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Posted

Hi all

I have been dating my Thai partner now for 3 years and have successfully brought her over to the UK twice on a 6 month Visitor Visa, her last visit was in March for 6 months . We plan on applying for a Settlement Visa at some point and one of the pre-requisites is that her level of English is CEFR A1, so instead of applying for the normal' Visitor Visa' again we would like to apply for the 'Student Visitor Visa' which will allow her to study English whilst she stays in the UK and then get her A1 certificate for the future 'Settlement Visa'.

A few questions for the experts:

I dont think there is a minimum number of study hours she is required to meet when enrolling on a course, Unlike the 'General Visitor' which is 15 hours.study per week I believe?

The Student Visitor Visa can run for 6 months with an extension of upto 11 months, when applying for the extension this can not be done whilst she is in the UK?

And finally, is the Student Visitor Visa classed as a different Immigration Category than the Visitor Visa?? In that case I may need to wait until she has been out of the UK for approx 6 months??

Thanks alot in advance to clear this up for me.

.

Posted

Student visitors and the links from there should tell you most of what you need to know.

I dont think there is a minimum number of study hours she is required to meet when enrolling on a course, Unlike the 'General Visitor' which is 15 hours.study per week I believe?

I'm not sure, either. But the educational institution who accept her onto one of their courses should be able to confirm. remember, she has to have been accepted onto a course before she applies for the visa.

Someone in the UK with a general visit visa cannot study at all.

The Student Visitor Visa can run for 6 months with an extension of upto 11 months, when applying for the extension this can not be done whilst she is in the UK?

As far as I'm aware, the visa will be valid for however long the course is. If the course runs for 6 months, the visa will be valid for 6 months; if it runs for 11 months it will be valid for 11 months. I do not believe that it can be extended and she will have to leave the UK when it expires.

And finally, is the Student Visitor Visa classed as a different Immigration Category than the Visitor Visa?? In that case I may need to wait until she has been out of the UK for approx 6 months??

It is, as the name suggests, a visit visa, and the rules covering the issue of student visit visas are in Part 2 of the immigration rules, Persons seeking to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for visits.

However, there is no requirement for a visitor to spend any minimum time out of the UK between visits, let alone 6 months. There is, though, a convention that a visitor should not normally spend more than 6 months out of any 12 in the UK; unless they have and acceptable reason for doing so. In your girlfriends case, I would say that she has such a reason.

Having said all of that, why do it at all?

You say that it is your intention for her to apply for settlement. The standard of English required to meet the A1 level is very low; basic conversational English. If she can hold a conversation in English with you then she will have no trouble meeting this.

My advice would be to save the course fees and student visit visa fees and airfares and have her take the test in Thailand.

Posted

Hi 7by7

Thanks for clearing those queries up for me.

You have a point regarding the Settlement Visa, that process will take some time and planning and it's something we want to do after summer of 2012. In the meanwhile I could bring her in on a Visit Visa again and get her to take the test (CEFR A1) in Thailand before she comes.

Thanks again

Posted

Alternatively, if she is in the UK as a general visitor whilst she can't undertake a course of study, she can take an exam.

It would probably be both simpler and cheaper for her to take the A1 test in the UK if she is there anyway.

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