This page has been made to provide guidance on the Standard Visitor Visa Route under the Immigration Rules.

A UK Standard Visitor Visa (SVV) is the authorizing document that gives worldwide citizens the right to enter and stay temporarily in the territory of the UK for the purposes or tourism, business, study - for courses up to 6 months, or any other permitted activities.

A UK Standard Visitor Visa is usually either:

A stamp you receive in your passport

You would normally receive this when you visit the Immigration Desk at a UK Border.

OR

A Digital Status, which can be verified online

You would normally receive this if you are a Non-Visa National and you entered the UK on their Passport, via the E-Gate.

OR

A document given by a UK consulate or embassy in your country of residence.

This is normally a Vignette, which is a sticker, that is placed in your Passport, which must be stamped with the date of your entry to the UK to activate it.

Please click on the following link for the full guidance from the UK Government:

GOV.UK | Visas and Immigration

The Standard Visitor Route is for anyone who is not a UK or Irish citizen, AND does not already have a valid immigration permission to enter the UK for the purposes listed below.

It provides the holder Permission to Enter for the purpose it was granted for.

If you already hold a visa for the UK, the grant of this visa will cause your previous visa to be cancelled, and you will not receive a refund on that visa.

This visa, once granted, will have the following validity:

• If you applied for it in advance:

  Your visa will be valid for 6 months, 2, 5 or 10 years as stated on your Visa Vignette.

  You can only remain in the UK for 6 months.

  If your visa is valid for longer than 6 months, you cannot return to the UK on this visa until a further 6 months has elapsed.

OR

• If you applied on arrival in the UK or enterd the UK via E-Gate:

  Your date of entry is the start of your 12 month period.

  You can remain in the UK for 6 months within this period.

  Once you hit 6 months in the UK within this period, you cannot then return to the UK until your 12 month period has expired.

  
  

  For Example:

  
  

  If you entered the UK on your Passport, via the E-Gate on 15/Sep/2022, then, your 12 month period will be:

  
  

  15/Sep/2022 till 14/Sep/2023

  
  

  You can remain in the UK during this period for up to 6 months, and you cannot then return to the UK using your Passport or the Standard Visitor Visa Route until 15/Sep/2023.

• for tourism, for example on a holiday or vacation

• to see your family or friends

• to volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity

• to pass through the UK to another country (‘in transit’)

• for certain business activities, for example attending a meeting or interview

• to take part in a school exchange programme

• to do a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example a dance course

• to study, do a placement or take an exam

• as an academic, senior doctor or dentist

• for medical reasons

• Work - paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person is prohibited - for EU nationals also

• Live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or repetitive visits

• Switch to a student or work visa from inside the UK<

• Claim public funds (benefits)

• Do a course of study that lasts longer than 6 months (usually a distance learning or part-time course) - Click here for more information regarding visas that allow study for longer than 6 months

• Marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. You’ll need a Marriage Visitor visa instead

• Extend your visit beyond 6 months

This visa is suitable for an potential Warwick Student, or, a current Warwick Student who wishes to:

• Attend an interview for a course at Warwick

• Attend a course of study for up to 6 months

• Enrol as a visiting or exchange student for up to 6 months

• Attend a viva, if they do not already hold a visa that allows this

• Re-sitting exams, if they do not already hold a visa that allows this

• Attend an on campus portion of study as part of a distance learning course which is longer than six months duration, if they do not already hold a visa that allows this

• Attend their Graduation Ceremony, if they do not already hold a visa that allows this

• Invite friends or family members to visit you during your time at Warwick

Where you can apply for Standard Visitor Visa Status depends on if you are classed as a Non-Visa National or a Visa National under the Immigration Rules.

Visa Nationals MUST apply and pay for a Standard Visitor Visa in advance, and they can apply from any country outside of the UK.

Non-Visa Nationals can enter the UK on their Passports via the E-Gate, which will grant a Non-Visa National with the same Immigration Status as the Standard Visitor Visa.

You can find out if you are classed as a Visa National via the following link:

GOV.UK | Visas and Immigration | Immigration Rules | Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list

You can use the tool on the following link to check if you need to apply for visitor visa in advance OR if you are able to apply at the UK Border OR use an E-Gate.

GOV.UK | Check if you need a UK visa

You can apply:

• In advance, outside of the UK, within any country that you are legally in

OR

• On arrival at a UK Border, via the E-Gate system or by visiting the Immigration Desk

You must apply in advance, outside of the UK, within any country that you are legally in.

When you need to apply for your Standard Visitor Visa Status depends on if you are classed as a Non-Visa National or a Visa National under the Immigration Rules:

Visa Nationals MUST apply in advance

Non-Visa Nationals can apply in advance OR on arrival at a UK Border

You can find out if you are classed as a Visa National via the following link:

GOV.UK | Visas and Immigration | Immigration Rules | Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list

You can use the tool on the following link to check if you need to apply for visitor visa in advance OR if you are able to apply at the UK Border OR use an E-Gate.

GOV.UK | Check if you need a UK visa

If you are a Non-Visa National, under the Immigration Rules, you can obtain a Standard Visitor Visa in advance - see guidance for Visa Nationals below, or on arrival at a UK Border via:

Entering via the E-Gate System

OR

If for whatever reason, you are unable to use the E-Gate System, you can apply for the Standard Visitor Visa at the Immigration Desk on arrival at a UK Border.

You will still need to carry with you the same application evidence as stated in "Section 6: What are the application requirements for the Standard Visitor Visa Route?" below.

You are able to leave the UK and re-enter the UK, IF you have not already exceeded 6 months since your first date of entry.

If you have exceeded 6 months in the UK:

You will not be able to re-enter the UK until 6 months has elapsed since you last left the UK.

If you have not exceeded 6 months in the UK:

Then you will need to re-enter as a visitor, either via the E-Gate System, or, via the Immigration Desk, each time you leave and return to the UK, although your total duration spent in the UK as a visitor must not exceed 6 months in a single 12 month period.

If you leave and re-enter the UK during your registration at Warwick we may request that you provide evidence of your departure date and re-entry to the UK.

If you are a visa national, you will need to apply for your visa in advance of your visit to the UK.

You can apply:

• No more than 3 months before you intend to travel.

• When completing the visa application form, remember to state specifically the date you want this visa to be valid (usually a few days before your intended travel date).

  
  

  This is particularly important if you are coming to the UK for a period of study abroad or visiting research that is close to 6 months.

  
  

  This is because there is a risk that the visa decision maker may grant your visa to be valid from the date of decision and therefore, your visa length may not cover the whole length of the course.

  
  

  If your visa application form is completed correctly but the 'valid from' date is too early for you to complete the whole intended study duration, please raise it with your local visa application centre in the first instance.

Please see "Section 6: What are the application requirements for the Standard Visitor Visa Route?" below for the application requirements.

Please see "Section 7: How do I apply for a Standard Visitor Visa?" below for how to make your application.

A standard overseas UK visa application currently takes up to 6 weeks to complete.

Therefore, you should ensure you have given yourself enough time to make the application, receive your visa and travel to the UK.

To make an application under the Standard Visitor Route, you will need the following:

• Travel Document

  This will usually be your current Passport, or a Temporary Travel Document issued by your Government or the UK Government

• Written confirmation (a letter) that you have been accepted on your course:

  If you are applying to study at Warwick, this will be provided to you by your Admissions Team, or, if you are on a Distance Learning Course, your Department can provide this for you, for example, WBS Distance Learning MBA team or Warwick Student Mobility Team.

Or if you are inviting someone to visit you in the UK:

• • A letter of invitation from you addressed to the person applying for the Standard Visitor Visa:

    You can download an editable MS Word Letter Template on the following link:

    
    

    Warwick | Student Immigration | Standard Visitor Visa Invitation Letter Template

• Previous travel documents/passports:

  These should only be required to show previous travel or confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country in which you are applying or your right to reside there is not included in your current passport.

• ATAS certificate:

  
  

  If your course is at Postgraduate level and is listed in Appendix ATAS of the Immigration Rules, you will be required to include an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate (ATAS) certificate with your visa application, or at the border if seeking permission to enter on arrival to the UK.

  
  

  You can apply for an ATAS certificate up to nine months before the start date of the course and it is valid for six months from the date of issue.

  
  

  Nationals from the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA are exempt from obtaining ATAS clearance.

Please click on the following link to see the full application document requirements for the Standard Visitor route:

GOV.UK | Entering and Staying in the UK | Visas and entry clearance | Visit and transit visas | Visit visa: guide to supporting documents

• You must carry your application evidence with you in your carry on luggage.

• You must visit the Immigration Desk on arrival at the UK Border, unless you are eligible to enter the UK using 'e-Gate' (see further information below)

• You must state the purpose for your visit, e.g. short period of study under 6 months, attending a viva, tourism, etc.

• The Border Force official will ask you for any evidence they require - do not volunteer any evidence unless they specifically ask you for it.

If they are satisfied, they will endorse your passport with an Ink Stamp, which will look similar to the image on the following image:

• Once you have received you have cleared Border Control, you will have leave as a Standard Visitor.

If you are eligible to enter the UK via the e-Gate, you will not have obtained an Entry Stamp, and you will not be able to obtain a new one without leaving the Common Travel Area.

You will still, however, have obtained the Standard Visitor Immigration Status.

To prove you have the Right to Study in this scenario, please provide the University with your Boarding Pass, which confirms your date of entry to the UK in place of the Entry Stamp.

The period of leave that you will automatically be considered to have (if you are a non-visa national without entry clearance and are not an excluded person, as outlined in Article 3 of the Order) will increase from three to six months.

This will be reduced to two months if you enter the Republic of Ireland from the UK at a time when you still have permission to be in the UK but that permission expires while you are in the Republic of Ireland.

You must not engage in any 'occupation or employment' except an exempt work activity, for which you may receive a permitted payment. Occupation or employment that is prohibited includes: undertaking employment; doing any work for an organisation or business; establishing or running a business as a self-employed person; undertaking a work placement or internship; undertaking any direct selling to the public; fulfilling a contract to provide goods or services;

Note also that any immigration permission you are given on arrival in the Republic of Ireland is for the Republic of Ireland, not for the UK.

• Please follow the guidance for Visa Nationals below.

You must apply in advance:

• To apply for a visa, you will need to gather all your application evidence first.

• Once you have all your application materials you need to make your application using the online application form, via the following link:

GOV.UK | Standard Visitor Visa | Apply

• Click HERE for a step-by-step guide to the visa application form

• IMPORTANT: During the application form, you will be asked to state the "main reason for your visit to the UK".

  If your main reason for coming to the UK to study at Warwick for less than 6 months (including as an exchange student from an overseas institution) you must select "Short-term study (up to 6 months), including recreational course".

  If you select a different option, there is a risk your application will be refused, or that you will be granted a visa which does not permit you to study.

  
  
  

• Once you are satisfied you have filled in the form correctly, your need to pay for your application fee, and submit your online application.

• The application fee for this application is £100.00.

Once you have submitted your online application, please see "Section 8: I have applied for my Standard Visitor Visa, what happens now?" for your next steps.

If you have applied in advance:

Once you have submitted your online application, you will need to attend an appointment to verify your evidence.

You will then receive a decision to the email address you gave in your application in around 3 weeks.

You will then need to either:

• Attend the VAC to have your passport endorsed with your visa vignette

OR

• Post your passport to the instructed address to have it endorsed with your visa vignette.

If it has been more than 6 weeks since you attended your appointment, and you have not received your decision or Passport back, please contact the VAC where you applied.

If you have still not receved an update on your application within 5 working days of contacting the VAC, as stated above, then please contact Student Immigration via our Contact Form - link below, to advise us of this delay, and we will contact the UKVI for an update on your behalf:

Warwick | Student Immigration | Contact Form

Once you have received your endorsed passport back, you should check your vignette for any errors.

For Example:

Is the visa valid for 6 months

Does your name match that on your passport specifically the spelling of your name

Any errors should be corrected via your VAC BEFORE you travel to the UK.

Errors can take up to 2 weeks to correct.

If you do not have enough time to correct your error before your intended date of travel, you must correct the error within 7 days of your arrival in the UK.

You MUST enter the UK during the validity period of your vignette.

Once you arrive at the UK Border, you must visit the Immigration Desk to:

• Have your visa activated by UK Border Force, if you applied in advance

OR

• To have your passport endorsed with an Ink Stamp if you are a Non-Visa National, applying on arrival
  
  

OR

• Use your biometric passport to enter via an e-Gate if you are an eligible Non-Visa National.
  

If visiting the Immigration Desk, before you leave, please check the entry stamp to make sure they have endorsed the right vignette and that they have stamped the right date of entry.

• If it is not stamped, or incorrectly stamped, you may have to leave the UK and re-enter to activate your visa.

• If you enter the UK before the start date of your visa vignette (where you have applied in advance) you will not be permitted to enrol and will be required to exit the UK and common travel area so you can re-enter during the validity of your visa.