British High Commission

British Council Australia does not issue visas or passports.  We have given some brief information below, but all further enquiries regarding visas, passports and work-permits should be directed to:

British High Commission
Entry Clearance Section
Piccadilly House
39 Brindabella Circuit
Canberra Airport
ACT  2609

T: 1902 941 555 (charged at $1.05/minute)
Web: www.britaus.net  Passport and visa application forms and information sheets can be downloaded and printed from this website.

Student visas

Overseas students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during term-time and full-time during holidays provided they are studying full-time for 6 months or more.  Your spouse and/or dependants are entitled to work full-time in the UK provided the course you're taking is a minimum of 12 months.

Further details can be obtained from the website of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

In order to apply for a student visa, you will need to:

• Produce evidence that you have been accepted for a course of study at a UK institution
• Show that the course is full-time
• Prove that you have sufficient funds to meet the cost of the course and your living and accommodation expenses

British Nationals

If you have a British passport through a British parent or an Ancestry Visa through a British grandparent you do not need to apply for a Student Visa.

Work placements

If it is a requirement of a course, work experience is permitted. Internal placements of up to 3 months are also allowed with multinational companies.

Some universities offer the flexibility of a sandwich course, the studying broken by the "filling" - a substantial time spent on an industrial placement (often one year of a four year course).

Your prospective employer - not you - can make a work permit application for you to work in England, Scotland or Wales.

• Details of work permits can be found at: www.workpermits.gov.uk

From Summer 2005, overseas graduates from Scottish universities will have two years grace to stay in the country in order to secure employment.

The three-month limit will still apply south of the border.  In addition to these visa extensions in Scotland, there are plans for a new government-funded scholarship scheme to allow overseas students to combine postgraduate study with work experience and a new ‘one-stop’ service to help people and companies who are considering relocating to Scotland.

Visit www.scotlandistheplace.com for more information

Pre-departure

Travelling to another country involves preparation and organisation.  To make this easier, we've put together a pre-departure information sheet.

Visit DestinationUK for an informative animated tour through all the things you’ll need to ponder, plan, prepare and pack for your time as an overseas student in the UK.