How to apply for a short-term study
visa
Should you apply before travelling or can you get one on arrival at the
UK Border?
If you are a visa
national (you need a visa to travel to the UK) then you need to apply in
advance from outside of the UK.
If you are non-visa
national (such as USA, Japan, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong),
you can either:
- apply
for a short-term six months study visa online from your home country
before you arrive in the UK
- or apply
to enter the UK as a short-term student when you arrive at the port of
entry.
However, as
non-visa national studying an English language course which will last for more
than six months but a maximum of 11 months, you must apply from outside of the
UK (and if you are from certain countries you will have to pass a tuberculosis
screening test before you apply). Additionally, if you have previously been
refused a visa, you should apply in advance from outside of the UK.
As a non-visa
national short-term student, you may be eligible to use the super quick eGates
when you arrive at the airport. However, if you go through the eGates, it will
be assumed that you are entering the UK as a ‘visitor’ and no endorsement
(stamp) will be put in your passport. If you are classed as a ‘visitor’, you
will not be allowed to enrol on your course of study at the University of Plymouth if
it is longer than 30 days.
To seek entry to
the UK as a short term student, see a Border Force officer at passport control
and avoid using the eGates. You will
then get a stamp in your passport which the University will need to scan on
your arrival in Plymouth.
The easiest way to
find out what type of visa you need is to visit gov.uk and check if you need a UK visa.