Apply to visit, work, study, settle or seek asylum in the UK

STUDENT VISA

You can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you. Your course length, type and place of study affect which visa to apply for.

• A Standard Visitor visa lets you do a short course of study that lasts no longer than 6 months.
• A Short-term study visa lets you come to the UK to study an English language course that is over 6 months and up to 11 months.
• A Student visa is usually for a longer course. You must be sponsored by a licensed college or university and have a confirmed place. You may be able to do some work on this visa.
• A Child Student visa is for 4 to 17 year olds who want to study at an independent school. If you’re 16 or over, you can do some work on this visa

VISITOR VISA

You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. You might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.

Visit on business

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to do the following business activities:

• attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars
• negotiate and sign deals and contracts
• attend trade fairs to promote your business (you cannot sell things)
• get work-related training if you’re employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country
• give a one-off or short series of talks as long as they’re not for profit or a commercial event (you must not be paid)
• carry out site visits and inspections
• oversee the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organization
• deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas
• install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware, if your overseas company has a contract with a UK company or organization

Doing activities as part of an overseas job role

You can do certain additional activities in the UK as a Standard Visitor, if you’re employed overseas as:

• an archaeologist
• an artist, entertainer or musician
• a bodyguard
• a camera operator
• a driver
• an internal auditor
• a journalist or correspondent
• a lawyer or expert witness
• a market researcher or analyst
• a personal assistant
• a professor from an overseas academic institution
• a religious worker
• a scientist or researcher
• a seafarer (someone whose normal place of work is on board a ship)
• a sports person or sports official
• a tour group courier
• a translator or interpreter
• a member of a film crew, including actors, producers, directors or technicians
• a member of the production team supporting an artist, entertainer or musician
• a member of technical staff supporting an artist, entertainer, musician or sports person

Visit to study

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to:

• study at an accredited institution (this includes English language courses)
• do a short piece of research that’s relevant to your course overseas
• do an ‘elective’ – an optional additional placement, if you’re studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing, midwifery or dentistry
• sit an entrance exam, retake an exam or course module, or do a PhD oral exam (a viva)
• do an unpaid clinical attachment if you’re a graduate from a medical, dental or nursing school
• take the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) test or the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test

Distance learning courses

If you’re doing a distance learning course, your course can last longer than 6 months. This is because most of your study will happen outside of the UK. You can visit the UK to do certain activities as part of your course, for example:

• attend induction weeks
• do face-to-face intensive learning
• have progress checks
• sit exams or assessments

Visit as an academic

If you’re from an academic institution overseas, you can:

• take part in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts
• carry out your own research during a sabbatical

If you’re a senior doctor or dentist you can also:

• take part in research
• teach (as long as it’s not a permanent teaching post)
• undertake clinical practice (as long as it’s not a permanent position)

To research certain subjects at postgraduate level or above, you may need to get an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before you start your research.

Visit for medical reasons

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to:

• have private medical treatment at a hospital or other medical facility
• have treatment at an NHS hospital, as long as the care is paid for by your own government under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement
• donate an organ to a family member or close friend – this includes being assessed for suitability as a donor match

WORKER VISA

You can apply for a Skilled Worker visa, Graduate visa, other work visas, right to work

Popular work visas;

• Health and Care Worker visa
• Skilled Worker visa

Visas you can apply for without a job offer

• British National (Overseas) visa
• Graduate visa
• Youth Mobility Scheme visa
• Apply for the Global Talent visa
• UK Ancestry visa
• High Potential Individual (HPI) visa

Work in the UK for your overseas employer

• Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
• Overseas Domestic Worker visa
• Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)
• Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
• Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
• UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
• Representative of an Overseas Business visa

Temporary work visas

• Seasonal Worker visa (Temporary Work)
• Government Authorized Exchange visa (Temporary Work)
• Creative Worker visa (Temporary Work)
• Religious Worker visa (Temporary Work)
• Charity Worker visa (Temporary Work)
• International Agreement visa (Temporary Work)

Start a business

• Innovator Founder visa

Other work visas and permits

• International Sportsperson visa
• Minister of Religion visa (T2)
• Scale-up Worker visa
• Frontier Worker permit
• Get an exempt vignette

Work visas that are closed to new applicants

• Entrepreneur visa (Tier 1)
• Investor visa (Tier 1)
• Turkish Businessperson visa
• Turkish Worker visa
• Start-up visa

Right to work checks

• Checking a job applicant’s right to work
• Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code
• Check if a document allows someone to work in the UK

Sponsors and sponsorship

• Employees: if your visa sponsor loses their license
• UK visa sponsorship for employers
• UK visa sponsorship management system