For visa purposes, the world is divided into 3 areas, as follows:

1. EU/EEA/Switzerland: If you are a citizen of one of these countries you do not need a study visa. Please stop reading this page now!

1. Visa nationals (VN): If you are a VN you need a visa to enter the UK for any reason, and you must obtain your visa before you travel to the UK (this is called ‘pre-entry clearance’). Examples of VN countries are: Colombia, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Turkey.

1. Non-visa nationals (NVN): Non-visa national countries are all countries that are not European or Visa National countries. Examples of these countries include Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, and Venezuela.

To see our list of countries and their visa classification, please click here

Summary

A SVV has no level requirement, cannot be extended, and cannot last longer than 6 months. Visa nationals must get it before they leave home for a fee of £76. Non-visa nationals can get it free on arrival.

Advantages Disadvantages

- No restriction on level

- No restriction on where you study

- The standard 6 month SVV is free on arrival for non-visa nationals

- It cannot be extended or renewed

- For visa nationals, applications must be examined and passed by a visa officer

How do I get a SVV if I am a non-visa national?

Non-visa nationals can get a 6 month SVV free when you arrive in the UK.  You do not need to apply for an ordinary SVV before you come to the UK.

To do this, you will need to show your Letter of Invitation from LSC. You will also need to show that you have enough money to support you during your time in the UK, for example, by showing that you have money available to you on a credit card or in cash or travellers’ cheques. You should also show that you have bought a return ticket at the end of your stay.

How do I get a SVV if I am a visa-national?

If you are a visa national you will need to get your SVV before you travel to the UK. You must have a Letter of Invitation from us and show that you have enough money to pay your course and live on. You will have to do biometrics and pay the appropriate fee (£70 as at January 2011).  You will probably have to prove that you have a good reason for learning English and persuade the Entry Clearance Officer that you will return home after the course.  If you are using an agent in your own country they will help you with the visa application.  If you are applying personally, you can find the form you need by clicking here.

How long is a SVV valid for?

A SVV is valid for 6 months.

Do I need to have a minimum level of English?

No.  A SVV is available for people at any level of English. It is the only study visa available if you are below intermediate level.

Can I renew a SVV?

No.

Can I work part-time if I have a SVV?

No.

What is an ESVV?

An ESVV is very similar to a SVV but it has some important differences.  A normal SVV lasts for 6 months.   An ESVV lasts for 11 months.  To get an ESVV it is necessary to prove that your course will last for more than 6 months.   You cannot convert a SVV to an ESVV, and you cannot apply for an ESVV in the UK or when you arrive.  For both visa nationals and non-visa nationals, An ESVV must always be obtained in your own country and costs £140.  An ESVV is only valid for studying English.  You can change school and course with an ESVV, but you cannot stop studying English and start studying something else.

What does an SVV look like?

If you get a SVV before you leave home it will look very like a GSV but will include the word ‘visitor’ as well as ‘student’.  If you get it on arrival it will just be an entry stamp. This is still a visa. The only difference between a SVV and a Visitor Visa (see below) is that something like ‘VST’ will be written by hand on the stamp. The date of validity is based on the date of entry, so it is important to check that carefully.  If you are unable to read the date, we suggest that you ask the Immigration Officer to stamp it again.

How long is an Extended Student Visitor Visa valid for?

An Extended Student Visitor Visa lasts for 11 months.

Do I need to have a minimum level of English?

No.  An ESVV is available for people at any level of English. It is the only study visa available if you are below intermediate level.

Can I renew an ESVV?

No.

Can I work part-time if I have an ESVV?

No.

Summary

You should choose a GSV if you want to study in the UK for a longer period. If you have a GSV and want to stay in the UK to take another course after your LSC course has finished (for example, if you want to go onto University), you can extend your GSV without having to go back to your own country. A GSV is available for students that have intermediate level English (or higher), and is only valid for study at the school or college named on it. It must always be obtained before travel to the UK and costs £255. It does not include the right to work.

Advantages Disadvantages

- Allows you to study for up to 3 years

- Allows you to extend your visa in the UK

- Only available if you have intermediate level English (CEFR B1 - about IELTS 4), which must be proved by an official exam accepted by the visa authorities.

- You can only study at the school who accepted you on a course. If you want to change school, you will need a new visa.

- You must always get this type of visa before you come to the UK

Who should choose a GSV?

This is the right visa for you if you are thinking of progressing to a UK University after you have finished your course at LSC. For most of our students that want to study English, the Student Visitor Visa and Extended Student Visitor Visa are the most appropriate visas.

What do I need to get a GSV?

1. Acceptance on a course from a school / college that is listed on the UKBA Sponsor register. LSC is a Highly Trusted Sponsor on this register.
2. Evidence that you have enough money to pay your fees and to live while you are in the UK.  For living costs, you must show £800 for each month of your studies, up to a maximum of 9 months. You can prove you have the money if:
   1. you have cash in an account in your name (this includes joint accounts with your name) in your home country that is the equivalent of the amounts in British Pounds.  You must have this money in your bank account for 28 days before you apply for your visa, or
   2. You have a loan in your name, or
   3. You have official financial or government sponsorship.
   4. Proof that you are at a qualifying level of English.

How do I apply for a GSV?

You must always get a GSV in advance (this is true for both visa nationals and non-visa nationals).  You must provide fingerprints (biometric data) and must therefore attend a visa issuing post in person (the visa issuing process may take place elsewhere).

If you are using an agent in your own country they will help you with the visa application.  If you are applying personally, you can find the form you need by clicking here.

How much does a GSV cost?

A GSV costs £255.

If you want to renew your GSV in the UK it will cost £386 (for postal applications) or £702 (for same-day applications in person).

Who is a GSV available to?

To get a GSV you must have achieved a B1 level in all four components of a SELT (Secure English Language Test). Click here for tests which can be used.

Even if you have a SELT, UK Border Agency staff may be able to refuse entry to students who cannot speak English without an interpreter.

What does a GSV look like?

A GSV is a piece of paper that is stuck onto your passport. It will have both the start date and end date printed on it. A GSV has the number of the sponsoring school printed on it.  It is only valid for study at that school.

How long does a GSV last?

A GSV will be valid for the length of the course, plus some time at the end of the course.  For a course of more than 6 months the extra time allowed is 2 months (i.e. GSV valid for a total of 8 months)

Can I renew a GSV?

A GSV can be renewed, but only if you have attended at least 80% of classes. It is the only sort of study visa which can be renewed, so get a GSV if you are booking for less than 6 months but think that you may want to stay for more than 6 months, or if you are doing a course with us but plan to move on to study elsewhere afterwards (or if you are going to study elsewhere, and then move to us).

As long as your attendance and progress has been satisfactory, we can give you all the documents you need if you are applying to renew your visa in order to continue to study with us.

To renew your GSV you will need to pay a fee. This is £357 (for postal applications) or £650 (for same-day applications in person) (fees as at January 2011).

Can I work part-time if I have a GSV?

No, A GSV does not give the right to work.

1. Tell us what sort of visa you want

If you need a visa to enter the UK you will need support from us, so you must tell us what sort of visa you intend to apply for.  Unless we know this we do not know what sort of support to send you.

2. Send us a copy of your passport

We need information from it to produce the support that we will send you.

3. For a GSV, show how you will prove your level

If you want a GSV, we need to know how you will prove your level of English.   This is not necessary for a SVV.

4. For a SVV, send us the information needed for a SVV support letter

If you want a SVV we will need to send you a SVV support letter so we need certain information.