Internationals
Each year we are delighted to have several International students. There are some added complexities to coming from another country which we can help with, including information on Visas and Immigration, traveling with spouses or families, Tuberculosis Screening, what to pack, shipping items, banking basics, health care, driving, and returning home.
Visas and Immigration
You will need to obtain a student visa in the country you are resident before arriving in the country. To get an entry clearance/student visa you need:
As an International student, your stay in the UK is only legal as long as your visa / entry clearance is still valid, so take note of your visa or entry clearance dates. The fee for a student visa is £99.00. To see which documents you should submit and other related information, visit the Home Office website: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
Advice for Students with Families
Dependants of nationals of the European Economic Area* or Swiss nationals will be allowed entry to the UK for the period of their spouse's or parent's course of study. No employment restrictions will be imposed on EU students or their dependants. Further information is available on the following website: www.ukcosa.org.uk/images/eea.pdf
Spouses and children of nationals of non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries (or a non-Swiss national) must apply as a dependant. More information can be found on the Home Office website: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk.
*You are a national of the EEA, if you are a national of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.
Nationals of certain countries (please see list below) are now required to undergo TB (Tuberculosis) screening before applying for entry clearance/student visa for the UK. Please look at UK Visas website for more information at: www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Nationals of TB-endemic countries should contact their local British Embassy or British High Commission to check the likelihood of being screened upon arrival in the UK. It may be advisable to be screened for TB before travelling to the UK, which you would need to confirm before travelling.
Documents to bring
Because you may not return to your country of residence during the 10 months you are at KBCTC, you will need to bring the following documentation.
The college houses are all fully furnished and also have bed linen and towels. You only really need to bring your own clothes, toiletries, hair dryers and straighteners etc., You may also want to bring home comforts like some pictures and your favourite mug; you will also probably need a computer for assignments, a camera and some wet weather gear – it rains quite a lot in the UK!
Electricity/Voltage
Mains electrical power in the UK is 240 volts and our plug sockets usually take 13 amp with a 3 pinned fused plug. Please check all your electrical equipment will work on this voltage before coming to the UK. Do not bring any electrical items that need mains power unless they are dual voltage 110-120/220-240v (for example, a laptop computer). Remember this will also apply to your mobile phone charger, and you may need to buy an adaptor.
Eyewear/Medicals
It may also be worth having an eye test before coming to the UK, if you wear glasses and talking with your optician about your eye care, if you are a contact lens wearer. Also, consider having a medical and dental examination before you leave, and make sure you have enough medication to last you a month, if you have a prescription, until you can get registered with a UK doctor.
Packing with Term Three in mind
For our trip in the third term, you may want to think about bringing the following with you now, if you are not returning home, or consider saving to buy the equipment when you get here. It is worth remembering that you can probably borrow some of the equipment from people in the local church here, so don't stress about having all of the equipment now.
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If you need to bring more than you can carry on the plane, you could ship over your excess luggage and baggage. You would need to investigate this a little yourself, but previous students have used a company called Seven Seas Worldwide. Their website is: www.sevenseasworldwide.com. You should be able to fit most possessions in boxes the company provides, but for other items such as a guitar or a computer you can pay an additional amount. It is worth also getting insurance for your possessions, if you do ship them, in case they get lost, stolen or damaged.
Other companies you may want to look at:
www.anglopacific.co.uk
www.excessbaggage.com
www.transglobalexpress.co.uk
www.voovit.com
There is no limit to the amount of money you can bring into the UK, but you will need to check if there are limits imposed on foreign currency transactions by your home country. You can bring money into the UK in sterling notes, traveller’s cheques, bankers draft or letter of credit.
As you may or may not know, you incur a fee for every bank transfer into a UK bank account. KBCTC will not pay this fee, and you will have to account for it. You cannot pay your college expenses by credit card at the present time because we do not have the facilities to accommodate this. With this in mind, you may want to consider the following:
First of all, ask your bank in your home country:
Before you decide which UK bank to choose and which accounts to open, familiarise yourself with banking terms such as balance, overdraft, PIN, etc. Also master the pounds and pence of British currency. UK currency is decimal based with 100p (pence) equalling £1 (one pound sterling).
When you go to the bank to open an account, you will need to bring:
Most International students will be able to open a basic bank account. This allows you to pay money in to the account and withdraw money with a cash card. You will find a basic bank account does not allow credit or for you to go overdrawn, but money can be paid in to the account from your sponsors, and it can be used to pay bills etc.
You are strongly advised not to bring or carry large amounts of cash with you. If possible, make arrangements to transfer money to a UK bank account.
The National Health Service (NHS), provides free and subsidised treatment for people who live in the UK. As an International student, you may be entitled to NHS treatment.
To receive any treatment through the NHS, firstly you have to be registered with a doctor or General Practitioner (GP). You should register with a local GP as soon as you have a permanent address - don't wait until you are ill. A list of local GPs is available from college. Registering is free. For our overseas trip later on in the year, you need to state your UK doctor’s details for our insurance purposes. If you are not registered with a local UK GP, you cannot come on the trip.
Once you have registered and receive your NHS card, don't forget to take the card with you whenever you go to see your doctor or any other NHS health-care provider (e.g. a dentist or an optician).
If you are not entitled to NHS treatment, you will have to pay the full cost of any treatment you receive in the UK. This can be expensive, so make sure you have medical insurance that covers you while you're living abroad.
It is worth remembering that whilst the visit to the GPs or to hospital is free, prescriptions and medication is not usually free, but you can discuss with your GP when you register about whether you are eligible for assistance with NHS costs on the grounds of low income. Eligibility for benefits is normally means tested. Students should pick up a form HC1 from their Doctor's Surgery, the local Benefits Agency or their local Post Office.
With many transport options available, most students get along very happily without their own vehicle. But if you do want to drive here, you can find all you need on the DVLA website: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm
You haven’t even arrived at college yet, but it is important to plan ahead for the end of KBCTC as you prepare to leave your country. You will, in all probability, end up buying personal items whilst you are in the UK. Therefore, when booking your tickets, find out from your airline what your baggage allowance is, and, if you are faced with excess baggage charges, consider selling off your things (or donating them to a charity shop), or ship them back through a shipping company, as it's cheaper (see section on shipping).