The authorised section within Admission and Administration Section of the college provides information, advice and counselling on non-academic matters, such as finance, health care, immigration, visas, employment regulations and services to all international (non-EU) students and their dependants, regardless of nationality, religion, gender or status. Advice is offered free of charge and without discrimination.
National Health Service (NHS) Treatment
If your course lasts six months or more you will be eligible for NHS treatment, as will your husband or wife and children if they live with you in the UK and have been given immigration leave as dependants of a full-time student. You can, therefore, receive free hospital treatment and register as a patient with a doctor. A cost will be levied against any course of dental treatment or if an operation or chiropodist is consulted. Students are advised to establish before a course of dental treatment begins exactly what the charges will be and if they have been accepted as a patient of the NHS. Students must be registered with a GP in order to obtain dental treatment as well as medical care. The information from UKCOSA states “all full-time international students pursuing a course of at least six months duration are exempt from charges from the NHS. Further, these students are eligible to receive treatment on the same basis as other UK residents”.
Working in the UK
EEA nationals may work in the UK. No permission is needed.
Non - EU Students
The passports of all non-EU students will be stamped, which will either be with a prohibition or a restriction on employment. Students coming on courses of six months or longer with a restricted stamp are allowed to carry out part-time work for 20 hours a week during term time. These conditions also apply to students in their dissertation period, even if they are not attending regular lectures at college. During official vacations (Christmas, Easter and Summer vacations) all students are entitled to work full-time for these limited periods. It is important that you check the stamp in your passport and adhere to these rules; otherwise you may find yourself in an illegal situation. If you have a prohibition stamp or are in any doubt, contact the School.
Tax and National Insurance
International students working in the UK will be subject to UK taxation rules and must pay National Insurance contributions and tax in the same way as residents of the UK. To meet this requirement, a National Insurance Number (NINO) is necessary. Students should apply to the local office of the Department of Social Security; a passport is required and details of the proposed employment. It may take some time to obtain a NINO, but work can commence at any time while an application is being processed.
Banks
Students in receipt of an award, including EU students with fees only awards, are usually eligible for the full student package at a bank. Other international students can open bank accounts in the UK and will normally receive a cheque book and cash card, but, since, in most cases, they will not be given the full student package, they will not normally be provided with a cheque guarantee card or be granted an overdraft facility.
Living in London
- Arrival
- Accommodation
- Costs of Living
When you get off the plane and go into the airport, the first thing to do is to show your passport and the letter the College has supplied you with to the Immigration Officer. You will find that there are two different queues of people waiting to go through passport control. One queue is for British Nationals and EU passport holders and the other is for everyone else.
You must make sure you join the right queue. When it is your turn to show your passport you will be asked why you have come to Britain and also whether or not you have enough money to cover the cost of your stay here. You may also be asked to show proof that you have been accepted onto a course at the LSCT in London and it is strongly advisable to have this information on hand.
When the Immigration Officer has checked your documents, he/she will put a stamp on your passport stating the length of time you can stay in Britain. Students are usually given 1 year unless they are enrolled on a short course.
Do not worry if you know you will need to stay longer than the stamp says. You will usually be able to extend your stay, but this has to be organised later. If the Immigration officer refuses your entry and you have no entry clearance you may be removed immediately, or be given a very short period of temporary admission. If this happens, you should seek help immediately from LSCT in London or from the UK Immigrants Advisory Service who have offices at most major ports of entry. If your entry is refused and you had obtained entry clearance, then you cannot be removed until after your appeal has been heard.
UK Immigrants Advisory Service Offices
Heathrow: 0208 759 9234
Gatwick: 01293 33385
After passing through passport control and collecting your luggage you will pass through customs. Again you will find queues. You will either have to pass through the green passage - which means you have NOTHING TO DECLARE, or the red passage, which means you have GOODS TO DECLARE.
If you are carrying more than the permitted duty or tax-free allowances, or any prohibited goods, you must pass through the red passage. If you are not sure about what you can or cannot bring into the UK you should check with your local British High Commission, before you begin your journey.
Even if you go through the green passage, the customs may ask you to open your luggage. Keep important papers in your carry-on luggage, with photocopies in your other baggage. Label your baggage inside and out with your name and both your home and UK addresses and telephone numbers. Use the address and the phone number of the LSCI, if necessary. To prevent inconvenience in the case of lost luggage, keep in your carry on luggage all of the items you would need for one night's emergency stay in a hotel. Towards the end of your flight, the airline personnel will give you forms to complete for UK immigration use and for UK customs. It is forbidden to bring certain items into the UK. Simply follow the directions on the form. If necessary, ask the flight attendant for clarifications.
Present your passport, student visa and evidence of financial support to the immigration officer at the airport. After questioning you about your plans in the UK, the immigration officer will decide how long you will be allowed to stay. After this, you will be directed to the Customs Service for inspection of your luggage.
Accommodation
If you request us to book a place for your accommodation, please ensure that you let us know when you intend to arrive. Remember that you will have reserved a bed for an entire semester. You will not be able to move into an accommodation reserved for you for a week and then expect to leave when you have found other accommodation suitable to your needs and affordability. LSCI will have booked that place for you and will be required to pay for it, even if you have vacated it. The School will therefore hold you to your contract and you will have to pay for the place you reserved.
Part-time Employment
Full-time students are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week during term time and 40 hours during vacations. LSCI provides necessary information and advice in this regard.
English Language Support
For all full-time students who need to improve their standard of English language to continue their higher studies, LSCI will provide them English language courses to achieve the required standard.
Visa Extension
LSCI will provide all relevqant support to extend the visa of the overseas students.
Cost of Living in London
The information provided below may be a useful indicator of the approximate cost of living in London (subject to variation due to inflation and pay change indexes). A single student living in London would need at least £500 per month (not inclusive of tuition fees) to cover basic expenses like rent, food, heating, lighting, public transport fares, medical cover, and other necessities. A great deal depends, however, on the individual.
| Deposit on rented accommodation for a month |
£200-£400 |
| Heat and light (if charged separately) |
£20-£40 per month |
| Food (if not included in accommodation) |
£30-£40 per week |
| Personal hygiene items, cosmetics, etc. |
£10-£12 per month |
| Shirts and tops, light sweaters, light shoes |
£10-20 |
| Raincoat and other outwear, boots |
£20-50 |
| Winter coats |
£50-80 |
| Small electrical appliances (e.g. hairdryer, kettle) |
£20 and under |
| Textbooks (second hand books for as little as £1) |
£10-£15 or more |
| Newspapers |
20p-50p per issue |
| Magazines |
50p-£2.50 |
| CDs (box) |
£12-£15 |
| Television licence |
£135 per annum |
| Phone card (for use in public phones) |
Choice of £2, £5, £10 |
| Restaurant meal |
£5- £12 per head. |
| Cinema ticket |
£4-£10 |
Bank Account Reference:
Overseas students are required to have a bank account in the UK. LSCI will provide relevant information and references to open their bank account.
Non-attendance
LSCI maintains attendance records of all its students. The students are expected to arrive on time for your classes A teacher may refuse a student entry to the class if he/she is a late comer, or has accumulated more than three official absences without sufficient/proven grounds for such absence. A student may be suspended for the semester or even expelled from the LSCI for poor attendance at any time if, after meeting with the Course Leader/Principal to discuss the recurrent failures to attend classes, he/she continues to be absent from the classes as required under the official guidelines.
If a student is late by more than 30 minutes for the class, then you do not have any right to join the class on that particular day, and your teacher can refuse you entry into the classroom. If you keep arriving late to class, then you may lose your place in the classroom, which means losing your place at the college.
If you decide to leave the School before your course of study finishes, or you decide that you have changed your mind once the course has commenced, in both situations the course fees are not refundable, unless supported with valid documentation to justify your actions and directly approved by the Centre Director. In such a situation you are likely to be entitled to a refund minus the deposit and minus any study time that has lapsed.
Termination/Dismissal
Any student may be expelled, suspended, placed on review, or given a disciplinary warning for reasons such as
- Submitting falsified documents or misrepresentation of identity
- Unauthorised entry to the School premises or being involved in abusive behaviour
- Intimidation or theft
- Damages to the School property
- Cheating on tests/examinations
- Obstructing School functions
- Criminal conviction whilst residing in the UK
- Unauthorised entry into the School premises or abuse of School property
- Possession of illegal substances, e.g. drugs, unless accompanied by the relevant medical certification
Possession of items/weapons deemed ‘dangerous’.
