Study Visa Approval Processing Time of Major Countries in 2022

Student’s visas are the most important document without which a student cannot travel to his or her study destination. As the process has been coined as student visas, they are those important documents that are issued to applicants whose main purpose of travelling to another country is only for pursuing education.

This is the most important fact that when trying to secure admission in the foreign country, obtaining the visa invitation letter is very important and it can also come in your way of your admission procedure. Every country is bounded by its law of immigration while people are planning to make a visit to any country and this could also differ with respect to the requirements of documents to the different set of proofs which are accepted to what the other type of visas can let you do other than pursuing education in the country.

Moreover, some documents are common while obtaining a student visa invitation letter or applications for everyone.

Now coming back to what is a Visa? Why it is such an important document?

It can be simply explained as a visa being an official travel document. On the student’s passport, the visa is normally stamped or glued onto it which allows the student to officially travel and stay for that particular duration in another country.

There are multiple types of visas. Just to begin with for those who wants to travel to a foreign country for tourism, they can apply for tourist visa, for those who are planning to travel to another country for the purpose of pursuing education they can obtain student visa, for those planning to work in a foreign country can apply for work visa and so on.

Now we will look onto how different countries have different set of requirements for applying for Visa applications for the purpose of pursuing education there:

1. Russian Student Visa:

For obtaining a Russian student visa applicants are expected to have a passport and the visas stamped or glued on it. Except for applicants from countries like Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Southern Ossetia, Abkhazia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Armenia and Uzbekistan do not require to obtain a visa.

Apart from this, all other international students and those applicants from CIS countries not mentioned above need an international passport to come to Russia. Although, Russia has a policy of providing free visas to many countries but the duration of visa free stay is only limited to one month or three months and such benefits are only limited to tourists and not for people who are planning to stay for a long time.

Explaining it in clear terms, all those students from the countries wherein Russia has a policy of providing them free visa can travel to Russia only on the basis of their passport but after a particular period of time, they will have to exit the country and enter it again only on the basis of a valid student visa. This is the reason why, it is actually more convenient to obtain a student visa in the first place.

From where can a student visa be applied?

Student visas can be acquired through the Russian Consulate or the Russian Embassy in the country where you are residing.

There are registered and authorized visa centres in some countries wherein they provide all such services.

Duration of Stay under a Student Visa

During the first year of admission, a student visa is only issued for three months. After that, a student is supposed to apply to the local division of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Interior Ministry of Russia for a visa extension so that they can extend their stay.

Moreover, the FMS, also issues a one-year multi-visa which permits you to travel back and forth from Russia only within the validity period of the visa.

Also, when your visas are going to expire, you can apply for a further one-year extension and continue in the same manner during the entire duration of your academic programme.

From the year 2017, all those international students who have completed their pre-university training and have also cleared the entrance examinations in order to enrol in a basic education programme can get their student visas extended in Russia and they do not have to travel back to their home country for the visa process unlike some other countries.

What are the documents that are required for a Student Visa?

• Original International passport and a copy of the front and the last page.
• Original official invitation for entry to Russia
• Application form
• Coloured photographs 3.5 x 4.5 cm (1.18 x1.57 inches)
• HIV-negative status certificate
• Parental consent to travel certified by a notary in case the applicant is under 18 years

How to Acquire an Invitation letter from the Ministry?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Interior Ministry of Russia proceed invitations to Russia. In Russia, those students who have acquired a position in the university through some competitive selection and are entitled to a government scholarship (quota), are entitled to receive their invitation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directive.

In the Federal Agency office for the CIS Affairs, fellow citizens living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) receive a six-digit number of the invitation which can be quoted by them while submitting their visa application.

If the concerned student is a fee-paying student or has fulfilled all the application requirements and has acquired a position in the university through a standard procedure, then he will receive the invitation through the university. In order to submit the visa application, you are required to submit the original invitation.

Validity term of the invitation:

In order to obtain a visa invitation letter, you can start the process 45 days prior from the actual date of travelling. Also, please take this into consideration that the invitation is only valid for 3 months.

Requirements of Passport:

Candidates must be aware of the fact that the passport must be valid for at least 18 months from the date of issue of your visa.

Your passport should also contain at least two blank pages.

HIV-negative status certificate required:

This certificate must include passport details of the holder, information on the duration of their stay in Russia, and the particulars of the HIV test (date, medication series used, the person tested, the signatures of the doctor and the official stamp of the medical facility that conducted the test)

The document should be issued in both Russian and in English and should be valid for at least three months.

When is the best time to start with the visa application?

The best time to start with the visa application is 45 days prior of the date of travel in Russia.

When will I receive my visa?

You are likely to receive your visas within two or three weeks from the application date. You can also make an extra payment to the visa centres so that they can fasten your visa process.

What is the cost of the visa?

This completely depends on the country you have planned to travel and you can also get complete information on the same from the visa centre in your home country or Russian Embassy/Consulate.

The stamp duty, in the year 2020 for the extension of a one-year student visa was approximately 1,600 rubles.

How you can get your visas extended?

You can directly contact the international office of your university a month prior of the expiry date of your current visa.

You would require the following documents for visa extension:

• Original passport
• Application form of visa extension and photograph
• Migration card (original and copy both)
• A written request in free form, stating the grounds for the visa extension.
• Copy of your enrolment agreement or referral from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.
• Stamp duty (payment receipt).
• Detachable section of the arrival notification form (issued upon migration registration)

Also, please make a note, that whenever you need to apply for your visa extension, you need to register at the migration office.

Is it legal to stay in Russia, after the visas are expired?

It is always advisable to stay in Russia legally as long as your visas are valid i.e., from 3 to 12 months. Also, always apply for visa extension a month prior from the date of expiry because illegally staying in Russia with an expired visa can lead to paying hefty fines anywhere around 3000 or 5000 rubles or more severe punishment such as a ban from entering in the country for 5 years or deportation.

2. China Student Visa:

In China, visas are represented by different alphabets. Henceforth, the student visa is categorised as ‘X’ visa.

Also, the student visa has different subcategories and duration

Types of Visas

• X1 Visa

It is for long term study i.e., more than 180 days.

• X2 Visa

It is for a short-term study i.e., for less than 180 days.

At times, most of the applicants get confused between the duration of the visa and the validity. Moreover, the applicant needs to enter the country within 90 days, no matter whatever the duration of the visa is and if the applicant fails to enter the country before 90 days from the date when the visa was granted, the visa will expire.

Applicants also need to undergo medical test as recommended by the government of China.

How to apply for a China Student Visa?

There is no online procedure for applying for China Student Visa and the process is completely offline as decided by the government of China.

If the student is processing on his own then he or she will have to submit the form to the Embassy of China as the China Student Visa application procedure is completely offline.

It is best advisable to get it done from the experts in providing visa services as it is the most crucial procedure wherein any mistake might lead to visa denial or visa delay.

Our expert counsellors at New Era Education can help you throughout the visa process as they are well-efficient in providing visa services.

Following guidelines can help you understand the procedure for a China student visa:

• As the application form for the China student visa is completely offline it is mandatory that the details in the application form have to be filled with complete care, without making any errors so that the process does not get delayed.
• The applicant is required to collect all the important documents listed by the government of China, after the application form has been filled.
• The applicant is required to submit the application form to the China embassy by themselves, after collecting the documents. You can also take the assistance of the experts in order to avoid any errors.
• For the application to process, it normally takes at least 4 days and the applicant is advised to go through the entire documents thoroughly, before the embassy verification.
• Also, documents are not accepted through emails.
• It is recommended that the international aspirants must obtain the forms JW201 and JW202 from the university they have taken admissions in.
• The JW201 form are given to those international aspirants who are being funded by the China Government scholarships whereas the JW202 form is given to those international students who are self-sponsored.

What is the eligibility for China Student Visa?

As mentioned earlier that the China student visa application form is available offline only, thus it is the best way to approach or consult a visa providing consultancy, so that you can get your work done quickly and efficiently.

You should also check the authenticity of the visa providing consultancy, before taking the services from them.

Also, please make a note of the following:

• Indian students are eligible to apply for the China student visa and the student visa for China from India is granted by the China embassy in India.
• The invitation letter should be presented along with the application form, if the applicant is invited by any authorized educational institute in China.
• Indian students with Indian passport are eligible to apply for a student visa for China, but the passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of travelling to China.
• Also, the applicant is expected to carry the passport which should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travelling to China.
• Applicants are expected to exit from China and re-apply for the visa from the home country, in case they are planning to extend the duration of visa.
• The total duration of your stay in China is decided by the government of China which could be either one month, 3 months, 6 months or even a year and it will also depend on an applicant’s requirements.
• Applicants must also keep in mind that any damage on the passport will only lead to rejection of the application, as it violates the rules and regulations stated by the Government of China.

What are the documents required for China Student Visa?

The documents which are required for the China student visa includes all the educational certificates such as 10^th marksheet and passing certificate, 12^th marksheet and passing certificate, invitation letter, etc.

China student visa requirements are as follows:

• An original passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival in China.
• 2 colour photographs with white background, matt finish, size 33 mm X 48 mm,70-80% face Size.
• Original personal bank statements for the last 6 months updated with sufficient funds.
• Covering letter mentioning the details of the travel.
• Original approved foreign student form.
• Confirmed air ticket.
• Travel itinerary.
• Original Admission notice from university/college in China.

How much time does it take for the visas to get processed?

The time required for the visa process is completely depended on the verification of the documents. Applicants should take care and avoid making any major blunder in the application form. Only after a thorough verification of the documents, one must submit the documents.

It takes at least 4 working days for the process of a China visa for students to get completed.

The express service is also made available by the Government of China in order to fast track the visa process and the duration for the express service could be at least 2 working days.

What need to be done after the Submission?

An applicant is required to check all the documents in order to check that they are meeting with reference to the requirements as stated by the concerned consultancy or the embassy, before the submission to the embassy.

Along with the application form and after thorough verification, applicant is required to present the documents for submission.

Applicant is expected to wait for the China embassy verification, as soon as the documents are submitted.

Also, it is advisable not to make any transaction from your mentioned bank account in the application form as the bank balance mentioned in the application form must not be used.

How to track your visa status?

The following documents would help you track the status of your visa:

• Application ID.
• Passport number

Also, if you want to track the status of your visa process, you can visit the website of the China Embassy in India.

You can also track the visa application by submitting your application number, after you find the embassy website if the option is available.

By submitting Application number, birth date and your name:

There is one more option that is available in order to track the China student visa from India through various portals by submitting your name (as per stated in the application form), birth date and passport number along with the application number.

After the submission of your application, a tracking ID will be received by you and this tracking ID will help you to track your application through the embassy site.

How to track with the help of the passport?

In any case, where the applicant has processed their application through a Visa providing services or a consultancy then, they can track the status of the application by submitting the passport number to the concerned service provider.

3. Bangladesh Student Visa

A visa is a permit that allows the student to travel to the country for the purpose of pursuing higher studies from the particular university. For travellers other than students, before applying for the visa, you must be sure of your purpose to visit and even the period of residence you require. One can stay in the country for about 30 days on a single visit for a short- term visa.

What is the procedure to apply for Bangladesh Student Visa?

For Indian students, in order to apply for Bangladesh student visit, the procedure is mainly online although it involves a combination of both offline and online procedure.

You will have to apply through the official online portal of the embassy in order to acquire a visa from Bangladesh.

In case of aspirants, they can take the advice of our expert counsellors at New Era Education who will guide them correctly in order to get the visa invitation letter from the University you have taken admissions in Bangladesh.

For acquiring a visa invitation letter following guidelines should be taken care of:

• Provide a valid passport with three months validity.
• Attach 2 passport size colour photos on the application form.
• You can apply online by filling out the online visa application form on the official website of the country.
• Confirmed flight tickets. If the visa is short term both to and from tickets will be required.
• Along with the copies of the required documents submit the form to the Bangladesh embassy.
• When the above application process has been done, you can now wait for the embassy to process the documents. You can collect your visa from the embassy, else you can get it collected from your visa agent after the processing.

You need to make sure that the information you have provided is correct, at the time of filling the form as there are chances that with false and unverifiable details, the visa application might get rejected. Also, keep in mind that visa rejection can even affect your future visa applications.

The different types of Bangladesh Visa are as follows:

On the basis of different factors there are different kinds of visa types and the most common type is categorized on the basis of the span of stay or the validity offered are listed as follows:

• Long-term visas:

The long-term visas are that kind of permits which allows you to stay in the country for a longer period of time say more than just 3 to 6 months. The visas that fall under this category are resident permit, business investor visa, employment visa, student visa and business investor visa. Usually, these type of visa permits also require attestation of documents as well.

Please make a note that some types of student and business visas are also a part of short-term visas.

• Short-term visas:

The business visa, transit visa, the tourist or visitor visa are some types of the short-term visas and they have a validity period of only 3 days or 3 to 6 months. These types of visas can be extended up to a certain period of time.

Moreover, the Bangladesh visa can also be classified based on the purpose of the visit and are mentioned below accordingly:

• Bangladesh Tourist/Visitor visa:

In case, if you are planning to visit Bangladesh for tourism, so in order to visit the country you will need to obtain a permit which is known as a tourist visa. When you are visiting a family member or friend in the country a visitor visa needs to be acquired and the validity for both the visas is usually the same.

• Bangladesh Business visa:

If a person is travelling to Bangladesh for the purpose of business, a business visa is needed for the same for example for carrying out business-related transactions or making business deals. The time limit for the business visa depends totally on your exact purpose of visit.

• Employment visa:

It is also known as the work visa, which is issued for the ones who already have a job in Bangladesh and require a permit to stay in the country for the same.

• Transit visa:

A transit visa is kind of a temporary visa which is issued at the time when you are going to have to make a transit stop in the country and travel to another country later.

What are the Documents that are required for Bangladesh visa?

In the process of issuing a visa for Bangladesh, there are several documents that are required.

As per the type of visa you are applying for, the types of documents will also differ accordingly and some of the Bangladesh visa requirements are listed as follows:

• Passport with at least 6 months of validity from the date of travelling in the country.
• 2 passport size-coloured photos
• Original ID proofs of the applicant.
• Invitation letter if required.

What is the Bangladesh visa fees?

The Bangladesh visa fees are dependent on various factors for Indian citizens which include the validity of the visa required, the type of visa, the urgency of the visa issuance, etc. The fee also includes the charges paid to the High Commission of Bangladesh and the visa services that you have taken.

While you are submitting the visa, the fees can be paid either offline or online.

How to check Bangladesh Visa status?

The visa for Bangladesh can be acquired in the form of a stamp on the Passport. In order to check the status of the visa you can simply log on to the online portal of the Consulate of Bangladesh, after which you can enter your visa application number and you can track the processing of your visa. you can even follow the process offline, alternatively, by calling the embassy with your application number and know the status.

Where to apply for Bangladesh visa?

You will have to visit the Bangladesh online MRV portal, in order to apply for the Bangladesh visa. For a better approach towards the visa process, you can also reach out to professional visa services.

Applicants need to take into consideration that if they make any kind of mistake during the application process, you may have to go through visa rejection as well. So, in order to avoid all this, you can always take help of the expert visa consultation at New Era Education.