London is without doubt one of the most exciting and fascinating cities on earth. The transport system is very efficient with a variety of ways to get across the city. Travel is straightforward with underground, bus (including night buses) and train networks. Transport for London provides 30% discount for students who qualify. London is well connected by rail and road to the rest of the UK and Europe, and to the rest of the world with four major airports nearby.

It's quite possible to develop a varied and interesting lifestyle in London on a budget. With substantial student discounts and so many of the city's most appealing attractions being free, you'll always find ways to make your money go further. Living in London will increase the value of your studies.

The diversity of London is an educational experience in itself. City has 200 theatres, over 12,000 restaurants and cafes, nearly 6,000 pubs and bars, and some 30,000 shops. And if all that gets too much, 39% of London’s total area is a park or green space. It is a city of separate areas, often famous in their own right and with distinctive characteristics. Londoners are as varied as the city itself, with communities from most countries of the world, giving an overall impression of a multicultural and friendly environment.
London is the focal point of British politics, finance and the media. If you feel like staying on, graduate skills are in demand. Managers, professionals and technical staff account for 48% of the workforce in London, compared to 38% across the rest of the UK.

You won't be studying all the time. London offers a stimulating diversity of culture and entertainment. Guides like London Net and UK Travel Guide keep you informed of events and activities. London is the place where things tend to happen first in art, music and fashion

There are rules and guidelines in the United Kingdom for students wanting to work while they study. These must be followed carefully, or visa/immigration problems can occur. This page is designed to explain to you what you can and cannot do. 

Candidates in the UK on a STUDENT VISA may only work 20 hours per week during term time. If they work any more than this, they are breaking the rules of their visa. They can work as many hours as they like during holiday periods. If you are on a student visa, you must also be enrolled on a full-time course (any course of more than 15 hours' daytime study per week).

Students with any other type of visa can work as many hours as they like, unless their visa states that work is 'prohibited'. This means this type of student cannot work while studying.

Prohibition on taking employment

The words on this visa stamp state that "you must not engage in employment paid or unpaid.

This means that you have to obtain the permission of the Home Secretary before you can work. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU WORK. 

Students from the EU or EEA may work as many hours as they like, and may attend part-time courses if they wish.

Although in many respects students from countries within the EEA are free from many of the constraints, which apply to other international students, their entry and stay in the UK are still subject to certain conditions. Distinction is made too, between the right of EEA workers and EEA students.

It should be noted that, in some instances, UK immigration law conflicts with EEA law and in such case those penalised by the immigration rules could have recourse to European courts.

For more information, visit this website:
www.britishcouncil.org 

To work in the UK, employees need to have a National Insurance (NI) number. This number is NOT available to international students UNTIL they have a job AND a letter confirming the employment from the employer.
Contact the International Office on 01932 348850 for more details on how to get this number. This rule is applicable to EU and non-EU students 

London has many newspapers, which advertise vacancies every day. The following

newspapers are the most common sources of part-time job advertisements:

·      Loot
Published 6 times a week. Tues is the best day for jobs.

·      Evening Standard
Published Mon-Fri. Mon is the best day for jobs.

·      Metro
Free newspaper issued at train stations. Thursday is the best day for jobs.

·      Local and regional newspapers

www.justjobs4students.co.uk
www.studentjobs.co.uk
www.prospects.ac.uk
www.indeed.co.uk 
www.loot.com
jobs.thisislondon.co.uk
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
www.reed.co.uk
www.monster.co.uk

Walking Tour

 Spot 'in the window' adverts, speak to people and make an impression, check out the organisation and its location.

Recruitment Fairs

Look out for the dates in newspapers and on the internet, ask friends and other contacts. Teletext on most television sets.

Sponsorship and Loans

 

A number of organisations may offer you financial assistance. Details of these can be found in the Directory of Grant Making Trusts, published by the Charities Aid Foundation as well as in the Grants Register, published by Macmillan Press. These are available in most public libraries.

A number of companies will offer sponsorship to selected candidates.

A useful starting point for details of scholarships and sponsorship is your local British Council office.

Loans for maintenance are granted to those resident in the UK for three years by the

Student Loans Company,
100 Bothwell St.
Glasgow G2 7JD, UK.
Tel. 0800 405010.

       http://www.slc.co.uk

As an international or overseas student you will not normally be eligible to receive funding from the local government, nor welfare benefits (although there are exceptions).

However, there are some grants and scholarships available to overseas students from the British government and educational trusts. The British Council has lots of information on who to contact and it is worth investigating if the government in your country or other funding bodies can offer anything.

It is important you consider this before travelling to the UK as many scholarships and grants will not be available to you once you have arrived

Overseas students will be required to pay full tuition fees. The precise amount will vary depending on the college and course, how many hours of teaching are involved a week and if you are studying towards a qualification or not. Contact college direct if you have any questions.

You should also allow for other expenses associated with your study. These include books, equipment and materials. Sometimes second-hand text books and equipment are available from students who previously studied your course. Check college notice boards.

 UK Entry Requirements

To apply for permission to enter the UK as a student you must apply to your closest British High Commission/British Embassy. They will explain the application process and ask you to prove you meet the following requirements:

You need the following documents to submit along with supporting documents

Your passport or travel document.

A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour photograph of yourself.

The visa fee. This cannot be refunded and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.

Supporting documents relevant to your application.

Supporting Documents to include with your application:

You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a student. If you do not, Embassy may refuse your application.

As a guide, you should include:

any relevant diplomas or educational certificates that you have

a letter from the university, college or school confirming that you have been accepted on a course of study and/or a period of research in the UK, and a statement of charges for the course and/or period of research (if appropriate)

if you are following a certain type of postgraduate study, an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) Certificate

evidence of government sponsorship (if appropriate)

bank statements, payslips or other evidence to show that you can pay for your stay and your course of studies in the UK, and

if you are being privately sponsored (for example, by a college in the UK) a letter from your sponsor giving details of how they will support you during your studies, and evidence

Please click on following link if you wish to obtain detailed information on how to apply for UK Student Visa   

Visa Extensions and Identity Cards

IMPORTANT NOTE: The new Points-Based System for immigration will introduce major changes for international students from March 2009. Please make sure to check back regularly for updates or contact student support.

Many students find that they need to extend their visas at some point during their stay in the UK, either because they have begun a new course or because they require further time to complete a course that they have already started. You will need to start preparing for your visa extension at least 4-6 weeks before your current visa expires.

UK immigration is constantly changing and the rules can be very confusing. It is extremely important that you get things right. To make things easier, the International Student Support Office can help you to prepare your application.

To make sure that we provide the best possible service to the hundreds of students who require our help, there is a particular visa extension procedure that all students must follow in order to ensure that they make a complete and timely application.

Application Form

Students must apply on form FLR(S) version 11/2008. You will receive an application form if requested from college, but it is a good idea to have a look at it beforehand. The form and guidance notes are available here: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/extending/. You must complete the form in black ink and in block letters.

If you have dependants that also need to extend their visas, they should apply at the same time as you, on the same application form.

Since 25 November, all students applying for further leave to remain in the UK (visa extension) must also apply for a biometric immigration document (commonly known as an identity card). Your FLR(S) application form will act as an application for both your visa extension and your identity card.

The form will ask for details of your current and previous studies in the UK, your accommodation and your finances. You will need to provide documents to support all of the information asked for on the form.

 

Fee

The Home Office fee for a student visa extension is £295 and those wishing to apply in person will be charged £500. . This includes any dependants applying with you.

 (link:http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/finder;jsessionid=S3WGE
GB02FXIOFB2IGVFFHQUHRA0WQ2K?searchType=postOffice
&resultsType=postOfficeSearch&catId=20700386&_requestid=28297

 The Post Office will charge a small commission to issue a postal order.

Documents

In order to extend your visa, you will need to provide the Home Office with various documents to prove that you are currently studying at a recognised institution in the UK and that you can afford to support yourself while you are here. All documents must be originals.

All students must provide:

=  Passport (if your current visa is in a previous passport, you must include both)

=  Photographs (2 UK passport-size)

=  Student status letter from A&S Training College

Attendance letter. If you are a new student, you should obtain proof of attendance from your previous institution. If you are applying to continue a course at A&S, your college can write you an attendance/progress letter Certificates/results from all previous courses in the UK.

UK bank statements for the last three months.

Proof of any fees paid to college.

Many students will also need:

= Police registration certificate (if you are required to register with the police.)

=  Sponsor letter (if you are fully funded by your government, the University, college or a scholarship agency)

= Parents’ support letter and 3 months’ bank statements (if your parents are supporting you) – see sample letter (Parents sample letter) 

=  ATAS certificate (if you are studying Physics, Engineering or Computing at postgraduate level – see http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/counter-terrorism/weapons/atas/). This takes at least 3 weeks to apply for, so check this early. 

 

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)  

   =  People who want to study at relatively advanced levels within certain subject areas have to go through the process of obtaining clearance certificates under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), before they make any immigration application to study, or extend their study period, in the UK. This only affects people who want to study at a UK university or higher education institution, where the exit qualification will be a:

                    =    Doctorate; or

              = Master's Degree by research (MRes, MPhil etc, but not MEng, MPharm or MSci); or

        = taught Master's Degree (not including MEng, MPharm or MSci degree), only if it attracts one of the following JACS (Joint Academic Coding System) codes:

                           = - F2 Materials Science
            - F3 Physics (including Nuclear Physics)
            - H3 Mechanical Engineering
            - H4 Aerospace Engineering
             - J5 Materials Technology not otherwise specified.

                           =  No undergraduate studies are affected by ATAS. Nor does the scheme have any impact on nationals of European Economic Area countries.
YOU MUST OBTAIN AN ATAS CERTIFICATE BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO EXTEND YOUR VISA. The application procedure is outlined at www.fco.gov/atas 

Dependents

If you currently have dependants in the UK with you, you can apply to extend their visas at the same time as your own, using the same application form and paying just one fee. You will need the following documents for each dependant:

     = Passports

     = 2 photographs

     = Police registration certificates (if required – check their visa)

You will also need to show that sufficient funds are available to support them while they are here, ideally at least £533 per person per month.

Students Re-sitting and exam writing

If you are extending your visa to re-sit an exam, you must also include:

      = Letter from your department confirming that you are required to re-sit an exam and the dates of your re-sit examinations

Submitting your application

The students support team will advise how to complete the application and will be checked by OISC registered advisor (Aima Group) and you can send the application to home office. 

ID card appointment

You may have received previous visas as a sticker in your passport. From 27 November 2008, however, all students will be issued with an ID card containing their visa and biometric information. You will no longer receive a sticker in your passport and you must carry your passport and ID card with you when travelling.

After your application has been submitted to the Home Office, you will receive a letter explaining how to make an appointment to have your biometric details (fingerprints and photograph) taken. The closest centre to college is currently in, Croydon. You must make an appointment at one of these centres within 5 days of receiving the letter.

Your visa will not be issued until you have attended your appointment.

Collecting your visa

The Home Office will return your passport, ID cards and documents to your address. 

Police Registration

If your new visa says you must register with the police, you should do this within 7 days. Your entry clearance or visa will state whether or not you have to register with the police. If you are required you must do so within 7 days of your arrival in the UK.
EEA nationals and Commonwealth citizens do not have to register.

You will need to take:

    = Your passport

    = 2 passport size photographs

    = £34 pounds in cash to cover the administration fee