How Across the Pond Helps During Student Visa and Pre-Departure Season

If you’ve accepted an offer to a UK university (or are planning to soon), congratulations! You’re probably thinking – now what? Don’t worry! Your Across the Pond advisor is still here to help with the remainder of this process. Read on to find out more about the FREE assistance we can offer during student visa and pre-departure season!

STUDENT VISAS

Do you need a student visa? If you are not a a UK citizen and do not have a valid UK passport, then you will most likely need a student visa to study in the UK.

STUDENT VISA GUIDE

Across the Pond puts together a comprehensive student visa guide annually. Typically, we send this out around May for students starting in the fall. We wait until May so that the information in our guide is as up to date as possible at the time of publication, though students should also be sure to check the UK’s official student visa website for updates post-publication. 

*Reminder: please do not apply for your visa until prompted to do so!*

Our guide highlights key areas of the official UK Home Office Visa Guidance that apply specifically to the Student Route Visa. We do our best to make the official information as clear as possible.

Despite the resources that we offer, it is important to note that we are not qualified immigration lawyers/advisors. Therefore, we are not able to provide advice on application specifics, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the requirements and submit all the correct documents with your visa application.

VISA CONTACTS

For visa questions about your personal circumstances, we can direct you to the appropriate contact at your UK university. They will be able to provide more tailored advice and have a wealth of experience advising international students! Just let your advisor know and we can help put you in touch!

Alternatively, questions regarding your personal application can be directed to the UK Home Office. Please note that we cannot advise on individual visa cases and can only give the general guidance as offered by the Home Office.

Home Office: Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

STUDENT VISA WEBINARS

Across the Pond runs student visa webinars each spring. An advisor will run through a presentation on the visa application process and hold a Q&A. Your advisor will let you know when these visa webinars are happening!

PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION

When we say “Pre-Departure” information we refer to advice that will help you in your departure preparations and arrival in the UK!

PRE-DEPARTURE GUIDE

Going to study in the UK is an exciting experience and we know that you will have many questions. For this reason, Across the Pond has created a Pre-Departure Guide! It’s designed to help answer your questions about the practical aspects of moving to the UK, and provide information that should be useful throughout your journey!

PRE-DEPARTURE WEBINARS

Additionally, our team runs pre-departure webinars every summer. While the visa webinars are more instructional, this webinar is meant to be fun! We cover some of the most frequently asked questions about travelling/moving to the UK, and answer your questions live!

FACEBOOK GROUPS

Each year, we create Facebook Groups for our students! This is your space to meet other Across the Pond applicants who plan to start their studies in the same academic year. Your advisor will send you the information for these groups in the spring/summer. We post some fun and helpful information in these Groups so we encourage you to join if you are going to be attending one of our partner universities!

BLOG AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Across the Pond’s blog is a GREAT resource for pre-departure information (hello, you’re in it!). With articles written by both advisors and Across the Pond students, the topics are extensive! You can find our (awesome) blog homepage here.

Topics include:

• Packing for the UK- What to Bring and What Not to Bring
• Studying in the UK vs Studying in Canada
• How to Handle being Homesick While in the UK
• The Best Free (or Cheap) Activities to do as a Student in the UK

We also share helpful pre-departure information across our social media channels!

Check them out:

Instagram ☞ Facebook ☞ Pinterest ☞ Twitter

Just because your application has been sent, doesn’t mean the end of Across the Pond’s free services! We are here to help you every step of the way on your journey. If at any time you have questions, let us know!

You can find out more about studying in the UK by contacting one of our advisors!