It’s that time of year again, when students all around the world start thinking about where they want to spend the next few years of their life. For many of you, that means choosing a university and subject to study starting September 2016, and trying to work out how to apply for it. If you want to study a bachelor’s degree in the UK, you will need to use something called UCAS, which is an online system through which you can make applications to the university courses of your choice. The UCAS system is fairly strict, especially for UK students, but for international students it is a little more flexible. There are a number of important dates that you need to be aware of, however, which can have an impact on your applications if you’re not careful.

Let’s have a look at those dates in more detail:

October 15^th 2015 – This is the deadline for applications to Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science. It is much earlier than other universities and other courses, and these applications also require a great deal more work.

January 15^th 2016 – This is the application deadline for most undergraduate courses if you’re a home student (someone from the UK). It’s basically inflexible: miss this, and you’ll have to apply through clearing. As an international student, however, universities are far more flexible, so you don’t need to worry about this particular deadline. International students will still be able to make an application right up until September 2016 at some universities.

February 25^th 2016 – If you don’t hold any offers from your course choices, then you can use UCAS Extra to add another choice. It opens on February 25^th.

March 24^th 2016 – Deadline for some art and design courses.

May 4^th 2016 – If you receive all your offers by March 31^st, you will need to reply by May 4^th. If you don’t, they’ll be declined and you’ll have to use UCAS Extra or ‘clearing and adjustments’.

May 5^th – If you completed all your applications by January 15^th, the university deadline to respond to them is May 5^th. Once you receive all those offers, then the next date is an important one…

June 8^th – This is the deadline for responding to all those offers you received by May 5^th. Make sure you don’t miss this one.

June 30^th – This is an important date for all students, as it’s the last date that you can apply to university for September/October 2016 entry. If you make an application after this date, then you’ll have to go through clearing.

July 4^th – This is the last date you can add on Extra choice on UCAS Extra.

July 5^th – The International Baccalaureate results are released today. Good luck to everyone taking them!

July 14^th – If you applied by June 30^th, this is the deadline for university and college decisions to make a decision and make an offer.

July 22^nd – This is an important deadline, as it’s the very last date for replying to offers that you received by July 14^th. Make sure that you don’t miss this one, as UCAS don’t send out any reminders! If you do miss this date, then you’ll enter clearing and adjustments.

August 18^th – A Level results are released on August 18^th, which means that adjustment and clearing opens. If you’ve missed your target universities, then you can go into clearing and apply for your course that way. You can only apply for one at a time, and as some courses fill up quickly you will have to move fast!

September 20^th – This is the last date for September 2016 entry applications through UCAS. Applications should arrive by 6pm.

October 20^th – This is it: the very last date for adding clearing choices, and for universities and colleges to accept students through clearing. Hopefully you won’t have waited until the middle of October to make your applications, but if you need to know it, then this is the very last date.

That is quite a lot of dates to remember, of course, and it’s not easy to remember all of them! For international students, you will have to apply for undergraduate courses through UCAS, but your deadlines are different. The January 15^th deadline is only for home students, so you can still make applications after January, but you will have to respond to any offers you get by July 22^nd. That is the key date, as after July 22^nd you will have to go through clearing; this can be confusing and frustrating, so it’s best to get your applications completed and everything replied to by July 22^nd! Of course, it is much easier if you ask an agent to make the process smoother for you, and if you don’t achieve the grades you were hoping to get, your agent will be able to give you some more options and advice.

From 6th April 2015, the UK government changed the regulations for English tests acceptable for visa applications, meaning that only Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) can be used in visa applications. One of these is IELTS Academic for UKVI, which is the test most international students will take, and is the main English test that UK universities recognise. There other tests that universities recognise, but IELTS Academic for UKVI is the standard.

If you took your last test before 6^th April 2015, you will still be able to use it to apply for a visa – but only until 5^th November 2015, when the new regulations come into force. So if the last IELTS test you took was before April 6^th, then you will need to take another IELTS test as soon as possible! The IELTS Academic for UKVI test is the same as the previous one, so you should prepare for the same type of questions as before. The only difference is that you will receive a secure number that will be used for your visa application, so make sure that you choose the right test when you’re completing your online booking.

You can see more information here, but let us know if you have any questions about the new IELTS test!

 Applying for a UK student visa can be a tricky process, but here at ECA UK we want to help you make that process as easy as possible. So easy, in fact, that we’ve made a guide for you to follow – and we even have a sister company, ECA Legal, who are visa specialists. There is quite a lot to prepare for your application, so let’s get started, shall we?

Confirmation from your university or school

A student visa in the UK is called a Tier 4 Student Visa, and the most important thing you’ll need for your application is confirmation that you have been accepted to study on your course. This means that you’ll need to have received an ‘unconditional offer’. Once you’ve got this and accepted it, your university or school will send you a reference number called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). This is often a letter with your reference number, course details, and personal information, and you’ll need to keep it safe. Take a scanned copy when you receive it, just in case. You’ll need to enter the CAS reference number on your visa application, so make sure that you don’t lose it!

After you receive the CAS reference number, you will have 6 months to apply for your Tier 4 student visa – even though this seems like a long time, don’t sit on your hands and do nothing, as there are other documents you’ll require, and things you’ll need to do that could take a long time to prepare!

IELTS – special update

Before your university gives you a CAS, you will have to do an IELTS test to check your English. There is a new test especially for applying for a UK visa, so when you are looking for a test centre, make sure you choose one where you will do “IELTS for UKVI”, as this is the new name for the IELTS test for visa applications!

What is ‘maintenance’?

So you’ve done your IELTS and got your CAS – what’s next? The next step is all about money: tuition fees, and living costs – or ‘maintenance’. This can seem quite complicated, but as long as you work out everything you need, then you will be OK.

How much will you need? The answer to that question has two parts: you will need to have enough money to pay your course fees for the first year (minus any that you have already paid), and this amount will be stated on your CAS letter. You will also need to show that you have enough for living costs, or maintenance. This is more complicated to work out, as it depends where you are living. It’s best to ask for advice about this point, but in general if you are living inside London you need to show that you have £1,020 per month for up to 9 months (£9,180 in total). If you are living in Greater London or the rest of the UK, you need to show that you have £820 for up to 9 months (£7,390 in total). Again, as there are different factors and variables to consider, it is better if you check with a visa advisor to make sure.

So, how can you show it? In order to show that you have enough money for the course fees and maintenance, you will have to provide a bank statement that shows you have the required money in your account for at least 28 days before your application. For example, if you apply for your Tier 4 student visa on June 28^th, you will need a bank statement that shows you have the correct amount of money in your account during the period of June 1^st to June 28^th. Ideally, you will show a bank statement from May to June 28^th, as this will give you a stronger case, and the stronger your case is the better.

Where should I apply – and what else do I need?

You can apply for your Tier 4 student visa online, through the UK government website. If you prefer, you can ask a visa agent to do it for you; in the UK, visa agents need to be regulated by the government, so always check that they have an OISC license. Using a reputable agent will make things less complicated for you, as they will tell you which documents to prepare and how to prepare them. After you’ve applied, you will need to go to a British embassy, high commission, or consulate, which might be in your home country, or might be somewhere in the region, such as Abu Dhabi in the Middle East. When you go to the embassy, make sure you bring all the documents they request. You will also need to do a fingerprint scan, and have your photograph taken there, so you might have to wait for some time. However, once you have submitted all your documents, and you are confident that everything is ready, you shouldn’t have to wait too long.

How long does it take, and how much does it cost?

Different countries have different processing times, but it could take from a couple of weeks to a month to process your visa. Fees are always the same, as a Tier 4 student visa application costs £323.

What else is there?

There is also an interview stage that you will need to prepare for, called a ‘credibility interview’, which tests if you are a genuine student. Now, I’m sure that you are a genuine student, but the UK Home Office will still want to check themselves. The interview will usually be at the place you applied for your visa, so the UK embassy or consulate you went to originally. If that’s not possible, then you might be interviewed by phone, which isn’t always easy but you’ll need to be prepared.

There are a lot of different questions that you could be asked. In general, they will ask you about your study history, what you want to study in the UK, for how long, and also your finances – who will pay for your course, how much it is, and so on. They could even ask you for extra documents that aren’t mentioned in the visa application, so it would be a good idea if you speak to your agent first, so that you can get a better idea of what the interview will be about. You’ll also have the chance to practice with someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Not sure if you need a UK student visa? Click here to check on the UK government’s website!

More and more international students are now using a foundation course to access prestigious universities in the UK. James Galloway explains why.

If you’re an international student interested in the studying in the UK, and you’re worried about your qualifications, and unsure if they will be enough to get you into a university here, then worry no more: even if you have studied a non-British curriculum, you’ll be able to enrol on the undergraduate course of your dreams by doing something called a foundation course.

A foundation course is a one year preparation course designed specifically for international students who have finished their high school exams, and have less than 13 years of education. The foundation course is like a bridge between your education in your home country, and the Bachelors courses you can study in the UK. The foundation year will help you meet entry requirements to courses the UK, as well as improve your English. You will also become familiar with how courses are taught here, as well as how to study at university, and what is expected of students in the UK.

There are numerous benefits to studying a foundation course, not least that many international students who take foundation courses score higher degree classes than those international students who do not. This shows the major benefits of a foundation year, because it truly prepares you for studying a Bachelor’s degree in the UK, and helps students get accustomed to teaching and study styles.

There are many different types of foundation courses, such as in business, finance, computing, art and design, engineering, and humanities, and your agent will be able to help you identify which course suits you best. Many universities have their own foundation courses, and some colleges and foundation providers have partnerships with universities which can guarantee progression to them – if your grades are satisfactory, of course! At the same time, you are also able to apply to other universities for your degree, based on your school results plus your foundation course. This gives international students a wealth of opportunities that they otherwise might not have.

To enrol on a foundation course, you will usually need to have an IELTS score of at least 4.5, but depending on the length of your course, and what the content of the course is, this might be higher. A good education consultant or agent can help you with the application and to choose the right course. However, if you feel that you need to polish your English first, you can always enrol on an English language program first, which is something your agent will be able to help you with. Coming to the UK as an international student will require a lot of adjusting, especially to the academic side of things, but with expert help, you will be able to guide your way through the challenges – and a foundation course is an excellent place to start your education journey.

From 6^th April, 2015 UKVI now only accepts two test providers as evidence for UK visa applications – IELTS and Trinity College London.

UKVI has this week removed all but two English language test providers from its list of approved tests for UK visa applications. Only IELTS and Trinity College London are now accepted by the UK immigration authorities in support of applications, and these must be taken at one of the approved test centres either in the UK or worldwide. The new rules apply to anyone taking their test after 6th April 2015 – Any test taken before this date, as long as it is still valid and met the UKVI requirements at the time, can be used for UK visa applications.

Anyone taking the test outside the UK after the 6^th of April, and applying for a Tier 4 student visa, can only choose IELTS. If a student plans to study at or above degree level, this must be IELTS academic module, although people planning to study below degree level may take the General Training module. Potential students should be careful only to book IELTS for UKVI tests, and to check that the test centre is on the list of approved centres, which can be found here.

For students taking their test inside the UK, there is also the option to take Trinity College London exams. Either the Graded Examination in Spoken English or their Integrated Skills in English tests can be used, but students should make sure that the exam they intend to take is also accepted by the school or universities they are applying to.

Certain other categories of visa (mainly settlement type visas) can be covered by the new IELTS test, IELTS Life Skills, but as this only tests speaking and listening, is not suitable for any visa application which requires testing in all four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) such as student visas or Tier 1 Entrepreneur applications, for example.

Ben Elton, immigration adviser with ECA Legal Ltd, said “in some ways this has made matters more simple for students coming to the UK, but until more testing centres are added to the approved list, it may be difficult to secure a test date within the timeframe students have for making their visa applications. There are also students who had planned to take other English tests, and will now need to prepare for IELTS tests instead. Anyone in this situation, or simply unsure of which test they need, should seek independent advice immediately to allow themselves time to change their plans.”

More information on the tests accepted, and lists of approved testing centres can be found on the UKVI website here. ECA (UK) and ECA Legal Ltd are available to offer expert, independent advice on this and all other issues for those planning to study or work in the UK.

Following the news that London Metropolitan University’s Tier 4 Sponsor licence has been revoked by the UKBA, London Met’s international students face possible deportation if they fail to find a new sponsor.

Education Consultant Agency would like to offer our services to find another university course. As one of the UK’s leading education consultants, we are ideally placed to find a solution to this situation for all international students affected, and can place you in an excellent UK university. All counselling and application services are free of charge to any international student presenting a London Met student ID or offer letter.

We can also offer immigration advice through our OISC licensed partner, allowing us to solve all your problems efficiently and easily.

It is essential that any students affected take action quickly to avoid being deported and to allow their academic career to continue, so give us a call today to arrange an appointment.

Reasons for selecting a good university are as much as motives.  Some people used to say that the education is not everything and talent do not need diploma. Nowadays, increasingly numbers of people claim that a good education leads to success. Choosing and studying at a good university is usually a ”severe”, but now there are many good reasons why not only look easy way.

When I talk with students who speak English (or other language) and are making decisions about where to go to study, they usually considering between universities geographically located in Europe, United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. But far the most popular country to go and study these days is United Kingdom. Indeed, according to many newspaper articles there is a rise in European or International students at UK universities.

But why are the British Universities so popular? There are several reasons for selecting a UK university.  One is related to fields of study the ambition to learn more and better; because let’s face it UK universities has very good ranking among the Universities worldwide. The second is a desire to travel, to experience something new. It does not just mean dissatisfaction with domestic conditions, but to try a different system. Those who studied or are currently studying in UK probably experienced a little bit of  cultural shock.  For this situations is good to have somebody who can guide you through it.

I have decided to invest in my future and I did not regret it. I finished my masters in UK and I can only suggest this wonderful experience to everybody. If you are considering to invest in your future, do not hesitate to contact us and would be pleased to help with the first steps.

by Jozef Simon