If you want to come to the UK in order to do a short course of study during your visit, you can apply to do so with a Student Visitor Visa. The period when you intend to be in the UK must not exceed six months.

• You must be aged 18 or over, and you must have been accepted on a course of study provided by:
• an education provider that holds a sponsor licence under Tier 4 of the points-based system
• an education provider that is accredited by an accreditation body approved by the UK Border Agency
• an overseas higher education institution that offers only part of its programmes in the UK, holds its own national accreditation, and offers programmes that are of an equivalent level to a UK degree.

If you are only coming to the UK for a visit and don’t intend to study you should apply for a UK Visitor Visa providing you meet the conditions for coming to the UK.

Student Visitor Visa – During your stay you must:

support and pay for accommodation for yourself and any dependants, without use of public funds

ensure that you and your dependants will be supported and accommodated adequately by relatives or friends, and will not take work.

You must leave the UK at the end of the Student Visitor Visa and you must be able to meet the cost of your return or onward journey.

You must not:

• Take any form of employment in the UK including voluntary work
• engage in business, produce goods or provide services within the UK
• study at a government-funded school
• undertake a work placement or internship
• extend your stay in the UK
• carry out the activities of a business visitor, a sports visitor or an entertainer visitor
• receive private medical treatment
• be in transit to a country outside the common travel area (the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands)

If you are aged 18 or over and you want to come and study in the UK for more than six months, you must apply under Tier 4 Visa of the points-based system.