Apply for means to make a formal request for something: a job, a visa, a grant, a loan, a place on a course. In other words, you officially ask for what you want to get. People use it both in everyday speech and in business letters.
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apply for + job/visa/grant/place; apply for a job at + company; apply to + university/organisation
- I'm going to apply for a part-time job at the local library.
- You should apply for the visa at least two months before your trip.
- She applied for a scholarship and got it on her second attempt.
What changed
First versionI applied on a student visa last month.
RevisionI applied for a student visa last month.
The thing you want to get is introduced by for: apply for a visa. On isn't used with apply in this sense, so the correction replaces on with for.
Apply for is what you want to get, apply to is where you send your application: I applied to three universities and for two scholarships. Apply to also means “be relevant to”: This rule applies to all students.
Your turn
Maria has already ___ three universities in the UK and is waiting for their answers.
Show the answer
applied to — After the gap come universities, the places where the documents go: applied to. Applied for would fit what you want to get: applied for a place.
Describe an application you have made or are planning to make: for a job, a course, a visa or a grant. Say what exactly it's for and when.
In March I'm going to apply for a summer internship at an IT company in Moscow.
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