SHORT-TERM STUDENT VISA

The UK Short-term Student Visa is for people aged 16 or over who want to come to the UK to study an English language course lasting longer than 6 months and no more than 11 months at an accredited institution.

The route is specifically for English language study. It cannot be used to study other subjects. If your English language course will last 6 months or less, you will normally need to qualify under the Standard Visitor route instead. If your course will last longer than 11 months, or you wish to undertake a different type of longer course, the Student Visa or, where appropriate, the Child Student Visa may be the correct immigration route.

The Short-term Student route is an unsponsored immigration route, so applicants do not need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). However, they must have been accepted onto a qualifying English language course at an accredited institution and must satisfy the Home Office that they are a genuine Short-term Student.

Permission under this route does not allow employment, business or professional activities, does not permit dependants and cannot be extended from within the UK. The route does not lead to settlement.

1. Short-term Student Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for a UK Short-term Student Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• you are aged 16 or over on the date of application;
• you are outside the UK when you apply;
• you have applied for entry clearance before travelling to the UK;
• you have been accepted by an accredited institution onto an English language course which includes no other subject and which is appropriate for this route;
• you are a genuine Short-term Student;
• you intend to leave the UK within 30 days of the end of your English language course, or by the end of 11 months, whichever is sooner;
• you do not intend to make the UK your main home through frequent or successive periods of residence;
• you will not work, engage in business or undertake professional activities in the UK;
• you can maintain and accommodate yourself adequately without access to public funds;
• you have sufficient funds for your return or onward journey;
• your course fees have been paid or you have sufficient funds to pay them;
• the funds relied upon are genuinely available to you;
• you provide a tuberculosis certificate where this is required;
• if you are aged 16 or 17, the relevant parental consent and travel, reception and care requirements are satisfied; and
• you do not fall for refusal under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

The exact evidence required will depend on your personal circumstances, your finances, the course you propose to undertake and your immigration history.

2. Short-term Student Visa, Visitor Visa or Student Visa: Which Route Applies?

Choosing the correct immigration route is important because the permitted course, application requirements and conditions of stay differ substantially.

Issue	Standard Visitor	Short-term Student	Student Visa
Typical course of study	English language course of up to 6 months	English language course longer than 6 months and up to 11 months	Longer English course or other qualifying sponsored study
Minimum age	Depends on circumstances	16	Generally 16
English only?	No, various permitted study is possible	Yes	No
Institution	Relevant study requirements must be met; English study must be with an accredited institution	Accredited institution	Licensed Student sponsor
CAS required?	No	No	Yes
General work rights	No general right to work as a Visitor	No work	Work may be permitted depending on course and sponsor
Dependants under this route	No	No	Only in specified circumstances
In-country switch to Student	Generally not permitted	Not permitted	Not applicable

Applicants taking an English language course lasting 6 months or less should consider the Visitor route, whilst applicants taking a course lasting longer than 6 months but no more than 11 months should consider the Short-term Student route.

Applicants intending to study a longer English course, or another type of further or higher education course, should consider whether the Student route is appropriate instead.

3. Eligible English Language Courses and Accredited Institutions

English Language Course Requirements

The Short-term Student route may only be used for a course which teaches English as a foreign language. The course cannot include other subjects.

You must provide written evidence from the course provider confirming that you have been accepted onto the course. An acceptance letter should normally identify the course, its duration and its cost.

The course must last longer than 6 months and no more than 11 months. Courses lasting 6 months or less are ordinarily dealt with under the Visitor route.

There is no separate requirement under the Short-term Student route to obtain a CAS.

Accredited UK Institutions

Your course must be provided by an accredited institution.

An institution may qualify, for example, because it is a licensed Student sponsor or because it holds qualifying accreditation or inspection. Current recognised bodies include Accreditation UK, the British Accreditation Council and the Accreditation Service for International Colleges, as well as specified education inspection and quality assurance bodies.

Qualifying institutions are identified by reference to Student sponsor status, approved accreditation or satisfactory institutional inspection.

Applicants should check the institution’s current accreditation before applying. Accreditation status can change, and acceptance by a language school does not by itself establish that the institution meets the Immigration Rules.

Eligible Overseas Higher Education Providers

A Short-term Student Visa may also be available where an applicant studies at an overseas higher education institution and undertakes part of their English language programme in the UK.

The overseas institution must hold appropriate national accreditation, offer programmes equivalent to a UK degree and offer no more than half of the relevant educational programme in the UK.

4. Genuine Short-term Student Requirement

It is not enough simply to have an acceptance letter from an English language school. You must satisfy the Home Office that you are a genuine Short-term Student.

The Immigration Rules require the decision maker to be satisfied that you genuinely intend to undertake the English language course for which you have been accepted and that you will not undertake other study, work or business activities.

You must also satisfy the Home Office that you will leave the UK within 30 days of the end of your course or by the end of 11 months, whichever is earlier, and that you will not use the route to make the UK your main home.

When assessing whether an applicant is a genuine Short-term Student, Home Office caseworkers may consider matters including:

• why the applicant wishes to undertake the particular English language course;
• how the course fits with the applicant’s education, employment or future plans;
• the applicant’s existing English language ability and the level they expect to achieve;
• the applicant’s previous education and English language qualifications;
• how much of the course fee has already been paid;
• whether the proposed accommodation is reasonably located in relation to the institution;
• whether the cost of the course and the proposed stay is consistent with the applicant’s financial circumstances;
• the applicant’s immigration and travel history;
• personal, family, social and economic circumstances;
• ties to the applicant’s country of residence;
• the credibility and consistency of the application and supporting evidence; and
• whether the applicant’s finances are genuinely available for the proposed study.

A first-time international traveller is not prevented from qualifying. Equally, previous compliant travel does not guarantee that an application will be granted. The Home Office should assess the evidence and circumstances as a whole.

Frequent or Successive Short-term Study

The Short-term Student route must not be used to live in the UK through frequent or successive periods of study.

Repeated use of the route may receive closer scrutiny, particularly where an applicant seeks another lengthy period of Short-term Student permission relatively soon after a previous stay or repeatedly uses the route over several years.

Repeated applications are not automatically refused. However, an applicant may need to explain convincingly why further English study is required and how it represents genuine educational progression.

Is There an English Language Requirement?

There is no separate minimum English language proficiency requirement for a Short-term Student Visa.

However, the applicant’s existing level of English and the level they are expected to achieve may be relevant when the Home Office assesses whether the proposed course and the applicant’s reasons for taking it are credible.

5. Short-term Student Visa Financial Requirement

Applicants must demonstrate that they can support and accommodate themselves adequately in the UK without access to public funds.

They must also have enough money to pay for their return or onward journey and, at the date of application, must either have paid their course fees or have sufficient funds available to pay them.

How Much Money Do You Need?

Unlike the Student Visa route, the Short-term Student route does not prescribe a fixed monthly maintenance figure.

The amount required will therefore depend on the circumstances of the particular application, including:

• outstanding course fees;
• accommodation costs;
• expected living expenses;
• the length and location of the proposed stay; and
• the cost of the applicant’s return or onward journey.

The overall financial position should be credible in light of the applicant’s income, savings and personal circumstances.

Financial Evidence

Funds relied upon to meet the Short-term Student financial requirement must be shown in accordance with Appendix Finance.

Appendix Finance permits immediately accessible funds held in qualifying bank, building society and certain other accounts. Overdraft facilities do not count.

Financial evidence must be sufficiently current. Under Appendix Finance, the most recently dated financial evidence must ordinarily be dated within 31 days before the date of application. Unlike the Student route, the Short-term Student Rules do not impose a separate fixed 28-day maintenance holding period.

Home Office guidance gives bank statements and payslips covering the previous six months as examples of evidence an applicant may provide. This should not be confused with a universal legal requirement that every Short-term Student must provide exactly six months of bank statements. The appropriate evidence will depend on the source of funds and the circumstances of the application.

Large or unexplained recent deposits may attract scrutiny. Where funds have recently entered an account, it may therefore be important to demonstrate their source.

Using a Parent’s or Legal Guardian’s Funds

A Short-term Student may rely on money held by a parent or legal guardian.

Where parental or guardian funds are relied upon, Appendix Finance requires evidence of the relationship and written consent permitting the applicant to use the funds.

An applicant may also rely on qualifying official financial sponsorship.

Where accommodation or financial assistance is being provided by relatives, friends or another third party, the nature and credibility of the arrangement should be evidenced clearly. The Home Office will consider whether the funds and support relied upon are genuinely available.

6. Requirements for Short-term Students Aged 16 or 17

Applicants must be at least 16 years old to qualify for the Short-term Student route.

A person who is 16 or 17 must additionally satisfy the parental consent requirements in Appendix Children.

Written consent must be provided by:

• both parents; or
• one parent where that parent has sole responsibility; or
• the applicant’s legal guardian.

The consent must provide the relevant parent or guardian’s contact details and confirm consent to the visa application, the applicant’s living and care arrangements in the UK and the applicant’s travel to and reception arrangements in the UK.

Where the young person will be staying with someone who is not their parent or legal guardian, further evidence of the proposed care arrangements may be required.

If a child under 18 will be cared for for more than 28 days by someone who is not a close relative, the arrangement may amount to private foster care and there may be a separate obligation to notify the relevant local authority.

Applicants and their parents should address care, accommodation and travel arrangements carefully rather than treating parental consent as a simple signature requirement.

7. Do You Need a Tuberculosis Test?

A Short-term Student must provide a valid tuberculosis certificate where Appendix Tuberculosis applies.

Broadly, a TB certificate may be required where the applicant is coming to the UK for more than six months and has been present for the relevant period in a country listed under the UK tuberculosis screening rules.

Because Short-term Student applications concern courses lasting more than six months, applicants from or resident in relevant countries should check the tuberculosis requirements before applying.

Where a TB certificate is required, the test must be obtained from an approved clinic.

8. How to Apply for a UK Short-term Student Visa

A Short-term Student Visa application must be made online from outside the UK before travelling.

The earliest an applicant can normally apply is three months before they travel to the UK.

After completing the online application, the applicant will normally need to prove their identity and provide supporting documents in accordance with the process specified for their country of application. This may include attending a visa application centre to provide biometrics.

The applicant should ensure that the information contained in the online application form is consistent with the supporting documents.

Particular care should be taken over explanations concerning:

• why the applicant has selected the course and institution;
• how the course relates to their current circumstances and future plans;
• how the proposed stay will be funded;
• where they will live;
• previous UK and international travel;
• earlier visa refusals or immigration issues; and
• their plans following completion of the course.

An application which technically contains the required documents may still be refused if the Home Office is not satisfied that the applicant is a genuine Short-term Student.

9. Documents Required for a Short-term Student Visa

The documents required will vary depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

Applicants will normally need to provide a valid passport or other travel document and written evidence from the educational institution confirming acceptance onto the qualifying English language course.

Depending on the application, relevant supporting evidence may also include:

• financial evidence demonstrating sufficient funds for course fees, accommodation, maintenance and return or onward travel;
• evidence that course fees have already been paid;
• details of intended accommodation and travel plans;
• evidence concerning the source of funds;
• documents concerning official financial sponsorship;
• evidence of the applicant’s employment, study or other circumstances in their country of residence where relevant to the genuine-student assessment;
• evidence of lawful permission to be in the country from which the application is submitted, where the applicant is not a national of that country;
• a tuberculosis certificate where required;
• parental consent, evidence of relationship and evidence of travel, reception and care arrangements for an applicant aged 16 or 17; and
• certified translations of documents which are not in English or Welsh.

The course acceptance evidence should normally identify the course, its duration and its cost.

Applicants should avoid submitting documents without considering how they fit together. Financial records, employment evidence, the application form and the stated reasons for studying in the UK should tell a coherent and credible story.

10. Short-term Student Visa Fees and Immigration Health Surcharge

As at 20 August 2026, the Home Office application fee for a Short-term Student Visa is £228.

Applicants must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). 

Applicants paying overseas may be charged the Home Office’s equivalent fee in local currency. Additional services provided by a visa application centre may attract separate charges.

Immigration fees are subject to change, so applicants should check the amount payable immediately before submitting an application.

11. Short-term Student Visa Processing Time

The published Home Office service standard for a Short-term Student Visa application made outside the UK is normally three weeks.

The processing period is measured after the applicant has completed the relevant application and identity/document steps.

A faster decision service may be available in some locations for an additional charge, but availability should be checked with the relevant application service when applying.

Applicants should avoid making non-refundable travel arrangements before their visa has been granted.

12. Length of Stay and Conditions of a Short-term Student Visa

How Long Can You Stay?

Appendix Short-term Student provides for a grant of 11 months’ permission.

However, a Short-term Student must intend to leave the UK within 30 days after the end of their English language course or by the end of the 11-month period, whichever is sooner.

In practical terms, the permitted stay may be described as the length of the course plus up to 30 days, subject to the overall 11-month maximum.

An applicant should not assume that an 11-month grant allows them to remain in the UK for unrelated purposes after an earlier course has ended.

Can You Work on a Short-term Student Visa?

No. Short-term Students are not permitted to work in the UK.

The prohibition includes paid and unpaid employment, work experience and work placements. A Short-term Student must also not engage in business or professional activities.

Home Office caseworker guidance distinguishes genuine volunteering from “voluntary work”. Limited volunteering which does not amount to work may be possible, but applicants should take care not to undertake activities which breach the prohibition on employment or voluntary work.

Can You Study Another Course?

A Short-term Student may only study on the course for which their permission was granted.

The route cannot be used to undertake an additional course in another subject or to move to a different educational provider.

Can You Extend Your English Course or Your Visa?

You cannot extend your Short-term Student immigration permission from within the UK.

However, it is necessary to distinguish extending immigration permission from extending the same English language course.  A student may extend the same course with the same institution up to the maximum permitted course length of 11 months, provided this can be completed within their existing immigration permission.

For example, a student originally accepted onto a seven-month English course may be able to extend that course to 11 months with the same institution. They cannot change to a different provider or switch onto a different course.

Public Funds

Short-term Students have no access to public funds.

Does the Short-term Student Visa Lead to Settlement?

No. The Short-term Student route is a temporary immigration route and does not provide a direct route to indefinite leave to remain.

13. Can You Switch From a Short-term Student Visa to a Student Visa?

A person with Short-term Student permission cannot switch to the Student route from inside the UK.

Appendix Student expressly prevents an in-country Student application where the applicant has, or was last granted, permission as a Short-term Student.

If you wish to undertake further study which requires a Student Visa, you will normally need to leave the UK and apply for Student entry clearance from overseas.

A Student Visa has materially different requirements, including sponsorship by a licensed Student sponsor, a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies and, where applicable, separate financial and English language requirements.

14. Can Family Members Join You in the UK?

The Short-term Student route does not permit dependent partners or dependent children.

A spouse, partner, child or other family member cannot obtain immigration permission simply on the basis that they are the dependant of a Short-term Student.

A family member may nevertheless be able to come to the UK independently if they qualify under an appropriate immigration category in their own right, for example as a Visitor where the requirements of that route are met.

15. Short-term Student Visa Refusals and Administrative Review

A Short-term Student Visa application will be refused if the Home Office is not satisfied that all relevant suitability and eligibility requirements are met.

Common areas of difficulty may include:

• doubts about whether the applicant is genuinely coming to the UK to study;
• inadequate or inconsistent financial evidence;
• unexplained deposits or an unclear source of funds;
• insufficient evidence that money is genuinely available;
• inconsistency between the application form and supporting documents;
• concerns about the applicant’s intention to leave the UK;
• previous immigration history;
• repeated or successive periods of UK study;
• an institution or course which does not meet the requirements;
• inadequate parental consent or care arrangements for a 16- or 17-year-old; or
• failure to provide a required TB certificate.

A refusal of a Short-term Student application is eligible for Administrative Review. Administrative Review is concerned with whether the Home Office made a caseworking error when deciding the original application; it is not simply a fresh opportunity to present an entirely different application.

Where the refusal concerns an entry clearance application, an Administrative Review must normally be submitted within 28 calendar days from the date on which the applicant receives notice of the decision.

The correct response to a refusal will depend on the reason given. In some cases Administrative Review may be appropriate. In others, it may be more effective to correct the evidential or factual problem and submit a fresh application.

Applicants should take advice promptly before choosing between these options. Making a subsequent immigration application can affect the availability of Administrative Review in relation to the earlier decision.

16. Frequently Asked Questions: Short-term Student Visa

Can I Get a Short-term Student Visa for a 6-Month English Course?

An English language course lasting 6 months or less should normally be undertaken under the Visitor route. The Short-term Student Visa is intended for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and no more than 11 months.

Can I Study Something Other Than English on a Short-term Student Visa?

No. The course must be an English language course which does not include other subjects. If you wish to study another subject, you will need to consider whether the Visitor, Student or another immigration route is appropriate.

Do I Need to Pass an English Language Test?

There is no separate minimum English language test requirement for a Short-term Student Visa. However, your existing level of English and the progress you expect to make may be relevant when the Home Office considers whether your proposed study is genuine.

How Much Money Do I Need for a Short-term Student Visa?

There is no fixed monthly maintenance figure. You must have enough money to maintain and accommodate yourself without public funds, pay any outstanding course fees and meet the cost of your return or onward journey. Your finances must be credible and genuinely available.

Is There a 28-Day Bank Statement Requirement?

The Short-term Student route does not impose the Student Visa route’s fixed 28-day maintenance holding requirement. However, funds must be evidenced in accordance with Appendix Finance, including rules governing acceptable accounts and the currency and date of financial evidence.

Can I Work While Studying English in the UK?

No. A Short-term Student cannot undertake paid or unpaid employment, work experience or a work placement and cannot engage in business or professional activities in the UK.

Can I Extend My Short-term Student Visa?

No. Short-term Student immigration permission cannot be extended from inside the UK. The rules do, however, permit an extension of the same English course with the same institution up to a maximum course length of 11 months where this remains within the existing period of immigration permission.

Can I Change English Language Schools?

No. A Short-term Student is not permitted to switch to a different provider. Permission is granted for study on the course for which the application was made.

Can My Partner or Children Come With Me?

There is no dependant category for the partner or children of a Short-term Student. Family members would need to qualify independently under an appropriate UK immigration route.

What Can I Do if My Short-term Student Visa Is Refused?

A refusal is eligible for Administrative Review. For an overseas entry clearance refusal, the usual deadline is 28 calendar days from receipt of the decision. Whether Administrative Review or a fresh application is preferable will depend on the reasons for refusal and whether the problem concerns a Home Office caseworking error or the original evidence.