International Exchange Programme

Visa & Immigration

It is important for all students travelling to the UK to ensure they have the correct documents and relevant visas for entry in to the UK. You will need to pay a visa application fee and will be required to submit specific supporting documentation when making your visa application. Please see the UKVI website for further information: www.gov.uk/student-visa

Visa & Immigration Guidance

Students studying at the Stranmillis University College for less than six months may apply for a Visitor Visa (if a Student Visa is not required).

Depending upon your nationality, you may be able to apply for a Visitor visa upon arrival in the UK at the airport you arrive at. To see if this will be possible for you, please follow these steps:

Go to www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
Select your nationality (the passport you will be travelling to Northern Ireland on) in the drop down menu, and then select ‘Study’ and ‘6 months or less’.
If you receive the response: ‘You won’t need a visa to come to the UK’ this means that you do not have to apply for a Visitor Visa in advance. However, you will need to show a number of required supporting documents upon arrival in the UK. These are listed at: www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/apply-standard-visitor-visa. Without these documents, you will not be permitted to enter the UK.
If you receive the response: ‘You’ll need a visa to study in the UK’ this means that you must apply for your Visitor Visa in advance. You will not be eligible to apply upon arrival, and you will need to obtain your Visitor Visa in advance in order to enter the UK.

Whether or not you apply in advance, the following terms will apply. Your Visitor Visa:

does not permit employment – paid or unpaid
does not permit work placements or internships
has a maximum duration of 6 months
cannot be extended
does not permit ‘switching’ into another visa category from within the UK.

Most Semester Only students apply for Visitor Visas. Semester only students who plan to take a workplacement, volunteer or extend their stay must apply for a Student Visa (details below).

IMPORTANT: If you intend to travel to the UK via Dublin or any other airports in the Republic of Ireland you will not pass through any UK immigration point and will therefore not be able to obtain Leave to Enter as a student visitor on arrival. So please note the following:

for a full year (semesters 1 and 2): you must apply for a Student Visa before you travel
for a single semester: you will no longer need to apply for a Visitor Visa before you travel as you will have automatic permission to stay in the UK for 6 months. Do, however, keep any evidence of your travel for documentation of your date of entry.

The guide below provides some basic information about applying for your visa overseas and the different types of visa available to help you choose the correct visa for your period of study at Stranmillis University College.

STUDY VISA OPTIONS