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Study in the UK Legally - Apply for a Short-Term or Study Visit Visa
Planning to study English or complete a short academic course in the UK? Our SRA-regulated solicitors prepare compliant Short-Term Study Visa and Study Visit applications under Home Office rules. We ensure your acceptance letter, funding, and intention to leave the UK are clearly evidenced in line with Home Office requirements, reducing the risk of avoidable delays or refusals.
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Study Visa UK Stressing You Out? Get Expert Help Now
No more confusion or wasted time. Tell us about your case, and we’ll provide an expert-backed, realistic plan to secure your UK visa.
If you are aged 16 or over and wish to study an English language course in the UK for longer than six months and up to 11 months, you may be eligible for a Short-term Study Visa. The course must be provided by an accredited UK institution.
Short courses or research lasting up to six months are not covered by the Short-term Study Visa and are instead permitted under the Standard Visitor Visa, provided all visitor requirements are met. Activities such as resitting an exam, retaking a module, or attending a PhD oral (viva) examination are normally permitted under the Standard Visitor Visa, not the Short-term Study Visa. Children under the age of 16 who wish to study in the UK must apply under the Child Student Visa route, as the Short-term Study Visa is only available to applicants aged 16 and over.
Quick Facts You Shouldn’t Miss
Visa Type
The Short-Term Study Visa covers English-language courses lasting six to 11 months. Courses under six months fall under the Standard Visitor Visa (for study purposes).
Eligibility
Applicants must be aged 16 or over, be accepted onto an English language course at an accredited UK institution that lasts longer than 6 months and up to 11 months, and must show they have enough money to support themselves and pay for their return or onward journey in line with Home Office requirements.
Length of Stay
The Short-Term Study Visa allows study for English language courses lasting longer than six months and up to 11 months. Shorter study and academic or research visits are generally covered by the Standard Visitor Visa under its own conditions.
Work and Extensions
You cannot work, take placements, or extend/switch from this visa within the UK.
When applying for a Marriage Visitor Visa, you do not need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This visa is for a short, single stay and does not grant access to the UK’s public healthcare system.
Family members cannot accompany you on this visa; they must apply for their own visas (for example, as Standard Visitors) and meet the relevant requirements for that visa category.
When applying for a Spouse visa, you must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge to cover your healthcare costs while in the UK. Since February 2024, the surcharge has been £1,035 per year, following a 86% increase. For in-country application, it will be for 30 months and out-country application, it will be for 33 months.
You must provide evidence such as bank statements or sponsor documents showing that you can afford your course fees, accommodation, living costs, and return or onward travel without recourse to public funds, in line with Home Office requirements.
The Marriage Visitor Visa allows for a single stay of up to 6 months. This visa cannot be extended, and you must leave the UK at the end of this period.
Apply online via GOV.UK, pay the fee, and attend your biometric appointment before travel.
This visa allows you to get married or register a civil partnership, but you cannot work, study, or live in the UK. You must use this visa solely to visit and get married.
Most applications are decided within three weeks after submission; priority services may be available depending on your location.
Focused Applications. Faster Approvals. No Errors.
Short-term study applications are often refused due to simple oversights – missing course evidence, incorrect financial proof, or ambiguous study intent. Our immigration solicitors prepare each case in line with current Home Office policy, ensuring the application meets the relevant genuine visitor and temporary study requirements under UK immigration rules. We help you apply with clarity, confidence, and complete compliance.
Benefits
Why We’re the Right Choice for Your Short-Term Study Visa
Can you afford uncertainty when applying under the UK’s study visa routes? Our SRA-regulated solicitors provide careful, evidence-led guidance to help ensure your application is prepared accurately, clearly, and in line with current Home Office requirements.
97.37%
Success Rate
37,573
Applications Approved
93.7%
Immigration Appeal Win Rate
4.9/5
Average Rating
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
Maximising Your Approval Chances
Our goal is to maximise the chances of your visa being approved the first time. By carefully reviewing your circumstances, identifying potential weaknesses, and preparing strong supporting evidence, we significantly reduce the risk of refusals. Every application is checked by senior immigration solicitors who apply their expertise to make your case as clear, accurate, and persuasive as possible. This attention to detail is what improves success rates and helps our clients move forward with confidence.
Success Rate Optimisation
We carefully analyse every detail of your application to maximise the chances of approval. By addressing weaknesses, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring full compliance with Home Office rules, we optimise your case for success. This thorough approach significantly improves approval rates and gives you confidence throughout the process.
Risk Mitigation Strategies
We identify potential risks in your application early and put safeguards in place to address them. By preparing strong evidence, clarifying complex points, and anticipating Home Office concerns, we minimise the chance of delays or refusals.
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Evidence-based case preparation
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Home Office compliance checks
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Success rate optimisation
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Risk mitigation strategies
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
Maximising Your Approval Chances
Our goal is to maximise the chances of your visa being approved the first time. By carefully reviewing your circumstances, identifying potential weaknesses, and preparing strong supporting evidence, we significantly reduce the risk of refusals. Every application is checked by senior immigration solicitors who apply their expertise to make your case as clear, accurate, and persuasive as possible. This attention to detail is what improves success rates and helps our clients move forward with confidence.
Success Rate Optimisation
We carefully analyse every detail of your application to maximise the chances of approval. By addressing weaknesses, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring full compliance with Home Office rules, we optimise your case for success. This thorough approach significantly improves approval rates and gives you confidence throughout the process.
Risk Mitigation Strategies
We identify potential risks in your application early and put safeguards in place to address them. By preparing strong evidence, clarifying complex points, and anticipating Home Office concerns, we minimise the chance of delays or refusals.
Work With Trusted, SRA-Regulated UK Immigration Experts
Your immigration journey is too important to risk on unqualified or unregulated help. Every case we handle is prepared by SRA-regulated solicitors who apply structured legal reasoning, precise documentation checks and full compliance with Home Office and UKVI rules.
Our accreditations are your assurance that you are working with a reputable, experienced and highly trained legal team. We combine decades of immigration expertise with strict professional standards to give you clarity, confidence and complete peace of mind — no matter which visa or application route you are pursuing.
Requirements for Short-Term Study Visa UK
If you want to get a Short-Term Study Visa (English Language), UK Visas and Immigration will check that you:
- You are at least 16 years old.
- You’re not in the UK.
- You have been accepted onto an English language course lasting longer than six months and up to 11 months at an accredited UK institution that teaches English only.
- You’ve paid your school fees or have enough money to do so.
- You do not intend to study for longer than 11 months, work (paid or unpaid), undertake business or professional activities, or live in the UK beyond the permitted study period.
- You intend to leave the UK within 30 days of completing your course, or before your visa expires if earlier.
- You can take care of yourself and live comfortably without getting public funds.
- You have enough money to pay for your trip back to the UK or onwards.
- Also, you have your parents’ permission if you are 16 or 17.
There are different requirements that you may need to meet based on your situation. You might want to get professional help from a visa lawyer.
Course Requirement
Your course provider must confirm in writing that you have been accepted onto an English language study that only teaches English and lasts no more than 11 months.
You can get a Short-Term Student Visa (English Language) without a sponsor. But people who want to apply must be going to a recognised school.
An accredited school is one that has been checked out by a Home Office-approved inspection body and found to meet the necessary educational standards.
What are Financial Requirements for Short-Term Study Visa UK?
- You must have paid or have sufficient cash to pay your course fees.
- You will also have to show that you can take care of yourself and live comfortably without getting help from the government.
- Additionally, you’ll have to show that you have enough money to pay for your return or next trip after leaving the UK.
Study Requirement
As a Short-Term Student Visa (English Language), you can’t plan to do any of the following while you’re in the UK:
- Take a course of study that lasts more than 11 months.
- Go to a college or a school paid for by the government.
- Make the UK your home.
- Do your job in the UK.
- Do any kind of business or job-related tasks in the UK.
Genuine Temporary Study Requirement
You must satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you are a genuine temporary student, intending to study English at an accredited institution and to leave the UK at the end of your permitted stay.
To get into the UK as a student, you must show the Home Office that you are serious about
- Taking an English course at a recognised institution.
- That you will finish during your stay.
- Also, you have lied about how long you plan to stay.
- That you do not want to study at an academy or a state-funded school.
- That you do not plan to study in the UK more than once to stay or get around the rules for the Student or Child Student routes.
- And that you plan to leave the UK within 30 days of the end of your declared period of study or before your visa expires, whichever comes first.
How long does the Short-Term Study visa last?
A Short-term Study Visa (English language) is granted for up to 11 months, depending on the length of the course. Unfortunately, you can’t renew or extend your visa.
After January 11, 2018, if you got your visa, you should leave the UK no more than 30 days after the end of your course, or sooner if your visa expires less than 30 days after the course ends.
Documents to Apply for Short-Term Study Visa
You will have to show proof that:
- You have enough money to stay in the UK (payslips or bank records).
- The school you want to attend in the UK meets the requirements for a short-term study visa.
This includes an offer letter from your school, proof of your earlier qualifications, and evidence that you can speak and write English well.
Can I Switch my Current Visa to Student Visa?
People with a Short-Term Student Visa (English Language) visa cannot switch to a Student Visa path from within the UK. You would have to apply for a Student Visa from outside of the UK if you wanted to go to a further or higher education degree programme in the UK.
How to proceed if your Short-Term study visa application is refused?
You can ask for an administrative review if you are not given a Short-Term Student Visa. There are two choices you need to make:
- Short-term Study Visa refusals do not carry a right of appeal or administrative review. In most cases, applicants must submit a fresh application addressing the refusal reasons.
- You can try to get immigration permission again, but then you will have a clear refusal that you will have to say when you apply for immigration permission again.
Can I bring my family on a Short-Term Student Visa UK?
It is against the rules for a Short-Term Student Visa to bring family to the UK.
So, if you want to come to the UK as a Short-Term Student Visa and your husband, partner, child, or other person wants to come with you, they must apply to come as a standard visitor.
As a regular Visitor, you will only be able to stay in the country for six months at a time, even if you have been allowed to stay for longer. They won’t be able to work, but they can study as long as it fulfils certain standards.
Short-term Study Visa holders cannot bring dependants. Family members must apply independently under an appropriate visa route, such as the Standard Visitor Visa, or consider applying together under the Student route, where dependant provisions apply.
Refusals usually arise from unclear temporary study intentions, missing or inadequate course evidence, insufficient financial proof, or applications that do not clearly demonstrate an intention to leave the UK at the end of the permitted stay.
Your course provider must confirm your acceptance, the course duration, its accreditation status, and that the programme teaches English only, without additional subjects.
Only English-language courses lasting 6–11 months qualify. Other short courses under 6 months fall under the Standard Visitor route.
No. Switching is not permitted. If you plan further or higher education, you must apply for a Student Visa from outside the UK.
You must show that you have paid or can pay your course fees, can support yourself without accessing public funds, and can cover the cost of your return or onward travel, using funds held in a permitted financial institution.
No. Dependants are not permitted on a Short-term Study Visa. Family members must apply independently under an appropriate visa route, such as the Standard Visitor Visa, and cannot rely on your Short-term Study Visa.
No. You cannot work in the UK on a Short-term Study Visa. This includes paid or unpaid work, work placements, internships, self-employment, or business activities.
No. Short-term Study Visas cannot be extended from within the UK. If you wish to continue studying, you must leave the UK and apply for the appropriate visa from overseas.
No. You must apply for a Short-term Study Visa from outside the UK before travelling. In-country applications are not permitted under this route.
No. The Immigration Health Surcharge is not required for Short-term Study Visa applications. However, you must ensure you have adequate funds to cover any healthcare costs during your stay.
No. Short-term Study Visas do not allow study at state-funded schools or academies. Your course must be provided by an accredited private institution that meets Home Office requirements.
You can apply for a Short-term Study Visa more than once, but repeated applications may be closely scrutinised. UK Visas and Immigration will assess whether the route is being used to live in the UK long-term rather than for genuine temporary study.
If your course ends earlier than expected, you must leave the UK in line with your visa conditions and should not remain beyond the permitted period unless lawfully authorised under another visa route.
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