Coming to the UK as a visitor

If you are coming to the UK to undertake a period of study / research as a visiting student you can do this as a Standard Visitor to the UK as long as the period of study / research is for less than 6 months. Please ensure that you have applied to Imperial through the formal visiting student process and have met all conditions of your offer of admission before applying for a visa / travelling to the UK. The central Admissions Team will provide the relevant supporting document for your entry to the UK.

If your study or research requires you to have clearance under the ATAS scheme this will be a condition of your admission to Imperial and you will need to have this before you can enrol on the period of study / research.

Whether you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel depends upon your nationality. Please refer to our detailed guidance on the immigration requirements.

Please note: If you come to the UK as a Standard Visitor you cannot extend your period of study / research beyond 6 months. If you want to extend your period of study / research, you will be required to go back to your home country to apply for a Student Visa. Your will need to ensure you meet all of the requirements for a Student Visa including meeting Imperial’s English Language Requirement.

The Weekend, Executive & Global Online MBA programmes do not qualify for sponsorship under a Student Visa as they are predominantly distance-learning programmes designed for professionals who are already working in some capacity. All international students taking these courses will have to undertake any face-to-face elements on visitor permission (unless you already hold some other form of permission to be in the UK).

The UKVI confirm:

Students undertaking a course of study at a UK academic institution via distance learning should be studying for the majority of their time outside of the UK and only intend to come to the UK for short periods of time for certain activities, such as induction weeks, intensive face-to-face learning, one-to-one progress checks or to sit exams or assessments. Due to the types of activities that might require a distance learner to be in the UK, you would not expect them to be in the UK for a long period of time and you should check to ensure that they are not using frequent or repeat visits to pursue a longer course that should be undertaken on the Student or Child Student routes. 

It may be possible to apply for a 2-year long-term Standard Visitor visa to cover the duration of the WMBA programme. It needs to be clear from your application that you do not intend to visit the UK for longer than 6 months in any one visit, and that you are not using the route to spend more time in the UK than you would in your home country. Applicants should read the Visit Caseworker Guidance carefully before applying and also see our guidance for additional information.

If you are required to resit exams please ensure that you have read our guidance about the immigration options open to you. If you are required to come back as a visitor for the exam period only, please be aware that:

• You can only come back to the UK for a maximum period of 6 months on visitor permission – so in your visa application only refer to the period of study you are entering the UK for that is detailed on any supporting letter from Imperial (for example your resit period)– not the full length of your degree.
• You will be required to leave the UK at the end of your exam period to await your results
• If you subsequently progress to the next year of your course you will need to obtain a new CAS and apply for a Student visa from your home country.

Please ensure you read our guidance carefully to prepare for the Standard Visitor application.

If you are a PhD student and want to return to the UK for the purpose of taking your viva only you can do this on a Standard Visitor visa. If you choose to do this, please be aware that:

• You can only come back to the UK for a maximum period of 6 months on visitor permission - so in your visa application only refer to the period of study you are entering the UK for that is detailed on any supporting letter from Imperial (e.g your Viva)– not the full length of your degree
• You will be required to leave the UK at the end of your viva.
• You will not be eligible to apply for a Graduate visa once your PhD is awarded.

Please ensure you read our guidance carefully to prepare for the Standard Visitor application.

If you or your guests need to travel to the UK to attend your graduation ceremony, you can request a supporting letter for the Standard Visitor visa from our Graduation Team once you have booked your tickets for the ceremony.

Obtaining a visa may take several weeks and it is your responsibility to ensure you have completed all legal requirements before you travel. 

See the Graduation FAQs for more information.

Please ensure you read our guidance carefully to prepare for the Standard Visitor application.

Imperial will not provide invitation letters for family members visiting you in the UK during your studies. Instead you need to provide them with the following:

• Evidence of your student status in the UK (a Statement of Registration and a copy of your current visa)
• A letter from yourself confirming you are a student in the UK and detailing the visit (accommodation arrangements, dates of visit etc).

Applicants should read the Visit Caseworker Guidance carefully before applying and also see our guidance for additional information.

Accessing medical treatment (other than at a hospital), is prohibited as a Visitor, you will need to ensure that you obtain private medical insurance for your visit. Your private medical insurance should be obtained from the beginning of your stay and should cover the whole length of your stay.

• Treatment for accident and emergency services at a hospital is free (but not follow-up treatment, or admission as an in-patient to hospital). To read more about free hospital treatment within England, refer to the UKCISA website UKCISA - international student advice and guidance - Health and healthcare.
• We are unable to advise on which medical insurance to obtain. Please undertake an internet search to find the best policy that suits your needs.
• Even if you have previously paid the IHS as part of a previous visa application, this will no longer apply as your visa will have been cancelled.