Information for new international students

Here at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust we have a long and valued tradition of offering training to mental health professionals from overseas. We are proud to both invite students from across the world to our base in London, and also to deliver education across the globe in different settings.

EU students

At the Tavistock and Portman we welcome students from around the globe. If you are from a European Union country and are currently studying with us, or about to begin one of our courses, you may have a number of questions or concerns around Brexit.

Fees for students from the EU

EU students applying for a place in the 2019-20 academic year will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee status’, which means they will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students for the duration of their studies. Students who have already started their course, have also been guaranteed their existing status for the duration of their studies.

From January 2021, we don’t know exactly what the process will be. However, the UK government and universities in the UK are working to keep the system as simple as possible.

Access to Postgraduate Student Loans and Grants

Current students from the EU and those applying to eligible courses starting in 2019-20 will not see any changes to their loan eligibility or fee status. This guarantee will apply for the full duration of the course, even if the course finishes after the UK has left the EU.

Visa requirements for EU students studying in the UK

As long as the UK leaves the EU with a withdrawal agreement in place, you will not need a visa if you are arriving before 1 January 2021. If you plan to stay beyond 31 December 2020 (for example, because of the length of your course), you’ll need to apply online for the EU Settlement Scheme.

If the UK were to leave the EU without a withdrawal deal, the UK Government would introduce immigration rules for EU citizens and their immediate family members. This is called European Temporary Leave to Remain . These rules cover EU students who arrive in the UK after the UK leaves the EU. They would only apply if the UK left the EU without a deal.

Under these no-deal rules:

After three months, you’d need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain, a simple online process for a small fee, which would allow you to remain in the UK for 36 months.

The UK Government is still to define details of future visa regulations, which would apply to students who want to stay longer – for example, to complete a four-year course.

We appreciate that this is an uncertain and unsettling time. We will be working hard to ensure you are kept informed of any changes, should there be any.

For the most recent information, please continue to refer to the British Council and UK Government websites.

Visa information

We are able to sponsor international students to apply for a Tier 4 Visa, where they meet the UK Visas and Immigration pre-determined criteria. When you apply for your course, you must let us know if you are an international student and will require a Tier 4 visa. Please see our guidance notes here. The Tier 4 visa process is governed by the UK Government and regulations are subject to change. We strongly advise that you keep up to date with the rules and regulations via the UKVI website.

Once you have been accepted onto a course, we will start the process of issuing you with your CAS number which you will need in order to apply for a Tier 4 visa.

Please note that your visa application can take up to 3 months from the date you apply, so we strongly recommend international applicants requiring a visa submit their application as soon as possible and no later than 17 June 2019.

The UK Visas and Immigration website has a lot of information for international students.

If you require further information about our visa process, please contact our overseas student office.

Attendance monitoring

As a result of a UKVI audit recently the attendance recording process has been re-evaluated and updated. Students will be expected to complete an attendance record slip each week and get this signed off within the Academic Hub (Room 261). This will enable us to effectively meet the conditions of our license as a Tier 4 sponsor.

Registering with the police (where it is required as part of the conditions of your visa)

Some people need to register with the police after arriving in the UK with a visa, or after getting permission to stay for longer in the UK. Please follow this link to the gov.uk website for guidance.

English language requirements

All our courses delivered in the UK will be delivered and assessed in UK English. Where your first language is not English, you must meet our entry requirements in respect of English language competence and have at least a secure IELTs 6.5 or equivalent level to gain admission to our courses.

During the application process you will have the opportunity to upload any English language certificates that you hold.

Fees for international students

Each of our course pages show the fee for international students.

In accordance with Home Office guidelines, fees for students undertaking degree programmes who are nationals of countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are higher than those for UK/EEA/Swiss students.

The definition of an international student is:

(a) A student who has not been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the three year period preceding 1 September, 1 January or 1 April closest to the beginning of the first term of his/her course;

and

(b) the student has been resident therein, during any part of that three year period, wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education;

and

(c) at the date referred to in (a) above the student has no settled status in the United Kingdom.
Countries in the EU and EE

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 28 countries. It operates an internal (or single) market which allows free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states.

The EU countries are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

The European Economic Area (EEA)

The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It allows them to be part of the EU’s single market.

Switzerland is neither an EU nor EEA member but is part of the single market - this means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.

Please see full details on the gov.uk website.

Useful information about life in the UK

Information about studying abroad

UK Council for International Student Affairs: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/

British Council: https://www.britishcouncil.org/

International Student: Study in the UK Guide for International Students

Banking in the UK

Banks in the UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and must operate in accordance with their requirements and those of the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group. They also have their own policies and procedures to follow and will carry out relevant checks to decide what account you may be eligible to open. If you are not able to open an account with your first choice of bank, we recommend you try elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Trust does not have any influence over a bank’s decision.

The FCA have some useful information for consumers about opening a bank account in the UK. UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) also produce helpful information for students about opening a bank account.

Accommodation

Local Letting Agents

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/estate-agents/Camden-Town.html

https://www.your-move.co.uk/region/north-london

List of cultural centres in the UK:

https://londonist.com/2006/03/london_the_cult

Shopping in the UK

Food

There are many local independent shops where you can buy food in London. The big food chain stores in the UK are: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, ASDA, Lidl, Aldi

Homeware

There are various places to purchase essential items for your new room or accommodation. Below is a list of places you can find bed linen, towels, furniture, kitchen utensils etc. Argos, IKEA, Tiger, Debenhams, John Lewis

Clothing

Check out this website for ideas about places to buy clothing.
Shopping Directory

The website My Supermarket helps you find the best deals on products from across four major supermarkets.

If you require a large print, monochrome or other accessible version of this guide please contact communications@tavi-port.nhs.uk