Passports & Visas

 

UK - Applying for a Visa

For updated information, please refer to the Official United Kingdom Visas website. The site shows whether you need a visa for the UK and how to apply for one if you do.

 

Do I need a visa to learn English in the UK?

You need a visa if you are not a European Economic Area (EEA) national.

 

Less than 6 months: Student Visitor Visa

6+ months: General Student Visa

 

Student Visitor Visa (SVV):

•This visa is for non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals taking English courses less than 6 months long.

•This is the only visa available for beginner level English students.

•To get a SVV you will need to have a visa support letter from us and show that you have enough money to pay your course and live on. Castle School will not send you a visa support letter until you have paid in full.

•This visa cannot be extended from within the UK. You must apply for a new visa from your home country.

•You cannot work in the UK with this visa.

 

Extended Student Visitor Visa (ESVV)

New ESVV makes life easier for international students

The UK's Immigration Minister, Damian Green, has announced a new type of student visa which will hopefully make life easier for international students coming to study in the UK for up to 11 months.

The ESVV will only be available to students who want to study an English language course for between six and eleven months. The visa will be valid for 11 months. Students enrolling on other courses or English Plus courses will not qualify for the ESVV. Students will need to show that their course is longer than 6 months. The ESVV will cost £70 and will be available to students applying from 10 January 2011.

Non-visa nationals coming for more than 6 months will also be required to apply for this extended SVV before travelling to the UK as the visa will not be available on arrival in the UK.

The new rules do not affect EU and EEA students.

Students from non-visa national countries enrolled on a course of less than 6 months can still obtain the visa on arrival.

For more detailed information, please visit http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/aboutus/newsroom/?view=News&id=531900282

 

General Student Visa (GSV):

•This visa is for non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals taking English courses over 6 months long.

•Beginners cannot study on a GSV. You need to have documents which prove your English level.

•If you need a GSV, you must pay all for your course in advance.

•You can only take an English course at the school named on your visa.

•To get this visa you must have proof that you have enough money to pay your fees and living expenses while you are in the UK. You need to have £800 , if you live in London, and £600, if you live outside of London, for each month of your studies (up to a maximum of 9 months) in your bank account. You must have this money in your bank account for 28 days before you apply for your visa, or a loan/ sponsorship in your name.

•You may do part-time work of not more than 10 hours per week. You must not be self-employed.

 

Sponsorship for GSV Visas.

Before you can apply to come to the UK to learn English, you need an immigration sponsor. Castle School would be the sponsor for you if you decided to study in Brighton.

When you have paid in-full for your course, we issue you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

There is a £10 charge for each student being issued a CAS. You need to pay this fee when you make your application. Castle School then pays the £10 to the Home Office / UK Border Agency.

A CAS does not guarantee that you will get a visa but it represents 30 points.

You need to score 40 points to get a visa.

The other 10 points are given when you can prove that you have enough money in the bank to cover your living expenses for the length of your stay.

All GSV applicants must go through this Points Based System – a system of basing visa decisions on objective criteria. Each criterion counts for a number of points towards the target goal of 40 points.

 

Visa Application Forms for applicants outside the UK

Visa extension forms for students in the UK

 

What should you do?

In order to qualify for a visa, you should enrol on a full-time course of a minimum of 15 hours tuition per week.

You will need to take these documents together with passport photographs, application fees and your passport to your local embassy in order to apply for a visa to the UK.

Students should check with the Embassy or British Council in their own country as requirements vary considerably from country to country.

Refusal of visas

If the visa is not granted, you should send proof of refusal at least 1 week prior to arrival. Castle School will then refund the total cost of the course and accommodation. Castle School does not refund the Administration Fee of £100.

 

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

Students applying for an entry visa under the new regulations will now need to have the following original documents ready to be presented to the Visa Office:

• Gross Invoice
• Documents certifying the student’s English level.
• Visa support letter from Castle School
• Proof of available funds to cover course fees

The student's personal bank or building society statements should show:

• the student's or their parents(s)/legal guardians name and
• the account number; and
• the date of the statement; and
• the financial institution's name and logo; and
• the amount of money available.

 

 

Video Interview Student Guidelines

 

Why does Castle School require a Video Interview?

• Students who are not from the European Union and are applying for a General Student Visa must prove that they have previously studied English and have already reached an Intermediate level of English.
• If the certificate / reference letter that you have supplied to Castle School is not an officially recognised English qualification, we require a Video Interview.
• The benefit of the Video Interview is that this enables Castle School to accurately assess your level of English.
• You will also reduce the risk of being turned away by UK immigration authorities at the airport if your English is not high enough to answer basic questions.

 

What do I need to be able to do a Video Interview?

You will need a computer with internet access, a webcam, sound and a microphone.

To arrange your Video Interview, contact Castle School and send the following information:

• Your Skype ID
• Some possible dates and times when you are available. We can usually do Skype tests from Monday to Friday during office hours, UK time.
• A scanned copy of the photo and personal information pages of your Passport.

 

What happens during a Video Interview?

• Please be sat at your computer at the agreed time. We will contact you using Skype.
• We will make sure the connection is working properly and that you are comfortable with the equipment.
• You will need to show us your passport, including the photo pages, so that we can confirm your identity.
• Our Principal will then conduct the interview with you. This should last between 10-15 minutes.

 

Reminder

We strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance before you leave your home country. This should cover loss of and/or damage to your personal belongings, medical expenses in the event you are ill, and tuition fees in the event of an unexpected cancellation or curtailment of your course.

Castle School will send all documents in original format by post or by courier service on request. The visa document courier fee is GBP 55 and will have to be charged each time new documents are requested (i.e. change of dates, course change etc). Please advise us at the time of booking how you wish to receive the documents.