If you have any queries about the correct visa for a Capernwray Bible School, please email us admissions@capernwray.org
Do I need a visa or other permission?
Read below for details about the different immigration routes and answers to some common questions. Please also check whether you need a visa or whether to see a border control officer on arrival, by using the UK Government checker here.
Different routes / Eligibility
You may study on any of our Bible School courses if you are either:
- a British citizen; or
- an Irish citizen; or
- hold a UK Ancestry Visa; or
- hold a Graduate Visa – currently available if you have graduated in the UK on a UK Student Visa; or
- hold a Youth Mobility Scheme Visa – currently available for nationals aged 18-30 of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea or Taiwan, and British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens, and British nationals (overseas). The UK Government has indicated that other countries including EU countries may be added to this list – please check here; or
- are eligible under the Visitor Route (see below).
International students may study with us for up to six months at a time using the Visitor Route. Capernwray is an accredited institution for the purposes of short-term study which is permitted using the Visitor Route.
Using the Visitor Route means you may study Winter School (22 weeks) and/or Spring School (10 weeks) because they are each separate courses. Please note that permission to enter is given separately for each course. If you choose to study both Winter and Spring Schools you must leave the UK for the break period between the courses before returning. Each time you enter the UK to study you must be able to meet the requirements listed in the section below
The UK Student Visa is not available to students studying at Capernwray.
What is the Visitor Route?
Visitors from countries including the United States of America, Canada, Republic of Korea (South Korea), EU/EEA countries and Switzerland can enter the UK for up to 6 months at a time and study with us as a Visitor without having to apply for a visa in advance. Permission to enter for 6 months as a Visitor can be granted at the UK border, using the electronic passport gates (see below). Advice on the documentation you require for permission to enter on that basis is available via the UK Government checker here.
After you enter as a Visitor, each time you leave the UK your permission to be in the UK lapses. If you return as a Visitor, you may be granted permission to enter for a further 6 months. So each time you enter you should have the documentation listed below. (If you travel from England to Scotland, Wales or any part of Ireland, that does NOT count as leaving the UK.)
“What you need at the UK border
- You must provide a valid passport or travel document. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
You may also be asked to prove that:
- you’ve been accepted on to a course by an accredited institution, for example a letter of acceptance on official headed paper stating the course name, duration and cost
- you’re able to support yourself and your dependents during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
- you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else)
- you’ve arranged accommodation for your stay
- you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit“
E-Gates:
If you enter as a Visitor without a visa you are permitted to use automatic ePassport gates and do not need to see a Border Officer. You can use the eGates if you:
- have a biometric symbol on the cover of your passport
- are a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.
Visa Nationals
Currently, students from certain countries, i.e. visa nationals, are required to apply in advance for, and obtain, a Visitor visa before travelling to the UK to study at Capernwray. The earliest you can apply for a Visitor Visa is 3 months before you travel, so apply in June for Winter School and apply in January for Spring School. Information on the application, including the required supporting documents, is outlined on the Home Office website. The acceptance letter from Capernwray should be submitted as a supporting document with your visa application. You are advised to see a Border Force officer on arrival in the UK to ensure that the correct endorsement is put in your passport.
If you have questions about visas or permission to enter the UK, please email admissions@capernwray.org
