Visa questions - US Student to UK

[flyhi]

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I have emailed the school, but am hoping someone can offer some guidance on the visa situation for UK (Scotland).

I am cruising over to the UK for school this summer. Classes start September 21st. As i understand it, you can only apply for visa 3 months prior to matriculation and cannot arrive earlier than 1 month before classes start.

I am booked for the cruise out of US on July 6th, arriving in England on July 13th. I am waitlisted for a cruise departing on August 8th and arriving in England on August 13th. Both of these have me in UK prior to 30 days before classes start. Not to mention, you have to send your original passport in with your application, which will only be 2 weeks prior to when i depart if i'm on the July cruise.

Question is, what options do i have? Can i travel to the UK as a tourist (without a return trip booked) and have a family member at home help me with the visa and send it to me when it's complete?

Who do you need to show the visa to? When will they ask for it?

FYI, i am not applying for student loans, so i will not need to worry about that for the application, etc.

Any advice/help is appreciated, as I am obviously lost.

thanks!

 

[sumstorm]

Question is, what options do i have? Can i travel to the UK as a tourist (without a return trip booked) and have a family member at home help me with the visa and send it to me when it's complete?

Who do you need to show the visa to? When will they ask for it?

FYI, i am not applying for student loans, so i will not need to worry about that for the application, etc.

Any advice/help is appreciated, as I am obviously lost.

thanks!

I do NOT have an answer for you, but I thought I would share my experience. I was asked for proof of departure (tickets out of country) when I arrived, at the airport, before leaving the international area, to immigration officers. At the time, I did not have it, and they did issue me a 3 month tourist visa. I did have the number for the UK based travel company that was arranging my tickets out and did have to provide that info. I don't know if school info would fill in for that.

Be absolutly certain, if you have been in any other countries (including hte Carib) that you obtain any vax that the UK requires. I know people who have been turned away because of yellow card issues (vax's for travel in certain countries prior to traveling ot the UK.)

I would think that if you will already be in the UK, you will be required to go to immigration to get the Visa, rather than it being sent to the US. However, you need to make sure with the school that being there on a tourist visa will not somehow make you ineligible for your education visa (visa issues can be bizarre, but I don't know enough about that.)

If all of that won't work, you may be able to go, get a tourist visa, leave the country for some set period of time (a week/two weeks? really don't know) then return to obtain the student visa. I have seen students have to do that for other countries, and it isn't that hard to do from the UK. Europe has much better hostel systems than we do!

Have a blast...Iam actually jealous! 😉

 

[flyhi]

thanks Sum! - i had not even thought about my vax's yet..... i had also considered i may have to leave country to get my student visa, but i really hope not since i will have two four legged friends with me....makes it a bit more difficult.

Lol....i'm jealous of you being in NC! Hope school has been great for you so far.

 

[Wolphcats]

I have emailed the school, but am hoping someone can offer some guidance on the visa situation for UK (Scotland).

I suggest consulting the British consulate. My friend had an internship in London a few days ago. They told her what to tell customs. It was wrong. She was deported the next day. Now she must apply for a visa even to go to the UK as a tourist. So, the best place for the answer is the British consulate (http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/).