What is Student Visitor Visa?
Since 1 December 2020, Student Visitor Visa holders are only permitted to study on English language courses lasting between six and eleven months.
For other courses lasting up to six months, it may be possible for non-visa nationals to come to the UK on the Standard Visitor Visa.
The Student Visitor Visa is also known as the Short-term Study Visa.
It should be confused with the Student Visa which is a separate visa category.
If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country, or you have taken advantage of the EU Settlement Scheme, what you can do on the Student Visitor Visa may vary depending on when you arrived in the UK.
You can only study on an approved course that meets eligibility requirements.
You are permitted to stay in the UK for the duration of your stay plus 30 days, if you can prove that your course lasts less than eleven months.
As well as the visa application fee and the cost of your course, you may also have to pay additional fees (including the healthcare surcharge).
Who can apply for this visa?
To apply for this short-term student visa, you must meet the following requirements:
- You are aged over 16 years old
- You have been accepted on an eligible English language course
- The course is solely an English language course
- The institute or course provider is accredited and registered
- You have sufficient funds to support yourself without working
- You can pay for your journey home
As well as this, if you are aged under 18 years old, you must ensure that:
- Proof that you have organised a place to stay and made travel arrangements
- Confirmation that your parents’ or guardians’ consent to your studying in the UK
To be granted this visa, you must show that you intend to study solely on the course you were granted permission for.
As well as this, you must leave the UK within 30 days after the end of your course. If you fail to do so, you could be at risk of breaching immigration rules which may jeopardise future applications.
You are not permitted to work, undertake a work placement or any form of work experience.
Similarly, you are prohibited from taking on any business or professional activities for the duration of your visa.
What are the course requirements?
To study in the UK on this visa, your course provider must be either an accredited UK institution, or an eligible overseas course provider (if studying in the UK as part of an international course).
It is your responsibility to ensure that your course provider is an eligible accredited institution.
Your accredited institution must hold a valid student sponsor licence or accreditation and be listed by one of the following bodies:
- Accreditation Service for International Colleges
- Accreditation UK
- British Accreditation Council
- Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland)
- Estyn (Wales)
- Education Scotland (Scotland)
- Independent Schools Inspectorate
- Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
- Office for Students
- Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
If your course is with an overseas institution, it must meet the following points:
- The course has national accreditation
- Less than half of its programmes are based in the UK
- It offers programmes equivalent to UK degrees
To fulfil the criteria of the Home Office, if you apply for a this visa, your chosen course must meet the following points:
- The course does not result in a qualification
- It is not essential for applicants to have academic qualifications
- There is no required level of English language skills
- There is no minimum number of hours of study for your course
Please note that alongside the Home Office rules, your course provider may require that you meet certain criteria before being accepted on a course.
How to apply
To apply for this visa, you must apply outside the UK (you cannot switch to this visa) and receive a positive decision before travelling to the UK.
Follow these steps to apply for your visa:
- Apply to an eligible course and receive an offer inviting you to study
- Complete the online application form
- Pay the application fee
- Submit your supporting documents
- Provide your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph)
- Submit your application
- Wait for a decision to be issued
What documents do you need?
As with all visa applications, you will be required to submit supporting documents with your application to provide proof of your eligibility.
Student Visitor Visa checklist
- Fully completed online application form for a short-term student
- Receipt confirming payment of fees and healthcare surcharge
- Valid passport or travel document
- Letter confirming your acceptance to an accredited organisation, stating your details and the length and nature of the course
- Proof of sufficient funds to maintain yourself in the UK without recourse to public funds and without working
- (e.g., bank statements, proof of financial sponsorship, etc.)
- Proof of payment of your course fees
- Your proposed itinerary and where you intend to stay
- Medical certificates (e.g., proof of COVID vaccination status, clean TB certificate, etc.)
- Certified translations of any document not in English or Welsh
- Biometrics (facial photograph and fingerprints)
If you are aged under 18 years, you must submit evidence of travel, reception, and care arrangements when you enter the UK.
It may be recommended to take out private medical insurance if you have specialist medical needs.
You must also submit legal written confirmation from both parents or guardians (as well as their contact details) confirming their consent to allow you to come study in the UK.
Can you extend the visa?
It is not permitted to switch to another immigration category if you are granted a Student Visitor Visa.
Similarly, it is not possible to switch into this category if you are in the UK on another visa.
Another requirement of the Student Visitor Visa is that the UK is not your primary home.
You may be able to return to your home country and apply for a Student Visa is you wish to continue studying in the UK.
