Standard Visitor visa

This visa category will allow you to come to the UK if you are 16 years or older and satisfy one of the following conditions:

• If you have an unconditional offer for an accredited short course at Goldsmiths or going to join our Study Abroad programme for one term
• Please note that we are not able to offer visa support for the following short courses
• If you are enrolled on a course equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD level degree overseas and plan to come to Goldsmiths for up to six months to carry out research as part of your overseas study
• If you are an Erasmus student
• If you are retaking some of your exams or coursework or need to attend a viva and need to re-enter the UK after your Student visa has expired

You must have enough money to support yourself during your stay, including any tuition and accommodation fees, in addition to living costs.

Applying for a Standard Visitor visa

If you are a visa national, you must apply for entry clearance before you come to the UK. This means you must apply for your visa before you travel.

If you are a non-visa national, you can usually obtain entry at the border by providing a copy of your Goldsmiths offer letter.

In some cases, applying for prior entry clearance is recommended, especially if you have a complex case/immigration history. In these circumstances, you should follow the process of a visa national, which is to apply for prior entry clearance.

If you must apply in advance of your travel, it usually costs £115 for a six-month Standard Visitor visa.

You should bring any supporting documents you submitted with your application with you when you travel, as the border officials may ask to see these documents when you arrive.

There is no minimum English language level required to apply for this type of visa and you can study full or part-time.

Your visa conditions when in the UK

• You cannot do any kind of work or work placement/internship even as part of your studies (this includes voluntary work and part-time work)
• If your programme of study includes a work placement you must apply for a Student visa Please contact the IAS team for further advice.
• You cannot apply or switch to any other category of visa while in the UK as a Standard Visitor, and cannot extend your visa. If required to switch an alternative visa category, you need to leave the UK and apply for a new visa.

You must not intend to use this visa route frequently/successively. The Home Office will look at the number of visits made over the past 12 months, including the length of stay on each occasion, the time elapsed since the last visit, and if this amounts to the individual spending more time in the UK than in their home country, then this could affect your eligibility to enter as a Visitor.

Visa nationals

If you are a national of one of the countries listed on GOV.UK, you will need to apply for a visa before you travel to the UK.