Study in the UK

Study in the UK

Study in the UK

Study Visa Overview

UK Student Visa
The UK Student visa is for individuals aged 16 or over who wish to study in the UK with a licensed sponsor. This visa applies to those enrolled in:

  • Further or higher education courses
  • Pre-sessional English courses
  • A recognised foundation programme
  • An elected post as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer

Note:

  • If you’re 16 or 17 and studying at an Independent School at “A-level” or above, you can apply as a Child Student.
  • If your course lasts 6 months or less and is delivered by an accredited provider (without a student sponsor), you should apply for a Visit visa.
  • For English Language courses of up to 11 months with an accredited provider (without a student sponsor), you should apply under Appendix Short-term Student.
  • This route does not lead to settlement, although postgraduate students can bring dependents.

Requirements for a Valid Application:
You must:

  • Be aged 16 or over
  • Have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) issued within 6 months of applying
  • Provide written consent from your scholarship sponsor if you’ve been sponsored by a government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs in the last 12 months

Eligibility Criteria:
You must:

  • Be a genuine student
  • Have a valid CAS from a licensed sponsor
  • Be enrolled in a course:
  • Leading to an approved qualification
  • At an appropriate academic level
  • Delivered at your sponsor’s or partner institution’s premises
  • Provide a clear Tuberculosis (TB) test result (if applicable)
  • Meet English language requirements:
  • B2 level for degree-level courses or above
  • B1 level for courses below degree level

Have sufficient funds to cover:

  • Outstanding course fees

Living costs, calculated as:

  • £1,483/month (for up to 9 months) if studying in London
  • £1,136/month (for up to 9 months) if studying outside London

Exceptions:

  • You don’t need to meet this financial requirement if:
  • You’re applying as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer
  • You’re studying a recognised foundation programme for doctors or dentists
  • You’ve lived in the UK for 12 months or longer with permission before applying

Special Conditions for Students Aged 16–17:

  • If applying at 16 or 17 years old, you must have written consent from:
  • Both parents, or
  • A legal guardian (if they have sole responsibility)

The consent must cover:

  • Your application
  • Living and care arrangements in the UK
  • Travel to and reception in the UK (if applying for entry clearance)
  • Visa Duration:
    Up to 5 years if 18 or over and studying a degree-level course or above
  • Up to 2 years if studying below degree level

What You Can and Can’t Do on a Student Visa:

  • ✅ Permitted Activities
  • Study with the institution named in your CAS

Take part in:

  • Study abroad programmes (as part of your course)
  • Supplementary courses

Work:

  • Up to 20 hours per week during term-time (if degree level or above)
  • Up to 10 hours per week during term-time (if below degree level)
  • Full-time outside of term-time
  • On a work placement as part of your course
  • As a Student Union Sabbatical Officer or elected NUS official
  • ❌ Prohibited Activities
  • Access public funds
  • Be self-employed
  • Work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer
  • Take a permanent full-time job

Important Notes:

  • The Student visa is not a route to settlement (permanent residency) in the UK.
  • Careful preparation of financial evidence, English language certification, and CAS details is critical for application success.

Graduate Visa

UK Graduate Visa
The Graduate Visa is a post-study work visa for international students in the UK. It allows those who have successfully completed a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, or other eligible qualification to stay in the UK and either work, look for work, or become self-employed — without the need for employer sponsorship.

⚠️ Note:
This visa does not lead directly to settlement (permanent residency) in the UK. However, visa holders can switch into other work-based visa routes, such as the Skilled Worker visa, which may offer a settlement pathway.

Eligibility Requirements
To apply for the Graduate Visa, you must score 70 points by meeting the following criteria:

✅ 1. Successful Course Completion

  • You must have been last sponsored by a UK higher education provider with a track record of compliance with the Home Office.
  • You must have successfully completed your eligible course, and your sponsor must have formally notified UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) of your course completion.

Eligible courses include:

  • UK Bachelor’s degrees
  • UK Postgraduate degrees
  • Certain law and medical professional qualifications

✅ 2. Qualification Requirement

  • You must have been awarded a degree or other eligible qualification at degree level or above.

✅ 3. Study in the UK Requirement

  • You must have held valid Student Visa permission throughout your studies.
  • You must have studied in the UK for at least 12 months (or for the full length of your course if shorter).
  • Remote study periods during the pandemic may count towards this requirement, depending on when your course took place.

Visa Duration

  • 2 years — if you completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
  • 3 years — if you completed a Doctoral (PhD) degree


What You Can and Can’t Do on a Graduate Visa:

✅ Permitted Activities

  • Work full-time, in any job or at any skill level
  • Be self-employed
  • Look for work
  • Undertake voluntary work
  • Travel freely in and out of the UK

❌ Prohibited Activities

  • Claim public funds (benefits)
  • Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
  • Extend this visa (you’ll need to switch to another immigration route if you wish to stay longer)

Important Notes:

  • The Graduate Visa is designed as a bridge to longer-term employment or visa routes in the UK.
  • Many graduates use this time to gain UK work experience and secure sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa or other qualifying category.
  • You must apply from within the UK before your current Student Visa expires.

Child Student Visa

This category is for children aged 4-17 coming to study at a UK independent school.

The applicant must be awarded:

50 points for Confirmation of Acceptance of Study, course requirement, study at independent school, aged 4-17 when applying and parental consent
20 points for the financial requirement

The written consent must confirm support for all the following:

  • The application; and the applicant’s living and care arrangements in the UK; and if the application is for entry clearance, the applicant’s travel to, and reception arrangements in, the UK.?
  • If the child is to live with a close relative or private foster carer, that close relative or foster carer must be British or settled in the UK. That person must also provide a letter? of undertaking? containing:

Their name, current address and contact details?

The address where they will be living with the child confirmation that the accommodation is a private address, and not a hotel or a youth hostel the nature of the relationship between the child’s parent(s) or legal guardian and the intended carer that the intended carer agrees to the care arrangements for the applicant and has at least £570 per month available to look after and accommodate the applicant, for each month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months a list of any other people that they have offered to support the intended carer’s signature and date of the letter of undertaking.

If the applicant is staying in a?private foster care arrangement?and is aged under 16 years, it is also mandatory to provide:

A copy of the letter of notification from their parent, legal guardian or intended carer to the UK local authority, confirming that the applicant will be in the care of a private foster carer while in the UK; and
the UK local authority’s confirmation of receipt, confirming that the local authority has received notification of the private foster care arrangement and have given permission to the arrangement
Note that the finance and qualification requirements need not be met at the date of application where the child is a national of an English speaking country listed in the Immigration Rules of has a BN(O) passport or a passport issued in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, or Taiwan (including the Taiwan ID number).

Finance

This element requires that, essentially, the course (and boarding, if relevant) fees are met in full plus:

  • a) To a carer living with the applicant as a Parent of a Child student, £1,560 are available per month up to 9 months (or £625 if there are other children under the care of the same person)
  • b) To a close relative or private foster carer, £570 per month are available up to 9 months
  • c) If aged 16-17 and living independently, £1334 for each month up to 9 months (or £1023 if studying outside London)

Qualifications

In addition, the qualification certificates and transcripts used to apply for the course must be provided.

Grant and conditions

If aged 16 and over, the Child student can work:
up to10 hours per week during term time and without restriction during vacation and before the course starts work placements assessed as part of the course which must not take up more than half the length of the course (unless it is a statutory requirement that it should) Types of work which are not allowed are self-employment, business activity, work as a professional sportsperson, entertainer of in a position filling a full-time vacancy.

Study conditions
The child student:

Must study on the sponsored course unless they start a new course at the same institution at a higher or equal level must study with the sponsoring institution unless the other institution is a partner of the sponsoring one, or they have applied to study elsewhere and the application has not yet been decided may engage in supplementary study must not study at a state school or academy except a voluntary grammar school in NI or where the sponsoring institution has become a state school or academy.

Parent of a child student visa

UK Parent of a Child Student Visa
The Parent of a Child Student Visa is designed for a parent who wishes to accompany their child while they study at an independent school in the UK under a Child Student Visa.

Who Can Apply?
To be eligible, you must:
Be the parent of a child who:

  • Holds, or is applying for, a Child Student Visa at the same time.
  • Is aged between 4 and 11 years on the date of application.
  • Intend to live with and care for the child throughout their stay in the UK.
  • Have no other parent living in or applying to come to the UK.


Financial Requirements

  • Unless you and the child have already been lawfully living in the UK for at least 12 months, you must show sufficient funds to cover your stay:
  • £1,560 per month of stay (up to a maximum of 9 months) for yourself.
  • £625 per month of stay (up to a maximum of 9 months) for any other child you’ll care for in the UK who is not the Child Student.
  • 💡 Funds must be held for at least 28 consecutive days before the application, as outlined in Appendix Finance of the Immigration Rules.
    You may rely on funds held by a partner outside the UK.


Additional Requirements
You must:

  • Not intend to make the UK your main home
  • Have sufficient funds to maintain your home outside the UK while you are staying in the UK

Important Notes

  • This visa only allows one parent to accompany the child to the UK.
  • The visa holder cannot work, study, or access public funds while in the UK.
  • If the child turns 12 or leaves school, the parent must either leave the UK or switch to another visa route if eligible.

Student visa services

Short-term Study Visa – Overview
The Short-term Study visa is designed for individuals who wish to study in the UK for a short period of time, typically up to 6 months (or up to 11 months for English language courses). It is ideal for those who are taking short courses, attending a specific academic program, or engaging in a brief period of study in the UK.

Who Needs a Short-term Study Visa?
You may need a Short-term Study visa if:

  • You are coming to the UK to study a short course (such as a summer school program, language course, or specific academic modules) for a period of up to 6 months.
  • You are planning to take an English language course of up to 11 months.
  • You are not planning to engage in long-term studies or remain in the UK for a period longer than the specified duration.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Short-term Study visa, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Confirmed place of study: You must have an offer to study on a short-term course at a licensed institution in the UK.
  • Full-time study: The course you intend to take must be a full-time course and involve a significant amount of study.
  • Intended short stay: You must show that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your course, and that you will not overstay your visa.
  • Proof of funds: You must have sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees, living costs, and return travel to your home country during your stay in the UK. Typically, this means showing you have at least £1,270 available for living expenses unless your sponsor (such as the institution) is providing support.
  • English language ability: Depending on the course, you may need to demonstrate a basic knowledge of English, though this is not always required for short-term studies.

What the Short-term Study Visa Allows
With a Short-term Study visa, you can:

  • Study full-time at a recognized institution in the UK.
  • Stay in the UK for up to 6 months (or up to 11 months if you are studying an English language course).
  • Engage in short-term academic programs, including summer schools, preparatory programs, and specialized courses.
  • Participate in academic exchanges or work placements that are part of your course.

Restrictions
The Short-term Study visa does not allow you to:

  • Extend your stay in the UK. You must leave the UK at the end of the visa’s validity.
  • Switch to another type of visa while in the UK. For example, you cannot switch to a Tier 4 Student visa (for long-term study) while on a Short-term Study visa.
  • Work in the UK. You are not allowed to work (paid or unpaid) during your stay, even as part of the course.

Bring dependents:

  • You cannot bring family members with you on this visa. If they need to accompany you, they must apply for a separate visa.

Visa Duration

  • For most short courses, the visa is typically granted for up to 6 months.
  • For English language courses, the visa can be granted for up to 11 months.