Visa for programmes shorter than 6 months (Standard Visitor Visa)

You can check here if you need a visa to study a programme which is less than or up to 6 months.

Some nationalities are considered ‘visa nationals’. Visa nationals must successfully make their application for the Standard Visitor Visa (SVV) from their home country before they travel to the UK. You can check here if you are a visa national and require a visa to travel to the UK. Students are responsible for obtaining a valid visa prior to the programme’s start date.

• You must have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds, and be able to pay for your return or onward journey out of the UK.
• You must be able to prove that you are a genuine student who will study a programme that is less than or up to 6 months in duration.
• You must be able to prove that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit.

While studying at Northeastern University London on the SVV you must not:

• Engage in any kind of work paid or unpaid or any business activity.
• Undertake any of the other prohibited activities.
• Apply to switch into any other visa category from within the UK.
• Stay in the UK after your visa has expired. If you would like to study a full-time programme at Northeastern University London then you must return to your home country and make a new Student Visa application. Please contact the Visa Team for further information.
• Access free National Health Service (NHS) health care. You must have private medical insurance from your home country before you come to the UK.

The following documents are required to make an SVV application:

• A valid passport. Your passport must be valid for the full duration of your stay in the UK and must have at least a blank page (on both sides).
• A letter from your education provider, on headed paper, confirming your enrolment.
• Financial documents showing that you have sufficient funds available. These must clearly show that you have access to the funds, such as:
  • bank statements
  • building society books
  • proof of earnings, such as a letter from employer confirming employment details (start date of employment, salary, role, company contact details)
• Details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans. 
• Previous travel documents/passports, which show previous travel.
• If applicable, evidence of previous study in the UK or your country of residence, for example; academic certificates or transcripts.
• English language qualifications or tests.
• A valid visa to be in the country from which you are applying (if you are not a national of that country).
• If you have a financial sponsor you will need to have the details of your financial sponsor’s occupation, income, savings, or funds that will support your studies.
• If your parents are supporting you financially you will need your birth certificate and a consent letter from your parents.
• If you are under 18 you will need additional documents, seek Visa Team advice before submitting your application
• All documents, apart from passports, can be originals, scans, or photocopies.
• If you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the UKVI.

If you are a national of a ‘visa national’ country, you must apply for your visa before coming to the UK. You can find a list of visa national countries in the Appendix Visitor, Visa National list. You cannot apply for a Standard Visitor Visa from within the UK.

If you are not a visa national (see above) you have the option to apply for your Standard Visitor Visa before coming to the UK (see application process below) or obtain this visa at the airport, please see the information below on arriving in the UK.

We advise that you do not obtain a Standard Visitor visa at the airport if you have had previous UK immigration refusals.

If you plan to obtain a Standard Visitor Visa at the airport, we advise that you travel with your supporting documents in your hand luggage, see the information on documents required above.

You can click here to apply for your Standard Visitor Visa if you are a visa national.