Erasmus Mundus Funding Category A deadline: 17 December 2010

Erasmus Mundus Funding Category B deadline: 29 April 2011

IMESS Bursary deadline: 29 April 2011

Non-scholarship deadline: 29 April 2011

Visiting Scholars deadline: 31 January 2011

 

 

 

IMESS Student Handbook

Visas, Arrival in London, Accommodation and Finance

UK Visa Requirements

When your application to the IMESS programme is approved, UCL will issue you with an offer letter (conditional if your degree results or language test results are pending) and, where applied for, an accommodation notice that can be used to support your visa application. UCL will also issue a final official letter confirming your status closer to the time of your enrolment. If you are an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship nominee, you will be sent letters confirming your scholarship nomination and copies of important European Union documentation that will support your visa application. Additionally, the Executive Agency of the European Union will have informed the relevant embassies of your name and status as an approved Erasmus Mundus Scholarship nominee.

In general, in completing the application and providing documents, you will need to demonstrate that you meet the requirements of the UK Immigration Rules. Specific advice about the rules for each category of visa can be obtained from either the ‘UK visas’ website or your local British diplomatic mission. You should apply for a student visa in the country of which you are a citizen or where you are legally resident.

You can normally apply in a number of ways: for example, by post, by courier, in person and online. Some visa sections will only accept applications made online and some only in person. To find out if you can apply for your visa online, click here. If you cannot apply online, you will need to fill in a visa application form (VAF 1 - non-settlement). You can get a form from the website, or get one free of charge from your nearest British mission overseas where there is a visa section.

You should include all possible documents to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a student. If you do not, your application may be refused.

As a guide, you should be prepared to include:

• any relevant diplomas or educational certificates that you have
• a letter from UCL and the IMESS Programme Director confirming that you have been accepted on a course of study in the UK, and a statement of charges for the course
• evidence of Erasmus Mundus scholarship status (if applicable)
• evidence of government sponsorship (if appropriate)
• bank statements, payslips or other evidence to show that you can pay for (or supplement) your stay and your course of studies in the UK
• your passport or travel document
• a recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) and passport - approved, colour photograph of yourself
• The visa fee cannot be refunded and is not covered by the Erasmus Mundus scholarship scheme.

Entering the UK

Make sure you have your student entry clearance BEFORE you travel to the UK. Please see the UKCOSA Guidance Note: 'I am coming to the UK to start my studies. What do I need to do about immigration?' here.

From 1 September 2007, there was a new provision for someone to come to the UK as a ‘student visitor’. You should avoid using this provision. If you come to the UK as a ‘student visitor’:

• you will be prohibited from ALL employment, even part-time work, for the whole of your stay in the UK and
• you will NOT be able to stay in the UK for any longer than six months.

Immigration Procedures

For information on immigration procedures, seeUKCOSA’s Guidance Notes:

‘I am coming to the UK to start my studies. What do I need to do about immigration?’ here.

When you arrive at the airport, you pass through immigration control first. There are usually two main queues: one for European Economic Area and Swiss nationals, and one for everyone else. Make sure you join the right queue. After having passed through immigration control, you will be able to collect your luggage. If any item of luggage does not come through, find a representative of the airline you travelled on and fill in a lost baggage form.

When you have collected your luggage, you must pass through customs control. You will have to join queues for the green channel if you have nothing to declare, the red channel if you have goods to declare or the blue channel if you have arrived from an airport within the European Economic Area, where you have already cleared all your luggage through customs control. If you are travelling to the UK from a country outside the European Union and are carrying 10,000 Euros or more in cash, bankers draft or cheque of any kind, you will be required to declare this at customs. Forms on which to make the declaration will be available when you arrive and you will be given a copy of the completed form, which you should keep safely as evidence that you have made a declaration. A penalty of up to £5,000 can be imposed if you do not make this declaration or provide incorrect or incomplete information.

If you are carrying more than the permitted duty or tax-free allowances, or any prohibited goods (e.g. drugs, offensive weapons, food or plants from outside the European Union, etc.), you must pass through the red channel. If you are unsure about what you can bring into the UK, you should check with your local British Embassy or High Commission before you begin your journey. You can also find information about UK Customs and Excise on their website - go to the ‘Tell me about ... Travelling in or out of the UK’ page.

Even if you pass through the green channel, the customs officer may ask you to open your luggage for checking. If you arrive at one of the channel ports, you will also have to pass through customs control.

UK Visa renewal and the UCL Batch Scheme

Your initial visa application will probably only cover you for your first year of study. During year 1 of the programme we will provide you with the support necessary for obtaining your year 2 visa.

If your Visa or Entry Clearance runs out before you have completed your study, then you will have to apply for leave to remain in the UK as a student. Click here for further information.

Insurance

All students, both European and non-European, need to make sure they are adequately insured against accident, injury and ill-health while participating in IMESS. Personal medical cover is required in most European countries, even those which have a public health system. You may also want to consider travel insurance, which protects you, your travel documents and your belongings while you are away from home.

Erasmus Mundus Insurance

All non-EU students selected for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship automatically receive free medical insurance cover. This covers their unexpected medical expenses in the European countries visited as part of their IMESS programme. It also provides accident cover and protects against some costs arising from civil liabilities (a kind of third-party insurance which is required in many European countries).

When you enrol at UCL for the start of the IMESS programme you will be issued with an insurance card with your personal policy details. Your insurance cover is detailed here.

Note: If students wish to be covered for eventualities such as the loss or theft of money, personal belongings and items of value, or for the unexpected costs caused by travel delays, they are advised to take out additional cover with a private insurer.

Accommodation

Currently, UCL houses about 4,000 of its students in either UCL or University of London residences and the policy is to increase this provision. UCL aims to have all student accommodation near to UCL to avoid long travel times and extra costs. Some three-quarters of UCL accommodation is within 10 to 15 minutes’ walk of the main campus - a situation unrivalled by any other college or university within London.

All new graduate students who live overseas and who have not previously studied or lived in London are given priority for a place for their first year provided that they make an application by 30 June of the year they intend to enter UCL and have firmly accepted an offer of a place on a degree programme at UCL by that date.

The UCL Student Residences Office is the body responsible for dealing with your accommodation queries and allocating you accommodation. The office is located at 117 Gower Street and is open for enquiries about UCL student housing from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

If you are not a European citizen, UK Immigration Rules state that you must be able to meet the cost of your accommodation in the UK without working or claiming welfare benefits. If your family is with you in the UK, the accommodation must be adequate for their needs. In addition, it is very important for you to have suitable accommodation while you are studying. The standard of your academic work and your health can suffer if your living conditions are not satisfactory. You must start making arrangements as soon as you have been accepted onto the course. This is particularly important if you are planning to bring your family with you to the UK.

Before you leave your home country, try to arrange some form of accommodation for when you arrive in the UK, even if it is only temporary (see below).

There are two main types of accommodation:

• Accommodation owned, managed and provided by UCL, or in partnership with a private company.
• Accommodation owned by private landlords or external organisations, which you will have to find and arrange either by yourself or with the help of advice and suggestions from the accommodation office at the University.

Accommodation provided by UCL might be the most suitable type if you are coming to the UK for the first time. It will provide you with opportunities to get to know other students and become involved in the social life of the institution. The main types of accommodation provided by UCL are:

• Halls of residence. These are usually large buildings occupied by many students. Residents live in study bedrooms, either alone or sharing with another student. Bathrooms and other facilities are usually shared, but some rooms have their own facilities attached to them (this is called "en suite"). Telephones are normally provided on each floor, but some institutions may provide one in each room. Recently built halls may also offer internet connection in the rooms. Halls can be single sex (male or female only) or mixed (taking both male and female students). Halls of residence can be catered, with breakfast and an evening meal included in the price, or self-catering, which means that you buy and prepare your own food. Catered halls can be a good option in terms of your budget, but the food may be basic and very different from the food at home.

• Flats and houses. As in self-catering halls, you buy and prepare your own food. You will share the kitchen and bathroom with the other students. There are a small number of self-catering flats for students with families, but there is usually very high demand for these.

When you are offered a place on IMESS, you will be invited to apply for accommodation to the UCL residences office. Make sure that you meet the deadline for application (30 June of the year you start your programme). When you are making enquiries about accommodation, you should read carefully the information sent with your offer pack and check that you have the answers to the following questions:

• What types of accommodation are available?
• Will I have to leave my accommodation during the vacations?
• Will I have to provide my own bed linen, towels and kitchen utensils?
• How much does the accommodation cost and what is included in the price?
• Will accommodation be available for my family (if your family is coming to the UK with you)? Suitable accommodation for students with dependants, especially those with children, is more expensive and is particularly difficult to find. You will need to start making arrangements for family accommodation as soon as possible. Do not travel to the UK with your family unless you have booked accommodation for them in advance.

Other forms of accommodation

• Hostels. These are normally owned by charitable organisations. Some hostels provide rooms for both single and married students. They usually provide some meals or have cooking facilities and allow students to prepare their own food. Staying in a hostel can give you the opportunity to become familiar with the area where you are studying and this is an advantage if you want to find private accommodation later. If you wish to apply for a place in a student hostel, you should do this in advance because many hostels have long waiting lists. You will have to pay a deposit to secure your booking. Lists of hostels are available from the British Council office in your home country. The British Embassy or High Commission will give you the address of your nearest British Council office; or you can find it on the British Council website at: www.britishcouncil.org .
• Lodgings. This means renting a room in a private house. The landlord/landlady will also live in the house, perhaps with their family. You will probably have to share the bathroom and kitchen. You may have to fit in with the family’s lifestyle and respect the customs of the household. For example, if there are small children, they may wish to have quiet evenings. Meals may be provided or you may be able to use the kitchen to cook your own food. Lodgings can provide you with good company and support but you will not be completely independent.
• Bedsits. A bedsit is a single room, which is both bedroom and sitting-room. There may be several bedsits in one building and these may be occupied by people who are not students. There may not be any cooking facilities, but rather a shared kitchen elsewhere in the building. Bathroom facilities are also shared. You will have to clean your own room, do your own laundry and provide your own bed-linen and towels. Heating can be quite expensive. In a bedsit you will be independent and have a lot of freedom, but it may be lonely. Bedsits vary in size and quality so you should never take a room without seeing it first.
• Flats and houses. After you have been in the UK for some time and have found a small group of friends, you may wish to share a furnished flat or house together. You will share the rent, heating and lighting bills, the food bills and the cleaning. This sort of accommodation can be cheaper than the other types but large houses can be difficult to find. Again, you will have to provide your own bed linen and towels and do your own cleaning. Note: In the case of bedsits, flats and houses, do not sign any contract you do not fully understand. If you are unsure, take a copy of the agreement to the UCL student residences office for their advice.

Temporary Accommodation

Please note that much of this temporary accommodation (for example, International Students’ House) can be used by international students whilst they look for long-term accommodation in London. Much of it can also be used by international students from elsewhere in the UK, visiting London for a weekend or holiday. Please check with the accommodation provider and book in advance.

Both short and long-term accommodation

International Students House (ISH), London.

ISH is a residence and club for both British and International students. ISH can provide both long and short-term accommodation: for bookings, see their website or telephone +44 (0) 20 7631 8310.

London Conference on Overseas Students (LCOS)

LCOS publishes a London student hostels directory, which can be accessed via their website.

London Hostels Association Ltd

Goodenough College

Deposits for Accommodation

Whichever type of accommodation you choose, you will probably be asked to pay a deposit when you move in, as well as one month’s rent in advance. A deposit is a sum of money, usually one month’s rent, which you pay to the landlord or property management agent when you move in. This money should be given back to you when you leave the property, on condition that there has been no damage caused during your stay, beyond what could be considered ‘normal wear and tear’. The deposit required by UCL Residences office is less than expected on the private market.

Tenancy Deposit Protection.

As of 6 April 2007 when you pay a deposit, the landlord or agent has to protect the deposit in a government authorised scheme. The landlord or agent must give you the details of the deposit protection scheme within 14 days. There are two types of scheme: a custodial scheme and an insurance based scheme. Under a custodial scheme the landlord or managing agent will pay over your deposit to the Scheme. Under an insurance based scheme, the landlord or agent will keep the deposit. In order to avoid disputes about the deposit arising at the end of the agreement, you and the landlord or agent should agree at the beginning of the agreement on the condition of the property through a combination of photographs of the property and an inventory of the contents.

How do I get my deposit back?

If your deposit is protected under the custodial scheme (see above), deposits returned to overseas bank accounts will incur a charge, so it is worth maintaining your UK bank account. Under an insurance based scheme, the landlord or agent keeps control of your deposit and should be able to refund it promptly at the end of the agreement, unless there is a dispute. If there is a dispute between you and the landlord at the end of the agreement, the part of the deposit that is in dispute will stay in the scheme unless you both agree for the matter to be adjudicated on by a free and independent alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure provided by the Scheme. If you do not use the ADR procedure, you will have to resolve the matter through legal proceedings. You can download a useful leaflet on the tenancy deposit scheme at: http://www.tenancydeposit.co.uk. Click on 'leaflets' and then 'leaflets for tenants'. This leaflet gives you important information about the scheme and is available in various languages.

Council Tax

Council Tax is a system of local taxation, which is collected by local authorities. It is a tax on domestic property and residents in the UK have to pay unless the law provides that they do not have to pay. Full–time students who live with other full-time students or in halls of residence will not have to pay the tax. For further information on the Council Tax, see the UKCOSA Guidance Note on “Council Tax and international students”: www.ukcosa.org.uk.

Money and Banking

British coins come in the following denominations: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 (100p), £2 (200p). Banknotes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20, £50.

Normal banking hours are from 09.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday. Some branches are open on Saturday mornings. You can change currency and cash travellers’ cheques at ‘Bureaux de Change’ offices, which are open for longer. Try to avoid changing very small amounts of money as there is often a minimum commission charge which makes it expensive. The vast majority of shops and services in the UK will accept payment in UK currency only. Credit and debit cards are also widely accepted. You may be able to withdraw money from ATM (‘cash’) machines as long as you have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for that card.

Avoid carrying large amount of cash in case it gets lost or stolen. Most shops and hotels will accept credit cards, and some will also accept payment by sterling travellers’ cheques.

Opening a Bank Account

It’s important to make secure arrangements for your cash. You should not carry large sums of money with you or leave a lot of cash in your lodgings. Instead, open a bank account or building society account and make full use of the facilities it offers.

The IMESS Administrator will advise you on setting up a bank account in the UK and will make special arrangements with a local bank to help you with this during the induction period. For information and for those wishing to make their own arrangements, the options include:

• Banks. The main ones offer specific accounts for full-time students, featuring special facilities and fewer charges. But at some banks, these special student accounts are available to UK students only, so ask about this before you decide where to open your account.
• Building societies. These institutions were originally formed to lend money to people who wanted to buy a house. Now they offer a range of financial services, including banking. You may find that, unlike some banks, a building society will offer you interest on a current account.
• Post Office. The Post Office offers a banking service, called National Giro, and a National Savings Bank where you can put your money if you want to earn interest. These accounts tend to be less flexible for international transactions than the services offered by banks and building societies. Consider them only if you want to have an extra account in addition to your main one.

The most useful account to arrange at first is a current account. You can put money into the account in cash, or by cheque or bank draft made out to you. Then you can write cheques and withdraw cash yourself. To withdraw cash, you can either write a cheque to yourself or write it to ‘cash’ – or you can use your cash card in a cash machine. If you find you are paying large amounts of money into your account, you might want to open a deposit account as well, so that you can earn interest on your money.

When you go to the bank to open an account, you will need to take your passport and a letter of acceptance from your college or university. A letter of reference from your bank in your home country may also be useful. The bank will probably ask for evidence of your UK address, in which case you can show them your agreement with your hall of residence or tenancy agreement if you live in private accommodation.

Find out as much as you can about banking in the UK before you get here. Contact your bank in your home country and ask:

• how best to transfer your money to the UK
• about running a bank account in the UK
• whether your bank has a special relationship with any of the UK banks
• whether you can use cash cards from your home bank in cash machines in the UK.

UK Banking Terminology

Balance : The amount of money in your account at any particular moment.

Cash card : Also called ‘cashpoint card’. This plastic card allows you to take money from your account at any time of the day, including outside banking hours, by using a cash machine (also called ‘cashpoint’).You will find cash machines built into the wall outside the bank, and also in other places such as outside supermarkets, at petrol stations and in large shopping centres. You can use your card in the cash machines of other banks. There is a limit on how much money you can take out of your account each day by cash card. There may be a charge if you use a cash machine that is not provided by your own bank or building society, for example in certain supermarkets.

Cheque guarantee card : A plastic card which guarantees that your bank will pay the cheques you write, usually up to a fixed limit shown on the card. The Cheque guarantee card and the cash card are usually combined as one card, often with debit-card facilities as well (see below).

Current account : A bank account, with a cheque book, for depositing and withdrawing money. Most current accounts pay little or no interest.

Debit card : A plastic card that allows you to spend money directly from your account without withdrawing cash or writing a cheque. Often combined with cash card and cheque-guarantee facilities as one card.

To deposit : To put money into an account. Also called ‘to pay in’. Deposit account: A savings account where money can earn interest. You may have to give notice if you wish to withdraw any money, and you cannot write cheques for this account.

Interest : Extra money paid to you on money you have deposited, or extra money you pay on money you have borrowed by loans or overdraft.

Overdraft/to overdraw : To overdraw your account means to spend more money than you have in your account. When you overdraw, you are basically borrowing money from the bank. If you think you might need to do this, you should arrange an overdraft with your bank when you set up your account: you and the bank agree on an amount of money by which you may overspend. You will probably have to pay interest and bank charges on your overdraft, although some banks offer free overdraft arrangements for students.

PIN : When you receive your cash card or debit card for your account, the bank will also send you a personal identification number (PIN). Memorise this number: you will need to key it into the machine each time you use your card. Do not tell anyone else your number. Once you are sure that you know the number, destroy the slip that had the number written on it and do not write the number down anywhere else. These are security precautions: if anyone else found out your PIN and found or took your card, they could access your account and take money from it.

To withdraw : To take money from your account by writing a cheque or using a cash card.

Make full use of banking facilities – once you have opened a bank account, you can ask the bank’s financial advisers to help you decide how to manage your money. You can use your bank account (or other account) to pay your regular bills such as electricity, gas and telephone by direct debit or by standing order, on a regular basis. The financial advisers can help you to organise a budget account to pay regular bills or help you to deal with any periods when you might need an overdraft facility. If you have a financial sponsor, make sure you find out from them exactly when the money will become available to you and how much there will be. You can also use cheques to pay for goods and services. You may also find that you can use a cash card linked to an account that you have in your own country to draw money from your home account while you are in the UK. Cards carrying signs such as Cirrus or Maestro may have this facility. Ask your home bank about this before you leave, in order to ensure that you bring the right cards with you. You will also be able to draw cash on your UK account while in your year 2 university.

Deal with financial problems promptly and monitor your account in the UK carefully, making sure you do not go overdrawn – or, if you have arranged an overdraft, make sure you do not go over the amount you agreed with the bank. If you do run into any money problems, take the initiative and sort them out quickly – do not risk going into debt or falling behind with your rent. Problems may arise, for example, if there is a sudden change in the political situation in your country, if there are unexpected delays in transferring your money, or if your personal circumstances change (e.g. your accommodation arrangements, your marital status).

 

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