Thanks Keef... so who is this Richard Gentil and how do I contact him? Did you go very recently or more than a month or two ago? I know that new immigration rules are coming into force soon and since the discovery that the hijackers on the WTC flights had Student Visas there's been somewhat of a clampdown on immigration regulations.
I guess the best thing to do is call the Embassy direct tomorrow, although what the rules say and what people are actually allowed to do are not always exactly the same thing! More comments on other people's experiences would be nice...
cheers
Weetabix