Students are advised to obtain a student visa from the British Embassy or the British High Commission in their own country. To obtain the student visa, applicants need to produce the Certificate of Enrolment which the College issues upon receipt of the full (or half) of the tuition fees. For students wishing to obtain Entry Clearance before coming to Britain, the following guidelines have been drawn up after consultation with Embassy officials:

Visit the British Embassy/High Commission in person and take the following documents with you:

• Letter of Enrolment from the College which states that tuition fees have been received by the College (When paid) and a place reserved on the course.
• Any other relevant documents sent by the College.
• Your passport.
• Documents showing the availability of funds in pounds sterling to cover the cost of living in the UK.
• Original copies of relevant academic certificates already obtained.
• Documentation to demonstrate that you have the intention to leave the UK after completion of studies.

Students encountering any difficulties with their visa application should contact the College for further advice and assistance. Students are strongly advised to make sure that they understand the visa regulations and conditions.

Visa and Non-Visa Nationals

Apart from students from the European Union (EU), all international students require some form of entry clearance which can take two forms:

• Visa nationals require a visa (entry clearance) BEFORE leaving the home country
• Non-visa nationals do not need prior entry clearance to study in the UK. They may acquire a visa at the port of entry.

To find out whether you are a visa or non-visa national, contact the British Embassy/High Commission in your country.

Student's Visa

It is advisable not to seek entry as a visitor if your intention is to study for longer than six months. In certain cases it may not be possible to switch from visitor to student visa status after entering in the UK.

Preparing for Visa Application

• Contact the British Council Office and have a preliminary fact-finding meeting with the Education Counselling officer.
• Find out if your visa application will be processed in one day or if applicants are expected to attend two interviews.
• If you are recalled for two interviews, find out the expected number of days before the second interview is granted. Also check the office hours when the British Embassy remains open.
• Considering the above, apply for your visa well in advance to ensure that you reach the UK before the commencement of the course.
• Visit the British Embassy/High Commission in person. To avoid spending a long time queuing, try to reach the office before opening time.

1) The visa officer would like to confirm that:

• you are a bona-fide student
• you can meet the cost of your course and are able to pay for your living expenses without working in the UK or claiming welfare benefits and
• you intend to leave the UK at the end of your studies.

To prove your case, you are advised to take with you appropriate documentary evidence.

• take with you all letters/documents sent by the College including the Certificate of Enrolment. Also take with you, past record of examinations taken, schools/colleges attended etc.
• take evidence of the availability of funds. This means a bank draft or a receipt from the College of the amount of maintenance funds that you might have been sent. In addition, a letter of sponsorship from your sponsor, a brief profile of the sponsor including the profession that he is engaged in, his personal or business bank statements.
• take evidence of your links with your family living in your country, and details of property owned by your family.
  

2) If your course of study at Lea Valley College is also offered by educational institutions in your country, the visa officer may like to know the following:

• why you wish to travel abroad to do the same course
• how studies abroad would help your career opportunities in your country.
  

3) The visa officer may like to be satisfied that you are fully aware of the course, its duration, and its usefulness for you. (S)he may also like to ascertain that you have the necessary qualifications, and ability and motivation to complete the course.

4) The interview(s) with the visa officer is held in English. If your English is weak and you are enrolled on a course which is NOT English Language, you will have serious difficulties in obtaining the visa.

5) The visa officer would also like to be satisfied that you have made appropriate arrangements for your stay in the UK. Make sure that you have evidence of the availability of accommodation for at least a few days upon arrival in the UK.

Checklist before departure

• Have you a valid passport?
• Have you all the original documents including letters/certificates from the College?
• Have you somewhere to stay when you first arrive in the UK, even if it is temporary accommodation in London?
• Have you received instructions from the college on how to get to the college?
• Have you made financial arrangements to pay for your living expenses in London?
• If your course of study is for less than six months duration, have you arranged to take out a medical insurance policy?
• Have you ordered British currency and traveller's cheques for your immediate expenses on arrival in the UK? It is advisable that you have about ?200 in cash and the rest in traveller’s cheques.
• Have you obtained a letter from the doctor for any prescribed drugs that you may need to bring with you?
• Have you details of necessary contact numbers at the College?
• Have you made arrangements to reach your destination in London from the airport?
• Have you a letter from the bank confirming your bank account details in your home country?

Finance

Making sure that your finances are sorted before you leave for Lea Valley College is vital. You don't want to end up with serious difficulties regarding paying for essentials such as accommodation (if not taken care of already), food, bills, and course books and equipment.
Set up a bank account - may banks offer special rates or incentives for students but it's worth forgoing a gimmick to get a longer-term benefit such as an interest-free overdraft or lower charges.

Make sure you know how and when any awards, loans or bursaries (plus any parental contributions) will be paid.

Legal

Make sure any legal issues are taken care of. Insure your possessions in case the worst happens - many insurers offer special policies for students.
If you are planning on taking or making use of a television (or PC with a tuner card) while at university make sure that it is covered by a TV Licence.
You should also make sure that banks are aware of your student status for tax purposes.

Transport

Once you arrive on campus knowing how to get out and about is vital as being late for seminars or lectures will not make a good impression.

You can check bus and train timetables (many are available online) or use a map to find a good route if walking. However, although walking may save money, please be aware of the safety issues surrounding this. Until they find a safe route or someone to walk with, driving or using public transport may be better options.
Lea Valley College can also offer Airport Pick up at the time of arrival for very minimum cost. Contact the college info@leavalleycollege.com for more information.

Communication

If financial problems or homesickness strike, contacting parents may be of the utmost importance.

Most teenagers will already have a mobile phone or plan to take one to college, but if not, a landline is recommended for safety reasons, as well as for communicating with each other.

It would also be wise to set up e-mail accounts where both of you know the other's address, so you can keep in contact.

Things to take

You are almost certainly going to forget something you need, especially if you don't plan, so start to write a list of things to take in advance.

Eating, drinking and cooking

Requirements here will depend on the accommodation arrangements made. Find out what equipment and facilities are provided and plan accordingly.

You may have heard about the all-important rescue packages constantly sent from parents to students when they run out of food and money, but having utensils to cook the contents with is also important!

Preliminary reading/practice

There can be nothing worse than turning up for a course unprepared, whilst everyone else knows what they are doing.

To save any embarrassment, it's a good idea to make sure whether there is anything you need to do before attending your first lecture.

Reading lists and initial tasks are often sent to students by institutions before the start of term.

Safety

Check that your accommodation has fire/smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and that doors and windows have secure locks on them.

It is surprising how many students are burgled, but cannot claim on insurance because the locks are not of the required standard.

Electoral register

It may be the first year that you will be eligible to vote, or you may have voted before, but you will need to register at your term-time address in order to get the appropriate voting information.

Other things to think about

There will probably be many other aspects of attending higher education that need much thought, but the items on this page should be a good starting point.

Being prepared protects you from unexpected problems at a time in your life when you should be focusing your attention on studying hard and enjoying yourself.

Other information to know:

Climate:

The climate in England is quite changeable and may be very different to what international students are used to. You can keep up with the weather in your destination city here. You can also see what the average temperatures are throughout the year here. Roughly speaking, average temperatures are around 5°C in winter and 16°C in summer.
You will need a warm coat for the winter, and it’s wise to get used to layering clothes throughout the year. An umbrella and/or waterproof jacket will be useful.

Time:

UK is in the Western European Time Zone; Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the Standard Time and in summer British Summer Time.
Like most states in Europe, summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is observed in United Kingdom (UK), where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 1 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).
After the summer months the time in United Kingdom (UK) is shifted back by 1 hour to GMT.

Emergencies:

If you are in an emergency situation in the UK, you should dial 999 for an ambulance, the police or the fire brigade. The call is free, even from a mobile without credit.

Council Tax:

Most adults in the UK have to pay council tax - a tax which covers services provided by the council. However, most students don’t have to pay this tax.
You don’t have to pay council tax if:

• you and everyone else who lives in the same property (such as a house or flat) are all full-time students;
• you are a full-time student and:
• you are living in the UK with your spouse or civil partner and children;
• your spouse or civil partner and children are NOT nationals of a country in the EEA;
• your spouse or civil partner and children have been admitted to the UK;
• your dependants and have a time limit on their stay;
• no other non-student is sharing your home.

If you live with someone who isn’t a student, they are liable for the full council tax, so it would be at your discretion if you chose to contribute to the payments.
You can get a student council tax exemption form from your local council.
For more information please do not hesitate to e-mail the college at info@leavalleycollege.com

Meet & Greet Process

LVC provides all our international students (Upon Request) with Meet & Greet service /airport pick – up service. We will do all the arrangement and there is a charge for this service.
Here are a few simple and practical steps, which will help ensure that our airport meets pass off smoothly from our students' point of view.

In no particular order of importance these are:

1. Make sure you email us the full and correct flight arrival details. These need to include: the flight number, the scheduled arrival time and date using the 24 hour clock, the airport, the passenger(s) name(s) and mobile telephone numbers - if any, at least 48 hours before
2. We suggest a meeting point inside the arrivals hall up on arrival.
3. Where appropriate, we ask the incoming student to telephone the driver when they have cleared any immigration procedures and are on their way to the baggage claim area.

Accommodation

London has a range of accommodation facilities to meet your budget. Available accommodation ranges from single rooms, studio flats and converted period houses, to more traditional halls of residence which includes shared apartments.
Approximate price or rent per week ranges between 65-110 GBP depending on the type and facilities available. Also check if the cost of accommodation includes electricity, gas, water and insurance and, if living with others, get agreement on how the bills will be split.
It's also a good idea to check for the presence of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and find out when any appliances were last checked.
All our international students are advised to contact us if they need help with accommodation prior to their arrival in London.