Once you have decided to study at the 糖心探花 and have been accepted onto your course, there are a number of steps you need to take before you can begin your studies at the 糖心探花.
The checklist below provides an overview of some of the important things you need to do both before and after you arrive in the UK:
Before you arrive
You will need a before you apply for a Student visa.
Your CAS is an electronic document that the University creates and storeson a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) online database, once you have received- and accepted- an unconditional offer to study at the 糖心探花 and paid any deposits required. The CAS issued by the 糖心探花 can only be used to support one Student visa application to study at the location and the course stated.
If applying from overseas, you must within 6 months of receiving your CAS. You should prepare and be ready to apply for your Student visa as soon as possible after your CAS is issued (and once you meet all the eligibility requirements) to allow sufficient time for your visa application to be processed to enable you to enrol on your course on time. The latest date that you can be permitted to enrol on your course can be found on your CAS.
Student visa applications can be made from outside the UK by all eligible applicants. You may be able to apply for your new Student visa from within the UK if you meet the relevant requirements which permit you to do so. If you are in the UK and want advice on whether you can make your Student visa application from within the UK, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team.
You must ensure all the documents you may be required to submit with your Student visa application meet UKVI’s specific requirements. You will find all the information you need on the University’s VISA and immigration webpages. The also has a helpful checklist for applying for a Student visa, and what to do when you arrive in the UK.
Please read both the University’s and the GOV.UK information pages carefully and if you have any questions either before or after you have made your Student visa application, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team. .
We suggest you use our Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code given on your CAS so your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) is delivered directly to the University, if you are issued one
The processing time for a standard Student visa application made outside the UK is 15 working days (3 weeks) though it can take longer during busier periods or if UKVI need to undertake additional checks. We also advise you to allow a little extra time to allow for the return of your passport/documents from the Visa Application Centre if you were required to attend an appointment.
Depending on your circumstances, you will either be issued your Student visa as a vignette (visa sticker in your passport) or as an e-Visa (a digital record of your immigration status).
Once your Student visa has been issued, please check the validity dates on the vignette in your passport or your digital status letter and familiarise yourself with the start date of your Student visa. You must only travel on or after the start date of your Student visa- it is very important that you do not travel to the UK before your Student visa becomes valid. If you do, you will not be permitted to enrol on your course.
If you notice an error on your vignette or e-Visa, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team.
When you apply for a Student visa online, you will need to pay the as part of the application process, unless exempt in very limited circumstances.
The amount you will be required to pay will depend on the length of the visa you are applying for. You can use the GOV.UK online tool to .
You can start using the National Health Service (NHS) when you have paid the IHS (or are exempt from paying it) and your visa is granted. Most healthcare is covered by the IHS, however, you will still need to pay for certain types of services (e.g. prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests).
You can find out more about the IHS and how to pay online on the .
Before you can enrol on your course, you will need to complete all stages of your enrolment. To complete the online stage of your enrolment, you will need to pay your first tuition fee payment (which is usually 50% of your first year’s course fees) if you have not already done so. Alternatively, you must let the University know how you intend to pay.
We advise that tuition fee payment is made before you travel to the UK to help avoid delays to your enrolment. If you have problems or concerns about paying your fees before travelling, please contact Student Credit Control for advice.
International payments can take several days to be received by the University, so you should ensure you allow sufficient time for payments to be received and processed by the University. You will not be able to enrol until the fee payment has been received by the University and matched to your student record.
Depending on your circumstances, you may have a to collect once you arrive in the UK.
A BRP is a plastic, credit-card-sized visa issued by UKVI as evidence of your Student visa status, and must be collected once you arrive in the UK.
A BRP can be used to confirm your:
- Identity
- Right to study
When you arrive in September, if you have a BRP to collect this will either need to be collected from the International Student Advisory Team in the Carrington Building during enrolment (if you use the Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code provided in your CAS letter in your Student visa application) or from the nearest BRP Post Office. You can find out more about your BRP on our BRP information page.
You will need to have your passport with you to be able to collect your BRP (and the passports of any dependents) for whom you are collecting a BRP).
You will find that your BRP will be issued with an expiry date of 31/12/2024, irrespective of your course end date. This is not an error, and it is because UKVI are phasing out BRPs at the end of 2024. You should have received information from UKVI about how to access your e-Visa when your Student visa was issued. Your e-Visa will show your actual Student visa expiry date. Some students may not receive a physical visa/BRP and will only be issued with an e-Visa. An e-Visa is an online record of your immigration status and allows organisations such as employers, landlords and universities to check and verify your immigration status online to assess your right to access those services. To prove your e-Visa to access these services, including the university. You will need to generate a share code and provide this to the relevant organisation. For information on how to generate a share code, please visit the .
When you attend in-person enrolment (ID check) on campus, you will need to bring with you your passport, your BRP (if issued with one) and a share code so the University can verify your e-Visa online. The University will also need to confirm the date you entered the UK, so please also ensure you have access to your travel booking/boarding pass.
Please contact the International Student Advisory Team for further information or advice if you are unsure about how to access your e-Visa or generate a share code.
You will need to secure your accommodation (university and private accommodation) before you arrive in the UK.
Visit our web pages for further information on how to apply for University Accommodation. For information on finding private accommodation in the UK, please contact the .
After you have secured University or private accommodation, update your address in . This may take up to 24 hours for your new contact information to be updated in RISIS.
If you are living in private accommodation, you may have to pay council tax from the period you arrive in the UK until you start your course. Whilst you are a full-time student at 糖心探花, you will be .
We strongly advise that you find suitable accommodation before you travel to the UK. The University has limited accommodation for families on campus. You can check the availability of family accommodation by contacting the accommodation office.
If you do not have a place to stay before travel, we advise you to travel ahead to find and secure suitable accommodation. Do this before your family joins you if needed.
Not all students are