Special visitor, prospective student: VAT10
Published 9 December 2012
© Crown copyright 2012
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-visitor-prospective-student-vat10/special-visitor-prospective-student-vat10
This guidance only applies to prospective student applications submitted on or before 30 September 2013. From 1 October 2013 the paragraphs relating to prospective students will be deleted from the Immigration Rules.
1. VAT10.1 What is a prospective student?
A prospective student is a person who intends to undertake studies in the UK but has not completed all the arrangements for their course of study. Once a prospective student has been unconditionally accepted for a course of study they may apply for leave to remain as a Student in-country.
This category includes:
- prospective student nurses but not posjavascript:(function(){var location=”http://psd.github.com/scrapedown/”;var nocache=”“;scrapedown_location=location;var css=document.createElement(“link”);css.rel=”stylesheet”;css.href=location+”scrapedown.css”+nocache;css.media=”all”;css.type=”text/css”;document.getElementsByTagName(“head”)[0].appendChild(css);var js=document.createElement(“script”);js.src=location+”scrapedown.js”+nocache;document.body.appendChild(js)})();tgraduate doctors or dentists; or
- overseas qualified nurses or midwives.
Prospective students should have a clear idea of the type and purpose of the studies and should already have been in touch with educational institutions in the UK. For example, the applicant may already have been provisionally accepted at an establishment with final acceptance dependent on an interview. A vague intention to study for qualifications or to enter an unspecified university or other institution is insufficient
2. VAT10.2 Do prospective students need entry clearance?
Yes. Prior entry clearance is mandatory for Prospective Students.
3. VAT10.3 When must an applicant start their studies?
Applicants must be able to show that they will start their studies within 6 months of arrival in the UK. Sometimes they will be able to provide evidence of the starting date in a letter of acceptance or prospectus giving details of the course.
4. VAT10.4 What is the visa endorsement?
D: PROSPECTIVE STUDENT: LTE 6 months, Code 3
5. VAT10.5 How much leave should be given?
A student’s proposed date of travel should be checked to ensure that the leave to enter does not expire before the start of the course. An ECO can only issue a maximum of 6 months in this category.
6. VAT10.6 Do prospective students have full rights of appeal?
They retain the appeal rights relevant to the category even though included in the special visitor group.
7. VAT10.7 What about dependants of prospective students?
Paragraphs 76 and 79 of the Immigration Rules apply.
The Rules allow leave to be granted to the spouse or civil partner, and children of a prospective student.
8. VAT10.8 What is the visa endorsement for dependants of prospective students?
D: STUDENT DEPENDANT LTE 6 months Code 3
9. VAT10.9 How much leave should be given?
Dependants who qualify should be granted leave on Code 3 conditions, in line with the prospective student, up to a maximum of 6 months.