Study on a Visitor Visa

There are a number of different situations where University of Greenwich students may want or need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa to come to the UK.  We have aimed to cover the different scenarios that a UK Visitor Visa or Visitor status may be used for study below and the most important things you need to know about the Visitor Visa.

If you are a Greenwich Online Learner you may want to visit the UK during the course of your online studies, or to attend graduation in person. The Visitor route / Visitor visa can be used for this purpose.  Make sure to view our guidance on this below.

If you want a family member or friend to visit you whilst you are in the UK, see our guidance on inviting a visitor to the UK.

How the process works

Depending on nationality, some people need to apply for a Visitor Visa before visiting the UK. Alternatively, some people are able to enter the UK as a Visitor without a visa and to be given permission to enter the UK at the border - either by entering using an E-Gate or by speaking to a Border Officer. The Home Office website can help you check if you need a UK visa before you can travel to the UK.

If you are unsure about any aspect of coming to the UK with Visitor status, you can contact the International Student Advice Service for advice and guidance.

Limitations of the Standard Visitor Visa

It's important to note that it is not permissible to work in the UK if you have a Standard Visitor Visa. This includes work placements and unpaid work. It's important to be careful with this stipulation as working whilst in the UK with Visitor status is a criminal offence.

Extending a Standard Visitor Visa is in the UK is not an option (with some very rare exceptions). Also, you cannot switch into another visa category once you are in the UK. This means you must leave the UK on or before the visa expiry date.  If you are not sure of the expiry date, always make sure to seek immigration advice.

Distance learning students

If you are registered on a distance learning programme with us, and you need to enter the UK for short periods of time as part of your studies, the UKVI say that a Standard Visitor Visa can be used for this purpose. However you should always be aware that getting the Visitor Visa approved each time you need to visit the UK is not guaranteed.

If a Visitor Visa applicant visits the UK regularly, UKVI will make checks to satisfy themselves that the applicant is not using the Visitor route to frequently spend time in the UK, making it their main home. PhD students that are required to spend short periods of time in the UK as part of their distance learning course are generally unlikely to experience difficulty with this stipulation, but we recommend understanding this part of the rules and guidance. For more information about this stipulation see the Visit Visa casework guidance (search under "Frequent or Successive" visits in the guidance document).

Contact the International Student Advice Service for advice if you  are a distance learner and want to ask questions about spending time in the UK with Visitor status.

Greenwich Online Learners

If you are a Greenwich Online Learner, studying on one of our online only distance learning programmes; you will not need to come to the UK specifically to carry out any of your studies.  However, during your online programme, you may wish to visit the UK.  Additionally, you may wish to visit the UK to attend your graduation ceremony.

If you are applying for a Visitor Visa, or to request entry as a Visitor at the border, it's important to be clear what your reasons for entering the UK are.  If you are an online learner, it's important not to confuse matters by stating that your reason for entering the UK is for study, as for an online learner that is not the case.  If you are clear and transparent in your Visitor Visa application, you can avoid any potential confusion.

Greenwich online learners who want to access immigration advice regarding the Visitor Visa route can contact the university International Student Advice Service for free of charge immigration advice, to help understand how to apply for a Visitor Visa successfully.

Current Students

If you are an existing student registered on a degree programme in the UK, the rules and guidance say that you can use a Standard Visitor Visa to return to the UK in order to:

• Retake an exam
• Repeat a course or module
• Undertake a viva

Remember, the Visitor Visa route can only be used if the time needed in the UK is up to six months in duration maximum. Contact the university International Student Advice Service for a detailed discussion and advice on whether this is the best option for your circumstances.  It's important to weigh up whether the Visitor Visa or the Student Visa is the better option.

Pre-sessional English Course students

We do not recommend using a Standard Visitor Visa for our pre-sessional English programmes.  If you are a pre-sessional English student, you should apply for a Student Visa. This is the better option because usually you can then extend the Student Visa, to stay in the UK for the main degree programme you are taking after the pre-sessional English course.

Recreational Study

The Visitor Visa route does allow you to carry recreational courses for a maximum period of 30 days if the purpose of your visit is for leisure or tourism and the course doesn't give you a qualification at the end.  You usually don't need to provide an acceptance letter from the university as part of your Visit Visa application, when it is recreational study.

Access to healthcare 

International students coming into the UK on a Standard Visitor Visa will not have free access to the National Health Service (NHS). You should make sure you are covered for healthcare through personal medical insurance during your visit. Your private health insurance should be obtained before you arrive in the UK. The type of healthcare you can access will be decided by the terms and conditions of your individual private health insurance policy, so it is important that you fully understand what range of healthcare it offers.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

ATAS is a UK government scheme for international students who plan to study certain subjects in the UK. Some programmes of study or areas of research mean that an ATAS clearance certificate is a requirement of the UK Government.

If you are applying for a Standard Visitor visa to study in the UK on a course that requires ATAS, or carrying out research in an area that needs ATAS; you will need to have an ATAS clearance certificate to show on arrival at the University. You will not require it as part of your visa application to come to the UK.  If you have doubts or concerns about how and if ATAS applies to you, you can contact the International Student Advice Service.

Getting a Standard Visitor Visa at the UK border

Nationals of some countries do not need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa before travelling to the UK and can instead get a Visitor Visa on arrival to the UK border.  For those people, the choice is open to apply for the visa before travel or get visitor status at the UK border.

It is really important to note that, even if you are a 'non-visa national',  that you may need to apply for an 'Electronic Travel Authorisation' The ETA is not a visa, it is a necessary step to have permission to travel to the UK, if you are travelling to the UK without a visa.  You can find more information about who needs an ETA in the  more detailed guidance from UKVI on ETAs.

Nationals of some countries can also enter the UK using the E-gates. If your passport allows you to enter through the E-gates, you will automatically have 'deemed visitor leave' after walking through. If this is the case, you will not have any stamp in your passport, but you will be 'deemed' to have entered the UK as a visitor, and therefore all of the conditions / rules of the visitor visa route apply to you.

If your passport does not allow you to enter through the E-gates, and you are asking for a Visitor Visa to be granted at the UK border, you will be able to speak to a border officer and to ask them to issue you a Visitor Visa at the border. They will ask for evidence to show your reason for entry to the UK and may ask for financial evidence or other evidence which shows that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit.

Further Information & Advice

For detailed information about how you would be assessed as a visitor, read the Home Office Caseworker Visit visa guidance.

UKCISA has helpful information on studying as a Visitor.

We have fuller guidance on arriving at the UK border 

All University of Greenwich students and offer holders are welcome to contact the International Student Advice Service for free immigration advice and guidance.