18 May 2017

Short Term 6 Months UK Student Visa for Study Course and Research

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A short-term student six (6) months can come to the United Kingdom for up to six (6) months for:

  • studying a course;
  • completing a period of research;
  • completing research tuition (for instance, to learn about research/methods and techniques);

Applicants intending to apply for an entry clearance or leave to enter to either study or conduct research thesis as a short-term student (six months) are required to meet all the requirements of paragraphs A57C and A57D of the UK Immigration Rules.

Acceptance Letter from an Accredited Institution | Short Term Student Six Months

If a short-term student (6 months) is coming to the UK to study, he/she needs to be accepted for a course of study at an accredited institution. The applicant is required to furnish an acceptance letter from an accredited institution with the necessary details of the study program/course in the United Kingdom.

Research and Research Tuition | Short Term Student Six Months

If a short-term student (six months) is intending to visit the UK for completing a short period of research or for learning research methods and techniques i.e. how to conduct research, then an applicant is required to satisfy the following requirements for a successful visa application:

  • the student must be studying a course overseas which is equivalent to a UK degree level course:
    • the applicant may check if the overseas course is equivalent to a UK degree from UK NARIC;
    • the research should be either part of the overseas course or is relevant to the overseas course;
    • the applicant is required to provide confirmation of the course and relevance of the research to the course from his/her overseas education provider/institution;
  • the applicant/student has been accepted by a higher education institution (HEI) in the UK. And the HEI is funded by one of the following funding bodies/councils in the UK for either conducting research or teaching research methods (i.e., research tuition):
    • Wales – Higher Education Funding Council;
    • Scottish Funding Council;
    • Northern Ireland – Department for Employment and Learning;
    • England – Higher Education Funding Council;

Links – Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK

The following links provide details of the institutions that are a UK higher education institution (HEI) as explained above:

A short-term student (six months) is not allowed to:

  • undertake a research assignment in any other circumstances;
  • be employed as a sponsored researcher- to do so, he/she is required to apply either under Tier 2 or Tier 5(Government Authorised Exchange) of the points-based system (PBS).

About the Author

Awais has an extensive experience of advising high net-worth individuals on all types of immigration matters, ranging from investor and entrepreneur visa applications to appeals and judicial reviews in the Immigration Tribunal and the High Court.

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