Entry into the UK with a Cayman Islands (BOTC) Passport

Entry to the UK is permitted for up to 6 months on a BOTC passport. If a student is staying on a course longer than 6 months (s)he must obtain a TEIR 4 STUDENT VISA.

Study in the UK LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS: You’ll need a visa to study.

The visa you apply for depends on your circumstances.

Apply for a study visa (tier 4 general visa) – gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa if you’re coming to the UK to study a university or college course for more than 6 months, or more than 11 months if it’s an English language course.

You can apply for a Short-term Study visa – gov.uk/study-visit-visa if you’re 18 or over and studying an English language course for 11 months or less.

You can also apply for a child study visa if you are under 18 – gov.uk/child-study-visa if you’re under 18.

UK Biometric residence permit

You’ll get a biometric residence permit (BRP) if you:
• apply to come to the UK for longer than 6 months
• extend your visa to longer than 6 months
• apply to settle in the UK
• transfer your visa to a new passport
• apply for certain Home Office travel documents

You don’t have to apply separately for a BRP. You’ll get one automatically if your visa or immigration application is approved, or you’re replacing an older document.

HOME FEES (University)

The visa requirement does not have any bearing on your eligibility for Home Student Status and fees. CAYMAN ISLANDS STUDENTS are entitled to HOME STUDENT STATUS FEES as long as the student is a BOTC and has been resident in Cayman for the preceding three years. Please note that whilst this is the case, we strongly recommend applying for and obtaining your British Passport BEFORE traveling to the UK.

Higher Education Student Finance in England

Assessing Eligibility 18/19 Version 4.0 December 2018

3.1.3 British Overseas Territories

The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 made the previously known “British dependent territories” (BDT) as ‘“British overseas territories” (BOT). A further change took place on 21 May 2002; if a person was a British Overseas Territory Citizen (BOTC), except by virtue of a connection only with the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, immediately before 21 May 2002, they automatically became a British citizen on that date.

Students from a BOT may also be a British citizen if they were born on or after 21 May 2002 in a BOT, or born outside of a BOT to a parent who is a British citizen. The list of overseas territories can be found in Annex C:

• any British overseas territories citizen entering the UK from the relevant countries (provided they have not renounced or acquired their BOTC status by naturalisation as a British overseas territories citizen in an overseas territory after 21 May 2002) will be doing so as a British citizen and will not be subject to immigration control. They also have the same rights as any other EEA national
• holders of British dependent territories citizen (BDTC)/British overseas territories citizen (BOTC) passports were allowed to present their BDTC/BOTC documents as evidence of right of abode in the UK prior to obtaining full British citizen passports until 21 May 2002
• these students still have to meet the ordinary residence criteria 17
• students from BOTs are eligible for home fee status only (under The Student Fees (Qualifying Courses and Persons) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended) and The Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended))

Students may be asked to provide proof that they were UK nationals when applying for places at colleges and universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Acceptable evidence might be:

• a British citizen passport
• a British overseas territories citizen passport or British dependent territories citizen passport issued before 21 May 2002
• a British overseas territories citizen passport issued after 21 May 2002, with evidence that the person or their parent was born in an overseas territory or registered or naturalised as a citizen before that date

They will not be eligible for student support unless they meet the eligibility criteria within the Regulations. The BOTs provision has also been extended to the overseas territories of other EU member states, as per paragraph 1(1) of the Schedule in The Student Fees (Qualifying Courses and Persons) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended).

If you have any questions about moving to the UK please feel free to contact hello@caymanconnection.org and we will happily direct your