Credibility interviews

If you are applying for university from outside the UK, your visa interview will take place online via applications such as Microsoft Teams. You will be interviewed by a member of UKVI staff, with the interview typically lasting around ten minutes. 

You should familiarise or re-familiarise yourself with the below:

University College Birmingham (UCB): It is important that you have a sound knowledge of our university and why you chose us. Our webpages are full of useful information.

The course you applied for at UCB: Our course pages include details on delivery, modules, placements and methods of assessment. Ensure you have an in-depth knowledge of the course you applied for and consider re-visiting your personal statement, if you submitted one in your application.

Birmingham as a location: Look at where we are based in the UK, proximity to other major cities and learn about the city as a whole.

Fees and finance: Familiarise yourself with the costs involved with your course and how much you will need for general expenses when living in the UK.

Working in the UK: You must be aware of the restrictions on working hours associated with student visas. You must know that you cannot rely on working part-time to fund your studies and living expenses.

Accommodation:  Will you be staying in University accommodation or renting privately? Think about the distance between campus and where you intend to stay and whether there will be any costs involved when travelling to campus.

Plans after you graduate: Think about what you intend to do once you finish your course at UCB. Consider how much money you expect to earn in your next job or where you intend to study next.

You must provide detailed answers to all questions the UKVI Officer asks. You will be expected to provide in-depth responses to questions on the following topics:

Previous study

The interviewer may ask you about your previous courses and how they relate to the course you will study at UCB. If your previous studies do not relate to your course at UCB, you should be able to explain why you have decided to change to your new field of study. If you are returning to education after a significant period of time, you need to explain why you are doing this.

Your immigration history

The interviewer will check your immigration history. They will check if you have had any previous visa refusals or if you have breached your visa conditions in the past. If you have had any previous visa refusals or if you have breached your visa conditions before, you must be able to explain why.

Knowledge of your new course at UCB

You should already know a lot about your course at UCB, but it is a good idea to read about the course again and be comfortable talking about it. If you wrote a personal statement for your application, it is a good idea to read it over again to remind yourself why you applied for the course.

You should be familiar with similar courses that are being offered in your home country and be able to explain why the course at UCB is more suitable for you.

Considering other universities in the UK

As a genuine applicant, you must be able to show the extent of research you have put into finding a suitable university. You are expected to have researched a number of universities before making your final choice. You will be expected to explain why you chose to apply for a course at UCB and what other universities you looked at.

Where will you live

Consider your accommodation options - will you be living in university accommodation or renting privately? Think about how far your accommodation is from the campus where you'll be studying, how you plan to commute and the associated travel costs.

Working in the UK

Your primary reason for being in the UK is to study, so if you plan to work, consider how it will fit in with your studies. It’s also important to show that you understand the legal limits on working hours and the UK minimum wage.

Your intentions after finishing your course at UCB

You should be able to talk about your future career plans and how your course at UCB will help you achieve your goals.

Funding your studies

Think about your financial situation and how you plan to fund your course and living expenses in the UK. You should not be reliant on part-time work alone; this will not be sufficient given tuition and living expenses in the UK. If you are receiving support from your family, know your family's income sources and financial state.

You must be able to hold a conversation in English to the standard expected of your course level, without the help of an interpreter.

You will not receive an instant decision once the interview has concluded.

A decision will be provided at a later date and will be based on your interview transcript, supporting documents and initial visa application. There are two outcomes: 

A) Your application is approved. 

B) Your application is refused and a detailed interview report is provided. You are also provided information about Administrative Review, should you disagree with the decision. 

You can download the sample questions to help you with research and learning about the UK and UCB here.