Visas | Mayfair School, London, England | Visa advice for students wanting to study English in the UK

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Visas

In Spring 2009 the visa system for international students visiting the UK changed, when the United Kingdom Government introduced a Points Based System for processing all long term (i.e. more than 6 months) visa applications.

If you are coming to the UK from an EEA (European Economic Area) country or Swizerland you do not need a visa to study here, regardless of the length of your course.

Citizens of other countries will need to apply for a visa to study in the UK. If you require a visa and are planning to study in the United Kingdom for more than 6 months you will need to apply for a General Student Visa; if you plan to study for less than 6 months and are not intending to work whilst in the UK you can apply for a Student Visitor Visa. Please refer directly to the United Kingdom Border Agency's website for more information on the correct procedure to follow when applying for leave to remain to study in the UK.

If you are unsure whether you require a visa to travel to the UK to study, please check the UK Foreign Office website to see if you need a visa to study in the UK.

Please remember that to obtain a student visa you must study a minimum of 15 hours per week and you must study at a school listed on the UKBA Register of Sponsors.

General Student Visa applications can take several weeks to be successfully processed so it is a good idea to book your course early. Make sure you apply for a visa for the duration of your course. You can extend a General Student Visa when you are in the UK but you must pay to do this; however, it is not possible to extend at Student Visitor Visa from within the UK.

This information is only intended as a basic guide. If you have a specific question about applying for a student visa then please email the school.

Please remember that your course and accommodation deposits are non-refundable. If your visa application is not successful, please contact the school and send your original refusal documentation along with any other documentation provided by our school and we will refund any fees you have paid minus your deposit.