Last Updated: May 13, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Department of State, IRCC Canada, Australian Department of Home Affairs, UK Home Office, and official immigration authorities for each country covered.
Everyone calls it a “student visa.” Immigration authorities often don’t. In Canada, what students call a student visa is legally a Study Permit — and getting that distinction wrong has caused people to apply for the wrong document entirely. In Ireland, there is no student visa at all. You get a Stamp 2 in your passport instead. In Japan, what you need isn’t a specific visa but a status of residence called Ryugaku.
This matters. When an embassy officer, immigration lawyer, or university admissions portal asks for your visa type, they want the official term. Saying “student visa” when the document is officially called something else slows applications, causes confusion, and occasionally kills timelines. This guide gives you the exact official name — and what that name actually means — for 16 countries that receive the highest volumes of international students.
Why the Name of Your Student Visa Actually Matters
Most guides skip this. They list the name and move on. But the terminology tells you something important about how the country’s immigration system treats you as a student.
A “visa” is an entry document — it gets you through the border. A “permit” is an authorization to stay and study — it’s what governs your rights once you’re inside the country. A “status” is a legal category that determines what you can and cannot do. Some countries issue all three as separate documents. Some bundle them into one. A few don’t issue a student-specific visa at all and rely on general long-stay categories.
When Canada says its international students hold a “Study Permit” rather than a “student visa,” that’s not just branding. It means the Study Permit is the governing document — not the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) that most non-exempt nationalities also receive automatically. When Australia calls its document “Subclass 500,” that subclass number matters because the conditions attached (work hours, enrollment requirements, departure rules) are keyed to that specific subclass code, not to a generic visa label.
Getting the name right is step one of getting the application right.
Content Gap: What Competitor Articles Miss on This Topic
Before the country breakdown, here’s what most competing articles on “student visa names by country” don’t cover — and what this guide addresses specifically to fill those gaps:
- The visa vs. permit vs. status distinction — almost no guide explains what the naming difference actually means for your rights and your application process.
- France’s VLS-TS — a hybrid document that functions as both a visa and a residence permit. Most English-language content describes it as a “long-stay visa” and stops there.
- Ireland’s Stamp 2 — not a visa at all. Competitors covering European study options frequently miss this entirely.
- Japan’s status of residence system — the document is called a “College Student” status (留学, Ryugaku) rather than a student visa, but the visa sticker in your passport and the status of residence are two separate things.
- Countries where EU/EEA students don’t need any student visa — relevant for readers in or near Europe who may be exempt.
- Name changes over time — UK’s Tier 4 became the UK Student Visa in October 2021. Articles not updated since then still refer to the old name.
- South Asian and Middle Eastern destinations — China, UAE, Singapore, and India are rarely covered in English-language “student visa names” content despite drawing millions of international students annually.
Quick Reference: Official Student Visa Names by Country
| Country | Official Name | Visa Code / Label | Type of Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | Student Visa (Academic) | F-1 | Nonimmigrant visa |
| 🇺🇸 United States (Vocational) | Student Visa (Vocational) | M-1 | Nonimmigrant visa |
| 🇺🇸 United States (Exchange) | Exchange Visitor Visa | J-1 | Nonimmigrant visa |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | Study Permit | No code — permit document | Permit (not a visa) |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | UK Student Visa | Formerly Tier 4 (General) | Immigration permission |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Student Visa | Subclass 500 | Temporary visa |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | National Visa (Student) | D Visa | Long-stay national visa |
| 🇫🇷 France | VLS-TS Étudiant | Long-stay visa/residence permit | Hybrid visa-permit |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | College Student (留学, Ryugaku) | Status of residence | Status + visa sticker |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | Student Visa | No subclass — single category | Temporary visa |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | Student’s Pass | STP | Pass (not a visa) |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | Stamp 2 | No visa issued — stamp in passport | Permission (not a visa) |
| 🇨🇳 China | Study Visa | X1 (over 6 months) / X2 (under 6 months) | Visa |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | Student Visa | Institution-linked — no universal code | Residence visa |
| 🇮🇳 India | Student Visa | S | Long-stay visa |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | International Student Visa | D-2 | Long-term visa |
United States: F-1, M-1, and J-1 — Three Visas, Not One
The US doesn’t issue a single “student visa.” It issues three, and which one you need depends entirely on what you’re studying and why.
F-1 (Academic Student Visa) is what most people mean when they say “US student visa.” It covers full-time enrollment at an accredited US college, university, high school, language school, or other academic institution approved by SEVP (the Student and Exchange Visitor Program). F-1 is the most common international student visa the US issues. In fiscal year 2024, the State Department issued approximately 495,000 F-1 visas globally.
M-1 (Vocational Student Visa) is for students at vocational, non-academic, or technical programs — flight schools, culinary programs, certain trade certifications. M-1 students cannot work on or off campus during their studies (unlike F-1, which allows 20 hours per week on-campus). The M-1 also doesn’t lead to Optional Practical Training (OPT). People often apply for the wrong visa because they don’t know this distinction exists.
J-1 (Exchange Visitor Visa) is officially not a student visa in the typical sense. It’s for participants in approved exchange programs — research scholars, camp counselors, au pairs, and sponsored exchange students. The J-1 is managed by the State Department (not ICE like the F and M visas), and the document that establishes your J-1 status is the DS-2019 rather than the I-20 that F and M students carry.
One detail most guides skim: F-1 students are authorized for “duration of status” (D/S) rather than a fixed date on entry. As of 2026, the Department of Homeland Security is actively considering replacing D/S with fixed-term visas to match program end dates — a change that hasn’t been implemented yet but is in regulatory review. Track this if you’re applying in 2026-2027.
If you’re researching work rights after entry, see our breakdown of work rights on a student visa by country — including the on-campus vs. off-campus rules that trip up F-1 students specifically.
Canada: Study Permit — Not a Visa (and the Difference Matters)
Canada officially calls its document a Study Permit, not a student visa. This is one of the most misunderstood distinctions in international education. The Study Permit is not a visa — it’s an authorization issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that allows you to study at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
The confusion happens because most international students from countries that require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada receive both documents. The TRV is the entry visa — it lets you cross the border. The Study Permit is what actually authorizes your study. If you’re from a visa-exempt country (like the UK, or many EU member states), you only need the Study Permit, not a TRV at all.
Canada’s 2024-2026 study permit changes added significant complexity to the process. There is now a national cap of approximately 437,000 study permits per year. Most new undergraduate applicants need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from their institution before IRCC will process their application. Master’s and PhD students at public institutions have been exempt from the PAL requirement since January 1, 2026.
The financial minimum for living expenses as of September 2025 is CAD $22,895 per year (outside Quebec), on top of tuition and travel costs. For the GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) component, which most applicants use to document their living funds, the minimum is CAD $20,635. Our detailed guide on the Canada GIC amount for 2026 breaks down exactly how this works and which Canadian banks issue GICs for international applicants.
For the PAL timeline specifically — which directly affects when you can submit your study permit application — see our guide on the Canada PAL application timeline.
United Kingdom: UK Student Visa (Not Tier 4 Anymore)
The UK renamed its student immigration route in October 2021. What was called the Tier 4 (General) Student Visa became the UK Student Visa under the new points-based immigration system. If you see any article or forum post referring to “Tier 4 student visa” for 2022 or later, it’s either outdated or confused.
The UK Student Visa has no visa code the way the US F-1 does. It’s simply called the “Student visa” in UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) documentation. The conditions attached to it are significant: you need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed UK education sponsor, you must be 16 or older, and your work rights (20 hours per week during term, full-time during official holidays) are printed on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or in your eVisa.
One thing most competitor articles miss: the UK Student Visa is sponsored by the institution, not by you. If your institution loses its sponsor licence — which has happened to several UK colleges in 2023-2025 — your work rights and your visa status are affected immediately. This institutional dependency is a meaningful risk that’s different from the US or Australian systems.
There’s also a Child Student Visa for applicants aged 4-17 and a Short-term Study Visa for courses under 6 months. These are distinct products with different conditions, not just a variation of the main UK Student Visa.
Australia: Student Visa Subclass 500
Australia’s system is unique in that it names its visas by numerical subclass rather than by function. The student visa is officially the Student Visa (Subclass 500). There is no separate name — it’s “Subclass 500” or “Student visa (subclass 500)” in all official Department of Home Affairs documentation.
The subclass number matters because the conditions of your visa — particularly Condition 8105 (work hour limits) and Condition 8202 (full-time enrollment requirements) — are tied to Subclass 500 specifically. The companion visa for student guardians is a Subclass 590. The post-study work visa is a Subclass 485. When an employer, landlord, or university asks for your visa subclass, “500” is the correct answer for most international students.
Australia also issues a Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590) for parents or relatives accompanying younger students, and the Temporary Activity Visa (Subclass 408) can sometimes cover very short-term study. But Subclass 500 is what 99% of international university students hold.
As of January 2026, Nepal was reclassified to Assessment Level 3 for Australian student visas — the strictest evidence category. This doesn’t change the visa name or what it’s called; it changes how rigorously your application documents are checked before Subclass 500 is granted. The visa fee increased to AUD $2,000 from July 2025. Our comprehensive Australia visa guide for Nepali students covers the Assessment Level 3 implications in detail.
Germany: National Visa (D Visa) for Students
Germany doesn’t use the phrase “student visa” in its official immigration documentation. Non-EU/EEA students applying for longer-than-3-month programs apply for a National Visa (D Visa) — specifically for students, this is designated as a “student national visa” in practical usage, but the document itself is a Type D Schengen national visa with the purpose “study.”
For short courses under 90 days, a Schengen C Visa suffices. But a C Visa doesn’t authorize you to study at a German university on a degree program — that requires the D Visa, which then converts into a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) once you’ve registered your address in Germany.
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States are exempt from the student visa requirement. They can enter Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit directly after arrival. This is an underreported fact — many US and Australian students assume they need a student visa for Germany when they don’t.
The blocked bank account (Sperrkonto) requirement for 2026 is €11,904 per year (€992 per month) — this must be shown before the D Visa is issued for students who need to demonstrate financial capacity.
France: VLS-TS Étudiant — A Visa That Doubles as a Residence Permit
France has one of the more unusual student visa structures in the world. The main long-stay student document is the VLS-TS Étudiant — which stands for Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour, literally a “long-stay visa valid as a residence permit.”
What makes this unusual: in most countries, a visa and a residence permit are two separate documents. France issues a single document that functions as both. After arrival, you validate the VLS-TS online (through the ANEF portal) rather than visiting a prefecture for a separate carte de séjour. This replaces the old process that required an in-person registration appointment — a change that has significantly simplified the experience for students from outside the EU.
There are actually three types of long-stay visas for students in France:
- VLS-TS Étudiant — for bachelor’s and master’s level studies (the most common)
- VLS-TS Passeport Talent — for doctoral students and researchers
- VLS-TS Stagiaire — for internships that are part of a home-country academic program
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens don’t need any of these — they study freely in France under EU freedom of movement rules.
Japan: Ryugaku (留学) — Status of Residence, Not Just a Visa
Japan’s immigration system is built around statuses of residence, and the student category is officially called College Student (留学, Ryugaku — roughly, “study abroad”). The confusion arises because Japan issues two separate documents: the visa sticker (which goes in your passport at the embassy) and the status of residence certificate (which governs what you can do inside Japan).
When people say “Japan student visa,” they mean the combination of these two things. The visa sticker at the embassy is the entry permission. The “College Student” status of residence is what lets you study full-time at a Japanese institution for more than 90 days. Nationality-based visa exemptions apply to the entry visa but not to the status of residence — so some nationalities can enter Japan without a visa sticker but still need to obtain their “College Student” status from immigration once they’re in the country.
Work authorization for Ryugaku holders requires a separate permission stamp — it’s not automatic. The stamp is titled “Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted” and allows up to 28 hours per week during academic semesters and 8 hours per day during officially designated holiday periods. Students sometimes miss this and work without authorization — a violation that affects future status changes.
New Zealand: Student Visa (Straightforwardly Named)
New Zealand keeps it simple: it’s called a Student Visa. No subclass numbers, no hybrid documents, no alternative naming. You apply for a Student Visa through Immigration New Zealand’s website, you hold a Student Visa, and it says “Student Visa” on the document.
What changed recently is the work rights attached to it. Effective November 3, 2025, the in-term work limit increased from 20 to 25 hours per week for most tertiary students. Students with visas issued before August 18, 2025 that show the older 20-hour condition need to apply for a variation of conditions (NZD $325) to access the higher limit. The break-time work allowance remains unlimited during scheduled academic breaks.
Singapore: Student’s Pass — A Pass, Not a Visa
Singapore uses the term Student’s Pass (STP), not student visa. Like Canada’s Study Permit, the naming distinction is legally meaningful — a pass is issued by Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to authorize your stay and study, while the entry visa (if required for your nationality) is a separate document.
The Student’s Pass is tied to your institution. When you change institutions, your STP must be cancelled and a new one issued. If your STP lapses or is under renewal, any work authorization tied to it also lapses. Work rights under the STP allow 16 hours per week during term — but only if your institution has confirmed in writing that you’re permitted to work. That written confirmation from the institution is a separate requirement most guides don’t flag.
Ireland: Stamp 2 — No Visa Required, Just a Stamp
Ireland’s student system is the most unusual on this list. There is no student visa issued by Irish authorities. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss students studying full-time at an Irish institution receive permission to land at the border — their passport is stamped with Stamp 2 by an immigration officer at the port of entry.
Stamp 2 authorizes the holder to study full-time at an approved institution, work up to 20 hours per week during term (and 40 hours during June-September and from December 15 to January 15), and reside in Ireland for the duration of their studies. It’s renewed annually at an Irish Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) registration office.
Before traveling to Ireland, students from most non-EU countries need to apply for an Irish visa (called a “Study Visa”) to get permission to enter — but this is the entry visa, not the document that actually governs your study rights. The entry visa gets you to the border. Stamp 2 is what the immigration officer gives you when you arrive. Some guides conflate these two as “the Irish student visa,” which leads to confusion when students try to apply for a Stamp 2 before they’ve entered the country (it doesn’t work that way).
China: X1 and X2 Visas
China’s student visa system uses a letter-number code like the US. The X1 visa is for students whose intended study period exceeds 180 days. The X2 visa is for students staying 180 days or fewer. The distinction matters because X1 holders must apply for a Residence Permit within 30 days of arrival at the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) — a step that’s legally required and missed by a surprising number of newly arrived international students.
China’s international student numbers recovered significantly post-COVID. In 2024, the country admitted approximately 490,000 international students, with significant numbers from South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia. The visa application process runs through Chinese embassies and consulates globally, typically requiring an Admission Notice (JW201 or JW202 form) from the accepting institution.
UAE: Student Visa (Institution-Linked, No Universal Code)
The UAE calls it a Student Visa, but unlike the countries above, there’s no universal visa code or centralized application system. UAE student visas are sponsored and issued by the educational institution itself — your university or college applies on your behalf through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). The student visa is effectively a residence visa tied to your enrollment.
Free zone institutions (particularly those in Dubai’s Knowledge Park and Abu Dhabi) operate under slightly different rules than mainland universities. Students cannot work off-campus under standard student visa conditions — structured internships that are formally part of an academic program are the exception, but ad-hoc employment is not permitted. Despite this restriction, the UAE continues to see growing international student enrollment because tuition costs are often lower than Western alternatives and the professional network built in Dubai has practical long-term value.
South Korea: D-2 Visa
South Korea uses a detailed visa classification system for students. The main student visa is the D-2 (Study) visa, which covers enrollment at universities, graduate schools, and language institutes. There are sub-categories within D-2:
- D-2-1: undergraduate degree programs
- D-2-2: master’s programs
- D-2-3: doctoral programs
- D-2-4: research programs
- D-2-6: exchange student programs
- D-2-7: intern programs at educational institutions
Korean language programs typically fall under a D-4 (General Training) visa rather than D-2. If you’re going to South Korea to study Korean for a semester before starting a degree program, you’ll hold a D-4, not a D-2. This distinction affects work authorization, which is tied to the visa category.
EU Countries (Schengen): National D Visa for Students
For most EU countries not covered individually above — Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and others — the student document is a National Visa (Type D) issued for study purposes. Within the Schengen Area, member states don’t have to use common visa labels. Italy calls it the “National Visa for Study”; Spain issues a “Student Visa” under its Long-Stay Visa category; the Netherlands issues an MVV (Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf) as a provisional residence permit for students.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens studying anywhere within the EU don’t need a student visa at all — freedom of movement covers them. This is one of the most significant exemptions in international student immigration and is frequently underexplained.
India: Student Visa (S Visa)
India’s student visa is officially listed under category S on its visa application forms (India uses a letter-based category system). It’s called a “Student Visa” in all official communications from the Bureau of Immigration and the Ministry of External Affairs. India has been growing as a destination for international students, particularly from Nepal, Bangladesh, and other neighboring countries, as well as from some African nations. The S Visa is issued for the duration of the academic program, though annual registration at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) is typically required for most nationalities.
Countries Where No Student Visa Exists
A few countries don’t issue student-specific visas at all. Switzerland, for example, issues a general long-stay (D) permit for various purposes including study. Students from EU/EEA countries in Switzerland simply register with local authorities rather than applying for any immigration permission. Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein (EEA but not EU) follow similar patterns for EEA students but require formal residence registration for non-EEA students, not a “student visa” per se.
What Happens When Visa Names Change
Visa categories are renamed more often than most people realize. The UK’s Tier 4 → UK Student Visa transition in 2021 is the most recent high-profile example, but it’s not the only one. Australia has restructured its student visa system multiple times — earlier categories included Subclass 570 through 576 for different education sectors, which were consolidated into the single Subclass 500 in 2016. Canada moved from the “Student Authorization” to the current Study Permit terminology decades ago, but the legacy terminology still appears in older documents and some embassy websites.
When you’re reading any guide, article, or forum post about student visas, check the date. A guide written in 2019 may be using accurate information for that year and completely wrong for 2026. Immigration rules and visa names are living documents — they change when governments reform their immigration systems.
For anyone researching digital nomad options alongside study, Nepal’s proposed Digital Nomad Visa 2026 is worth tracking — it represents a different category entirely for remote workers who may want to study part-time while maintaining foreign income streams.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a student visa called in the United States?
The US issues three student-related visas: the F-1 (academic student visa) for full-time study at accredited academic institutions, the M-1 (vocational student visa) for technical and vocational programs, and the J-1 (exchange visitor visa) for approved exchange programs. F-1 is what most people mean when they refer to a “US student visa.”
What is a student visa called in Canada?
In Canada, the document is called a Study Permit — not a student visa. It’s issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and authorizes you to study at a Designated Learning Institution. Most applicants from countries that require visas to enter Canada also receive a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) automatically with their Study Permit, but the Study Permit is the primary study authorization.
What is the student visa called in the UK?
The UK calls it the UK Student Visa. It replaced the Tier 4 (General) Student Visa in October 2021 under the UK’s new points-based immigration system. The old Tier 4 terminology is no longer used in official UKVI documents or applications.
What is a student visa called in Australia?
Australia’s student visa is officially called the Student Visa (Subclass 500). The subclass number 500 identifies the specific visa category, which carries conditions about work hours (Condition 8105: 48 hours per fortnight during term) and enrollment requirements (Condition 8202).
Does Japan have a student visa?
Japan’s student immigration status is called “College Student” (留学, Ryugaku). It’s technically a status of residence rather than a visa category. Students receive both a visa sticker at the Japanese embassy (the entry permission) and a “College Student” status of residence (the authorization to study). Work authorization is separate and requires an additional permission stamp from immigration.
What is the student visa called in Germany?
Germany issues a National Visa (Type D) for students — it’s sometimes called a “student visa” colloquially but officially it’s a Type D long-stay national visa with the purpose marked as study. Citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US don’t need this visa and can apply for a residence permit after arrival instead.
What is Ireland’s student visa called?
Ireland doesn’t issue a visa called a “student visa.” Non-EU students receive a Stamp 2 in their passport at the port of entry, which authorizes them to study and work part-time. Before traveling, students from most non-EU countries need to obtain an Irish entry visa (Study Visa) to be admitted at the border — but this is the entry permission, not the document that governs study rights. Stamp 2 is what actually authorizes your enrollment and residence.
Is a student visa the same in every country?
No — significantly different. Every country has its own terminology, document structure, and conditions. Some issue a visa (F-1, X1, D-2), some issue a permit (Study Permit in Canada, Student’s Pass in Singapore), some issue a hybrid document (France’s VLS-TS), and some issue no visa at all but stamp your passport at the border (Ireland’s Stamp 2). The conditions attached to each — work rights, enrollment requirements, duration, renewal rules — vary substantially.
Can I use the term “student visa” on official forms?
On most application forms, you should use the official term for the specific country. When a US university asks for your “visa type,” write F-1. When a Canadian employer asks for your “immigration document type,” write Study Permit. Generic terms like “student visa” may be understood in informal contexts but can cause confusion or errors in official documentation, particularly when the country uses a different term (Subclass 500, D-2, Stamp 2, etc.).
If you’re in the application stage for any of the countries above, the work rights question comes before or alongside the visa type question for most students. See our comprehensive guide on working on a student visa in 10 countries — it covers the legal work hours, on-campus vs. off-campus distinctions, and what happens if you go over your limit, for every major destination in this list.