Learn how to apply for a visa to the UK for joining family, working, studying, or visiting. Understand the different types of UK visas, requirements, costs, and eligibility criteria. Ensure your visa application is successful before traveling to the UK.
If you want to come to UK to join family, work, study or visit, you will need to obtain a visa to allow you to stay in the UK for a certain period of time, or settle here permanently. There are numerous different types of visas available depending on where you come from, why you want to come to the UK, how long you ant/need to stay for and your personal circumstances and skills. You must apply and wait for your application to be approved before you travel to the UK.
Join family in the UK
If you want to come to the UK to join a spouse, partner, or family member who has a British citizenship or settlement in the UK, you can apply for a spouse visa or a family visa. Your family member may need to prove that they can support you financially. This visa allows you to live with a family member for more than 6 months, family members include:
- A spouse or partner
- A proposed civil partner or fiancé/fiancée
- Parent
- Child
- Relative who will provide you with long-term care
If you’re already in the UK on a family visa you can extend it before your existing visa expires, if you would like to settle in the UK, you’ll need to have lived in the UK for a certain amount of time before you’re eligible. If you came to the UK on a different visa, you may be able to switch to a family visa to stay with a spouse or partner, a parent, or a child. The costs for a family visa varies depending on who your relative is and what your situation is.
Visiting the UK for up to 6 months
If you want to visit the UK for up to 6 months you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa, this will allow you to come to the UK:
- For a holiday to visit family or friends
- For business activities, such as meetings
- To complete a short course of study (less than 6 months) or take an exam
- For medical purposes
- To volunteer work with a registered charity for up to 30 days
- To pass through the UK to another country
- To participate in a school exchange program
- As an academic, senior doctor or dentist
You may be able to apply to stay for longer than 6 months in certain situations, for example, to receive medical treatment.
To study in the UK
If your course or exam lasts less than 6 months you can apply for a standard visitor visa, as above. Alternatively you can apply for:
Short-term study visa:
This allows you to come to the UK to study an English language course between 6 months and 11 months. This visa costs £200, you’ll also need to pay £776 healthcare surcharge to use the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. If you come to the UK with this visa you cannot study another course or change your course, study at a state funded school, work, extend the visa, bring family members with you or apply for benefits.
Student visa:
This visa allows you to come to the UK to study a longer course, but you will need to be sponsored by a licensed college or university and have a confirmed place. You may be able to work with this visa. You must be 16 years or over to apply for this visa (if you’re 16 or 17 years of age you’ll need evidence of parental consent). You will also need to have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course, and you’ll need to speak, read, write and understand English. This visa has replaced the Tier 4 (general) student visa.
The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before your course starts (if you’re outside the UK) and 3 months before your course starts (if you’re within the UK). If you’re outside the UK you’ll receive an answer within 3 weeks, if you’re inside the UK you’ll receive an answer within 8 weeks and you must apply before your current visa expires, with your new course starting within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
How long you can stay depends on your course and what study you’ve already completed in the UK. If you’re 18 years old and over, studying at degree level, you can usually stay for up to 5 years. If you’re studying below degree level you can usually stay in the UK for up to 2 years. You may be able to extend your visa, switch to a student visa from another visa, or switch to a graduate visa to stay in the UK for up to 2 years after you’ve successfully completed your course.
Child student visa:
This visa is designed for children between 4 and 17 years old who want to study at an independent school. Young adults aged 16 years and over can do some work on this visa. To apply you must have the consent of parents of guardians, and provide evidence of this, have an unconditional offer of a place on a course at an independent school, and prove you have access to enough money to support yourself in the UK and pay for the course. This has replaced the Tier 4 (Child) student visa.
If you’re outside the UK you can apply for this visa 6 months before the course begins and you’ll usually receive a decision within 3 weeks. If you’re within the UK you can apply 3 months before your course starts and you’ll receive a decision within 8 weeks, you must apply before your current visa expires and your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. If you apply for this visa under the age of 16 years, you can stay for up to 6 years, plus 4 additional months, if you’re 16 or 17 you can stay for up to 3 years, plus an additional 4 months. You may be able to extend your visa or switch to a child student visa from another visa if you’re already in the UK.
This visa application costs £490 plus the healthcare surcharge. On this visa you cannot study at an academy or local authority-funded school, receive benefits, take a full-time job or work as self-employed, work as a professional sportsperson, apply for settlement, or bring family members (if a parent wants to accompany you, they will need to apply for a “parent of a child student visa”).
This is far from being an exhaustive list of the types of visas available, however, these are the main visas people come to the UK using. For more information on applying for a visa, visit the gov.uk website.
