BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Short Term Study Visa

Applicants wishing to come to the UK to complete a study course with a duration of six (6) months to 11 (eleven) months can apply for a Short Term study visa. This visa category was previously known as ‘Student Visitor Visa’ and does not fall under the Points Based System.

To be eligible to apply for the Short Term Study Visa, applicants must prove that they have been offered a place on a course in the UK at an accepted and accredited institution. They must prove that they can support themselves financially whilst in the UK and have every intention to leave UK at the end of their study. Applicants under 18 years must also show that they have made arrangements for their travel and stay in the UK. Those below 18 years must have permission from their parent or guardian to study in the UK.

Visa Entitlements

Successful applicants will be allowed to stay in the UK for the full length of their course.

FAQ

• What type of course can I study? v

  • Applicants under the Short Term Study visa can undertake the following courses in the UK:-

    • Short course of study in the UK, such as an English language course or a training course; or
    • Short period of research as part of a degree course if you are studying abroad
• How long can I stay?v

  • Applicants can stay in the UK for:

    • 6 (six) months - for any short course (including English language courses), or short period of research if they are  18 years or over;
    • 11 (eleven) months - if applicant is 18 years or over and pursuing an English language course. 
• Rights of Dependants v

  • Applicants under a Short Term Study visa cannot bring their husband or wife or civil partner or other partner or child, in the UK as their dependant.  If these dependants want to come with you to the UK, they must make their own application, which may be in a different immigration category.

• Can you 'switch' if you are already in the UK? v

  • Applicant must leave the UK on or before the date that their visa. Short-term students are not allowed to apply to switch into any other immigration category while still in the UK. If they wish to continue studying in the UK after your immigration permission as a short-term student has come to an end, they will need to return home and apply for entry clearance as a Tier 4 student, or in another appropriate immigration category. 

• Can I work?v

  • Applicants cannot work at all during their time in the UK. 

• Conditions of Stayv

  • Applicants will have the following conditions attached to their leave:  

    • No recourse to public funds;
    • Intend to leave UK after the end of your study.
• Biometric Requirementv

  • Foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area making certain applications to the Home Office have to apply for a biometric residence permit. This applies to both postal applications and applications made in person (known as ‘premium applications’). The biometric residence permit is a residence permit which holds a migrant’s biographic details (name, date and place of birth) and biometric information (facial image and fingerprints), and shows their immigration status and entitlements while they remain in the UK. This also means that a UK visa will no longer be stamped in applicant’s passport and all applicants will be issued one of the new Biometric visa cards instead.  These cards look very similar to a (pink) UK driving license except they have a microchip on the back.

    Applicants who wish to extend their stay in the UK by post, the Home Office will send them a letter asking them to enrol their biometrics after the Home Office have received their application. Applicants will be able to enrol their biometric information one of the Post Offices offering this service across the UK using their walk-in service.

    Applicants who are submitting their application in person can do this at one of the Public Enquiry Offices by using the premium service. Applicants will enrol applicants’ biometric information at the same time as making their application.

    For application submitted overseas, the applicants have to provide their biometric enrolment at one of the Visa Facilitation Centres. Successful applicants will receive a 30 day ‘vignette sticker’ in their passport instead of a vignette with the full grant of leave. This 30 day visa will be the date they indicated as their intended travel date in their visa application. Applicants will be required to collect their BRP from the Post Office branch detailed in their decision letter within ten days of arrival in the UK. The Post Office branch is linked to the postcode that they submitted in their visa application. The BRP card can then be used as proof of right to work, study and access public services in the UK.

• Immigration Health Surchargev

  • The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) was introduced by the Home Office on 6^th April 2015. People (non-EEA) coming to the UK for more than six months have to pay this health surcharge as a part of their immigration application towards the National Health Service (healthcare in the UK).  
    
    Offshore applicants will have to pay the health surcharge if they are applying for a visa for a period of longer than six months, and onshore applicant will have to pay the health charge for any length of visa.

    Applicants will have to pay £150 per year as a student or £200 per year for all other visa and immigration applications. Dependants will usually need to pay the same amount as the main applicant. The exact amount they have to pay depends on how much leave you’re granted. They can calculate how much they will have to pay before you apply. If the period of grant applied for is less than 6 months, then half of the yearly amount to be paid and if the period of grant applied for is more than 6 months, then whole year amount is to be paid.

    Visa application will not be granted if applicants do not pay the healthcare surcharge or application will be delayed if the right amount is not paid.

    Following persons are exempted to pay the IHS:

    • Applicants applying for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa and their dependants;
    • Applicant under 18 who has been taken into care by a local authority;
    • Applicants who arenationals of Australia or New Zealand;
    • Dependant of a member of the UK’s armed forces;
    • Dependant of a member of another country’s forces who is exempt from immigration control; and
    • Applicants of a relevant civilian employee employed by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) or the Australian Department of Defence in the UK and their dependants.
• Government Feesv

  • Home Office fees for Short Term Study Visa Application
    	Postal	Same day	Overseas
    Main Appplicant	N/A	N/A	£97 - £186
    Partner & Child (<18years), applying together	N/A	N/A	N/A
    Partner & Child, applying later	N/A	N/A	N/A
    *Short-term (valid up to 6 months)- £89
    *Short-term (valid up to 11 months)- £170

• Processing Timesv

  • In line with the Home Office service standards for processing UK visa applications, they decide 90 per cent of the applications within 3 weeks, 98 per cent within 6 weeks and 100 per cent within 12 weeks of the application date.

    Applicants apply for the Same Day at one of Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in the UK; the application is normally decided on the same day.