Short Term Study Visa: Here's how you can go to UK for language course

LONDON - The United Kingdom is known for its architectural marvels as well as diverse culture and level of education that it provides to the students.

If you are also trying to upskill yourself with any certification to improve your language, the UK offers Short term Study Visa through which you can live in the country for less than a year but can upgrade your skill level through short courses.

Overview

You can apply for a Short-term Study Visa to study English language in the UK and for that purpose, the English language course should last longer than 6 months and up to 11 months. For applying, you must be older than 16 years.

For EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

If you or your family belongs to the countries mentioned above, and started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

The deadline to apply has although passed i.e 30 June 2021 for most people but you can still apply if either you have a later deadline - for example, you’re joining a family member in the UK who was living there by 31 December 2020 or you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for being unable to apply by the deadline; the reason could be medical condition or pressing situation like domestic abuse.

It must be mentioned that Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme but for all other cases, you need a visa to study in the UK. 

Duration of Stay 

You can stay in the UK for the length of your course plus an extra 30 days but your stay can no longer exceed 11 months on this visa.

Costs

The cost of this short term study visa is £200 but you’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge which usually costs £470. The healthcare surcharge enables you to use the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

For refund, it is clarified that you’ll only get your fee refunded if UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) has not started processing your application.

What you can not do

On this short term study visa, you are not allowed to study on any other course or change your course while in the UK. Moreover, you are also not allowed to study at a state-funded school. 

Besides, working or carrying out any business even if the work is paid or unpaid, work experience or work placements is totally not permissible on this visa. You are also not allowed to bring family members (dependents) with you on this visa or apply for most public funds or pension. 

Extending the Visa

You are not allowed to extend this short term study visa.

Documents To Attach 
When you apply you must provide:

• Current passport (with a blank page for your visa) or other valid travel document
• Evidence that you can support yourself during your trip. For this, you can attach bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months
• Details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans but don't pay until you get your visa
• Evidence that you’ve paid your course fees or have enough money to pay them
• You also need to provide your tuberculosis (TB) test results, if you’re from a country where you have to take the TB test
• Contact details for at least one parent or guardian in your home country, if you’re under 18.
• A certified translation if any documents are not in English or Welsh
• You will usually get a Biometric residence permits if you come to the UK for over 6 months, or extend your visa for over 6 months, apply to settle in the UK, transfer your visa to a new passport or apply for certain home office travel documents.

Documents about your course

You must provide written proof of the course you’re studying. This can be done by submitting a letter of acceptance from the educational institution mentioning the course’s name, duration and cost (including accommodation). You can also be asked to provide additional documents such as evidence of your permission to be in the country you’re applying from (in case you are not a national). Moreover, documents related to financial sponsor’s occupation, income, savings or funds that will support your studies can also be required.

In case you are under 18 you need to provide additional documents if you’re travelling on your own or
you’re travelling with someone who is not your parent or guardian. Keep in mind that you can travel to the UK without an adult if you are 18 or older.

If you are travelling on your own, you must have written consent from both parents (or one parent if they have sole responsibility) or your legal guardian. This must confirm they consent to your visa application, your living arrangements and care in the UK, your travel to the UK besides providing proof that you have somewhere suitable to live during your stay in the UK, including the name and date of birth of the person that you will be staying with as well as an address where you will be living.

Additionally, you must also provide details of your relationship to the person who’ll be looking after  as well as consent of your guardian that the people you are living with can look after you during your stay in the UK.

Moreover, your parent, guardian or school must tell the relevant local authority about your visit if either:

• You’re under 18 and have a disability
• You’re going to be looked after for more than 28 days by someone who is not a close relative (called ‘private foster care’)

You should provide a reply from the local authority if you have one.

If you travel to the UK with an adult (someone 18 or older), you need to identify them in your visa application and their name will appear on your visa, and you’ll be denied entry to the UK if you arrive without them. It merits mention that you can identify up to 2 adults in your visa application, and your visa will only be valid if you travel with at least one of them.

As far as applying for visa is concerned, the adult can apply for a visa at the same time but you must each complete separate applications.

How to Apply 

The first thing is to gather evidence regarding supporting your online application as elaborated above in detail. For this, you must prove that you’ve been accepted into an English language course that lasts 11 months or less and includes no other subjects. You must also substantiate that your course is with an accredited institution and you have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds, or that relatives and friends can support and house you. You must also attach the proof that you can pay for your return or onward journey.

For those, who are under 18, it must be assured through documents that you have made arrangements for your travel and stay in the UK and have the consent of your parent or guardian to study in the UK.

You must apply online before you come to the country and the official version is that the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel to the UK. As part of your online application, you’ll also need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to provide your documents and prove your identity.

The visa application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your application and call you as per their schedule. The link for online application for this purpose is this. 

Appointment Day

After you book an appointment, you will be called and that you would have to prove that you’ve been accepted into an English language course which is offered by an accredited institution and that you have enough funds to support yourself without working or help from public funds, or that relatives and friends can support and house you. Moreover, you will also need to prove that you can pay for your return or onward journey (details we mentioned earlier as well).

If you land in the UK successfully, you will then need to collect your biometric residence permit (BRP), the complete details of which can be seen here.

Processing Time 

There can be a wait of maximum three weeks after you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents.

Depending on some conditions, you can also fast track your application by paying additional fee.