Table Of Contents
- Courses that you can study on a visitor visa UK
- Basic eligibility requirements to study on a visitor visa UK
- Specific eligibility requirements to study on a visitor visa UK
- Summary
A UK visitor visa allows you to study in the UK, but only for short-term and permitted study activities, usually lasting up to six months. If you want to undertake a longer course, such as a university degree or an extended programme of study, you will normally need a Student visa, a Short-term Study visa (if you are taking an English language course in the UK which lasts longer than 6 months but not more than 11 months), or another appropriate immigration route.
In this article, we have discussed what courses you can study in the UK on a visitor visa and what the specific requirements are for each of those permitted courses.
Courses that you can study on a visitor visa UK
You can visit the UK as a student for not more than 6 months to:
• study at an accredited institution (an education provider that has been officially recognised or approved by a relevant UK authority or an approved accreditation body as meeting certain standards of quality and educational provision), including English language courses
• do a short piece of research activity in the UK that forms or supports part of a course you are already studying overseas
• do an ‘elective’ – an optional additional short-term practical placement or training period, if you are studying medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and science, nursing, or midwifery
• Take an entrance exam, retake an exam/course module, or take the PhD oral examination (commonly known as a viva voce or simply a viva)
• Do an unpaid clinical attachment (commonly undertaken by IMGs (International Medical Graduates) who wish to familiarise themselves with UK medical practices before applying for jobs or professional registration) if you are a graduate from a nursing, medical, or dental school
• Take the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) test – this is a practical examination used to assess the clinical skills, communication abilities, and professional competence of healthcare professionals in a realistic healthcare setting or the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board) test – this test is designed to ensure that overseas doctors have skills and knowledge equivalent to a doctor who has completed the second year of the UK Foundation Programme (F2 level).
Basic eligibility requirements to study on a visitor visa UK
If you are applying to take a course permitted under the visitor visa category (as mentioned above), you need to meet the basic eligibility requirements for a UK Standard Visitor visa set out by the Home Office. Other than the basic eligibility requirements, you need to meet specific requirements depending on the type of course you are planning to do in the UK.
Basic eligibility requirements for a UK Standard Visitor include the following:
You must demonstrate that you:
• Are a genuine visitor to the UK for a temporary purpose.
• Intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit.
• Have enough money to support yourself and any dependents during your stay and pay for your return or onward journey.
• Will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.
• Will not undertake activities that are not permitted under the Visitor rules.
Specific eligibility requirements to study on a visitor visa UK
Depending on the type of study you will be undertaking as a visitor in the UK, you will need to meet additional requirements.
Meeting these requirements is as important as meeting the basic eligibility requirements. Failing to do so can lead to a visa refusal.
Let us see the specific requirements below.
1. If you are visiting the UK to study at an accredited institution
For this purpose, you must prove that:
• An accredited institution (this cannot be an academy or state-funded school) has accepted you onto a course provided by them
• Your course does not last for more than 6 months (unless it is a distance learning course)
2. If you are doing distance learning courses
A distance learning course can be more than 6 months because most of your study will take place outside of the UK.
You can visit the UK to do certain activities as part of your distance learning course, for example, attending induction weeks, doing face-to-face intensive learning, having progress checks, or sitting exams or assessments
3. If you are visiting the UK to do a short piece of research
For this purpose, you must prove that:
• You are 16 or over
• You are already enrolled on a course overseas recognised as the equivalent of a UK degree
• A UK higher education institution has accepted you to take part in research that is relevant to the course you are studying overseas
To do your research, you can visit the UK for up to 6 months.
4. If you are visiting the UK to do an elective
For this purpose, you must prove that you are:
• Aged 16 or over
• Already enrolled on a higher education course overseas that is recognised as the equivalent of a UK degree – your course must be in one of the following:
- medicine,
- veterinary medicine and science,
- nursing,
- midwifery
- dentistry
• Doing an elective as part of your course at a higher education institution in the UK
To do your elective, you can visit the UK for up to 6 months.
5. If you are visiting the UK for an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post
You can do an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post in the UK for up to 6 months if you are an overseas graduate from a medical, dental or nursing school.
If you want to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, you will need to pass the PLAB test and apply to stay in the country.
You cannot treat patients.
6. If you are visiting the UK to take the OSCE or PLAB test
You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to take the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) test or the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board) test.
If you do not pass the PLAB test and want to take the test again, you can apply to stay in the UK to retake the test for a further 6 months.
On the other hand, if you pass the PLAB test, you can apply to stay in the UK to do a dental observer post or an unpaid clinical attachment. In total, you can stay in the UK for up to 18 months.
Summary
Yes, it is possible to study in the UK on a visitor visa, but only the courses permitted under this route. To study on a visitor visa UK, you are required not only to meet the basic eligibility requirements for a standard visitor visa, such as you must be a genuine visitor, you must leave the UK at the end of your visit, and you must not intend to make the UK your main home; you also need to meet the course-specific requirements as mentioned in this article.
For courses that last for more than 6 months, you will need to apply for other visas such as a UK student visa, a UK child student visa, or a UK Short-term study visa.
Read Similar Blogs
Can You Stay in the UK After Study