Are you ready for Oxford? Notes for European and International Students
Dear Student
Note: This email has been sent to conditional and unconditional offer holders. If you still have conditions remaining on your offer, you need to discuss them with your college (undergraduate, visiting students) or department (graduate, recognised students) before you can come to Oxford. This email does not mean that your place is confirmed. All Oxford students are a member of a college. Your college will provide official information and advice on a wide variety of matters
As you begin to look forward to commencing your studies at Oxford, we hope you will find this pre-arrival information helpful. We realise some of you may already be studying in the UK, but some of this information will still be relevant.
The Oxford University Student Gateway also contains detailed information to help you prepare to come to Oxford and settle in: www.ox.ac.uk/students/new
Join our facebook page to remind you about events and information for non-UK students starting at Oxford soon http://www.facebook.com/oxfordstudentinfo
Information for European and International Students
i. Visa requirements for students not from the EEA or Switzerland
ii. Caution: Financial documents required for your visa application
iii. Official University Student Registration
iv. Orientation Programme and Meet and Greet service at Heathrow Airport
v. Student spouses or partners welcome event
vi. Pre-departure events: Oxford University and British Council
vii. Bank accounts: making things easier
viii. Prepare for success website: learning about the UK academic system
ix. Attend a Careers Fair in Asia before you arrive in Oxford
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i. Visa requirements for students not from the EEA or Switzerland
(including students currently on a Tier 4 visa at another UK institution)
The Student Gateway explains the steps you need to follow to obtain a visa if you are a non-EU/EEA
National: http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/international_students/visabefore/tier4studentvisa/ . In particular, please read the Appendix 8 guide in “Step 5 – Check your visa requirements”. The UK Border Agency’s information on applying for your student visa in your home country starts here: http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/apply-outside-uk/ .
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) also has a useful guide:
http://ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/immigration_uk.php
The UK Border Agency requirements are very strict and you must follow them carefully to avoid having your visa refused. By the time you receive this email you will probably be within three months of the start date of your course, so once your offer is unconditional (academic and financial) and you have received your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your college or department you can start to apply for your visa. Prepare thoroughly but apply as soon as you can to make sure you have your visa and can arrive in time for the start of your course.
Please also make sure you read section ii. below about financial requirements for your visa. This is the most common reason for being refused a visa. If your visa is refused you will need to apply again and pay the fee and you risk being late for the start of your course.
Students currently in the UK on a Tier 4 visa:
If you have been studying elsewhere in the UK, your current Tier 4 visa is only valid for your previous place of study. You must obtain a new Tier 4 visa to study at Oxford (Oxford will be your new visa sponsor). We recommend you do this over the summer. At the latest, you must apply before you start your course at Oxford; you will not be allowed to enrol unless we have proof that you have applied for, or obtained your new visa. If you will be applying in the UK see the UKCISA information sheet or email for advice.
Other points to consider
Tuberculosis scan:
Some students will need to obtain a TB scan before applying for a visa, a list of countries that need a TB scan is available on the UKBA website. Note that for China and Hong Kong this is only currently required for settlement visas and not for Tier 4 visa applications. You can apply for a TB scan before your CAS is issued and while your offer is still conditional.
ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme):
Students studying certain Science, Engineering and Technology degrees may require an ATAS certificate (see Step 2 on website link). If this applies to you (not all subjects) it would have been stated in your admission offer letter and your college (for undergraduate students*) or department (for graduate students) will supply you with the details to make an application.
*MPhys, MPhysPhil, MEng Materials and MEng MEM only.
You can only apply for the certificate once your college/department has given you the necessary details but you do not have to wait for your CAS to be issued, or your offer to become unconditional as this could delay the visa process at a later date. You should do this promptly as it takes 20 working days to receive a certificate and you cannot apply for a visa until you have this certificate.
Previous Study in the UK:
There is now a limit on the amount of time that you can spend in the UK studying. Your visa will be refused if your new course would exceed this limit. Before issuing your CAS we will have checked so far as we can on the information we have available that your visa application will not put you in breach of the time limit. If you have studied in the UK before, please check UKCISA’s information and notify your college or department if there could be a potential problem: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/index.php
Interview:
You might also need to attend a short interview for your visa, so check your email regularly and your junk mail folders in case UKBA do send you an email invitation. This will not apply to students from low risk countries as explained on the UKBA website.
Family members:
For information about bringing family members to the UK please see the University webpages about visas for your family. If you have concerns about not being able to bring your family members as Tier 4 dependants because you do not meet the requirements, then please contact us for advice.
Police registration:
Some nationalities will need to register with the police on arrival in Oxford; if this applies to you it will be written on your visa sticker, or biometric residence permit if you have one. To make things easier for you the Thames Valley Police will be at the Exam Schools on Friday 4 October and Friday 11 October to help you register. You will need your student enrolment certificate (see bank account section below), passport photo and £34 in cash exactly. We will ask you to sign up at graduate orientation on 3 /4 October or undergraduate orientation on 7 October, otherwise if you cannot attend you will need to go the Police Station in St Aldates in person on another date.
For questions about applying and help with visa problems, please email the University’s Visa and Immigration Advisers:
ii. CAUTION: Financial documents for your visa application
The most common reason for refusal of a visa application is including the wrong kind of financial evidence. If your visa is refused you will need to apply again and pay the fee and risk being late for the start of your course.
UKBA requirements for this are very specific and different from those for your College Financial Guarantee. UKBA requires original documents accompanied by an official translation if not in English. Full detail of the requirements is given in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance document. If you are a ‘low risk national’ applying in your country of nationality as defined in the guidance you do not need to include the evidence with your application but must have it available in the required format in case UKBA ask for it.
You will need to show you have funding for your tuition fees as shown on your CAS (for one year only if your course is longer than one year) plus an amount for living expenses as specified by UKBA which will be up to a maximum of £7200. It may be less if you have already been studying in the UK or if your course is for 8 months or fewer it will be £800 per calendar month or part of month. If any dependants are also applying, you will need to show additional funding for them. You may be able to deduct any money that has already been paid to the University towards your course fees and up to £1000 paid towards University or college accommodation from the amount you need to show.
Your funding may be from:
· Official Financial Sponsorship, which must be from: the UK government, your home government, the British Council, any international organisation, an international company (with a trading presence and offices in more than one country), any university or an Independent School. For evidence, you must use a paper letter (not pdf or similar) from the Official Financial Sponsor as specified in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance para 193. Note that you will need a letter even if your Official Financial Sponsorship is from Oxford as the information will not be recorded in your CAS.
· Your own or a parent or legal guardian’s money, which must be cash funds held in one or more accounts. The full amount you need must have been held for at least 28 days. You cannot use financial evidence from any other family member or friends, so if someone else apart from a parent or legal guardian wanted to help pay for your studies, they would have to do it by transferring funding to you or paying towards fees or accommodation directly to Oxford. For the requirements for evidence of your own or a parent or legal guardian’s money, see the Tier 4 Policy Guidance paras 194 – 201. For accounts in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, check the institution is on the list of those UKBA considers acceptable – see para 180. For information on the extra documentation you need to provide if you are using evidence of money held by a parent or legal guardian, see para s 203 – 204.
· A student or government loan. If you will be getting a US loan, you will need the loan confirmation letter from Oxford. Otherwise, you will need a letter from the financial institution as set as specified in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance para 201 (v). Note that you can only use evidence of a loan in your name (not a parent or legal guardians) and that is provided by your national, state or regional government, a government sponsored student loan company or is part of an academic or educational loans scheme. To fund your studies with any other type of loan, you would need to have the funds transferred into an account and show evidence as for the bullet point above.
If you are a visiting student and are not required to pay fees directly to Oxford, check that this is confirmed on your CAS and that you do not need to provide financial evidence.
If you are unsure about the funding requirement email .
iii. Official University Student Registration
In September, you will receive an email from Student Information inviting you to complete your official student registration with the University in an online portal called ‘Student Self Service’. It is very important to complete this registration promptly so you can access essential University services, see your exam entries and results on the Student Self Service portal and print the enrolment certificate (used to open a bank account, for police registration and numerous other purposes).
You can also use the Student Self Service portal to update your contact details throughout the course.
iv. Orientation Programme and Meet and Greet service at Heathrow Airport
The Orientation Programme for European and International Students aims to help you settle into academic and social life at Oxford by providing specialised information that non-UK students may require. Your college will have sent you information about the programmes, or may do so shortly, and before you register you must check with your college to see if accommodation is available for the additional days. You will need the Orientation Programme registration code to register online: Oxorient at the hyperlink link below.
Your college (for undergraduate students) and department (for postgraduate students) will also arrange separate induction sessions for all students (UK and non-UK students) mostly in week 0, the induction week. These will explain in more depth the academic rules, regulations and services provided by each area.
A Meet and Greet Service is also available at Heathrow Airport from 28 September to 6 October to help guide you to Oxford. For further details on both services see: www.ox.ac.uk/students/new/orientation/
v. Student spouses or partners welcome event – 7 October 2.00pm-5.00pm
If moving to Oxford as the partner or family member of a student might appear a daunting experience, we have an information and social day for spouses, partners and family members on 7 October at the Examination Schools. Join us for talks and presentations on working in the UK, childcare and careers services, and be welcomed by people who have been through the “spouse/partner experience”.
A detailed timetable will be available from the Student Gateway soon. This event is free to attend and open to all – children are welcome and you can accompany your partner if you so wish. To book a place or ask a question, please e-mail: . Whilst booking is not essential, we would like an idea of how many visitors to expect.