The short-term study routes (previously student visitor routes) are for people who want to come to the UK to study for a short period of time on a course that does not include a work placement or work experience, with the exception of electives which meet paragraph A57D(a)(iii) of the Immigration Rules.
There are 3 short-term student routes:
The only situation in which a student may use short-term study (STS) to study a course that will not be completed within their 6 month stay, other than for an English language course, is where a student is undertaking distance learning.
An applicant who wishes to use short-term study to undertake distance learning in the UK must meet all of the following criteria. They must:
For the avoidance of doubt, a course can be both a distance learning and a part-time course. As long as the above criteria are met, the course will be considered a distance learning course for STS visa purposes.