International News

The Immigration Health Surcharge is set to increase from 6 February 2024.

Student Route applicants and Student Route Dependant applicants will be charged £776 per year. Graduate Route applicants will be charged £1035 per year.

The Home Office anounced an increase in the cost of some applications in and out of country, applications submitted from 4 October 2023 will notice and increase. Please check the full price change in the Government website.

The immigration health surcharge is set to increse in January 2024 from £470 to £776 those eligible for discounted fee and from £624 to £1035 full fee. 

On 17 July 2023, changes to the student route will take effect, following the announcement made by the Home Secretary on 23 May 2023. The two changes are:

• Removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes.  
• Removing students’ right to switch into a work route before their studies are complete

From 17 July 2023 student visa holders will no longer be able to switch out of the Student Route until completion of the course. PHD students will be permitted to switch into the Skilled Worker route after they have completed 24 months towards their PhD.

Read the dependants rules changes.

Planned strikes across the country, all the dates for strikes and stoppage across the public sector. 

Border Force strike, affecting people travelling to UK during the planned strikes.

Transport for London and National Rail strikes dates.

Nurses and Ambulance strikes, how it will affect patients.

Royal Mail Strike, dates and how it will affect their services. 

For those needing to register with the police on arrival

The Government has decided to abolish the Police Registration Scheme. The scheme, which requires some migrants to register with the police.

On Friday 5 August 2022, the Home Office announced that it would abolish the police registration scheme for international students in the UK, with immediate effect even if your immigration documentation mentions that you must. 

If a migrant has previously registered with the police, they do not need to do anything. 

If, prior to the scheme being abolished, you failed to register within the required timeframe, you are no longer required to register.

Join Margarita Damai, your full-time officer for the first-ever International Student Fair - a day filled with activities

(and food) to celebrate our diverse student body!

 We have planned a day full of activities and entertainment for you. 

This is your time and chance to proudly represent your country. From an international food stall, a Kahoot quiz, music, 

and talents competition, this is your ticket to a day full of fun. And what's best- the ticket is free!!! 

Get your free ticket here and sign up to the event

Timeline of the day:

1-3 pm: An amazing food truck serving international food for a reduced price (more info to be announced).

1.30 pm- Kahoot Quiz- (£30 for the winner)

1-4 pm - Painting and drawing canvases

5-6 pm - I've Got a Talent (open mic)

Check what's included:

• £3 per drink deal
• Music & DJ
• Free Goody Bags
• Free Candy Floss
• Free badges
• Photo Booth 
• Populate our tree with words from your mother tongue 
• Stick your origin in the Map
• The Advice Service Raffle
• The Societies & Sports Group Stand

Do you want to show your talent?
Slam poetry, singing, dancing - you name it, we’d love to see it! See our news article here.
If interested, please come to the Students’ Union (Holloway Campus) on the 21st March between 12pm – 3pm.  Alternatively, please email a short audition clip to Margarita Damai (magarita.damai@londonmet.ac.uk) before 2pm on the 21st of March.

Students' Union Leaders - applications close on Monday 14th Feb 5pm!

The LMSU Leaders Elections are an annual election open to all current London Met students. Students are invited to stand in these elections to run for full-time and part-time positions that represent their peers the following academic year.

Full-time Positions: President, VP Education, VP Equity and Welfare and VP Activities & Opportunities (pay £24,000 plus)

Part-time position: Women's Officer, Black, Asian and Minority-Ethnic (BAME) Students Officer, LGBTQ+ Officer, Disabled Student Officer, x10 Student Council members and x2 National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference delegates. 

All these positions will equip you with excellent transferable skills which will aid you with future employability. Full training and support will be provide both for election candidates and elected officers. Skills such as communication skills, attention to details ,interpersonal skills and public speaking are all to be gained.  

All the leaders elected will take up office from 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023 (with the exception of those elected as delegates to the NUS Conference who attend the conference from April 2022). Full information and to submit your application please visit:

https://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/elections/2022/

Want to find out more? Then come along to one of our election application hangouts:

Wed 9th February 5.00-6.00pm  - Election application hangout for all students 

https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/e999c4fa0db340f59955195765d29b51

Thu 10th February 3.00-4.00pm  - Meet the current and ex-Presidents' hangout - all welcome 
https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/dfd1d36284fe47f8bb50d2b6b2b8bba1

Fri 11th February 10.00-11.00pm  - Election application hangout for woman students only 
https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/9181b9bd95b3478a8c4c054b341bc1ed

Fri 11th February 11.00-12.00pm - Meet the current and ex-Presidents' hangout - all welcome 
https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/eaa79e35a66142b5b1eb2e52d8e70694

Fri 11th February 1.00-2.00pm Election application hangout for Black, Asian and minority ethnic students only 
https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/a26e959aed7f4f8881dba923fb90661d

Deadline for applications: Monday 14th February 5.00pm

Afghanistan Crisis

The UK Government has now launched a crisis line which will be open 24/7. All the details can be found on the Gov.uk website. Anyone who calls will have their key details collected and will be passed to UKVI for triage and case working. For more support if you are affected by this, please visit the Migrant Help website for more information.

EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals 

Applications for the EU Settlement scheme are now closed. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals will have to prove their right to live, work and study with their immigration permission from today 1 July 2021.  

If you are a student and are required to re-enrol onto your course for the next academic year, you will be asked to log into Evision to complete a task. Failure to complete the task may jeopardise your studies as your enrolment will be suspended if we do not hold evidence of your right to study on file, as required by the Home Office.  

For information about how to prove your rights in the UK, please refer to the comprehensive guidance issued by the Home Office.

Graduate Route: 

The Graduate Route is now open for applications. Successful applicants would be granted permission for 2 years, or 3 years if they have completed a PhD. Please note that the Doctorate Extension scheme is now closed as it has been replaced by the Graduate Route.  

Eligibility Criteria 

• Successful completion of the degree qualification listed on your CAS. 
• Completion of degree qualification eligible for the route such as Bachelors, Masters or Research. 
• Completion of a minimum of a year of study in the UK for courses longer than 12 months or the full duration of the course if your course length is less than 12 months (Covid-19 concessions apply). 

If you meet the criteria to apply, you must not apply until we have reported the successful completion of your course to UKVI. We will inform you once the report has been completed and provide you a copy of your CAS if needed as you will be required to submit it with your application. 

Please note also that if you owe any debt to the University, your award will be delayed as well as your application under the Graduate Route. 

From 17 May 2021 the UK Government introduced a traffic light system of red, amber and green for all countries and individual islands. From this date the travel ban on none-essential travel is lifted.

The guidance can change at short notice, please read and familiarise yourself with the Government rules before you book your travel to the UK.

What you must do when you arrive in England from abroad depends on where you have been in the 10 days before you arrive. You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated. Check the ‘Red, Amber and Green List' of countries

What you need to do before travelling from a ‘Red List’ Country?

You cannot travel to England if you have been in a country in the ‘Red List’ unless you are: British national, Irish National, or someone with resident rights such as students.

• Take a Covid-19 test: you must have proof of a negative Covid-19 test before travelling to England
• Book a quarantine hotel package, including two Covid-19 tests
• Complete the passenger locator form within 48 hours from your arrival to the UK

What you need to do on arrival to the UK after travelling from a ‘Red List’ Country?

• Quarantine in a managed hotel and take a Covid-19 test on day two and eight of your quarantine

 What you need to do before travelling from an ‘Amber List’ Country?

• Take a Covid-19 test: you must have proof of a negative Covid-19 test before travelling to England.
• Book and pay for a day two and day eight COVID-19 travel tests – to be taken after arrival to the UK
• Complete the passenger locator form within 48 hours from your arrival to the UK

What to do after arrival to the UK from an ‘Amber List’ Country?

• Quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
• Take a COVID-19 test on or before day two and on or after day eight

What you need to do before travelling from a ‘Green List’ Country?

• Take a Covid-19 test: you must have proof of a negative Covid-19 test before travelling to England.
• Book and pay for a day two COVID-19 travel tests – to be taken after arrival to the UK
• Complete the passenger locator form within 48 hours from your arrival to the UK

What to do after arrival to the UK from a ‘Green List Country?

• You must take a COVID-19 test on or before day two after you arrive
• You do not need to quarantine unless the test result is positive
• You must quarantine if NHS Test & Trace informs you that you travelled to England with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19

 What happen if I test positive during my quarantine?

If you receive a positive result from your day two or eight test, you must quarantine for ten days beginning the day after the test was taken. Everyone living in the same accommodation with you, will also need to quarantine. If you are completing your quarantine in a government-approved facility, you will be required to pay the additional rate to complete your quarantine period.

What is test to release scheme?

If you arrive in England from somewhere outside the travel common area (UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) you must quarantine for 10 days on arrival. Under the Test to Release scheme you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. If the result is negative, you can end your quarantine. You still need to arrange and pay the travel test package on day two and eight. The test to release scheme can only be used by travellers who have travelled from non-red list countries and after receiving a day two negative result.

Graduate Route

The UK government has confirmed that the Graduate route will open for applications at 9am on 1 July 2021. Successful applicants will be granted a one-time non-extendable leave period of two years if graduating at an undergraduate or masters level and three years if graduating with a PhD. The route will not have a maintenance requirement and applicants will not need to demonstrate English language ability as they will already have proved English language ability by successfully completing a degree at a UK university.

Information for students returning to the UK or travelling for the first time

Before you travel to the UK, it is important to check the current government guidance on what you need to do before you travel to the UK. The guidance can change at short notice so it is important you read and familiarise yourself with the relevant rules before you book your travel to the UK from overseas.

What you must do before you travel? 

• You are required to complete the passenger location form;
• provide a negative Covid-19 test. A test must be taken in the 3 days before departure;
• If you have NOT been in the 'Red list’ countries, book and pay for a travel test package, which includes two COVID-19 tests to be taken on day two and eight of your quarantine, or
• If you are travelling directly from a country in the ‘Red List’ or will be in a ‘Red List’ country 10 days prior to your arrival to the UK, you must purchase a quarantine package within the 14 days window before arrival.

Do I have to quarantine on arrival to the UK? 

There are no longer travel corridors between England and any country therefore you are required to quarantine for 10 days on arrival to England (please note, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules). Under current regulations, there are two quarantine options and the place to quarantine depends on where you travel in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

What are the quarantine options?

• Anyone arriving from a country on the UK's Red list will be required to purchase a quarantine package, which will include accommodation in a government-approved facility and testing.
• If you arrive from a country not in the ‘Red List’ you are permitted to quarantine in your accommodation, we recommend you to check the guidance on how to quarantine when you arrive in England.

What happens if I test positive during my quarantine? 

If you receive a positive result from your day 2 or 8 test, you must quarantine for 10 days beginning the day after the test was taken. Everyone living in the same accommodation as you will also need to quarantine. If you are completing your quarantine in a government-approved facility, you will be required to pay the additional rate to complete your quarantine period.

How much do I need to pay to quarantine in a Government-approved facility?

	10 Day Rate	Additional day rate
Rate For 1 Adult In 1 Room For 10 Days (11 Nights)	£1750	£152
Additional Rate For 1 Adult (Or Child Over 12)	£650	£41
Additional Rate For A Child Aged 5–12	£325	£12

What is test to release scheme? 

If you arrive in England from somewhere outside the travel common area (UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) you must quarantine for 10 days on arrival. Under the Test to Release scheme you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. If the result is negative, you can end your quarantine. You still need to arrange and pay the travel test package on day 2 and 8. The test to release scheme can only be used by travellers who have travelled from non-red list countries and after receiving a day 2 negative result.  

 Can the Covid-19 test on campus replace the travel test package or be used for the test to release for international travel? 

By law, all tests privately provided on day 2 and day 8 for international arrivals must meet minimum standards. There are different requirements for the test to release scheme, which means that some providers for the general testing may not meet the minimum standards for Test to Release for international travel. LMU offers a ‘lateral flow test’, which detects the presence of COVID-19 through a swab of saliva. These tests do not require a laboratory to be processed and can rapidly turn around results within an hour therefore the test does not meet the minimum standards.  

I have the vaccine; do I need to quarantine or book the travel test package? 

There is no current provision for people who have receive the vaccine, at this point everyone arriving to England must follow the Government regulations outlined in this guide.

My entry clearance vignette expired before travelling to the UK. What do I need to do?

If you fail to enter the UK within the 90 day validity period of your entry clearance vignette, you must submit a Transfer of Conditions application. The cost of this application is £154 and you are required to submit your Biometrics again. Please note, this is not a fresh Student Visa application, you have already been granted a visa under the student route. When submitting the application please select the following options: 

• Confirm your visa type: BRP vignette transfer

Please include in the additional information that you have been granted a visa under the student route but have not been able to enter the country, please explain the reason for it. 

It is possible to come to the UK to apply for the Graduate scheme? 

The Graduate route will open for applications on 1 July 2021, a lot of students may be eager to return to the UK to apply for the scheme. We strongly advise you to check the UKCISA guidelines to find out if you are eligible to apply for the scheme and to understand when do you need to arrive in the UK to apply for the route. Please check with our International Advice Service before making any travel arrangements adviceinternational@londonmet.ac.uk. 

New visa route for British National (Overseas) in Hong Kong

In January 2021 the UKVI introduced a new immigration route for those with British National (Overseas) status from Hong Kong, with this visa they are permitted to work and study in the UK.

Hong Kong nationals could apply for this visa for 2 years and 6 months or 5 years and can extend as many times as they want however, they are eligible to apply for British Citizenship after 5 years of residence.

Family members can apply for a BN(O) visa if they are eligible. Please refer to the family members information from the UK Government to find out their eligibility to apply for this immigration category. 

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals applying for the Student Visa Route

The UK left the EU in March 2020 and the transition period ended on 31st December 2020. From 1st January 2021, the new Student Route was introduced under the Points Based System (PBS) for Students who do not hold EU Settled or Pre-Settled status (EUSS).

New Student Route

The government recently introduced a new immigration route for students and their dependents on Monday 5 October. The new student route is for Students, Child Students, and dependants of Students. The route replaces Tier 4 of the Points Based System. Some of the changes have been outlined below:

Study Caps

If you are studying a course at RQF level 6 (Degree level), the study cap is now 5 years only with certain course exemptions. There are no study caps on programmes at RQF level 7 (Masters) or above.

Finance (Maintenance)

If you, your dependent partner, or dependent child have been living in the UK for 12 months or more at the time of your application in the UK, you will satisfy the financial requirements. This means that you will not need to submit any financial evidence with your application.

This exemption also applies to Student Union Sabbatical Officers applying to stay in the UK.

No changes have been made to the existing format required for documents to prove finances for Students who do not meet the 12-month exemption.

Please note also that there has been an increase to the financial requirement. If you apply under the Student route from 1 December 2020,  you must show the new monthly figure of £1,334 a month up to a maximum of nine months.

Doctorate extension scheme applicants who are not exempt even if they have lived in the UK for 12 months or more must provide evidence of £2,668 (£1,334 x 2 months).

Immigration Health Surcharge Increase (IHS)

There was an increase in the immigration health surcharge on 27 October 2020. 

Students and their dependants previously paid £300 a year, but this has now increased to £470 a year. The charge for other applicants has also gone up to £624 a year.

Differential Evidence Requirement

Applicants who hold passports from certain countries will not be expected to provide evidence to show that they meet the financial requirements or provide the qualifications listed as the basis of the offer. UKVI decision makers continue to reserve the right to request for documents on an ad hoc basis.

Nationals from the EU, EEA and Switzerland now fall under this category.

Differential Evidence Requirement and Dependants

If you apply as a Student dependant from 1 December 2020, you must provide evidence of finances, even if you come from a country that is listed under the differential evidence requirement section in Appendix ST: Student paragraph ST 22.1. The main Student visa holder is not required to provide evidence of finances.

Beware of Telephone Fraud

We have been informed of a fraudulent attempt in which some students were telephoned by someone pretending to be the Home Office and asking students for a £500 payment or they risk facing deportation. The Home Office have been made aware of this incident and are looking into it.

Please note that, the Home Office will never ask you for personal information over the phone nor demand any money.

Information for EU students following the referendum and triggering of Article 50

Following the UK's referendum vote to leave the European Union, the triggering of article 50 means that official negotiations regarding the exit have now begun. At this time, EEA nationals' immigration status remains unchanged until further negotiations/decisions clarify their position. Please feel free to read further on this topic on the UK Council for International Student Affairs section titled: What we know for EU students.

26 October 2016

Information on telephone scams

We have been made aware of a scam in which students are called from a number identified as 'Home Office - Customer Services' asking for money to be paid for paperwork not correctly submitted upon entering the UK. It is our understanding that the callers can be very persistent and may even imply that, if you were to end the call, you may be penalised further.

Beware of Telephone Scams

We have been made aware of telephone scams that target international students. Please see the briefing below:

The caller instructs the student to verify their telephone number 020 7035 4848 on the GOV.UK website, search for Home Office, and then scroll down to the bottom of the screen so that they can verify that the caller is calling from the genuine Home Office number.  The caller ID on the student’s mobile does show this number. 

The caller is in possession of the students full name, postcode in the UK and passport number, and asks the student to confirm those details are correct.  

They then proceed to tell the student they have not paid for an immigration service and, as a result, have to pay a fine (usually £1200 - £1520) or they will be reported to the Police/or the Home Office who will detain or deport them.   

Please note, UKVI will not contact students in this manner.

Right to Rent Checks

Private landlords are now required to check on whether any prospective tenants have a right to be in the UK before renting. Non EU-nationals will need to show a valid visa before a rental contract can be issued.

The Home Office has published a guidance for landlords explaining what they need to do.

Immigration Health Surcharge

The immigration health surcharge applies to applicants who come to the UK for more than six months. For Student visa applicants specifically, the amount is £300 per 12 months' leave. Previously, Australians and New Zealanders were exempt from this charge, but as of 6 April 2016, they will also need to pay this charge as part of their Student visa application.

The Home Office recently announced that the fee will increase to £470 per 12 months leave from October 2020. The Home Office has further information on the Immigration Health Surcharge.

You can find previous immigration news on the UKCISA Newswall.