Minor change to UK Visit Visa rule

[ThaiVisaExpress]

A minor change, hidden away in the recently introduced rules changes (HC 628), and effective from yesterday :

Changes to visitor routes

7.3 Currently general visitors (i.e. tourists and those visiting family) and business visitors are not permitted to study in the UK. If they want to study, they must apply for entry as a student visitor to study here for up to 6 months. We are introducing some flexibility for these visitors to undertake up to 30 days of recreational, English Language or academic study provided that is not the main purpose of their visit. Recreational study means leisure and holiday-type courses such as pottery or horse riding. Any other study (including any English language) may only take place at an institution that holds a licence under Tier 4 of the Points Based System or which is accredited by a Home Office-approved body.

The actual change to the Immigration Rules is as follows :

Permitted study as a general visitor

43A.

(1) A person who has been granted leave to enter the United Kingdom under paragraph 42 may undertake a course of study to the extent permitted by this

paragraph.

(2) A course of study is permitted under this paragraph if it-

(a) does not exceed 30 days in duration (either alone or taken together with any other course and whether continuous or otherwise); and

(b ) is a recreational course; but

© is not an English language course.

(3) A course of study is also permitted under this paragraph if it-

(a) does not exceed 30 days in duration (either alone or taken together with any other course and whether continuous or otherwise); and

(b ) is provided by an institution which is-

(i) the holder of a Sponsor licence for Tier 4 of the Points-Based System,

(ii) the holder of valid accreditation from Accreditation UK, the Accreditation Body for Language Services (ABLS), the British Accreditation Council (BAC), or the Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC),

(iii) the holder of a valid and satisfactory full institutional inspection, review or audit by the Bridge Schools Inspectorate, the Education and Training Inspectorate, Estyn, Education Scotland, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, Office for Standards in Education, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the Schools Inspection Service or the Education and Training Inspectorate Northern Ireland, or

(iv) an overseas higher education institution offering only part of its programmes in the United Kingdom, holding its own national accreditation and offering programmes that are an equivalent level to a United Kingdom degree.

(4) For the purposes of this paragraph a “recreational course” is one which a person undertakes purely for leisure purposes. ”

Edited October 2, 2013 by ThaiVisaExpress