Immigration Corner | How to apply for a short-term study visa to study English language

Dear Mr Bassie,

My relative needs to apply for a short-term study visa to study English language in the United Kingdom. Please advise how this can be obtained.

GP

Dear GP,

Persons can apply for a short-term study visa to study English language in the United Kingdom (UK). This visa is for English language courses lasting longer than six months and up to 11 months. Successful applicants can remain in the UK for the length of the course plus an extra 30 days as long as the stay is no longer than 11 months.

Please note that it costs £200 for a short-term study visa. Persons will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their online application. This usually costs £776. The purpose of this is so they can use the National Health Service in the UK. It is recommended that persons check how much they will need to pay before applying.

WHAT PERSONS CANNOT DO

Persons cannot study on any other course or change their course while in the UK or study at a state-funded school. They cannot work or carry out any business, and this includes paid or unpaid work, work experience, or work placements.

Also, they cannot extend this visa or bring family members (‘dependents’) with them on this visa, and they cannot apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension.

WHO CAN APPLY

Applicants must be at least 16 years old to apply. They must prove that they have been accepted into an English language course that lasts longer than six months and up to 11 months and includes no other subjects. They must show that the course is with an accredited institution and that they have enough money to support themselves without working or help from public funds or that relatives and friends can support and house them. They must also show that they can pay for their return or onward journey

If they are under 18 years old, they must also have made arrangements for their travel and stay in the UK and have the consent of their parent or guardian to study in the UK.

THE COURSE

The English language course must be with an ‘accredited institution’. This can be either an accredited UK institution or an eligible overseas provider if studying in the UK as part of an overseas course.

Persons must provide written proof of the course they are studying. For example, a letter of acceptance from the educational institution stating the course’s name, duration, and cost (including accommodation). They may need to provide additional documents, depending on their circumstances, such as evidence of showing permission to be in the country they are applying from (if not a national) and/or financial sponsor’s occupation, income, savings, or funds that will support the studies.

APPLYING

Applicants must apply online before they go to the UK. The earliest they can apply is three months before travelling to the UK. As part of the online application, persons will need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to provide their documents and prove their identity. It is advisable to allow time to attend the appointment. The visa application centre may keep the passport and documents while processing the application.

Having applied online, proven identity, and provided the necessary documents, a decision can usually be expected within three weeks. It may be possible to pay to get a faster decision.

Persons must apply online, and it is recommended that prior to starting, they should check what documents they will need to apply. Once started, the application can be saved, and the form can be completed at a later time.

After applying, the applicant will receive an email when the Home Office has made a decision on the application. This will explain what they will need to do next. Persons can ask to cancel their application. They will only get a refund if UK Visas and Immigration has not started processing the application.

I hope this helps.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com