You have decided that you want to study with us, now you have to organise things. For a start, you may need a visa to study in the UK. Certain nationalities, known as visa nationals, need to obtain a visa before travelling to the UK. To see if you are a ‘visa national,’ please check with the following website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk

If you are a visa national you must apply for a visa as a prospective student before you travel. Full information regarding student visas is contained on the UK Visas site.

Visas for the UK can only be issued at UK entry clearance offices overseas, at British Embassies and Consulates. To find your nearest entry clearance office go to: www.fco.gov.uk

One of the pieces of paper that you will need before you can apply for a student visa for the United Kingdom is a letter from Pimlico Academy. This letter will say that you are enrolled on a full-time course and that you will be studying more than 15 hours or more per week. In your visa application you must show that you are able to pay for your course and support and accommodate yourself and any dependants, without working or help from public funds (United Kingdom state benefits). You must also show that you plan to leave the United Kingdom when you complete your studies.

Your course at Pimlico Academy is full-time. And in addition to the 15 hours+ of study at college you will also have homework to do. Despite your workload, you may need extra money to support yourself and your student visa will allow you to work part-time or do holiday work but you must not:

• work for more than 20 hours a week during term time
• do business, be self-employed or provide services as a professional sports person or entertainer
• work full-time in a permanent job

Any student who fails to attend classes regularly and on time runs the risk of being excluded from their course and, therefore, loses their right to stay in the United Kingdom.

You can come to the UK as a prospective student to arrange your studies for up to six months. You will need to show that:

• you plan to enrol on a course of study within six months of arriving;
• you can pay for your course and stay in the United Kingdom without working or help from public funds
• you plan to leave the United Kingdom when you finish your studies or when your permission to stay ends if you are not able to qualify to stay in the United Kingdom as a student