How will the interview be conducted?
If you are overseas, the interview
will take place at a Visa Application
Centre (VAC) as stated on the Home
Office’s covering letter you should
have received. The interview will be
conducted in English and therefore your
ability to communicate in English will
be tested.
The interview will normally last for
30 minutes and it will be conducted
via video link (similar to Skype) with
a Home Office member of staff
in Sheffield, UK. The report of the
interview will then be sent to the
allocated visa officer who will consider
it alongside your visa application and
supporting documents.
You can request a copy of your
interview transcript and we
recommend that all students do this.
It is unlikely you will be asked back for
a second interview. If you are, this is
probably because the interviewer has
more questions regarding something
you said during your first interview. A
second interview is your last chance
to show the interviewer that you are
a genuine student. Make sure you
prepare well and can answer the
questions fully.
What will I be asked at the interview?
The Home Office will ask questions
about your career and previous
studies, your family background and
immigration history, your studies you
are planning to undertake in the UK
and why you chose to study on your
chosen course at Glasgow Caledonian
University. They will also ask how you
intend to fund your studies in the UK
and how the successful completion of
your course fits into your future career
plans.
There are no set questions you will be
asked, however from the feedback we
have received the common types of
questions are listed below:
Visa and Immigration Student Journey
12
Why are you studying at
GCU? Think about why you
chose the UK rather than your
home country, another Englishspeaking
country or country
which other students of your
nationality choose to study in.
If the costs of studying your
course are higher in the UK
than in your home country,
you could be asked why and
how are planning to pay the
extra costs in the UK? Think
about the advantages that
a degree from the UK might
give you and why you and/
or your family are prepared
to make this investment. In
addition, consider if you made
a realistic assessment of all the
costs involved and how you
plan to pay for them. These
costs include accommodation
and costs of living. If your
family are supporting you,
do you have supporting
documentation to prove this, if
requested?
Why have you chosen your
GCU course? There may be
many courses in the same
subject area as the one you
plan to study at GCU. What
is special about the GCU
course and why do you prefer
it over other courses at other
institutions? Think about how
you came to this decision. Did
you apply for other courses -
why did you choose GCU over
them? As you have taken time
to choose the university based
on your career plans, this
should be easy to talk about.
If you have previously studied
in the UK – why have you
chosen to return, or continue
to study in the UK? Think
about how the new course
relates to previous studies and
how it might build on your
previous learning and how it
will support your career plans.
If you have had a long break
in your studies – why are you
returning to study at this
stage? Think about how you
explain your decision in the
context of your long-term
career plans.
How do your studies fit into
your career plans? Think
about what your plans are
after you graduate - how will
the knowledge and skills you
gain from your course at GCU
help you with the type of work
you hope to do>? Does your
course lead to any professional
exemptions or qualifications
and are these recognised in
your country? Do you know
what others graduating from
your chosen course have gone
on to do? This could mean
that you have contacted the
university Alumni to find out
some more information. The
schools should also be able to
help you identify the types of
roles and organisations that
feed into and off the course. If
the course you plan to study
is at a similar academic level
to previous studies, how
does it represent academic
progression and does it have a
career focus? If this is the case,
be prepared to explain this.