Visas
Many students will need a visa in order to study in
the UK. If you do not know whether you will need a visa,
please contact your local British Embassy, British Council,
British Consulate or British High Commission. In order
to obtain a visa, the British authorities in your home
country will need to see:
• The Westminster
Kingsway College letter of admission or unconditional
offer letter that states that you are undertaking a
course of full-time study
• Your previous
qualifications and certificates
• Proof that you
have sufficient funds to support yourself
• Your passport
• A doctor’s
note showing that you are healthy enough to travel
It is recommended that
you apply for a visa three months before the commencement
of your course, but this may vary from country to country;
you will need to check with your local visa office.
As a student from a non-European Union country, the
Home Office, as a condition of your student visa, requires
you to attend full-time (15 hours per week daytime study).
Part-time courses are not available to non-EU applicants
When necessary, the college
can provide a visa support letter. We normally require the student to pay the full-tuition fee prior to issue of a visa support letter. This is refundable, less
£50 for our administration costs if the student
fails to obtain the visa. In this instance the student
should forward a copy of the decision letter from the
visa department of the British Embassy to the college,
either by fax or by post.
In certain countries,
it is a condition of United Kingdom study visa issue
that all course fees are paid in full prior to departure
from the country of origin and visa clearance officers
require evidence of payment. Additionally, proof of
sufficient maintenance funds, for the duration of the
study period, is required.
Once the college receives
your tuition fee you will be sent an unconditional offer
of a place on a course giving details about the start
and end dates and the date on which you must be present
at the college to enrol. This is normally about a week
before the start of your course. When you come to enrol
you will have an interview with a teacher and your suitability
for the course you have applied for will be assessed.
If it is found that your level of English or other skills
are insufficient for the course, you may be placed on
a course more appropriate to your abilities.
In addition the British
authorities will want to know:
• Are you a genuine
student? Do you truly intend to gain entry to the country
for the purpose of study?
• Do you know about
the course you intend to study and do you have a clear
and practical career plan that demonstrates why you
are applying for the course?
• Do you intend
to return to your country after the course?
Students are often refused
visas for one or more of the following reasons:
• Failure to demonstrate
that they had sufficient funds available to support
themselves
• The applicant
did not demonstrate that they were coming to the UK
for the sole purpose of study
• The applicant
did not intend to return to their country after the
course
• The applicant
did not know enough about the course they intended to
study
• The applicant’s
documents contained incorrect or insufficient information
• The applicant
did not bring the correct documentation to the interview
Extending a visa
If they wish to stay
longer than the duration of their visa, a student must
apply to the Home Office for an extension before their
leave expires. They will need to complete an FLR(S),
available from the Application Form Unit, telephone
0870 606 7766 or at www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Please seek advice from the college.
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