Apply for your visa to train to teach in England

If you’re applying for teacher training as a non-UK citizen, you will need a visa or immigration status allowing you to study or work in England.

The information on this page is for:

• non-UK citizens living in the UK
• non-UK citizens living outside the UK
• refugees or asylum seekers

You will not need a visa to train to teach in the UK if you:

• are an Irish citizen
• have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• have indefinite leave to remain

If you are currently studying in the UK on a student visa, you may be able to apply for a graduate visa.

EU Settlement Scheme

If you or your family are from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, and you or a family member were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may still be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Check your status

If you’re not sure about your immigration status, you can check if you need a UK visa.

Main visa routes for teacher training in England

Most non-UK applicants for teacher training will need one of the following:

• a student visa
• a skilled worker visa

Student visa

For a fee-paying teacher training course, you will need a student visa. Your visa must be sponsored by a teacher training provider that is a licensed sponsor of student visas.

You can find postgraduate teacher training providers which can sponsor student visas. We suggest you contact them to check they can sponsor you before you apply for a training place.

You’ll be able to apply for your visa if you:

• have a confirmed offer of a place on a course with a teacher training provider that is a licensed sponsor of student visas
• have a reference number, called a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS), which your training provider will give you
• have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course
• meet certain standards in speaking, reading, writing and understanding English

How a bursary or scholarship can help with your student visa application

If you are training to teach physics or languages, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. Bursaries and scholarships are tax-free payments from the UK government which you do not have to pay back. You can use them in your student visa application as proof that you have enough money to support yourself.

Your training provider should confirm that you will receive a bursary or scholarship when they offer you a training place and send you your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) reference number. They should also give you documentary proof of your bursary or scholarship, which you may be asked to include in your visa application.

Your partner and children

If your course starts after 1 January 2024, you will not be able to bring your partner and children with you on a student visa.

Apply for a student visa

Skilled worker visa

For a teacher training course where you are paid a salary, you will need a skilled worker visa. Your visa must be sponsored by the school employing you, which needs to be a licensed sponsor of skilled worker visas.

You can find postgraduate teacher training providers where you can be sponsored for a skilled worker visa. Currently, places on these courses are very limited. Before you apply for a salaried teacher training place, we suggest you contact the training provider to check you can be sponsored.

You’ll be able to apply for your visa if:

• you have a confirmed offer for a salaried training place
• you have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from the school which is paying you, confirming they will sponsor you
• you meet certain standards in speaking, reading, writing and understanding English
• your salary meets the requirement for a skilled worker visa

Your training provider can help you submit the correct details for your visa application.

Salary requirement for a skilled worker visa

The salary threshold you must meet depends on the region you work in as a salaried trainee.

Full-time training

Non-UK salaried trainee teachers must earn a minimum salary to be eligible for a skilled worker visa – this varies by region, as follows:

• inner London: £25,831
• outer London: £24,415
• London fringe: £23,200
• rest of England: £23,200

Check the region you will be working in with your teacher training provider.

Part-time training

You may be able to train part-time, but your salary must meet the threshold for a skilled worker visa.

There are 2 requirements:

Your part-time salary must be at least £23,200.

The full-time equivalent of your salary must meet the threshold set for the skilled worker visa in your region, as follows:

• inner London: £25,831
• outer London: £24,415
• London fringe: £23,200
• rest of England: £23,200

Check the region you will be working in with your teacher training provider.

If you are successful in applying for a skilled worker visa, your partner and children may also be able to apply to come to the UK with you.

Apply for a skilled worker visa

Graduate visa

If you are already an international student in the UK, you can apply for a graduate visa on successful completion of your degree.

To apply, you will need to have been sponsored by a Home Office licensed student sponsor over the course of your studies.

The graduate visa will allow you to study, work, or look for work in the UK for up to 2 years after completing your studies (3 years for PhD students) without a sponsor.

This includes training as a teacher on a salaried or fee-paying initial teacher training course, as long as your training provider does not sponsor student visas. If your training provider can sponsor a student visa, you must apply for this type of visa.

You will be able to switch from a graduate visa to another visa (such as the skilled worker visa) without having to leave the UK, if you meet the requirements for the new visa route.

Apply for a graduate visa

High potential individual visa

To be eligible for a high potential individual visa, you must:

• have a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD from a university listed in the Global Universities list
• have been awarded your qualification no more than 5 years before you apply
• have English language skills to B1 intermediate level
• have personal funds of £1,270
• pass a security and criminality check

You do not need an offer of a place on a teacher training course to apply for this visa and you’ll 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 your visa application is successful, you will be able to train as a teacher on either a salaried or fee-paying initial teacher training course, as long as the course does not meet the requirements for a student visa. If the course can sponsor a student visa, you must apply for this type of visa.

Apply for a high potential individual visa

India young professionals scheme

To be eligible for the India young professionals scheme visa, you must:

• be an Indian citizen
• be between 18 and 30 years old
• have an eligible qualification
• have £2,530 in savings

The visa allows you to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. To apply for the visa, you must first enter a ballot.

Apply for the India young professionals scheme

Youth Mobility Scheme visa

The Youth Mobility Scheme allows young people from certain countries to come to the UK to study or work without a sponsor. This includes training as a teacher through either a salaried or fee-paying initial teacher training course.

A Youth Mobility Scheme visa lasts up to 2 years. You may be able to switch from a Youth Mobility Scheme visa to another visa route (for example, the skilled worker visa) without having to leave the UK. You’ll need to meet the requirements for the new visa route.

Other visas

Depending on your personal circumstances, you may be able to work or study in the UK on alternative visas – for example:

• on a Family visa
• on a UK Ancestry visa
• if you are from Hong Kong, on a British National (Overseas) visa
• as a family member of someone on a student visa
• as a family member of someone on a skilled worker visa

Refugees and asylum seekers

If you have been granted refugee status, you can apply for teacher training – either salaried or fee-paying – and will usually be eligible for financial support to train to teach on a fee-paying course.

If you are in the process of seeking asylum, you should refer to your immigration bail conditions to see if you have permission to study on a teacher training course. You will not usually be eligible for financial support to train to teach on a fee-paying course. You are also unlikely to be able to undertake salaried teacher training while your asylum claim is considered, because asylum seekers do not usually have the right to work, although there are some exceptions.

Learn more about:

• claiming asylum in the UK if you are an asylum seeker
• support for British and non-British nationals in Afghanistan
• support for Ukrainian nationals

Visa fees and other charges

Depending on which visa you are applying for, you will usually need to show you have enough money to support yourself in England by providing proof of a certain level of savings or income. You’ll be guided through this process when you apply for your visa.

Visa fees

You’ll also have to pay visa fees which vary depending on which visa you are applying for.

Calculate how much your visa will cost.

Immigration Health Surcharge

You may need to pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application – this is called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

However, students can usually claim a refund of the IHS if they:

• are a full-time student in UK higher education
• have a visa starting on or after 1 January 2021
• have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued in an EU country
• do not work in the UK

Learn more about getting an IHS refund.

Contact

If you have general questions about the information on this page, you can email us at teach.inengland@education.gov.uk.

You may be eligible for personalised support from a teacher training adviser. They can help with your application to a training provider or school.

To check if you’re eligible for an adviser, you can call us on +44 800 389 2500. Calls will be charged at your country’s standard rate. Or you can contact us using the live chat service at the bottom of this page.

We’re available Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:30pm (UK local time) except on bank holidays in England.

You can also contact UK Visas and Immigration for help.