The British council is inviting all international students presently studying in the UK to participate in their  online survey (last date of entry 2 April). The survey is aimed at finding out students’ attitudes towards their own personal safety. Questions are asked regarding how safe students feel in their schools, in the city locations where they are studying and in their accommodation. The survey is undertaken every couple of years to help the British Council update the information booklet Comfort Zone which provides useful advice to students about ensuring their stay in the UK is safe and enjoyable.

If you are one of LSI’s students at our schools in London Central, London Hampstead, Cambridge or Brighton, why not take part in the survey and get entered for the prize draw? The survey takes about 15 minutes to fill in and who knows, you might be the lucky person who walks away with the top prize, £100 worth of Amazon tokens courtesy of the British Council.

Good news for any potential student wishing to come to the UK to study ; it seems that applying for a student visa has never been so simple. In the past visa applications could be fraught with unforeseen problems causing considerable heartache to disappointed applicants. The new points based system, introduced at the beginning of April, attempts to rectify this uncertainty by setting out clearer guidelines.

A spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency outlined the benefits of the new system.
“The UK has a lot to offer international students. Now they see whether they are eligible for a visa before they even apply – making the system much clearer and easier to understand. The aim is to make the application process more transparent and straightforward.”

From the 1st April Students will need to provide evidence of the following

1. A visa letter from the school where the students intends to study.
2. Evidence of qualifications required as preconditions for course enrolment by the sponsoring school. The UK Border Agency require that language students have at least an elementary level of English (for the General Student Visa). If at beginner level students can only apply for a Student Visitor Visa.
3. Proof of sufficient funds to maintain themselves in the UK.

Students will also need to decide which type of visa to apply for. For adults aged 18 or over, there are two main categories: a general student visa or the student visitor visa. A student visitor visa (SVV) would be suitable for students wishing to study in the UK for six months or less and who do not wish to take up any employment whilst in the country. With the general student visa however, a student can study in the UK for up to 12 months (or more in some cases) and is permitted to work. Watch the video below to learn more about the new General Student Visa or ,to read more about all adult student visas and the child student visas , please visit the UK Border agency website .

Crucially only reputable language schools licensed under Tier 4 of the new Points based System will be permitted to act as sponsoring institutions on student applications. Students will thus benefit by knowing they are applying to bone fide teaching institutions where they will receive an excellent education.

As a company with a long established reputation in the provision of quality language courses , Language Studies International has received licenses for all its UK schools: LSI London Central, LSI London Hampstead , LSI Cambridge, and LSI Brighton.

Something to consider before booking a course with LSI: as the new Points Based System requires a visa application for each licensed institution, if you are intending to split your studies between several of our UK schools you may need to apply for a visa for each school before your arrival in the UK. Please contact our schools directly if you have any queries regarding this.