You may have heard that there have been major changes to the rules surrounding visas to study in the UK.  It is very important that you understand these changes and how they affect you.

There are currently two kinds of visa you can apply for to study in the UK:  General Student Visas and Student Visitors.  You are no longer allowed to study on a normal visitor visa.

Student Visitor Visa

If you do need a visa to visit the UK, then you will need to apply for a Student Visitor Visa before you travel.  This will allow you six months in the UK (or 11 months if you are studying English only) during which time you can study or travel.  You may not work on a Student Visitor Visa.

General Student Visa

If you wish to study longer than six months, or if you wish to work during your stay, you must apply for a General Student Visa.  General Student Visas are specific to a given course at a given institution.  They are issued for the length of your course up to four years.  You can work for up to 10 hours per week during term time to support your studies.  However there are some restrictions that you must be aware of:

• General Student Visas can only be issued for vocational or academic courses that result in a qualification that is rated at National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 3 or higher.  What this means is that you cannot study for a qualification lower than A-Levels on a General Student Visa.  Be sure to check the level of your course before applying.  If you are not sure, ask a member of the Admissions Office.
• General Student Visa can only be issued for English Language Courses that are rated at CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS level 3.5 or Pre-Intermediate).  This means that we would need to test your level of English before we could offer you a place.  If you are not sure, ask a member of the Admissions Team.
• General Student Visas can only be issued for the length of the first course you are taking.  If you are taking a pre-English course and have not been given an unconditional offer on the second part of your course (for example an HND following a year of English), then you would only be issued with a visa for the first portion of the course, and you would need to extend your visa in-country to study the second part.  If you are not sure, ask a member of the Admissions Team.