International Learners

Our International Recruitment Officer, Stephen Scarborough
Our International Recruitment Officer, Stephen Scarborough

At Barking & Dagenham College, we welcome learners from far and wide: within the United Kingdom (UK), from the European Union (EU), and beyond.

Are you an international learner?
An international learner is someone who has:

no right of residence within the EU, or
has not resided in the EU for the previous three years, up to 1 September, 1 January or 1 April – whichever is closest to the date of your course.

Quick Links

Here is a guide to help international learners through the process of applying to study with us:

1. Complete our online application form and state that you wish us to sponsor you. You will also need to show that your level of English is above a Level 2.
2. We require copies of all certificates of qualifications. We will accept emailed scans as part of your application, but will need to see originals once you arrive in the UK.
3. The tutor will check your certificates and qualifications, and once we have been instructed to give you an unconditional offer, we will then send out a form where you are asked to complete your details and return with an admin fee (currently £10) for the UK Border Agency. Please note, this is non-refundable.
4. You will also be required to pay percentage of your course tuition fee – currently 75%. The total fee for a full-time course was £7,600.00 in 2011, but this could increase or decrease for 2012 courses. An exam fee will also be payable, but this varies from course to course. Students are given the opportunity to pay in four instalments by direct debit, or directly to the College on the required instalment dates. Please note that if you do not pay in full, you will be required to pay an extra £250.00 administration (“admin”) fee.
5. Once payment has been made, we will then sponsor you and create a CAS number through the UKBA.
6. A visa letter will be returned to you with your CAS number. You will use the visa letter to complete your application for a visa.
7. Once we have become your sponsor, we are duty-bound to report to the UKBA on the following:

  • Enrolment not completed
  • Withdrawn from course
  • Missing attendance
  • Change of address.

If your chosen course is a two-year course, then you will need us to sponsor you for each year. Please let the tutor know this before you complete the first year of your course.

For more information on sponsorship, please go to the UKBA website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

You should be aware that we are unable to arrange visa applications for international learners, and it is unlikely that you will be granted a visa for part-time courses. A part-time course is under 15 hours a week.

Applying for a course

In the first instance, you should complete an Application Form and post it to us, along with copies of all your qualification certificates. If you are applying for a Higher Education course, please see below for more information. We can only accept applications from international learners for courses at Level 3 or above. Please send these to:

Stephen Scarborough
International Recruitment Officer
Barking & Dagenham College
Rush Green Campus
Dagenham Road
Romford
Essex  RM7 0XUClick here to see our online Application FormAlternatively, if you are able to scan the Application Form and your qualification certificates, you can email them to Stephen.

Applying for a Higher Education course

If you are applying for a Higher National Diploma (HND) or Foundation Degree course, you must do so through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), and not to Barking & Dagenham College. Please visit www.ucas.ac.uk for more information.

For our Higher National Certificate courses (HNC), we are able to accept applications here at the College, and you should use our standard Application Form.

International Fees

For a full-time course in 2012, including Higher Education courses: £7,600 per academic year (excluding exam and course registration fees)

At least 75% of your tuition and exam fees must be paid when you enrol. You can find more information on how to pay you fees, including the instalment options we offer, in our Fees & Funding section.

Closing date for International Applications

There is no official closing date for applications made directly to the College, but we would encourage you to apply as early as possible and certainly before 1 September for the year you would like to start your course.

However, there is a deadline for Higher Education applications through UCAS, so please visit www.ucas.ac.uk for more information.

Accommodation

We do not have halls of residence at the College and we are sorry, but we are unable to provide accommodation letters for visa purposes. There is a YMCA within walking distance from our Rush Green campus on Dagenham Road, however, and we would urge you to contact them as soon as possible to reserve your accommodation:

YMCA, Rush Green Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 0PH, UK
Telephone: 01708 766211
Fax: 01708 754211
Email: info@romfordymca.org

www.romfordYMCA.org

Additional help

There is more information on studying here from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) at:

Outside the UK: +44 20 7107 9922
Inside the UK: 020 7107 9922
www.ukcisa.org.uk

Police registration

If you come from one of the following countries then you will have a stamp in your passport that says you must register with the police within 7 days of arriving in the UK.

Afghanistan China Kazakhstan Palestine Turkey
Algeria Colombia Kirigizstan Peru Turkmenistan
Argentina Cuba Kuwait Qatar United Arab Emirates
Armenia Egypt Lebanon Russia
Azerbaijan Georgia Libya Saudi Arabia Ukraine
Bahrain Iran Moldovo Sudan Uzbekistan
Belarus Iraq Morocco Syria Yemen
Bolivia Israel North Korea Tajikistan
Brazil Jordan Oman Tunisia

This is done at the Overseas Visitors Registration Office, Ground Floor, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LH.

Opening hours: 9.00 – 16.00 Mon – Fri

You are advised to take:

You must do this within 7 days of being in the UK. Any changes to your original details must be completed within a further 8 days.

Once registered you must also register with your local Police Station.

If you need to update your Police Registration Certificate with any of the changes you must visit your local Police Station to do so. Please follow the instructions below. You must complete this within 8 days.

Registering with the police is an important procedure, and if you are in any doubt about what you need to do, you should contact us.

When you finally leave the UK, you must return the Certificate to Barking and Dagenham College.

Barking & Dagenham College is your route to success and we look forward to welcoming you.