Applying for a Visa in the UK

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.

Do you need a Student Visa?

USE THE OFFICIAL 30 seconds visa questionnaire to find out if you need a visa: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/

General guidelines* to follow when a visa is required

1. Make sure you have a valid passport, financial availability to cover travel expenses, accommodation, course, insurance;
2. Book your course on Full-immersion.com 6+ weeks before the desired start date;
3. Pay in full;
4. Receive the visa documentation;
5. Take the visa interview at the Embassy in your Country;
6. Book your flight;
7. You’re all set to go!

*For the official procedures you MUST refer to the Embassy of the destination country.

If you need a Visa, here are the Types of Student Visa used in the UK:

• If the course is less than eleven months: Short Term Student (STS)
• Long term courses leading to university education: General Student Visa (GSV)

Short Term Student (STS):

• This visa is for non-EEA/EU nationals taking English courses for less than 11 months long.
• Available to students of all levels, including Beginner.
• To get a STS students will need to have a visa support letter from us which we will send you after receiving full payment.
• This visa cannot be extended from within the UK. Students must apply for a new visa from your home country.
• This visa cannot be used to work in the UK. This includes work placements, work experience and internships.
• Students may transfer to another course/school within the time they are studying, provided they do not stay in the UK for longer than their visa states.

Procedures

• Students must use the application form VAF 1A, which is available on the Visa Services website.
• Students need to use this form if they are outside the UK and cannot apply on line: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-to-visit-or-for-short-term-stay-form-vaf1a
• To get this visa students must have proof that they have enough money to pay the fees and living expenses while they are in the UK.
• For students booking a course for 6 months or more they must pay the health surcharge and apply for the biometric residence permit. This is just for “tier 4” students. For more information please click here

For more information check Approved Secure English Language Tests and Tests Centres

Applying for a Visa in Canada

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.

Do you need a Student Visa?

NO if you’re staying for less than 6 months you just need a Tourist Visa (eTA). Students who do not require a visa to enter Canada are expected to pay online for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before they travel. More information is available at the Canadian government website

YES if you’re staying for more than 6 months you need a Study Permit.
 

General guidelines* to follow when a visa is required

1. Make sure you have a valid passport, financial availability to cover travel expenses, accommodation, course, insurance;
2. Book your course on Full-immersion.com 6+ weeks before the desired start date;
3. Pay in full;
4. Receive the visa documentation;
5. Take the visa interview at the Embassy in your Country;
6. Book your flight;
7. You’re all set to go!

*For the official procedures you MUST refer to the Embassy of the destination country.

Tourist Visa

You must have the following documents when you arrive in Canada:

• a valid passport
• a Letter of Acceptance from the school
• a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (tourist visa) if your country requires this visa to enter Canada
• proof of sufficient funds to cover expenses while you are in Canada
• a return airline ticket to your country or some other destination

Study Permit

If you plan to study longer than 6 months you must obtain a Study Permit. On entry to Canada, you must present the documents listed above plus your Study Permit.

For citizens of some countries, the Study Permit will be issued at the port of entry into Canada. If you are staying longer than 6 months, you should show your Letter of Acceptance to the Immigration Official on entry even if you have no other document from the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in your country.

It is relatively easy to obtain a Study Permit although the application process may take more than a month, especially if you require a medical certificate. You may have to attend an interview with a Canadian official when applying for the Study Permit.

CAQ Requirement in Montreal

Students studying in Montreal for longer than six months who require a Quebec Acceptance Certificate for Studies (CAQ) and a Study Permit must be registered for 24 or 30 lessons. Students who book less than 24 lessons will no longer qualify for the CAQ. More info in the Immigration Quebec website

Letter of Acceptance Charges

There is a charge of $80 CAD per Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for CAQ/Study Permit purposes.

Courier Charges

Charges for sending a Letter of Acceptance by courier must be paid by the student. Courier charges will be included on the invoice. At the latest, courier charges can be paid by the student on the first day at school. Courier charge is $80 CAD.

Applying for a Visa in Ireland

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.  

Do you need a Student Visa?

NO if you are a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) national, or a national of certain selected countries.

YES if you are a national of any of these countries: Visa required countries  

General guidelines* to follow when a visa is required

1. Make sure you have a valid passport, financial availability to cover travel expenses, accommodation, course, insurance;
2. Book your course on Full-immersion.com 6+ weeks before the desired start date;
3. Pay in full;
4. Receive the visa documentation;
5. Take the visa interview at the Embassy in your Country;
6. Book your flight;
7. You’re all set to go!

*For the official procedures you MUST refer to the Embassy of the destination country.  

Types of visa:

1. To study less than 90 days: C visa (Visit-Tourist visa)
2. To study more than 90 days: D visa (Study visa)

  C visa (Visit-Tourist Visa) 

• This visa is for non-EU/EEA nationals taking English courses for less than 90 days.
• Available to students of all levels, including Beginner.
• To get a C visa (Visit-Tourist visa), students will need to have: – A visa support letter from us which we will send you after receiving full payment  – Evidence of Finances – Medical Insurance – Evidence of Education/Employment history
• This visa cannot be extended.
• Students cannot work on this visa, paid or unpaid.
• All visa students are required to attend their courses. Students with an attendance lower than 85% may have problems with a future visa extension/renewal.  

D visa (Study-Work Visa)

• This visa is for non-EU/EEA nationals taking English courses for longer than 90 days.
• Available to students of all levels, including Beginner.
• To get a D visa (Study-Work visa), students will need to have: – A visa support letter from us which we will send you after receiving full payment – Evidence of Finances – Medical Insurance – Evidence of Education/Employment history
• After entering the country, students must apply for permission to stay in Ireland and register with Immigration at a registration office before the date stamped on their passport at border control.
• This visa can be extended in Ireland.
• Citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA who are registered as full-time students with the Garda Síochána (Irish Police Force) are permitted to work part-time in Ireland (up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, and full-time during specified holiday periods) to support themselves. Holiday periods are: June, July, August and September, and December 15th – January 15th.
• All visa students are required to attend their courses. Students with an attendance lower than 85% may have problems with a future visa extension/renewal.
• Students may transfer to another course/school if the other school is a recognised provider on the ILEP.  

Long Term Courses D visa (Study-Work Visa) students

Non-EEA students on a course of 25 weeks or longer (to a limit of 32 weeks, which is the total length of the visa) are required to take an external examination at the end of their course. Students will be required to pay their visa fees before the documents are issued. For more information, please see here.

The school will recommend an appropriate exam (IELTS, FCE, or CAE) based on your level and help you register for an exam at a local external testing centre. Exam fees must be paid at the time of booking (approx. €200). The school will keep a copy of your test results.

These may be made available to immigration authorities upon request. Please speak to the school academic team if you have any questions about your exam.

As a member of Marketing English in Ireland (MEI), the school guarantees that all students will be able to complete the courses for which they enrol, as they are covered by a recognised learner protection scheme and will be placed in another MEI school should they be displaced in the event of a school closure. For more detailed information on visa requirements, please visit the website.  

Procedure

Applications for visas from supported countries can be made online. This website also contains a comprehensive guide to completing a visa application in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Turkish and Urdu. Application forms from unsupported countries can be downloaded online and sent to the Irish Embassy or Consulate in, or accredited to, the student’s country of residence.

If there is no Irish Embassy or Consulate in your country, send your visa application to your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate, or to:

The Visa Office Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service 13-14 Burgh Quay Dublin 2

Students who do not require an entry visa to enter Ireland (EU/EEA national or from a non-visa country) should have all documentation relating to their booking with them when going through immigration, including:

• Booking Confirmation/Receipt

• Proof of adequate medical insurance

Applying for a Visa in Malta

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.  

Do you need a Student Visa?

NO if you are:

• a European Union (EU) national
• a European Economic Area (EEA) national
• a “Latin America” national (and you intend to stay on the island for up to 90 days – check out the exceptions in bold below)

Yes, you need a visa if* you are a national of the following Countries (in alphabetical order): Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina, Faso, Burma/myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote D’ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome And Principe, Saudi, Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine (With effect from 11 June 2017, the holders of biometric passports issued by Ukraine are visa exempt for 90 days in 180 days), Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. [source: identitymalta.com/who-requires-a-visa/]

NOTE: Some Third Country Nationals can visit Malta for up to 90 days without applying for a visa. If you are a student from one of these countries and you wish to remain in Malta for longer than 90 days from your arrival date in the Schengen area, you will need to apply for a study visa.  

General guidelines* to follow when a visa is required

1. Make sure you have a valid passport, financial availability to cover travel expenses, accommodation, course, insurance;
2. Book your course on Full-immersion.com 6+ weeks before the desired start date;
3. Pay in full;
4. Receive the visa documentation;
5. Take the visa interview at the Embassy in your Country;
6. Book your flight;
7. You’re all set to go!

*For the official procedures you MUST refer to the Embassy of the destination country.  

Students who require a Visa to enter Malta must apply for one of the following:

A) a long-term/national visa (Schengen Type D) from Malta’s diplomatic missions or consular posts which will cover the full duration of stay. These visas allow the holder to stay in the territory of Malta for periods longer than three months (90 days). Students on a Type D visa cannot extend their stay once in Malta.

B) a short-stay visa (Schengen Type C) when applying at representations, where Malta has no consular post. Students on a Type C Visa staying for a period longer than the maximum 90 days must apply for a study visa once in Malta to continue their studies.  

Documentation

All embassies will ask you to provide certain documents when applying for a visa. Below is a list of what is generally asked for:

• Passport
• Copy of the main page of the passport
• One passport-size photograph
• Application form
• Original invitation letter (no email, no fax) mentioning personal and passport details of the applicant(s), duration of the stay, duration of the course, cost, and whether the fee of the course has been paid
• Confirmation of payment of the course
• Confirmation of the place where the applicant will be staying (hotel, family, friends, etc….)
• Flight reservation from your country to Malta
• Declaration from the school
• Medical insurance
• Financial guarantee
• Certificate of personal address in your country
• Family information
• Visa fee

What will the school do for you if you need a visa?

The school will provide you with all the support documents normally required for study visas. All documents required from the school will be sent to you only when we have received full payment. Since some embassies require the original documents (not faxed or emailed), we will courier (DHL) the original documents to you. The price for this is €88 (88 Euros). – This fee should be included in the original payment for the course and accommodation booked. Students who are Third Country Nationals and who entered Malta on a 90-day visa must apply for a Student Visa if their stay exceeds three (3) months.  

What happens if my visa application is refused?

If the visa is refused (this is extremely rare) and you let us know in writing at least one week before your arrival date, we will refund the full payment (excluding any bank charges). If the visa is refused and you inform us less than 1 one week before your arrival date, a cancellation fee of one week of accommodation and tuition will apply.

Applying for a Visa in Southafrica

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.  

Do you need a visa?

YES if you are from Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.

NO if you are NOT in the list above.

For most nationalities, on arrival in South Africa you will be issued a visitor’s visa for 90 days, this visa may be extended for a further 90 days, proven that the student applies for the extension within the first 30 days of arrival. For some nationalities this visitor’s visa on entry lasts 30 days, and may be extended for a further 30 days. Any student wishing to study for longer than 180 days (6 months) needs to apply for a proper Study Visa prior to arrival. Official info here: https://www.home-affairs.gov.za/index.php/countries-exempt-from-sa-visas/  

General guidelines* to follow when a visa is required

1. Make sure you have a valid passport, financial availability to cover travel expenses, accommodation, course, insurance;
2. Book your course on Full-immersion.com 6+ weeks before the desired start date;
3. Pay in full;
4. Receive the visa documentation;
5. Take the visa interview at the Embassy in your Country;
6. Book your flight;
7. You’re all set to go!

*For the official procedures you MUST refer to the Embassy of the destination country.  

When students apply for their visa extension they must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport expiring in no less than 30 days after the intended date of departure from South Africa.
• Department of Home Affairs Medical certificate completed, stamped and signed by an authorised medical practitioner/officer or hospital in the students’ home country.
• Department of Home Affairs Radiological report must also be completed, stamped and signed by a Radiologist or hospital in the student’s home country.
• Proof of valid flight ticket showing provisional departure within 90 days.
• Proof of sufficient financial means to cover their stay in Cape Town (minimum amount is 3500 US Dollars). If the account is not in the student’s name, a signed affidavit of support must be submitted by the account holder – the bank statement provided must show at least 3 months of transactions.

School staff will be available to assist students with the application process. Please visit VFS Global for detailed information.  

STUDY VISA IN SOUTH AFRICA

• A Study Visa is valid for 12 to 24 months and may be extended while studying in South Africa.
• Where a country does not have a port-of-entry visa agreement with South Africa, a Study Visa must be applied for in the student’s home country before arrival.
• A Visitor’s Visa cannot be changed to a Study Visa after arriving in South Africa.
• Although the Department of Home Affairs usually grants Visitor’s Visa extensions, there is no guarantee that they will do so. It is therefore in the best interest of the student who knows they want to study for a long time, rather to apply for a Study Visa in their home country before arrival.

  DO YOU WISH TO STUDY AND WORK? 

• A student who has a Study Visa may work for a maximum of 20 hours per week and be paid for this work.
• It is not the school’s responsibility to place the student in an appropriate workplace. This is entirely the student’s responsibility while they are in South Africa.

Applying for a Visa in Australia

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.

Do you want to study English in Australia for less than 3 months? All you need is an electronic “eVisitor” authorisation (subclass 651).

Do you want to study English in Australia for more than 3 months? You must obtain a Student Visa (subclass 500) or Tourist Visa (subclass 600), or -depending on your nationality- you may opt for a Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417).

Before applying for a visa on the Australian Embassy website, make sure you have a valid passport for at least 6 months from the date of your return.

If your passport meets the requirements, please follow this link: https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1

Applying for a Visa in New Zaeland

When you book a course through Full-immersion, the school will help you make the visa application go smoothly.

Depending on your nationality, length of stay and type of course, you may apply for a Student Visa, Tourist Visa or Working Holiday Visa.

If you have a valid passport, check out the admission requirements here: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas