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During a vacation or a 'sabbatical' year or between jobs, academics may make arrangements to join others working in the same field to take part in their research work or to do a little teaching (or both).

They will usually obtain such posts through contacts with other academics or direct arrangements between university faculties, not through formal job advertisements (e.g. for academic workers - see below). The primary reason for taking on the work should be to widen their knowledge, experience and contacts.

Although there is no specific provision for the entry of such persons (they cannot be regarded as students), those who fulfil the following conditions may be allowed entry into the UK as academic visitors under a concession outside the Rules.

Those who may qualify:

Post-graduate researchers (not students) if sponsored by:
the British Council; or
a charitable educational or research organisation; or
a national research council, e.g. the Medical Research Council; or
an institution of further or higher education, e.g. a university.
Academics taking part in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts (including doctors).
Senior doctors/dentists taking part in research, teaching or clinical practice.
Academics from an overseas institution who wish to use sabbatical leave to carry out research.
Visiting lecturers going for a single lecture or a lecture series.
Academic visitors must fulfil the following criteria:

they will not receive funds from a UK source (except payments of scholarships, grants, bursaries, expenses, reasonable honoraria and payments on exchange basis); and
they do not intend filling a genuine, substantive, vacancy; and
the stay is incidental to, or in preparation for, a career abroad; and
the stay will not exceed 12 months.
Spouses and dependants of Academic visitors:

Academic visitors are entitled to have their spouse and dependants accompany or join them in UK, provided the spouse and dependants do not intend to take employment in UK, and that they can be supported without recourse to Public Funds.