Student Visa for Foreigners.

1. Overview

You can apply for a Student Visitor visa if:

• you’re doing a short course of study in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

  What you can and can’t do

  You can:
  • do a short course of study in the UK, such as an English language course or a training course
  You can’t:
  • study at a state school
  • work or carry out any business
  • marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or a civil partnership
  • come to the UK specifically for private medical treatment
  • extend this visa
  • bring family members (‘dependants’) with you - they must apply separately
  • get public funds

  How long you can stay

  You can stay in the UK for:
  • 6 months - for any short course including English language courses
  • 11 months - an extended visa for English language courses only

  Fees

  It costs:
  • £85 for a 6 month standard visa
  • £162 for an 11 month extended visa

  How long it takes

  You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.
  You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
  Check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country you’re applying from.

2. Eligibility

You must prove that you:

• are 18 or over
• have been offered a place on a course in the UK at an accepted place of study
• have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds, or that relatives and friends can support and house you
• can pay for your return or onward journey

You may be able to apply for a Child Visitor visa if you’re under 18.

Where you can study

You must be accepted on a course taught by an organisation that is licensed to sponsor Tier 4 migrants or accredited by one of the following:

• Accreditation UK
• Accreditation Body for Language Services
• British Accreditation Council
• Accreditation Service for International Colleges

Otherwise your course will need to be held at an educational institution listed by one of the following:

• Bridge School Inspectorate
• Education and Training Inspectorate (in Northern Ireland)
• Estyn (in Wales)
• HM Inspectorate of Education (in Scotland)
• Independent Schools Inspectorate
• Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
• Schools Inspection Service

Learning English as a foreign language

You must be accepted on a course to learn English as a foreign language if you’re applying for an 11 month extended visa.

A mixed course, some of which is spent studying English, doesn’t count.

Visiting the UK as part of an overseas course

You can apply for a Student Vistor visa if you’re studying at an overseas higher education institution and part of your course is in the UK.

Your institution must:

• hold its own national accreditation
• offer only part of its educational programme in the UK
• offer programmes that are equivalent to a UK degree

Researching in the UK for a short time

You can come to the UK for a short period of research if you’re already enrolled on an overseas course.

To be eligible:

• your course must be equivalent to a UK degree
• you must be carrying out the research at a UK recognised body, or a body that receives public funding as a higher education institute

3. Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport or other valid travel identification
• 1 passport-sized colour photograph
• evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, eg bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months
• details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans - you shouldn’t pay for accommodation or travel until you get your visa
• your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the visa.

You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that aren’t in English or Welsh.

Read the guide for a full list of documents you can provide.

Documents about your course

You must provide proof of:

• the course you’re studying, eg a letter of acceptance from the educational institution - on official headed paper, stating the course’s name, duration and cost (including accommodation)
• your previous study, eg academic certificates, academic references, academic transcripts
• any English language ability or qualifications, eg test certificates, award certificates for degrees taught in English

You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.

4. Apply

You must apply online for a Student Visitor visa.

You’ll need to have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken at a visa application centre as part of your application.

You may be able to get your visa faster or other services depending on what country you’re in - check with your visa application centre.

North Korea

You can’t apply online if you’re living in North Korea.

To apply from North Korea you must:

• download the application form
• read the instructions for North Korea on how to apply