Visas for non-UK trainee teachers

If you are 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.

If you do not already have a visa or immigration status allowing you to study or work in England, you will need to apply for a Student visa or Skilled Worker visa.

If you are not sure about your immigration status, check if you need a UK visa

Check your visa status

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

You will not need to be sponsored for a Student or Skilled Worker visa if you are on a:

Ukraine citizens: help with visas

If you are from Ukraine and want to teach or train to teach in England, you can check visa support for:

Student visa for fee-paying training courses

Most teacher training courses in England are fee-paying. This means you will need to pay tuition fees to train.

You will need a Student visa if you’re on a fee-paying course. Your Student visa must be sponsored by your teacher training provider.

Find out more about studying in the UK on a Student visa.

Bursaries and scholarships if you are on a Student visa

If you are training to teach physics or languages, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship.

If you are going to get a bursary or scholarship, you can use this in your Student visa application as proof that you have enough money to support yourself.

The first instalment of a bursary or scholarship is usually made by late October but you should confirm payment dates with your chosen provider.

Refugees and asylum seekers: funding support

If you have refugee status you will usually be eligible for financial support to help you train.

If you are in the process of seeking asylum, check your immigration bail conditions to see if you have permission to study on a teacher training course in England. Even if you have permission, you are unlikely to be eligible for financial support.

If you are granted asylum in the UK, you may be eligible for financial support to train to teach.

Skilled Worker visa for salaried training courses

Some teacher training courses in England are salaried. This means you work and earn a salary while you train.

You will need a Skilled Worker visa if you are on a salaried training course. Your Skilled Worker visa must be sponsored by the school employing you.

Places on these courses are limited and some salaried courses also charge fees.

Find out more about working in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa.

Salary requirement for a Skilled Worker visa

You must earn a minimum salary to be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa. This varies by region:

  • 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.

You may be able to train part-time, but your part-time salary must be at least £23,200.

What you need to do to apply for your visa

You can apply for your visa once you have a confirmed offer of a training place.

Search for postgraduate teacher training courses that offer visa sponsorship

Email your chosen provider to check if they can sponsor you. Once you have confirmation, you can then apply for your teacher training course.

Dependants

You will not need to be sponsored for a Student or Skilled Worker visa if you have permission to live in the UK as a dependant of someone on a visa, usually a partner. You can work or study without a sponsor for the duration of your partner’s visa.

You may be able to bring your partner and children with you if you are on a Skilled Worker visa.

Visa fees

You will need to pay visa fees. You can work out the cost of your UK visa application by using the visa fees tool.

When you apply for a visa, you will usually need to show you have enough money to support yourself in England by providing proof of savings or income.

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, some students can claim a refund of the IHS depending on their circumstances.

Find out more about training to teach in England as a non-UK citizen

Get help

Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help.

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

To check if you are 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.

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