Student Visa
Student Visas, as the name suggests are visas issued to applicants whose primary purpose of visit to the country is the pursuit of education. Needless to say, while getting admission in the university is extremely important, these legal documents stand in the way of all your pursuits. Each and every country is governed by its own Immigration Laws. These could vary in terms of the requirements of documents to the different proof of funds acceptable to what all the visas would let you do apart from studying in the country. Also, there are some broad commonalities that are visible in all student visa applications.
Student Visa Classifications
Student Visas are often classified on the basis of two broad distinction points
Student Visa Classification Based on Program's Duration
Depending on the length or tenure of the program the applicant is planning to undertake, the countries often divide the student visa into Short Term Student Visas or Long-term Student Visas. Often, the short-term visas are given to students who plan to take a short course of a language or a diploma certificate course and the entire duration is often limited to 90 days (3 months). Long term visas, on the other hand, are given to students who are planning to take up degree courses extending beyond the 3 month period. These could include the internships and small certificate programs of 6 months and so on. European Union Countries often have this broad classification.
Student Visa Classification Based on Type of Program/ Student
Irrespective of the duration of the course, some countries classify the student visas basis the type of student. This could be the level of degree applied for (undergraduate, graduate or doctoral), exchange student or student applying for a vocational/ diploma course. Broadly speaking, as these visas also depend on the type, of course, the student is applying for, these are somewhat linked to the tenure. However, in these categories, the first point of distinction is not how long the program would be for. If you are, say for an instance, an exchange student, you could be going for 3month or 3 years, the category would still be based on the type of student and not the tenure.
Documents Required for Student Visa Application :
Every country, depending on their Immigration Laws have a specific list of documents. However, while the exact requirements are different in terms of actual terms, the list is generic. However, there are two documents which you would require certainly.