1- How can I apply to the college?
2- Is the deposit refundable?
3- How can I pay my deposit/fees?
4- Do I need to get a visa (entry clearance) before I travel to the UK?
5- I am not a visa national.
From 1st September 2007 must I always get entry clearance before coming to UK?
6- What documents do I require to apply for my visa?
7- How would the college help me with my visa application?
8- What is Tier 4 Plans for Students?
9- I want to travel to the UK via Ireland? Is this possible?
10- What conditions must I meet to be a student in the UK?
11- Can i use the same Student Application Form even now?
12- What is Tier 1(General) and MBA Students?
13- Can I bring my family with me to the UK?
14- Can I come to the UK before I get a place on a course?
15- Will I pay the ‘home’ or ‘overseas’ fee?
16- Can I become a ‘home’ fee payer?
17- How much will the ‘overseas’ fee for my course be?
18- Will I be able to work during my studies?
19- Can I work in the UK after I finish my studies?
20- What kind of work can I do during my studies?
21- Can I pay for my studies through work?
22- Can my family members work while I study in the UK?
23- Where will I live?
24- Can I defer my entry?
25- Is London Safe?
26- What do I do if I have a question which is not answered here?


1- How can I apply to the college?

For information on how to apply please follow the links on “How to Apply” Option in the main menu.

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2- Is the deposit refundable?

Your 50% deposit will only be refunded if you are refused a visa to enter the UK or if you fail to meet any academic or other conditions specified on your offer letter. Any monies paid to us will be returned to the original payer on receipt of documentary evidence to support your claim in accordance with our refund policy.

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3- How can I pay my desposit/fees?

There are various methods to help you pay your deposit and fees. For information please contact us by email, fax or telephone number provided on Contact Us page.

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4- Do I need to get a visa (entry clearance) before i travel to the UK?

If you come to the UK as a student on or after 1 September 2007, you must obtain entry clearance before traveling. You apply for entry clearance from your nearest British diplomatic post (Embassy or High Commission). You can find contact details of your nearest diplomatic post on the www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/wheretoapply website.

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5- I am not a visa national. From 1st September 2007 must I always get entry clearance before coming to UK?

No. You can still apply when you arrive in the UK, but only for permission to enter as a student visitor. Student visitor is a new immigration category that was introduced on 1 September 2007. You can apply for student visitor permission only if you intend to leave the UK within six months of your arrival, and you have a place on a course that is on the Register of Education and Training Provider of Department of Innovations, Universities and Skills you will not be allowed to work and you must be able to support yourself financially without needing to work or claim welfare benefits. If you have immigration permission as a student visitor, you cannot apply in the UK to extend your stay as a student or for more time as a student visitor.

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6- What documents do I require to apply for my Visa?

There a number of documents you will need to provide when applying for your visa to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a student. For further information, and to confirm what documents you will require, we recommend you visit the UK Home Office’s website at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk or contact your local British Embassy or High Commission.
You may also find UKCOSA's guidance notes useful. They are available as a pdf at http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/images/before_leaving.pdf

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18- How would the college help me with my Visa application?

The College will send you an International Acceptance letter (IAL) which you will need to use to support your visa application. This official letter will state that you have been offered a place at LEC. This letter is sent by courier directly to you after you have met all the conditions of your offer.

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8- What is Tier 4 Plans for Students?

The UK Border Agency has published its plans for the student Immigration Rules under Tier 4 of the Points Based System. They are expected to come into effect by April 2009. For complete detail kindly look at this

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9- I want to travel to the UK via Ireland? Is this possible?

Yes, but if you are coming to study in the UK and you want to travel to Ireland first, you should obtain UK entry clearance as a student in your home country before going to Ireland. The reasons for this are:

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10- What conditions must I meet to be a student in the UK?

If you want to study in the UK, you must meet the requirements of the UKBIA immigration rules. These requirements apply to; the place where you want to study, your course, your ability to follow the course, your finances, and your intentions during and after your studies.
The college or university where you want to study must be on the Register of Education and Training Provider of Department of Innovations, Universities and Skills

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11- Can i use the same New Student Immigration Application Form even now?

If you are applying on or after 18 August 2008 to extend your immigration permission to be in the UK as a student, student nurse, re-sit student, writing up student or as a sabbatical officer, you must use version 08/08 of the FLR(S) form. If you are applying before 18 August, you should use version 04/08 of the form.

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12- What is Tier 1(General) and MBA Students?

Tier 1(General) come into force fully on 30 June 2008. It replaces the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, which had a special provision for some MBA graduates. Tier 1 (General) does not have this special provision. However, the UK Border Agency has announced transitional arrangements for you if you enrolled on your MBA or Executive MBA at one of the 50 specified institutions before 30 June 2008 and make an initial application as a Tier 1 (General) Migrant within 12 months of obtaining your qualification.

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13- Can I bring my family with me to the UK?

Yes, but only your spouse or civil partner and your children. Your children must be under the age of 18 when they first enter the UK.
A civil partner is a same sex partner with whom you have a legally recognised relationship, including relationships registered in countries other than the UK.

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14- Can I come to the UK before I get a place on a course?

Yes, but it is very important that you apply to enter the UK as a prospective student, and not as a visitor. You will be expected to provide evidence that you have made contact with institutions in the UK, for example letters inviting you for interviews in the UK. Prospective students can stay in the UK for up to six months to make arrangements for their studies. When you have enrolled at a college or university, you will need to extend your stay in the UK as a student. If you have not come to the UK with entry clearance in the immigration category of 'prospective student', you will not be able to do this in the UK and will have to return to your country to make this application.

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15- Will I pay the ‘home’ or ‘overseas’ fee?

The education departments of the UK Government, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly decide which categories of student must be charged the lower, 'home' fee. There are many different categories of 'home' fee payer, and the regulations can be quite complicated. We have produced a summary of these regulations for you here.

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16- Can I become a ‘home’ fee payer?

It is possible to become a 'home' fee payer, even if you started your course as an 'overseas' fee payer. In all cases (see list below), you must meet any residence conditions at the start of your course. You might be able to change fee status if, for example, you become:

Living in the UK for three years does not, on its own, mean that you will become eligible for 'home' fees

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17- How much will the ‘overseas’ fee for my course be?

Overseas fees can range from £4,000 to £18,000 per year, depending on the institution, the level of course and the type of course. Some institutions give details of the fees they charge on their websites.

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6- Will I be able to work during my studies?

Students studying in the UK for six months or more should be allowed to work in the UK. The conditions of your visa, including whether you can work, is stamped in your passport. There are some limits on the type of work you can do and the hours. You must fulfil the following criteria:

International students must pay tax and will need to apply for a National Insurance number, but you do not need to have received your number before starting work. The local Job Centre Plus can advise you on how to apply.

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19- Can I work in UK after I finish my studies?

Currently there are a number of schemes for working in the UK available to international student graduates. All schemes are part of the new points based immigration system recently introduced by the UK Border Agency. In summary the main schemes are:

You can get more information about these schemes from Home Office website.click here

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20- What kind of work can I do during my studies?

If you have student immigration permission that allows you to take employment, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during your holidays, a work placement which is part of a sandwich course, or an internship.
You can do most kinds of work, but you must not engage in business, be self-employed, provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or pursue a career by filling a permanent full-time vacancy.

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21- Can I pay for my studies through work?

No. If you work more than 20 hours in any week in term-time (and you are not doing a work placement for your course or an internship), you are in breach of your immigration conditions even if you work under 20 hours in other weeks.

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22- Can my family members work while I study in the UK?

This depends on the amount of time you are given to study in the UK. If you are given permission to be in the UK for 12 months or more, then your spouse or civil partner or children who are in the UK with you should be given permission to work.

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23- Where will I live?

The college can offer you advise on where to live, the staff at LEC maintains a list of available places nearby which will help you during your stay in London. We can also arrange an accommodation before your arrival.
You can also chose to live with your family or friends. For further information, please contact LEC helpdesk.

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24- Can I defer my entry?

If you have been made an offer, but have to defer for a good reason to the start of the next in-take, you will need to send an email to our Admissions office. Please note that normally you can only defer your entry once and for no more than one academic year. If, after this, you would still like to join us, you may need to reapply.

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25- Is London safe?

Like in all major cities, it is necessary to take certain precautions to keep safe and avoid unplesant incidents.

26- What do I do if I have a question which is not answered here?

Please look on our web pages for the information you require. If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, please contact our Office at +44 (0)20 8514 3171 or email us at info@lec.ac We will do our best to repond to your questions as soon as possible.

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