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.

At the Tavistock and Portman we welcome students from around the globe. If you are joining us for study in 2020, you may have some queries relating to our online study and your residence. If you are from a European Union country and are currently studying with us, or about to begin one of our courses, you may also have a number of questions or concerns around Brexit.

Studying online in 2020-21

In light of current situation regarding COVID-19, the Trust has taken the decision to deliver the majority of our training online, for terms one and two of the 2020-21 academic year, commencing in September 2020. Students from outside the EU will continue to be sponsored on a Tier 4 study visa to study with us during this period.

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. 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 for courses starting in September, we strongly recommend international applicants requiring a visa submit their application as soon as possible and no later than end of June.

The UK Visas and Immigration website and the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) have a lot of information for international students.

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

Fees for international students

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

In accordance with Home Office guidelines, for courses starting in September 2020, fees for students 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

Fees for students from the EU

EU students starting study on a course in the 2020-21 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 on the course. Students who have already started their course, have also been guaranteed their existing status for the duration of their studies.

Further information is expected shortly on the fee status for those starting a course in the 2021-22 academic year. This webpage will be updated when more information is available.

EU students – further information

Access to Postgraduate Student Loans and Grants

Current students from the EU and those applying to eligible courses starting in 2020-21 will not see any changes to their loan eligibility or fee status. This guarantee will apply for the full duration of the course, even after the UK has left the EU.

Studying in the UK and applying for ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status

Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the transition period ends on 31^st December 2020. If you are an EU, EEA, or Swiss national, you will need to apply for permission to stay in the UK after the transition period ends.

EU citizens and family are welcome to stay in the UK to live, work, and study after the post-Brexit transition period. However, in order to stay, you will need to apply for permission under the EU Settlement Scheme.

To be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme, you must be resident (living) in the UK by 31st December 2020.

There are no financial requirements for the EU Settlement Scheme, and it is free to apply. For full information, please see the UK government’s 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.

Restaurants and eating out

Restaurants & Cafes in London - Time Out London

The 10 Best London Restaurants - TripAdvisor

Top 10 budget restaurants and cafes in central London | Travel | The Guardian

London + UK Restaurant + Venue Guide | SquareMeal

Support and well-being

UK Department of Health: UK Department of Health Overseas

London Nightline: UK Department of Health Overseas

The Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/