Three mnths before course starting or 3 mnths before arrival

[lovebp]

I applied online for a Tier 4 Student Visa May 7th. My biometric data collection appointment was today. However, after the biometric appointment had been made, I became aware that one cannot petition for a student visa more than 3 months prior to the course starting (or is it 3 months prior to actual arrival?). I wasn't able to reschedule the biometric appointment.

I have two weeks to send in my application to the NY consulate (two weeks to send in from day of biometric data collection), this date would be June 5th. My Masters course at the LSE starts October 4th.; I am arriving August 28th.

Sending my application in June 5th would be *almost* 4 months prior to the course starting but I can't delay sending the application in due to the two week biometric rule. What would you suggest? Will sending it in almost 4 months in advance cause my application to automatically be denied thus requiring me to pay another application fee? (I'm particularly worried about this as the application fee was steep on a student budget, a second fee would break the bank!)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Greenie]

Applications made more than 3 months before the start of the course are liable to be refused. You might get lucky but a a refusal would be legally correct. You say you are arriving on 28 august but the earliest start date for the visa will be one month before the start date of the course.

[lovebp]

Greenie, thanks for the response. What would you suggest as the biometric data has already been collected so the two-week turn in clock is ticking? Can I contact anyone about this? Possibly submit a letter explaining what happened (i.e., I wasn't aware of the 3 month rule).

[lovebp]

What would happen if I sent the application in more than 2 weeks after the biometric data had been collected?

[Greenie]

I am not sure that delaying giving biometrics would help as the date of an application for entry clearance is the date you pay the fees, which I assume you have already done. See para 30