Immigration Rules Appendix Short-term Student (English language)
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-11)

Immigration Rules for Short-term Students

This route is for a person aged 16 and over who wants to study an English language course in the UK for between 6 and 11 months at an accredited institution.

An application can only be made by a person outside the UK.

Short-term Study (English language) is an unsponsored route, sponsored study for persons aged 16 and over is covered in Appendix Student.

A visitor under Appendix V: Visitor can study an English language course of less than 6 months with an accredited institution.

Validity requirements for a Short-term Student

STS 1.1. A person applying for entry clearance as a Short-term Student must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Short-term Student visa”.
- (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
- (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other travel document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality; and
- (d) the applicant must be outside the UK.
STS 1.3. The applicant must be aged 16 or over on the date of application.

STS 1.4. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a Short-term Student may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a Short-term Student

STS 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.

Eligibility requirements for a Short-term Student

Entry requirements for a Short-term Student

STS 3.1. A person seeking to come to the UK as a Short-term Student must obtain entry clearance as a Short-term Student before they arrive in the UK.

STS 3.2. A person applying for entry clearance as a Short-term Student for more than 6 months must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

Course requirements for a Short-term Student

STS 4.1. The course provider must be an accredited institution.

STS 4.2. The applicant must provide written evidence from the course provider that the applicant has been accepted onto an English language course (that does not include any other subject) that lasts at least 6 months and no longer than 11 months.

Study requirement for a Short-term Student
- (a) are genuinely seeking entry for the purpose of undertaking the course of study for which they have demonstrated they have been accepted onto in STS 4.2; and
- (b) will not study in the UK other than for the course of study for which they have demonstrated they have been accepted onto in STS 4.2; and
- (c) will not study at an academy or state-funded school; and
- (d) will leave the UK within 30 days of the end of their English language course, or at the end of 11 months, whichever is sooner; and
- (e) will not make the UK their main home; and
- (f) will not work in the UK; and
- (g) will not engage in any business or professional activities in the UK; and
- (h) have relied upon funds to meet the Financial Requirement in STS 6.1 to STS 6.4 which are genuinely available to them t for the purposes of undertaking the course of study for which they have demonstrated they have been accepted onto in STS 4.2.
STS 5.2. DELETED

Financial requirements for a Short-term Student

STS 6.1. The applicant must be able to maintain and accommodate themselves adequately without receiving public funds.

STS 6.2. The applicant must have enough funds to meet the cost of their return or onward journey from the UK.

STS 6.3. At the date of application, the applicant must have paid their course fees or have enough funds to pay their course fees.

STS 6.4. Funds must be shown as specified in Appendix Finance.

Parental consent requirement for a Short-term Student aged 16 or 17

STS 7.1. The applicant must meet the parental consent requirement for applicant not applying as a dependent child in Appendix Children.

STS 7.2. DELETED

Decision on an application as a Short-term Student

STS 8.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for a Short-term Student are met the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.

STS 8.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Period of grant for a Short-term Student

STS 9.1. The applicant will be granted permission for 11 months.

Conditions of grant for a Short-term Student
- (a) no access to public funds; and
- (b) no work; and
- (c) study only on the course for which the applicant was granted permission.