Other types of visa and entry requirements to the UK

The Short Term Study visa allows you to enter the UK and undertake an English language course between 6 and 11 months in duration. For shorter periods of study of 6 months or less, you should instead be able to undertake this on a Standard Visitor Visa.  Make sure that you read the full list of conditions for the Short Term Study visa.  

Please note: 

• A Short Term Study visa can only be applied for when you are outside of the UK.
• They cannot be extended;
• They prohibit work (paid or unpaid);
• If you study an English Language course for between 6 and 11 months at the University on a Short Term Study Visa, you are required to leave the UK no later than 30 days after you complete your course.

You are eligible for a Short Term Study visa if:

• you are currently studying, or have been offered a place, on an English language programme of between 6 and 11 months in length at the University of Salford
• you can show evidence that you can support yourself financially (this includes accommodation, food and utility bills, and transport costs) whilst studying at the University
• you have evidence of, or can show evidence that you can pay for, your departure flight from the UK

See the full list of documents that you will need to provide.  These will be dependent upon your circumstances and therefore differ from student to student.

The below list is not exhaustive but will apply to the majority of applicants for the Short Term Study visa:

• a current passport (or other valid travel identification)
• evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, e.g. bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months
• details of where you intend to stay, and your travel plans. (you should not pay for accommodation or travel until you get your visa)
• evidence that you have paid your course fees or have enough money to pay them
• your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you are from a country where you have to take the test
• proof of the course you are studying, e.g. a letter of acceptance from the University of Salford or a proof of study letter
• financial sponsor’s occupation (if applicable), income, savings or funds that will support your studies

Please note: If you are under 18 years old there are additional requirements in order to successfully apply for the Short Term Study visa. 

You can apply for the Short Term Study visa online.

Please note: you must have left the UK before applying for a Short Term Study visa.  If you make the application from inside the UK it will be refused.

Some students can bring family with them to the UK as their dependents. However, eligibility to bring a dependent will depend on your level of study and your relationship to that person. You should read the guidance before making a dependent visa application.

You are eligible to bring dependents with you to the UK if:

• you are financially sponsored by your government and your course is longer than six months, or
• you are commencing a Postgraduate taught level course of 9 months or more before 31 December 2023, or
• you are undertaking a Postgraduate research level course, or
• your most recent immigration permission was as a Student Visa holder and you were studying a course for longer than six months. In this case all of the following conditions must apply:
  • your current immigration permission is still valid or did not expire more than three months before the date of your new application and
  • your new immigration application is for a course of study lasting six months or more and
  • your dependent already has immigration permission as a Student dependent (or it is the most recent immigration permission that they had and it expired no more than three months before this application) or is your child who was born since you were last granted Student immigration permission and
  • you apply for immigration permission at the same time as your dependent.

In general, your partner and your children can be your dependents. Parents, brothers, sisters or any other relatives are not classed as dependents. The definition of who can be classed as your ‘partner’ or ‘child’ for immigration purposes is dependent on a number of factors. For more information, see the UKCISA website.

Important changes for dependents from 2024

On 23 May 2023, the UK Government announced some important changes for international students that are due to come into effect from 1 January 2024. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided a useful summary of these changes and included FAQs on their website.  

We advise individuals who may be impacted by these changes to take a look at the information provided by UKCISA; further updates will be shared on their website when more details are available from the government.

Here at the University of Salford we are also closely monitoring this situation and are represented on various committees that will be able to feed into conversations about these changes.

Applying outside the UK

If your dependents are applying for entry clearance¸ then each dependent must complete a separate application form and pay the fee online.  Applications can be made online.  

If the application is successful, your dependents will receive a temporary visa which will be placed in their passport. The visa will last for 90 days to allow them to enter the UK and then collect a Biometric Residency Permit (BRP) that will cover them for the remainder of their stay. They will also receive a letter that they will need to keep detailing where to collect their BRP.  

Please note: if you make the entry clearance application at the same time as your dependents, you must select a local UK Post Office from which to collect your dependent’s BRP.

Applying inside the UK

If your dependents are applying from within the UK there are strict regulations surrounding switching from alternative immigration categories into a dependent category. Your dependent can apply to extend their stay from inside the UK, as long as their latest immigration status was not:

• as a visitor or
• as a short term student or short term student (child) or
• as a parent of a Tier 4 (child) / Student (child) or
• as a Seasonal Worker or
• as a Domestic Worker in a Private household or
• on Immigration Bail or
• leave outside the Immigration Rules

The application is normally completed online and there are three main routes by which your dependents can apply whilst in the UK:

• if you are applying at the same time as your dependent then you will need to include your dependent’s details on your Student Visa application. 
• if your dependent partner is applying later than you then the Dependent Partner online application form can be completed.
• if your dependent child is applying later than you then the Dependent Child online application form can be completed.

Each dependent must be able to provide evidence that they are able to maintain themselves (or be maintained by you) during their stay in the UK. As part of either your Student Visa application or a dependent application (where your dependents are applying separately), evidence of these funds will need to be submitted with the application.

In most cases the evidence you submit will be a bank or building society statement showing that the relevant money has been held for a period of 28 consecutive days. The amounts you are required to show and forms of acceptable documents that can be submitted with the visa application are detailed on the UKCISA website.

Children born inside the United Kingdom

If you are a Student Visa holder and you are pregnant it is important that you talk to us as soon as possible.  You will need to review the academic options available to you as well as discuss the immigration implications surrounding your pregnancy.

If you need to interrupt your studies you would normally be required to leave the UK with any dependents and then apply for new entry clearance before you return to study. You can read more about taking a break from your studies if required.

A child born in the UK can legally live here without making an immigration application. However, if you leave the UK with a child born in the UK you must apply for entry clearance in order for them to re-enter the UK because birth in the UK does not automatically entitle a child to British Citizenship.  When making a dependent visa application the same rules apply to a child born in the UK as they do to any other dependent children you may have.

The Standard Visitor Visa can be used for a variety of different activities whilst in the UK.

To undertake a period of study for 6 months or less

You can visit the UK to study for up to 6 months to:

• study a short course (this includes English language courses)
• do a short piece of research that’s relevant to your course overseas
• do an ‘elective’ - an optional additional placement, if you’re studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing or dentistry
• to undertake a study abroad programme
• sit an entrance exam, retake an exam or course module, or do a PhD oral exam (a viva)

There is a list of documents that you will need to provide.  These will be dependent upon your circumstances. As part of your entry clearance application (or information you provide the border force official if you are a non-visa national) you will need to provide:

• A letter proving that you have been accepted on to a course/module/placement/study abroad arrangement provided by the University of Salford and that this course/module/arrangement is no more than 6 months long
• If you are visiting to do a short piece of research a letter confirming that you are already registered on a course overseas that is the equivalent of a UK degree and that you have been accepted by the University of Salford to take part in research that is relevant to the course you are studying overseas
• An ATAS certificate if required

If you are a visa national, you need to fill in the 'Standard Visitor visa' application form. You will need to make an appointment to submit your application, your supporting documents and to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).

To visit for Graduation

If you (and your friends and family) wish to come to the UK to attend graduation, you will each need to apply for a ‘Standard Visitor visa’.

You will be eligible for a standard visitor visa if you can demonstrate to the entry clearance officer that you meet the specified criteria.

The application

There is a full list of documents that you will need to provide.  These will be dependent upon your circumstances.

As part of your application you will need to provide:

• a letter stating that you are eligible to attend graduation.  You can order this letter from askUS.
• a letter inviting your family and friends to the UK for your graduation.  You should write this for your family and friends to support their visa application.  We have provided an invitation letter template that you may wish to use.

Please note: you must make sure that your contact details are up-to-date before requesting the letter.  This will ensure that the University posts your letter to the correct address.

You need to fill in the 'Standard Visitor visa' application form. You will need to make an appointment to submit your application, your supporting documents and to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).

The ETA scheme will apply to most visitors to the UK who do not need a visa (non-visa nationals) for stays of less than 6 months, and who do not have any other immigration status prior to travelling. An ETA will cost £10 per applicant when the scheme opens for nationals from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Jordan. Visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan will be the first to benefit from the UK’s new ETA scheme, ahead of a worldwide expansion of the scheme throughout 2024. For more information and regular updates on ETAs, please visit our ETA information page on GOV.UK

Who will need an ETA?

From 15 November 2023, you’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of Qatar. You’ll be able to apply from 25 October.

From 22 February 2024, you’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of:

• Bahrain
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

More nationalities will be added to the scheme later.

Who will not need an ETA?

You will not need an ETA if you have either:

• a British or Irish passport
• permission to live, work or study in the UK
• a visa to enter the UK

If you’re legally resident in Ireland, and you do not need a visa to visit the UK, you will not need an ETA if you’re entering the UK from either:

• Ireland
• Guernsey
• Jersey
• Isle of Man

The Asylum process is designed to help those who are in need of protection due to persecution because of race, religion, nationality or membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

• Claiming Asylum in the UK
• Our Sanctuary seeker information

If you are not a European Economic Area (EEA) national and would like to travel in Europe, you may need to apply for a Schengen visa before you travel. With a Schengen visa, you may enter one European country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone.

Schengen visas currently cost €80.

Visas can be single-entry, which means the visa is cancelled as soon as you leave the country, or multiple-entry, permitting multiple entries into the country with the same visa. Please note you cannot apply for a new Schengen visa whilst another one is still valid.

A Schengen visa issued by an Embassy or Consulate of the listed Schengen countries allows the holder to travel freely in all of these countries. However, if you are travelling to more than one country, you may be required to hold a return ticket for some countries or other proof of onward travel – please check the requirements of the country you are applying to before you purchase your return travel ticket.

• If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of that country.
• If you intend to visit several Schengen countries without having a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the first country of entry.
• If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, with one country being your main destination (i.e. you intend to stay in a particular country for more time than the others), then you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country in which your main destination is situated.

Your stay is limited to 90 days within any 6-month period. The Schengen Agreement applies only to those specific countries who signed to the Agreement within the EU and EEA – these countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

The general principles of the Schengen application are the same across all of the member countries of the Schengen area. However the steps you need to take (the application process to apply to each country) are not uniform and can differ to varying degrees.

If you intend to visit countries which are not listed as taking part in the Schengen scheme, you will be required to apply to each individual country you wish to visit. You should also note that if you are planning a trip which includes one or more countries listed in the Schengen agreement and a country which is not listed, you will need to apply to one of the Schengen countries and also to the Embassy of other country/countries you will be visiting.

For example, if you were planning to visit France, Germany, Spain and Ireland you would have to apply for two visas as follows: A Schengen visa for France, Germany or Spain plus a tourist visa for Ireland.