Frequently Asked Questions

How do I Register on a Course

Back to topRegistering for a course at WLBC is an easy and hassle-free process and can be done either in person at our premises or by contacting us through the website or email.
Whichever way you choose, you can rely on our help with ensuring that you have chosen the right course and that all your questions are answered.

In a nutshell, to secure yourself a place on a forthcoming course of study with us you should :

• provide us with your personal and contact details (including any immigration related documents if applicable;
• tell us which course you would like to study with us and what you hope to achieve by completing this course (we call this a “Statement of Intent”. This information ensures that you have made the right choice and that the investment of your time, money and effort will bear the desired result);
• if applicable, provide us with any previous academic achievements and/or a confirmation of English language knowledge (or please take our Placement Test);
• if possible, come and have a trial lesson to meet the teacher, the other students and the see the quality of our classes;
• choose a starting date (almost any Monday for EFL and semester start dates for HE courses);
• payment of course fees

Those of you who are visa nationals should bear the following in mind:

To be able to come and study with us you will need to make a choice whether to apply for a student visitor visa or a UK Tier 4 Student Visa by using a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) number issued by our college.

Student visitor visa route is recommended for General English or courses lasting up to 9 months or when you do not have a recognised and acceptable English Language exam result. For the details of accepted English language exams please visit the website.

If you choose to come as a Tier 4 student, we will need to issue you with a CAS. To be able to issue you with this unique reference number we will need to receive certain documents from you first. These documents would hopefully prove that you meet the criteria to come and study in the UK as a Tier 4 student. It would be best if you could scan and email these documents to us at your earliest convenience.

Please note that all the documents you send to us must be translated to English by an authorised translator clearly stating the date of translation and the translator’s contact details.

Please send us a copy of your passport,
a copy of any qualifications you have (high school, university, etc.)
and a copy of a certificate confirming your level of English.
Please note that if you are below Intermediate level or you do not have a recognised English language exam result you will not be able to come to study English in the UK on a Tier 4 student visa but only on a 6 or 11 months’ student-visitor visa.

Once we have received all the documents mentioned above and made a payment of your course fees a CAS number is issued and sent to you.

Please note that apart from a CAS number you will need to submit your bank statements to the British Embassy at the country where you are making your application. According to the current immigration rules you will need to have had a minimum of £7200 in your bank account for a minimum period of last 28 days before you submit your application. The bank statements you give to the British Embassy must be in your name they must be original statements and must not be older that 1 month.

If your visa request is refused because you did not meet the requirements regarding your bank statements we will not be entitled to a refund of your course fees and we will not be able to issue you with a new CAS number to enable you to re-apply for a new visa.

This is a brief description of the whole process but rest assured that we will guide you and keep in regular contact with you.

If you have further questions at this stage please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please visit the UKBA website on www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk for more information on studying in the UK.

Applying for a Visa

Back to topIf you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to study at West London Business College.

All other international students need to make an immigration application to enter or stay in the UK.

If you are unsure whether you need a to apply for a visa, see the UK Border Agency website.


All overseas students need to apply for a visa

If you are not an EEA or Swiss national, and you want to come to the UK as a student, it is compulsory for you to make an immigration application to enter the UK, known as entry clearance. This will be under 'Tier 4'.

If you are unsure whether you need a visa to study in the UK, see the UK Border Agency website.

In some instances, it may be more appropriate for you to apply for entry clearance as a prospective student.

If you wish to bring your spouse and / or children with you, they will also need to apply for entry clearance as your dependants.

When applying for entry clearance, make sure you allow enough time for your application to be processed before you need to come to the UK.

You are strongly advised to consult the latest information available before making your plans to come to the UK.

Check the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website and the UK Border Agency website (for people outside the UK) for the most up-to-date information available at the time you are applying.

Coming to the UK for a short visit (six months or less) to study

For more information on enrolment procedures please visit the admissions section of our web-site.

If someone wants to come to the UK for a short visit (six months or less) and also wants to study during that time (full-time or part-time), they can apply instead to come as a 'student visitor' or 'child visitor' (if under 18 years old).

In most cases, it is not recommended that you apply to come to the UK as a 'student visitor' or 'child visitor'. This type of visa is only suitable for people who want to study a course lasting no longer than six months and who definitely will not want to stay longer in the UK.

If you come to the UK as a 'student visitor' or 'child visitor' you cannot apply to extend your stay in the UK as a Tier 4 student (eg if you need longer to complete your studies or if you want to go on to another course). You will have to return home and apply for entry clearance as a Tier 4 student (and then come back to the UK).

Also, as a 'student visitor' or 'child visitor' you will not be permitted to work (paid or unpaid or as part of a course).

More information is available on the UKCISA website

What documents do I need

Back to topAll students at WLBC will need to provide the college with a set of documents kept on individual student files before registering and starting a course. The type of documents we needed would depend on your nationality, immigration status and the type of course you are applying for.

In all cases, we will require a proof of student’s identity. Visa students will prove this with their passport. EU students can provide us with their national ID although a passport copy is preferred for this purpose.

In addition to this, students who are applying for a CAS will need to submit relevant proof of their academic achievements (both overseas and in the UK) and a proof of their knowledge of English language.

To minimize the chances of prospective Tier 4 students being refused a visa, those visa students applying from within the UK will need to provide us with their latest bank statements.

Please note that all documents provided to the college are kept in accordance with WLBC’s Confidentiality Policy and with awareness of the Data Protection Act 1998.

To sum it up, it would be of great help if all prospective students should provide us with:

• A copy of their passport (and visa/visas if applicable);
• Academic achievements (all certificates, diplomas, degrees you were awarded with);
• A confirmation of your knowledge of English language (IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, etc.)

Keeping copies of all these documents on your file ensures that we have a confirmation that you are in the UK legally, that we are aware of your previous academic achievements, that we are satisfied that you are able to attend your chosen course of study with us and that you are making academic progression by choosing a particular course at WLBC.

Living costs

Back to topYour main costs as a student will be living expenses, including accommodation, travel, entertainment, books, food and clothing.

Estimates vary as to how much students should budget for, and London, like other destinations, can be as expensive as personal taste dictates. A total of around £185 per week is considered to be a reasonable average.

As a guide the biggest items are:

£60-£120 for accommodation
£40 for housekeeping (food, toiletries etc)
£40 for entertainment
£10 for travel
£7 for insurance/TV licence
£10 for clothes.

Opening a Bank Account

Back to topTo open a UK bank account you must have a passport with a visa that is valid for at least 6 months and usually 2 documents proving your address and your status as a student. One of these must be a letter from WLBC, and the other is normally a utility bill. If you would like help with opening a bank account, please speak to reception.

Currently Santander are opening bank accounts for students at WLBC, speak to Sagar Patel @ 114 Broadway London W13 0SY 0845 765 4321.

Healthcare

Back to topThe National Health Service (NHS) provides free healthcare for people living in the UK. Please see reception if you would like advice on registering with a doctor or dentist. Students should register with a doctor near their home. See www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call 0845 4647 for a list of local doctors (GPs). Dentists can also be NHS registered, but expect to pay a contribution towards your treatment. You will also pay a prescription charge for any medicine you need.

In an emergency, go to the accident and emergency (A&E) department of the nearest hospital (Ealing Hospital is on the Uxbridge road towards Southall) or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Students can also access NHS Walk-In Centres. Walk-In Centres are NHS surgeries where students can ask for help without having a pre-booked appointment or being registered. Please do not confuse these with the Accident & Emergency departments at hospitals which should only be used in extreme urgency.
Please see the list of the NHS Walk-In Centres closest to the college:


1. Wembley Centre For Health and Care (4.1km)
116 Chaplin Road
Wembley
Middlesex
HA0 4UZ

2. Hammersmith Centre for Health (5km)
Hammersmith Hospital
Du Cane Road
London
W12 0HS

3. St Charles Hospital (6.4km)
Exmoor Street
London
W10 6DZ

4. 92 Bath Road (6.6km)
Hounslow
Middlesex
TW3 3LN

5. Fulham Centre for Health (6.8km)
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF

National Insurance Number

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Travel

Back to topPublic transport and Oyster Cards

Students can have 30% discount on travel on London Transport with an Oyster Card. You must be enrolled for at least 14 weeks to apply for a student travel card. Applications should be submitted electronically through Transport for London website at www.tfl.gov.uk. Applications cost £10 payable to Transport Trading Limited.

What is your Attendance Policy

Back to topWe do not allow any unauthorised absences from class and students are expected to maintain 100% attendance rate. Depending on the course you choose to study, you will be required to attend classes regularly for a minimum of 15 hours per week. Some of our courses require more than 15 hours attendance per week. In any case, any absence from class which has not been pre-booked and pre-approved by the college will be treated as unauthorised absence.

Students on Tier 4 and student visitors visa are reminded that this is a very important issue and an instance where we cannot show a great deal of flexibility or understanding. We take pride in having a long-standing, unspoilt record with regards to our Tier 4 Sponsorship licence.

Students having a high number of unauthorised absences will be removed from class and asked to attend an interview to explain their absence. Students who persistantly miss classes will be treated in accordance with WLBC's Attendance Policy and risk having their course cancelled and their details reported to the UK Border Agency.
EU and local students are also reminded of our attendance requirements. Any absence from class will deducted from the total time the student has made a payment for and the course dates will not be extended.

We do recognise that there may be times when you will need to be absent from class due to unexpected reasons. For our policy on this, please visit what if I can't come to class section of the website.

What if I can't come to class

Back to topDepending on the course you register for, you will be entitled to a number of holidays during your course. Additionally, the college is closed for a number of holidays during the year. Please visit our Academic Calendar for the exact dates.
Students are invited to plan their trips and leisure activities during the periods when they do not have lessons.

In exceptional circumstances, if you are not feeling well on the day of class or if the reason for absence is beyond your control, you are asked to contact the college and explain your absence to us. We will then decide whether to authorise this absence or not. You should call the main office before your class and have your student number ready. We will need to know the reason for absence and the expected day of return to class.

Students are reminded that this option should be used in exceptional circumstances and that all absence should be pre-booked.

Can I work in the UK

Back to topCurrently with the new UKBA rules T4 student Visa's are now issued with no rights to work.

What if I have to travel back home

Back to topYou need to provide the college with copies of flight tickets and get a holiday letter.