepared.
Temporary uploads
Your files are processed temporarily and automatically deleted afterwards.
Encrypted in transit
Documents are transferred over secure, encrypted connections.
Minimal retention
We keep only what is needed to generate your package, nothing more.
Privacy-first UX
Clear, visible messaging tells you exactly what happens to your data.
Honest, transparent, and on your side
We are an administrative automation tool. We are clear about what we do — and what we don't.
Reviewed by legal professionals
Our process and templates have been reviewed with input from legal professionals. We are not solicitors and this is not legal advice.
Grounded in public sources
Every generated claim is cited to a knowledge base entry. If we cannot ground a claim, the document does not ship.
Two-person verification
An operations reviewer and a legal professional verify your package against your uploads and the knowledge base before release.
Privacy-first by design
Uploads are temporary and auto-deleted within 24 hours. We keep only what is needed to build your package.
Where our information comes from
We reference publicly available UK government resources. Always verify details directly on GOV.UK for your specific circumstances.
Questions, answered honestly
The essentials about what we do — and what you remain responsible for.
Applicants who paid the Student or Child Student visa entry-clearance fee from outside the UK between Autumn 2023 and April 2026, when the charge was £490 or £524 against a statutory fee of £363 (line 1.3.11A, Schedule 1, SI 2018/330). In-country extensions are not affected.
Either £127 (if you paid £490 between Autumn 2023 and March 2025) or £161 (if you paid £524 between March 2025 and April 2026). UKVI refunds to the original payment method. Eligibility is determined solely by UKVI.
Yes. Claims must be made within five years of the date of payment. After that, the right to claim a refund typically lapses.
No. We do not guarantee any refund or outcome. We provide administrative document preparation only. Any decision rests entirely with UKVI.
No. Our process has been reviewed with input from legal professionals, but we are not solicitors, and this is not legal or immigration advice. We help structure and prepare documents. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified professional.
No. You remain responsible for submission. We prepare a complete package; you review it and submit it yourself, addressed to the UKVI Refunds Team, using the address on your visa correspondence (or the contact route on GOV.UK).
Uploads are temporary and are automatically deleted within 24 hours after your package is prepared. We keep only what is needed to generate your documents.
DIY gives you a free educational guide to prepare everything on your own, with the same fee figures and citations we use internally. DFY prepares the request package for you, grounded in our knowledge base, with a two-person verification step before release.
No. A chargeback can block your refund from UKVI. The correct route is to submit a written refund request to the UKVI Refunds Team, and let UKVI refund to the original payment method.
Compliance disclaimer
StudentRefundCheck provides administrative document preparation only. Our process has been reviewed with input from legal professionals, but we are not solicitors and this is not legal or immigration advice. We do not represent users, do not guarantee refunds, and do not submit requests to UKVI on anyone's behalf. All content is based on publicly available information. Users remain responsible for reviewing and submitting their own requests, and should verify details with official GOV.UK sources.