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Visas and Immigration Information

Most students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland will need a student Visa to study in the UK. Application forms and advice about the Visa process is available from www.ukvisas.gov.uk (this opens a new window) or your local British Council office. Please note that some countries have different procedures for Visa applications.

The Home Office classes non-EEA or non-Swiss students as either:

• Visa nationals
• Non-visa nationals

 

The way you are classed is based on your nationality - see the ukvisas website (this opens a new window) for more information.  

All Visa nationals must apply for a Visa as a student before they come to the UK, regardless of the length of their course.

If you are classed as a non-Visa national, and are coming for a course of six months or less, you have the option of applying for permission to enter and stay in the UK when you arrive here – however we strongly recommend that you apply for an entry clearance before leaving your home country. If you are studying for more than six months, you must apply for a Visa to the UK before leaving your home country.

To apply for a student Visa you will need to provide:

A completed Visa application form (VAF1) which is available from the UK Visas website

• An original unconditional enrolment letter from LSBF.
• Proof of qualifications – the Visa office will want to see original certificates to prove you have the appropriate qualifications.
• Proof that you (or your sponsor) have the available funds to pay course fees and living expenses while in the UK.

 

Staying in the UK after the student visa expires
After completing their studies, some LSBF students, i.e. those who registered for courses accredited by the University of East London or other listed bodies (eligibility for ACCA students to be confirmed), may be eligible to apply for the Post-Study Work Programme, which was introduced on 30th July 2008. This Programme allows UK graduates to work for two years in the UK and to potentially switch in-country to other working visa categories.