Skip Navigation

Student immigration before you come to the UK

August 2008


printer friendly version


Introduction

This explains what you need to do about immigration if you want to come to the UK to start studies. If you are currently in the UK, do not read this instead, first read I want more time in the UK, as a student. What do I do about immigration?

If you are a national of the European Economic Area, or of Switzerland, then this has no relevance to you. The procedures described do not apply to you. Instead, you should read the information for EEA and Swiss students. You are a national of the European Economic Area if you are a national of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.


If you want to come to the UK as a 'student', you need to apply for 'entry clearance' before you leave the country where you live to travel to the UK.

If you are coming to study for a maximum of 6 months, you may hear that you can come to the UK as a 'student visitor', instead of as a 'student'. If you choose to come as a 'student visitor', you will be much more restricted than if you come as a 'student':

  • You will not be allowed to do any work or work placement (even if it is part of a course, or is unpaid).
  • You will not be allowed to apply for more time in the UK, if your studies are extended.

    For these reasons, it is not usually appropriate to come to the UK as a 'student visitor'.

If you are a:

  • British National (Overseas)
  • British overseas territories citizen
  • British Overseas citizen
  • British protected person
  • British subject
you may hear that it is not compulsory for you to apply for 'entry clearance' before you leave the country where you live to travel to the UK.

This is true, but you will lose out if you do not apply for entry clearance. This is because:

  • If you arrive without 'entry clearance', the immigration officer at the airport will have to process your request to enter the UK. The maximum period she or he will give you is 6 months, even if your course is longer. Depending on government policy at the time, you may or may not be allowed to apply to the Home Office for an extension if you want to stay longer. If you were not allowed to apply for an extension, you would have to interrupt your studies to return back to your home country and apply for student 'entry clearance'. Both these alternatives (applying for a Home Office extension, or making a trip to your home country) are very expensive. Home Office extensions cost £295 if you apply by post, or £500 if you apply in person.
  • In contrast, if you apply for 'entry clearance' before you leave your home country to travel to the UK in the first place, you will pay £99 for student 'entry clearance', which should cover the whole length of your course. If you are a British National (Overseas) applying in Hong Kong, the 'entry clearance' is free of charge (there is no £99 fee to pay).
  • If you do not apply for student 'entry clearance', you will almost certainly not be allowed to do any work or work placement (even if it is part of a course, or is unpaid).
↑ Back to top

Requirements of the immigration rules for students asking permission to enter the UK

  • 1. You must have been unconditionally accepted for a course or research.
    • If you do not meet this requirement, see the section on prospective students.

  • 2. The organisation where you are going to do the course or research must be listed in the Government’s Register of Education and Training Providers.

    • The Register includes all publicly-funded institutions of further and higher education. It also includes private education institutions which are accredited by the British Council, the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education, or by the Association of British Language Schools, as well as other private education institutions that have applied to be on the Register. You can search the Register yourself to check that the institution you want to attend is on it, or you can ask your nearest British diplomatic post of British Council office to check.

  • 3. The course must be provided by either:
    • a. a publicly-funded institution of further or higher education; or
    • b. a ‘bona fide’ private education institution.

    A ‘bona fide’ private education institution is a genuine one, which is not involved in fraud.

    The UK Border Agency has said that it will usually accept that a private education institution is ‘bona fide’ if it is:

    • accredited by the British Council; or
    • accredited by BAC (The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education); or
    • accredited by ABLS (The Association of British Language Schools); or
    • a member of English UK.

    You can check which colleges are accredited by these organisations, and who their members are, by contacting the addresses given at the end of this Information Sheet. The UK Border Agency accepts that some private education institutions which are not accredited by, or members of any of these organisations, are also ‘bona fide’.

    All institutions are expected to provide records of students’ enrolment and attendance to the UK Border Agency if it requests them.

  • 4. The course or research must fit one of the following definitions:
    • A full-time degree course or postgraduate studies at a publicly-funded institution of further or higher education; or
    • A weekday course involving attendance at one institution for a minimum of 15 hours' organised daytime study a week. If you are taking more than one subject to make up the 15 hours, then you have to show that the subjects are directly related to each other. The study of English language is always considered to be directly related to any other subject, if English is not your first language.
    • A period of study and/or research for more than six months at a publicly-funded institution of higher education in the UK, which forms part of a degree course that you are taking in another country.

    If you do not meet this requirement, see the section on 'student visitors'.

  • 5. If you will be studying at a private institution for a UK degree, you must also be registered as an external student with the body that will award the degree.

  • 6. You must have the ability to do the course or research.

  • 7. You must intend to do the course or research.

  • 8. You must intend to leave the UK at the end of your studies (unless you are a degree student hoping to stay on to work when you finish your studies, and you are not sponsored by your own government or by an international scholarship agency).

  • 9. You must not intend to take employment or engage in business, unless the UK Border Agency allows you to.

  • 10. You must have enough money without needing to work (or engage in business or claim 'public funds') to pay for:
    • your course fees; and
    • the accommodation and maintenance of yourself and your husband, wife, civil partner and children, if they come with you.

    However, there are two situations in which you are allowed to refer to your earnings from work as a source of money:

    • 1. If your course is a sandwich course, and your college or university can guarantee that a sandwich placement will be available for you, and how much you will earn, then you can refer to those earnings. Your college or university will need to give you a letter confirming those details.
    • 2. If you are going to be studying at a publicly-funded institution of further or higher education (rather than a private college), and that institution can guarantee that they will be able to offer you some work themselves. Provided they are prepared to give you a letter confirming how much they will pay you, then you can refer to those earnings.

      • 'Public funds' means the following types of UK welfare benefit: income support; income-based jobseeker's allowance; housing and homelessness assistance; housing benefit; council tax benefit; working tax credit; a social fund payment; child benefit; any disability allowance; state pension credit; child tax credit.

      Anything not included in the list is not regarded as 'public funds'.

  • 11. If you are a postgraduate student and will be studying or researching one of the areas listed by the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), you must have an 'ATAS clearance certificate'.

    • The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is designed to provide security checks on individuals who want to study or research areas that may have application in the development of weapons of mass destruction. If you will be studying or researching science, mathematics, engineering, technology or medicine at postgraduate level then you should contact the person in charge of your course or research, to ask whether your study or research appears on the list. If it does, you will have to obtain an ATAS clearance certificate before you make your immigration application. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have information about the system for applying for an ATAS clearance certificate. You can also read there about the types of study and subject areas that are affected.

    Applications for ATAS clearance certificates are free of charge, and are made on-line. You can apply for an ATAS clearance certificate as soon as you have a conditional offer for study or research. If you have more than one offer, you can make separate applications for ATAS clearance certificates relating to each offer, at the same time. Applications can take up to three weeks to process.

    Note: different requirements apply to student nurses, postgraduate doctors and dentists, and schoolchildren.

↑ Back to top

Evidence that you meet the requirements

You need to make sure that you have the following documents, as evidence that you meet the requirements:

  • A recent letter from the college or university where you are going to be studying, confirming the following:
    • you have been accepted for a course or research (if the letter says that you have been offered a place, it must also confirm that you have accepted that offer of a place)
    • the title of the course and the qualification it leads to
    • when the course begins and ends
    • what qualifications were required for entry to the course (including any English language tests), and the fact that you have those qualifications
    • if you will be provided with English language support by the college or university either before or during your studies, those arrangements
    • if the course is a full-time degree course or full-time postgraduate studies, confirmation of that
    • if the course is not a full-time degree course, confirmation that it involves 15 hours of organised daytime study a week
    • how much the fees are; and if you are allowed to pay by instalments, then when each instalment is expected

    If your study or research will form part of a degree that you are taking in another country, do not provide the letter described above. Instead, provide a recent letter from the UK college or university, confirming the following:

    • some basic details about the degree course you are doing in the other country: the name of the university there, the title and level of the degree there, how long that degree course is, and the start and finish dates of that degree course.
    • you have been accepted for a period of study and/or research in the UK (if the letter says that you have been offered a place, it must also confirm that you have accepted that offer of a place)
    • this study and/or research in the UK will form part of the degree you are taking in the other country
    • a brief description of the study and/or research you will do in the UK
    • when the study and/or research in the UK will start and end
    • you have the ability to do the study and/or research in the UK
    • if you will be provided with English language support by the UK college or university while you do your study and/or research, those arrangements
    • whether you will have to pay any fees to the UK institution, and if so, how much and when.
    And also provide a recent letter from the university in the country where you are studying your degree, confirming the following:
    • the title and level of the degree course, and its start and finish dates
    • it has been arranged that you will come to the UK for a period of study and/or research as part of your degree course
    • when your study and/or research in the UK will start and end.

  • If someone else is paying for you to study, a letter from them confirming what their connection to you is, how much they are going to give you, how often, for how long, and where that money is going to come from. You will also need evidence of their occupation (for example, a letter from their employer confirming their salary, or wage slips), and their income and savings (for example, bank statements). This is to prove that they can fulfil their promise.
  • If you are being sponsored by a government or scholarship agency, a letter from them confirming how long the scholarship will continue and what costs it will cover.
  • If you are going to pay for your studies through your own savings, original bank statements covering at least the last three months.
  • If you have a job at the moment, evidence of the job (for example, a letter from your employer confirming your salary, or wage slips).
  • If you already know of an employer in your home country who will want to employ you when you return with your qualification, a letter from them confirming that.
  • Any other evidence that you intend to leave the UK when you finish your studies (for example, evidence that you own your own home; or have a husband, wife, civil partner or children who you are leaving at home while you study in the UK; or advertisements for jobs requiring the qualification that you will be studying for).
  • Evidence of any previous study or qualifications gained in the UK.
  • Certificates for any qualifications you have that are relevant to the new course, and any English language qualifications.
  • An Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate, if you are a postgraduate student and will be studying or researching one of the areas listed in that scheme.
↑ Back to top

If you do not meet the requirements of the immigration rules for students, check whether you meet the requirements for 'prospective students'

‘Prospective students’ are given permission to enter the UK for a maximum of six months. Before the end of those six months, they are expected to start a course which fits the Immigration Rules for students, and then to apply for permission to be in the UK to finish their course. If they do not start a course within six months, they are expected to leave the UK.

Think carefully before deciding to ask for permission to enter the UK as a ‘prospective student’. There are at least three disadvantages in coming to the UK as a ‘prospective student’ (instead of as a student):

  • 1. It is very expensive to extend your permission to be in the UK to finish your course. There is a fee of £295 or £500 for these applications. You can avoid that fee if you apply for entry clearance as a student (see the requirements students need to meet).
  • 2. While you are a ‘prospective student’, you will not be allowed to work.
  • 3. You will not succeed in applying to come as a prospective student unless your plans for study are reasonably firm (for example, you have an interview arranged, which you need to attend before you are offered an unconditional place). You will probably be expected to produce evidence that you are already in contact with specific institutions in the UK. You must have reasonably detailed knowledge of what type of course you want to do.

If you want to come to the UK as a ‘prospective student’, you need to apply for ‘entry clearance’ before you leave the country where you live to travel to the UK. See the UK Government website for information about how to apply, and the application form (VAF3). There is a fee of £99 for the application.

Note: Check the expiry date on your entry clearance, when it is issued. You need to make sure it will not expire before your course starts. If it will, ask the Entry Clearance Officer to change it. This might mean that the Entry Clearance Officer needs to change the date that it is valid from (you must not travel to the UK before this date). Remember that prospective students cannot be given entry clearance for longer than six months.

Requirements of the Immigration Rules for prospective students asking permission to enter the UK

The requirements you will need to meet if you want to ask for permission to enter the UK as a prospective student are:

  • 1. The course you want to study, and the institution you want to study at, must fit the requirements for students (these are set out in points 2 to 5 in the section Requirements of the immigration rules for students asking permission to enter the UK).
  • 2. You must genuinely intend to start a course within six months of arriving in the UK, and it must be realistic to think you will be able to.
  • 3. You must intend to leave the UK:
    • at the end of the six months, if you do not manage to start a course; and
    • at the end of your studies, if you do start a course (unless you are a degree student hoping to stay on to work when you finish your studies, and you are not sponsored by your own government or by an international scholarship agency).
  • 4. You must have enough money without needing to work (or engage in business or claim ‘public funds’) to pay for:
    • the accommodation and maintenance of yourself (and your husband, wife, civil partner and children, if they come with you) for the first six months and during the course; and
    • your course fees.

    See point 10 in the section Requirements of the immigration rules for students asking permission to enter the UK for the definition of ‘public funds’, and a note about two situations in which students are allowed to refer to their earnings.

    Warning: Do not come to the UK as a ‘visitor’ or as a ‘student visitor’. ‘Visitors’ and ‘student visitors’ are not allowed to extend their permission to be in the UK, as students. See the section 'student visitors' for an explanation of who the ‘student visitor’ category is appropriate for.

    For information about how to apply to extend your permission to be in the UK, as a student, see I want more time in the UK, as a student. What do I do about immigration?

↑ Back to top

If your study will not be full-time, and you want to stay for 6 months or less, check whether you meet the requirements for 'student visitors'

Think carefully before considering coming to the UK as a 'student visitor'. As a 'student visitor', you will be given permission to enter the UK for a maximum of six months, and you will not be allowed to apply for more time in the UK, if your studies are extended. You will not be allowed to do any work, even if it is part of a course and is unpaid. For these reasons, it is not usually appropriate to come to the UK as a 'student visitor'.

However, if you want to study part-time (for a maximum of six months), it is appropriate to come as a 'student visitor'.

Requirements of the Immigration Rules for 'student visitors' asking permission to enter the UK

  • 1. You must not want to enter for longer than six months.
  • 2. You must intend to leave the UK at the end of your student visit.
  • 3. You must have been unconditionally accepted for a course.
  • 4. The organisation where you are going to do the course must be listed in the Government's Register of Education and Training Providers (you can check the Register yourself, or ask your nearest British diplomatic post or British Council office to check the Register for you).
  • 5. You must not intend to work, engage in business or do a work placement (even if it is unpaid).
  • 6. You must be able to pay your course fees, living costs, and flight costs (without needing to work or claim 'public funds'). See point 10 in the section Requirements of the immigration rules for students asking permission to enter the UK for the definition of ‘public funds’.
  • 7. You must be at least 18 years old.

If you are under 18, you cannot come to the UK as a student visitor. You might be able to come as a 'child visitor' instead. The requirements are different – ask your college about them.

Do I need to apply for entry clearance to come to the UK as a 'student visitor'?

If you are a 'visa national', then you must apply for entry clearance as a 'student visitor' from a British diplomatic post outside the UK, before you travel to the UK. You can apply in any country outside the UK (it does not have to be your home country). See the UK Government website for information about how to apply, and the application form (VAF1). There is a fee of £65 for the application.

If you are not a 'visa national', there is no reason to apply for entry clearance before you travel to the UK. You can arrive in the UK and ask the immigration officer at the airport to process your request to enter the UK as a 'student visitor'. Make sure that you have documents with you showing that you meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules for 'student visitors' (for example, evidence that you have been unconditionally accepted for a course, and have the money to pay your fees and living costs).

↑ Back to top

You are a ‘Visa National’ if:

1. Your passport shows that you are a national or citizen of any of the following:

Afghanistan Congo Kirgizstan Senegal
Albania Cuba Korea (North) Sierra Leone
Algeria Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) Kuwait Somalia
Angola Laos Sri Lanka
Armenia Lebanon Sudan
Azerbaijan Djibouti Liberia Surinam
Bahrain Dominican Republic Libya Syria
Bangladesh Ecuador Macedonia Taiwan
Belarus Egypt Madagascar Tajikstan
Benin Equatorial Guinea Malawi Tanzania
Bhutan Eritrea Mali Thailand
Bosnia-Herzegovina Ethiopia Mauritania Togo
Burkina Faso Fiji Moldova Tunisia
Burma Gabon Mongolia Turkey
Burundi Gambia Mozambique Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Cambodia Georgia Myanmar (Burma)
Cameroon Ghana Nepal
Cape Verde Guinea Niger Turkmenistan
Central African Republic Guinea-Bissau Nigeria Uganda
Chad Guyana Oman Ukraine
People's Republic of China* Haiti Pakistan United Arab Emirates
*(unless you hold a passport
issued by Hong Kong
Special Administrative
Region or Macao Special
Administrative Region)		 India Palestinian Authority Uzbekistan
Indonesia Peru Vietnam
Iran Philippines Yemen
Iraq Qatar Zambia
Ivory Coast Russia Zimbabwe
Jamaica Rwanda the territories formerly comprising the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia excluding Slovenia and Croatia
Jordan Sao Tome e Principe
Colombia Kazakhstan
Comoros Kenya Saudi Arabia

WARNING: Countries are added to this list relatively frequently. Check that your country has not been added recently by either:

  • asking at your nearest British diplomatic post; or
  • using the form on the UK Government website ('Do I need a visa?').

or

2. Your passport or travel document was issued by the former Soviet Union or by the former
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

or

3. You are a stateless person

or

4. You have a non-national document.


↑ Back to top

How to apply for entry clearance as a student (or prospective student)

  • 1. Find out where your nearest British diplomatic post (eg Embassy, High Commission or Consulate-General) with a visa section is.
  • 2. Look at that post’s website (it might redirect you to the website of the commercial partner who operates 'visa application centres' on their behalf in your country), or telephone or email them, to find out:

    What is the procedure for applying for entry clearance at this post? For example:

    • Where do I submit my application? Can I start by completing the application form on-line?
    • What documents will you expect me to provide in support of my application?
    • Will you expect me to have a tuberculosis test?
    • When will you take my fingerprints and photograph?
    • Will you expect me to attend an interview? If so, how long will I have to wait for an interview?
    • How long will it take you to process my application?
    • Will you allow me to start the application process even though I have not yet received my English language test results, or my A level results?

    To send you application form VAF3 and the 'student form guidance notes'. There is no charge for this form. If you have a spouse/civil partner or a child who is going to come with you to the UK, each of them should fill in a separate form VAF3.

  • 3. Complete form VAF3, and submit your application using the procedure the British diplomatic post have described to you. Enclose all the documents that are listed on the form, as well as the ones described in this Information Sheet. Keep photocopies of the completed form and all the documents that you give to them. You will have to pay a fee when you make the application. This will be the equivalent of £99 for each person included in the application, in your currency. For example, if you are applying for entry clearance for yourself and your spouse and one child, the fee will be £297 (3 x £99).

    • Do not allow an agent to send off your application unless you have checked through the completed form and all the documents that are enclosed with it. Errors made by an agent (or attempts to deceive) can result in you being barred from entering the UK for 10 years.

    Notes about completing some of the questions on form VAF3:

    • If you will be studying a full-time degree course at a publicly-funded institution (not a private college), cross out the boxes that ask your "total hours per week" and "daytime hours per week". Next to them, write "full-time degree course".
    • The form asks you if you plan to do any other courses in the UK, after you complete the first one. Do not worry about giving the name and address of the college or university where you might do these later courses, if you do not know this yet.
    • The form asks for the address where you will be staying in the UK. This makes it easier to assess how much money you will need. If you do not know it yet, do not leave the answer blank. Instead, explain very briefly the kind of accommodation you are going to stay in (for example, "My university/eollege's accommodation office will help me find rented accommodation. The address is not yet known" or "I will stay in university/college accommodation. The university/college's general address is ..." or "Rented accommodation. The address is not yet known"). You can then give an estimate of how much you expect it to cost (for example, "The university/college advises that the average is £..."). It is not compulsory for single students to have a definite address before they apply for entry clearance.
    • If your financial sponsor is a government or large scholarship agency, there is no need to list their "nationality", "date of birth", "what permission they have to remain in the UK", "monthly income after tax", "savings or other readily available money", "family", "how much total monthly income is given to their family members", or "whether they have sponsored any other visa applicants in the last 5 years".
    • The questions for dependants refer to the "sponsor". Here, this means the student.
    • When asked "your present work or job or occupation", include details and provide evidence of any course you are currently doing.
    • The form asks "do you intend to work in the UK?".
      Students coming for courses of more than six months normally receive conditions that limit them to working for 20 hours a week during term-time, any number of hours during vacations, and any number of hours on sandwich course placements. If you hope to do any of these kinds of work, tick "yes" and explain in the box "I will do part-time and vacation work as a student. I will work not more than 20 hours a week during term-time" or "My course is a sandwich course and I will do a placement lasting (specify the number of weeks, and say roughly when)". Remember you must have enough money for accommodation, maintenance and your course fees, without needing to do any work).
      Students coming for courses of six months or less are normally prohibited from doing any work at all, even if it is part of the course, or is unpaid. If you are coming for a course of six months or less and want to be able to work in the same way as students on longer courses, tick "yes" and make your special request in the box. Explain why working will help your education or development. Remember you must have enough money for accommodation, maintenance and your course fees without needing to do any work.
      If you do not yet have a place on a course, and you are applying to enter the UK as a prospective student, you will be prohibited from working, so tick "no" in answer to the question "do you intend to work in the UK?".

  • 4. If there is a problem with your application, for example:
    • the British diplomatic post or visa application centre refuse to process your student application and claim that you must apply as a student visitor instead
    • you are told that because of delays at the British diplomatic post your application will not be processed until after the start date of your course
    • you are told that the documentation that you have about your course or your academic ability is inadequate

    Contact the college or university offering the course, and ask for their help. Their admissions office might be able to help you, or they might put you in touch with their International Student Adviser.

  • 5. If you are successful in your application for entry clearance, a sticker will be placed in your passport. Check it straightaway for the following:
    • If you are applying for entry clearance as a student (not as a prospective student), make sure it does not prohibit you from working. If it does, ask the Entry Clearance Officer to change it. If the Entry Clearance Officer refuses to change it, contact the International Student Adviser at your college or university for help.
    • Make sure it says you are a 'student' or ‘prospective student’, and not a 'student visitor' or ‘visitor’.
    • Check its start date. You cannot use the entry clearance to travel to the UK before this date.
    • Check its expiry date. Make a note in your diary four months ahead of this date, to remind you to seek advice if you want to apply for permission to stay in the UK beyond this date.
    • Check whether or not it says that you must register with the police on arrival in the UK. If it does, then make a note to contact the International Student Adviser at your college or university to ask how you do that as soon as you arrive in the UK. Unless your college or university has a special arrangement with the police, you will be expected to register with the police within 7 days of your arrival. Note that not all students are given conditions that require them to register with the police.
  • 6. If you are successful in your application for entry clearance, then you will need to show your entry clearance sticker to an Immigration Officer when you land in the UK. You are unlikely to be asked many questions, unless the Immigration Officer suspects that there may have been a change in your circumstances since the entry clearance was issued (for example, because you did not use it straightaway). However, it is sensible to have evidence that you meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules for students or prospective students or student visitors in your hand luggage, so that you can produce it if necessary. Check your passport when the Immigration Officer gives it back to you, so that you are aware if they have made any changes to your conditions (for example, by adding a requirement for you to register with the police).
  • 7. If you are given a notice saying that your application for entry clearance has been refused, contact the International Student Adviser at your college or university straightaway. Use email, fax or telephone, to ensure there is no delay.

Remember
Whenever any stamps or stickers are placed in your passport by any immigration authorities, take a photocopy. You should always have an up to date photocopy of the whole of your passport. Keep it in a safe place, in case you lose your passport.

↑ Back to top

Contacts

To find out which colleges are accredited by (or members of) the following bodies, look at their websites or contact them:

British Council

Accreditation Unit
Bridgewater House
58 Whitworth Street
Manchester M1 6BB, UK
Tel: (+44) (0)161 957 7692
Fax: (+44) (0)161 957 7074
Email: accreditation.unit@britishcouncil.org
Website: www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation

BAC (The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education)

44 Bedford Row
London WC1R 4LL, UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7447 2584
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7447 2585
Email: info@the-bac.org
Website: www.the-bac.org

ABLS (The Association of British Language Schools)

P.O. Box 3382
Norwich
NR7 7HS, UK
Tel: (+44) (0)1493 393471
Email: info@abls.co.uk
Website: www.abls.co.uk

English UK

219 St John Street
London EC1V 4LY, UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7608 7960
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7608 7961
Email: info@englishuk.com
Website: www.englishuk.com

If you want to know how many hours and what types of work students are allowed to do look at Working during your studies.

If you have any questions about the information here: telephone UKCISA's advice line Monday to Friday 1300-1600 hours (UK time): Tel: (+44) (0)20 7107 9922 or write to: UKCISA, 9-17 St Albans Place, London N1 0NX, UK

UKCISA Information Sheets on other topics of relevance to international students.

If you have problems at passport control, and are unable to contact the International Student Adviser at your college or university:
Contact the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) for free advice:

  • Tel: 0844 974 4000 (daytime, Monday to Friday)
  • if it is nighttime, leave a message on their emergency answerphone: 020 7967 1299
  • Website: www.iasuk.org

    •

Telephone numbers

If you are calling from outside the UK, do not dial the (0) in the telephone numbers above. For example, if you want to call UKCISA from outside the UK, dial +44 20 7107 9922. If you are in the UK, do not dial +44, but do start the number with 0. For example, if you call UKCISA from within the UK, dial 020 7107 9922.

Textphone numbers are only for those who use a textphone (minicom) because of difficulties with speech or hearing.

This Information Sheet may not be reproduced in any form without permission from UKCISA except by the following categories of UKCISA member, who may reproduce copies for the use of their students and staff: institutions of further and higher education, students' unions and voluntary sector bodies. All other UKCISA members who wish to reproduce Information Sheet must contact UKCISA.

© UKCISA

The information in this Information Sheet is given in good faith and has been carefully checked. UKCISA, however, accepts no legal responsibility for its accuracy.

↑ Back to top