Guidance

Recruit trainee teachers from overseas: accredited ITT providers

How accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers can recruit trainees who are not UK or Irish nationals.

Applies to England

The points-based immigration system

All overseas nationals arriving to work or study in the UK from 1 January 2021, including those from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, come under the UK’s points-based immigration system.

The type of visa trainee teachers from overseas need to apply for may depend on whether their teacher training course is salaried or unsalaried.

Unsalaried includes:

  • higher education institution programmes
  • school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) programmes
  • School Direct fee-funded programme

Salaried includes:

  • School Direct salaried programme
  • Teach First Leadership Development programme
  • postgraduate teaching apprenticeships

Irish citizens can continue to enter, work and study in the UK under the Common Travel Area as they could previously.

Recruit by becoming a visa sponsor


Student visa - for unsalaried teacher training courses

Teacher training candidates can apply for a Student visa to train to teach in England if they are undertaking an unsalaried initial teacher training (ITT) course and:

  • they have an unconditional offer from a licensed sponsoring institution
  • they can financially support themselves in the UK and pay for their course
  • they can speak, read, write and understand English

Trainee teachers undertaking an unsalaried ITT course can apply:

  • up to 6 months before their course starts if they’re applying from outside the UK
  • up to 3 months before it starts if they’re applying from inside the UK

Sponsoring Student visas

To sponsor a Student visa your institution must be a licensed sponsor.

State-funded schools cannot sponsor Student visas.

You can check if your institution is already a licensed sponsor.

If you are not already a Student visa sponsor, you can apply for a student sponsor licence. This guidance has further information about being a sponsor, including your responsibilities.


Skilled Worker visa - for salaried teacher training courses

Teacher training candidates can apply for a Skilled Worker visa to train to teach in England if they are undertaking a salaried ITT course and:

Trainee teachers undertaking a salaried ITT course can apply for a Skilled Worker visa up to 3 months before they are due to start work in the UK.


Sponsoring Skilled Worker visas

State-funded schools can sponsor Skilled Worker visas.

Schools can check if they’re already a licensed sponsor. Sometimes it will be the local authority or academy trust that holds the sponsor licence instead of the individual school.

Schools can become a sponsor by following this step-by-step guidance. This guidance covers further information about being a sponsor, including your responsibilities.


Recruit without becoming a sponsor

Some visa routes in the points-based immigration system do not require you to sponsor the trainee.


Graduate visa

The Graduate visa is available to international students who have successfully completed their degree in the UK and been sponsored by a Home Office licensed student sponsor.

Those on a Graduate visa will be able to study, work or look for work in the UK for up to 2 years after completing their studies (3 years for PhD students) without a sponsor. This includes training as a teacher via either a salaried or unsalaried ITT course, as long as their training provider does not sponsor student visas.

If you are a training provider and you sponsor student visas, then any trainees you recruit must apply for a student visa instead.

Teachers or trainee teachers on a Graduate visa will be able to apply to switch to another visa route (such as the Skilled Worker visa) without having to leave the UK if they meet the requirements for the other visa route.

High Potential Individual visa

To be eligible for a High Potential Individual visa, trainees must have:

  • a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD from a university listed in the Global Universities list
  • been awarded their qualification no more than 5 years before they apply
  • English language skills to B1 intermediate level
  • personal funds of £1,270
  • passed a security and criminality check

Trainees do not need an offer of a place on a teacher training course to apply for this visa. They will be able to stay in the UK for 2 years with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, and 3 years with a PhD.

If their visa application is successful, they will be able to train as a teacher on either a salaried or fee-paying ITT course, as long as their training provider does not sponsor student visas.

If you are a training provider and you sponsor student visas, then any trainees you recruit must apply for a student visa instead.

Youth Mobility Scheme visa

A Youth Mobility Scheme visa lasts for up to 2 years and is for young people aged 18 to 30 who have certain types of British nationality or are from certain countries. Young people can study or work while on this visa without a sponsoring educational institution or sponsoring employer. This includes training as a teacher via either a salaried or unsalaried ITT course.

Teachers or trainee teachers on a Youth Mobility Scheme visa may be able to apply to switch to another visa route without leaving the UK. They’ll need to meet the requirements for the other visa route.

Other visas

Trainee teachers from overseas may be able to work or study in the UK on another type of visa.

Guidance is available about Family visas, the UK Ancestry visa and the British National (Overseas) visa.

EU Settlement Scheme

Citizens of the EEA or Switzerland might be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living, working and studying in the UK without applying for a visa.

The deadline for most people to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme was 30 June 2021.

Citizens of the EEA or Switzerland, and their family members, can still apply if they or a family member were living in the UK by 31 December 2020.

They must also either:

  • meet one of the criteria for a later deadline to apply
  • have ‘reasonable grounds’ for not applying by 30 June 2021

More information is available about the eligibility criteria for later applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Applications to the EU Settlement Scheme can also be made by those who already have pre-settled status and are applying for settled status. To stay in the UK, those with pre-settled status must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme again before their pre-settled status expires.

Entry criteria for ITT

More information about ITT entry criteria is available.

International relocation payments

Non-UK trainees in languages and physics may be eligible for a single payment of £10,000 from the Department for Education to cover some of the costs they incur on:

  • visas
  • the immigration health surcharge
  • other relocation expenses

The payment will be made around the end of a trainee’s first term and will not need to be repaid.

Learn more about the international relocation payment including eligibility and how trainees will get the money.

Guidance for candidates

DfE offers support to international candidates on the Get into Teaching website and guidance on training to teach in England if you’re a non-UK citizen.

Our guidance tells candidates that if their qualifications come from a non-UK institution, their chosen training provider may want to see a ‘statement of comparability’ from UK ENIC showing their equivalence to UK qualifications.

Candidates are invited to call Get into Teaching on 0800 389 2500 for:

  • guidance on the UK equivalents of their qualifications
  • a free statement of comparability once they’ve submitted their application if their provider asks for this

International candidates can also register with Get into Teaching’s Get an adviser service for personalised advice about teaching in England over email and phone, or use the online chat service on the website.

The final decision on eligibility still lies with the accredited ITT provider before an applicant enters teacher training.

Candidates for early years initial teacher training (EYITT)

International candidates for EYITT are not eligible for the Get an adviser service or for a free statement of comparability from UK ENIC.

Early years teacher training gives more information for candidates.

Published 16 September 2020
Last updated 5 September 2023 + show all updates
  1. Information on the minimum salary for teaching roles has been updated.

  2. Added information about the international relocation payment.

  3. Updated information about graduate and high potential individual visas.

  4. 'Candidates for Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT)' section was added.

  5. Updated to include information on a new visa type, the High Potential Individual visa.

  6. We have removed the section on 'International travel during coronavirus (COVID-19)'.

  7. Updated sections about student visas, skilled worker visas, other visas, the EU Settlement Scheme, international travel during coronavirus (COVID-19) and support for candidates for ITT.

  8. Updated information on the EU Settlement Scheme and International travel: coronavirus (COVID-19).

  9. Updated section on 'Recruit without becoming a sponsor'. Other formatting changes have been applied to reflect the end of the transition period.

  10. Updated to reflect the visa routes which are now open.

  11. Updated to reflect the new Student visa route which has now opened for applications.

  12. First published.