According to United Arab Emirates (UAE) law, all international students (except GCC nationals) must have a valid ‘Student Residence Visa’ for their studies. ASTI provides 12-month visas for the students enrolled in any of our programs and is renewable each year for students studying in an undergraduate program at the University. Student Visa (Entry Permit and Student Residence Visa) process will start when the student completes the admissions and financial procedures. This will normally take between 10 – 15 working days. An express service is also available and will complete the process within 5-7 working days. It is recommended that the application is submitted as soon as possible as delays may result in the student not being able to enroll for the chosen intake and/or receiving a fine for ‘overstaying’ with regard to the ‘Student Entry Permit’.
Visa Guidelines
Learners Visa Processing Guidelines for New Visa
Procedure Before Arriving In UAE
New students are advised to complete the new student visa application form and submit all requirements four weeks before the commencement of the Programme.
- If a student is outside UAE and the entry permit has been approved, the student must send their flight details at least 5 days before their arrival to ensure that their original entry permit can be deposited at the airport where they will be arriving.
- A student who is below 18 years old must submit a No Objection certificate attested by the UAE embassy in their home country.
- Students applying late may choose to apply for a UAE tourist/visit visa to ensure that they will be in time for the start of the Programme.
- For a student who applied for a student visa while holding a tourist/visit visa, their immigration status needs to be changed.
Documents Required before arriving in UAE
Please submit the following documents to Visas@astiacademy.ac.ae
- Duly filled out the Student Visa Application form
- Completed Student Undertaking Letter
- Copy of an accepted Conditional offer letter
- Payment of 25% of tuition fee and appropriate visa charges for the current year.
- Remittance receipt of the visa refundable deposit payment
- Passport copy ,Colour passport-size photograph white background.(Size – 4.3 cm x 5.5 cm)
- Medical insurance: The institution requires all students to have a Student Residence Visa for medical insurance.
Procedure After Arriving In UAE
On arrival in Dubai, students must visit the campus and hand over the following documents within 3 days.
- Original Passport & entry permit copy with UAE immigration entry stamp
- Prior to the approval of a ‘Student Residence Visa’, the UAE Government requires students to take medical and biometric testing. This will be arranged shortly after your arrival in the UAE.
- If in the unlikely case that you are medically unfit, the institution will be informed and arrangements will be put in place to immediately repatriate you back to your original country.
- Approximately 15 working days following the medical and biometric testing, your passport will be returned from Immigration with your Student Residences Visa. Following this, you will receive your Emirates ID card.
Documents Required For Student Visa Inside UAE
The following documents are to be submitted for the student visa inside UAE
- Original tourist visa or cancellation paper (must have at least 20 days validity)
- Original Passport with 6 months validity
- Copy of the residence page in the passport.
- Emirates ID card copy
- Once all documentation has been submitted, the University will issue a ‘Student Entry Permit’ to gain entry into the UAE.
- The ‘Entry Permit is valid for sixty (60) days commencing from the date of issue.
Information
- Students applying late, may choose to apply for a UAE tourist/visit visa to be in time for the start of the program. However, such students will not be allowed to enroll unless they change their visa status through an in-country visa transfer to a student visa.
- Students on a tourist visa are required to exit the country to change their visa to an institution-sponsored visa. Students, who have to exit the country to change their visa status to an Institution visa, must return to Dubai within 3 days.
- If for whatever reason, a student visa is not issued to the student, then the student would not be allowed to pursue the program Page 3 of 5 further. The Institution cannot be held liable for any such circumstances. Furthermore, students will be liable to pay any tuition/visa/other fees due as per the Institution’s policy.
- Students are advised NOT to send their original passport, by post, to the Institute. The institution will not accept any responsibility for arranging the return of documents. Any fines, penalties, or additional charges incurred as a result of an error, delay, late submission, loss of documents, etc. by the student, will be borne by the student.
- All visa fees are non-refundable, Students whose visa application is rejected by Immigration will have their visa deposit refunded, less any visa processing charges already levied.
- In case of deferral, suspension, or withdrawal of a student who is on the University’s sponsored visa, the student visa is required to be canceled. A new student visa would have to be applied for if the student wishes to rejoin. The student would be liable to pay all visa-related fees in such cases.
Learners Visa Processing Guidelines for visa Renewal
The Student Visa renewal process will start when the student completes the enrolment and financial procedures. This will normally take between 30 working days. An express service is available and will complete the process within 15 – 20 working days. It is recommended that the visa renewal application is submitted one month before your visa expiry date.
Information
The Student Visa renewal process will start when the student completes the enrolment and financial procedures. This will normally take between 30 working days. An express service is available and will complete the process within 15 – 20 working days. It is recommended that the visa renewal application is submitted one month before your visa expiry date.
Student VISA Renewal Procedure
- The student is responsible for visa renewal.
- Student visa renewal forms, proof of payment, and other required documents need to be submitted to the visa office 2 weeks before the visa expires.
- The student needs to be in the country throughout the visa renewal process.
- Visa renewal takes 15-20 days and the student needs to undergo a medical exam.
Documents Required to process Visa Renewal
Please submit the following documents to the visa office
- Duly filled out the Student Visa Application form. Completed Student enrolment confirmation.
- Payment of 25% of tuition fee and appropriate visa charges for the current year.
- Original Passport & two color passport-size photographs white background.(size -4.3 cm x 5.5 cm)
- Medical insurance The institution requires all students to have a Student Residence Visa for medical insurance.
Learners Visa Processing Guidelines for Visa Cancellation
Visa Cancellation
Student’s visa will be canceled if the student finished his/her studies, wish to defer, interrupt or withdraw from his/her studies, is convicted of any criminal offense, or does not comply with the rules and regulations required by ASTI Academy. If the student is out of the country for 6 consecutive months, a student visa will be void and he/she will not be able to enter UAE unless formally canceled while he/she is out of UAE. Additional cancellation and penalty fees may apply.
Original passport, Emirates ID card, and medical insurance card need to be submitted to the visa office. In the event the student is out of the country he/she may pay an additional cancellation fee. If the student failed to cancel the visa or failed to exit after the provided grace period, the university may report him/her to the Immigration authorities and proceed with the filling of the absconding case. The visa deposit paid by the student will be utilized to process the request. After the case has been finalized, the student will not be able to enter the country on any type of visa in the future. Visa deposit will only be refunded if a student submitted the required documents and is verified by Immigration authorities. Processing takes 30 days.
Conditions
- Student visas are issued for the duration of 12 months at a time; hence a student may require 1 or 2 renewals during their course of study at ASTI Academy Dubai.
- Student visa sponsorship is only available for students who have accepted the offer of admission, cleared all academic conditions (If any) and paid their tuition fees along with the student visa charges.
- The process normally takes 15-25 days and typically applications undergo a security check by UAE government authorities. Student visa applications from some countries may be required to submit additional documentation by the UAE government authorities (e.g., an attested birth certificate translated into legal Arabic) and may occasionally result in delays beyond the control of ASTI Academy Dubai.
- Student visa holders are not able to sponsor a residence visa for their family members.Part-time jobs/internship conditions and qualifications should be addressed to Careers and Employability Office placement@astiacademy.ac.ae.
- Students are requested to ensure that they have adequate medical/travel insurance in Dubai until their ASTI Academy Dubai student visa has been stamped into their passports.
- All students applying for an ASTI Academy-sponsored visa must undergo a UAE medical check.
- In the unlikely event that your student visa application is unsuccessful, the visa deposit will be refunded. The UAE government may retain the student visa processing fee.
- Any fines, penalties, and additional charges incurred because of the late submission of documents required will be the sole responsibility of the student.
- In case of withdrawal or deferral of a student, the student visa needs to be canceled. Failure to do so, in any advance payment of fees is non-refundable. A new student visa may be applied (corresponding fees applied) if the student wishes to re-join subject to approval from higher authorities of the university.
- Student visa charges are set by UAE Government and may be subject to change.
- It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that at least 3 blank pages are available on the passport.
- A student Visa is valid for two months from issuance and if the student has not made an entry to UAE will have to pay the Visa fees again.
- Applicants should make a strict note that the residence visa (not the e-visa issued for traveling) which is usually stamped on the passport has been modified to an electronic residence permit. Students who require visa stamping in the passport, later after all the procedures are completed, are subjected to an additional payment of AED 710, and the guidelines can be found at the Student Support desk.
- In the event of systems upgrade, systems shutdown, maintenance, and the like made by the Immigration and or Free zone Authorities on their system, will be beyond the ASTI Academy’s control to predict the timeline of student visa processing.