All international students who are nationals of countries outside the EEA should contact the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in their own country before traveling in order to check on their eligibility to enter the UK, and if necessary to apply for entry clearance (often called a visa). To find the nearest embassy, see the UK visas website:http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk. Whenever any stamps or stickers are placed in your passport by any immigration authorities, take a photocopy. You should also have an up to date photocopy of the personal details pages of your passport. Keep them in a safe place, in case you lose your passport.

When do I apply for a student visa?
If you have an unconditional offer to study at the WLCBMS, you can start the process a maximum of 3 months in advance. It is advisable to check with your local British Embassy or British High Commission web pages to find out the current visa processing times and local procedures. Please note that it is your responsibility to submit your application in good time to avoid missing the beginning of the course.

How do I apply for entry clearance?
You will need to fill in a visa application form, your valid passport, two recent passport sized colour photographs, entry clearance fee, evidence of funding (scholarship award, letter from your sponsor or bank statements) indicating that you can support yourself and pay for your course fees confirmation from the College that you have accepted your offer of a place, relevant diplomas or educational certificates that you already own, any other supporting documents relevant to your application. Please note that applicants for UK visas from certain countries may be required to be screened for tuberculosis (TB).

British Council Pre-departure Briefings:
The British Council offers pre-departure briefings in many countries for those who are about to travel to the UK to study. The meetings give you an opportunity to meet and talk to other students who have studied in the UK and ask any questions you may have. Details and availability of these briefings are available from your local British Council Office or their website: http://www.britishcouncil.org/home-contactworldwide.

Money and banking:
You are strongly advised not to start a course of study unless you have adequate funding in place to support you for the duration of your course. Current UK legislation does not allow the opening of bank accounts in the UK prior to your arrival, but you could ask if your bank at home has a special relationship with a bank in the UK and whether this can help you with setting up an account in any other way. Your bank may be able to offer you advice on transferring money to the UK. Whilst there is no limit on the funds brought into the UK, you may need to meet exchange control requirements in your own country.

Living Expenses:
Basic estimated costs of living for the academic year 2009/10 is around £7200.These figures should be used as a guide only and will be affected by the cost of accommodation, numbers of students sharing and lifestyle choices. Please note that tuition fees go up approximately are not included in the above costs.
 

Health:
The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK’s state health service that provides treatment for UK residents. Some of these services are free and others require payment. Everyone is entitled to the following free of charge: treatment in an emergency, treatment of certain communicable diseases, compulsory psychiatric treatment. To qualify for any other treatment under the National Health Service, you must meet certain conditions. If your course of study is for 6 months or more you can get most of your health care free of charge from the National Health Service (NHS) whilst you are in the UK. This applies from the first day of your stay in England. You must register with a doctor at the start of the course.

Disabled Students:
The WLCBMS is committed to promoting equal opportunities and access and welcomes applications from disabled students. If you have a disability you are strongly advised to contact the College before accepting the offer of a place to study at the College to discuss any support services that you may require. As an international student you should be aware that, unlike students from the UK, you are not entitled to funds from the UK government to cover any support services or equipment you require to access your course. Although the College makes various types of support available to all disabled students (such as an extended library loan service), other types of support may prove more difficult to arrange (for example, sign language interpreters or personal care workers) and there are costs attached to these services. You will be expected to make every effort to secure funding from your country prior to entry and to provide us with evidence of your applications for funding. For more information and to discuss your support requirements, please contact the College by Phone, Fax or Email.

Checklist: before you leave home:

• Obtain any necessary student visa/entry clearance for study in the UK

• Check you have arranged Accommodation

• Check information and fees for your course and cost of living.

• If you have a disability, contact the College

• Buy travel tickets and travel insurance

• Check with your bank about regulations concerning transferring money to the UK

• Check regulations on bringing belongings to the UK

• Check your luggage weight against your airline's allowances

• Obtain travelers' cheques and British currency for use during first few days or weeks

• Obtain a letter of explanation from your doctor for any prescribed drugs you may need.

Immigration Control:
Your passport and documents will be checked when you arrive in the UK - there will be separate control points for EEA (European Economic Area) nationals and all other passport holders. You will be asked to tell the Immigration Officer the purpose of your stay in the UK, and will need to show: your passport or travel document, a letter from the College offering you a place to study, evidence of financial support.
Once your documents have been checked, your passport will be stamped with the current date.

Medical Check:
If you come from outside Europe, Australasia or North America, you may be asked to have a chest X-Ray at the airport before going on to Customs Control.

Pick Up Service:
WLCBMS offers a welcome service to international students. We arrange a welcome and pick up service for international students from any of London's airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted or City. Please note that there may be some charge for this service and you need to fill in a request form before travelling to the UK.

Further Readings reading:
The British Council Booklet Studying and Living in Britain. This booklet is available from the following website: http://www.britcoun.org/eis/livebrit.htm