Visitor & Student Visas
Short-term visits, study, and the sponsored routes that sit alongside them.
What this covers
- Standard visitor visas
- Family visit visas
- Student and Child Student visas
- Graduate route
- Visitor visa refusals
Visitor visas
A visitor application is decided almost entirely on whether the caseworker believes you will leave at the end of the visit. That is a judgement about your circumstances at home — work, family, property, funds — rather than about the visit itself, and it is why applications with a genuine purpose are still refused when the ties are poorly evidenced.
Student and Child Student
A Student application needs a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from a licensed sponsor, evidence of funds held for the required period, and where applicable an approved English test. The funds rule is precise about how long the money must have been held and what may evidence it.
The Graduate route
The Graduate route allows a period of unsponsored work after a UK degree. It cannot be extended, and time on it does not count towards settlement — so it is best used deliberately, with a plan for what follows.
This page is general information about a route, not advice on your case. Immigration Rules change frequently — take advice on your own circumstances before acting.