International Visitors (including Researchers, Academics and Other)

The information here is for international visitors to the University who are not following a traditional course programme or exchange. This covers general visitors, visiting Academics and Researchers (whether student or post doc) and those coming on paid engagements.

If you would like to apply for a designated Swansea University course, please see the University’s How to Apply information. If you are a student coming for an exchange, study abroad placement or would like to study part of University course only (e.g. one Semester) please see the University information for Exchange and Visiting Student: Study Abroad.

The University welcomes applications from Academics or Researchers who can share knowledge and expertise or want to undertake collaborative project work within our wide ranging and respected research community. We are bound by UK Visas and Immigration requirements and it is important that we make sure that anybody coming to the UK to visit the University does so in a safe and legal manner.
Please see the information below that is most relevant to you, this will help you see whether your proposed visit would be viable and where you would go to receive further support and information.

Please note that there is currently no immigration route that permits the University to offer informal University visits that are purely for the purpose of undertaking a work placement or work experience. 

1) If you are studying at an institution overseas and wish to study at Swansea as an either an Exchange or individual fee paying visiting student, you may be able to come to the UK either under the Standard Visit Visa route or the Student Route, depending on the length of time you wish to spend in the UK. Please contact the Go Global team for more information.

2) If you are studying overseas and you wish to come to the UK for a period of research, which is directly related to your course of studies overseas, you may be able to come to the UK either on a Standard Visit Visa (for visits of less than 6 months) or for more than 6 months as a ‘Visiting Researcher within a College’ via the Student Route. Please contact the Graduate Research Office and visit their further information page.

3) If you are studying overseas and you wish to come to the UK for a period of research that is not directly related to your course of studies overseas whether you can come to the UK depends on whether the research you will be undertaking in the UK is funded or not.

If it is not funded, you may be able to come to the UK as an ‘Associate Visiting Researcher’ for a maximum of 6 months under the Standard Visit Visa route. Please contact the Graduate Research Office and visit their further information page.

Please note: You may also be able to follow this path if you already hold a visa that would permit you to undertake this type of activity (e.g. a Tier 5 visa from the British Council or another Agency). The permissible length of research would be linked to your existing immigration permission. Please contact the VISA Advice team if you already hold a UK visa and would like to have this checked in relation to undertaking visiting research.

If your period of research will be funded, you may be able to come to the UK for up to 24 months under the Tier 5 (GAE) route. Please contact the Human Resources department for further information and assistance.

If you are an academic, expert in your field or researcher in your home country, whether you are able to come to undertake a period of research or academic endeavour in the UK depends on what the activity is and whether you will be receiving funding or payment for/during the UK visit period.

1) If you are coming to the UK to undertake research which falls under one of the points below and you will continue to be paid by your employer/via alternative funding (not from the University), for the duration of the research period you may be able to come to the UK for up to 12 months on a Standard Visit Visa.

• You are gathering information and facts for a specific project which directly relates to your employment overseas
• You are conducting independent research which directly relates to your role or expertise overseas
• Sharing knowledge or advising on an international project that is being led from the UK
• Taking part in a formal exchange
• You are on sabbatical leave from your home institution, in order to carry out research for your own purposes
• You are an eminent senior doctor or dentist, taking part in research, teaching or clinical practice

Please note: Applicants who wish to undertake a research period of more than 6 months on a Standard Visit visa will have to show additional evidence during the visa application, demonstrating that they are experts in their field (usually holding a minimum PhD). Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website

2)  If you are coming to the UK to undertake research (either independently or related to your employment) and you will be paid by Swansea University or an alternative funding source for the duration of the research period you may be able to come to the UK for up to 24 months under the Tier 5 (GAE) route. Please contact the Human Resources department for further information and assistance and note there are minimum wage requirements linked to this route.

3) If you are coming to the UK to undertake research which falls under one of the points below and you will not be paid or receive any funding the duration of the research period you may be able to come to the UK for up to 12 months on a Standard Visit Visa.

• You are gathering information and facts for a specific project which directly relates to your employment overseas
• You are conducting independent research which directly relates to your role or expertise overseas
• Sharing knowledge or advising on an international project that is being led from the UK
• Taking part in a formal exchange
• You are on sabbatical leave from your home institution, in order to carry out research for your own purposes
• You are an eminent senior doctor or dentist, taking part in research, teaching or clinical practice

The UKVI Caseworker Guidance relating to the Visit route suggests that caseworker should expect academic visitors to remain employed and paid from overseas during the duration of their UK visit.  It may also be possible for independent researchers who are unpaid to come to the UK under the Standard Visit visa route but they should expect to evidence substantial financial capability. 

Please note: Applicants who wish to undertake a research period of more than 6 months on a Standard Visit visa will also have to show additional evidence during the visa application, demonstrating that they are experts in their field (usually holding a minimum PhD). Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Important: There is currently no UK immigration route to support academic/research visits of more than 12 months and where there is no funding/payment attached to the in UK activity.

4) If you are coming to the UK and intend to undertake an academic or research activity that is not covered in the bullet points above, please contact the VISA Advice team, with as much information about your situation as possible, so they can try and assist you.

If you are coming to the University to undertake a paid business activity then you may be able to come to the UK under the Paid Permitted Engagement route. Please contact the Human Resources department for further information and assistance.

If you are visiting the University for a casual, unpaid business activity you may be able to come under the Standard Visit visa route. Please see the link for further details about the route and application process. Additional information regarding permissible activities under this route can be found on the Gov.UK website.

Visitors for these types of activities do not usually require any additional formal visa documentation, but should have standard communications about the activity. For example, attendance at a Conference would be evidence by your conference booking confirmation. Attendance at a meeting could be evidenced by an invitation to the meeting received either by email or letter.