UK study visa.....''Mayday Mayday Mayday''

[wicked approch]

Hi Guys Could anyone help me regarding study Visa for UK.i am planning to do distance learning program from UK and i was totally prepared to get enrolled with Bristol gs.Next morning i got a reply that their course's are not recognised by the authorities to get visa letter:ugh:
Does anyone have any suggestion or clue to sort this Visa thingi ???

Thanks for your precious replies.:ok:

[Trolle]

I don't know anything about visa requirements in the UK, however I have a question:

Do you need a visa to visit the UK for just 2 weeks?

If you do distance learning you aren't required to be in the country for more than a few weeks to do the brush up courses, and then the exams.

Of course, you may be staying in the UK the entire time. Just attempting to better understand your situation.

[Whirlygig]

If it's not an impertinent question, why do you want to do European JAA exams?

Cheers

Whirls

[jez d]

WA,

It sounds like you may be a victim of the new Tier 4 requirement.

Last year the UK Border Agency introduced new regulations for FTOs which meant that they had to be inspected and audited by the UK's educational authority Ofsted, before becoming what is termed as 'Tier 4' compliant and therefore permitted to continue to act as sponsors for non-EU nationals training in the UK.

Most, but not all FTOs have now complied. I'd check with Bristol GS to see if they have done this yet.

Regards, jez

[Keith.Williams.]

To get registered schools must be vetted by an approved vetting authority

The Borders Agency don't reconise the CAA as such an authority.

So not many FTOs have managed to get registered yet.

Best option would be to go to the Borders agency website and look for the list of registered schools.

[Alex Whittingham]

No, we're not registered for visa approval, I'm afraid, and have no plans to register. It's an expensive and tedious process and only neccessary for non-EU students. I know Atlantic in Coventry have been approved.

[bgobs]

London Met are also approved

[Peter_CDG]

I´m not sure, but I think CATS is also approved

[Mp777]

so,..is there any way to get visa for UK .,in order to start my Atpl DL with bristol soon.,any suggestions are welcome

[Whirlygig]

From which country? Are you entitled to any European visa? If not, why get a JAA licence?

Cheers

Whirls

[wicked approch]

well from the other sourses i heard that no school will provide you visa if you doing DL:uhoh: ..it might be possible with Full time course.How far this is true any comments.......

Whirls - No i am not entitled with european visa.Planning to geta conversion from ICAO to JAA.
Thnks alot jez d for your effort really appriciated

[Whirlygig]

If you're not entitled to work in Europe, why get the European JAA licence?

Cheers

Whirls

[wicked approch]

Whirls- well the straight forward answer is i want to work in Europe.By the time i'l get my JAA exams + flying for conversion the recession time might have gone.As europe is a cluster of many countries i can appy to any small companies to get a job.I know its not a cup of coffee in your hand to geta job but yaa atleast afta getting JAA licence i can apply in europe
thnks

[Rhodes13]

wicked approach may I suggest you re-evaluate getting a JAA licence as not having the ability to work or live in the EU will be a no go for any company, unless you have thousands of hours on a JAR 25 type aircraft. And even then it had better be command time.

Surely you should think this through before commencing what is going to be a massive waste of time and money?

Those small companies you refer to have plenty of applicants from EU citizens already, theres not exactly a shortage of pilots in Europe at the moment.

[jez d]

There are only two flight schools in the UK that are immigration approved,

Not true - there are more than that.

A list of approved schools is available here: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/registerofsponsorseducation

Regards, jez

[BHenderson]

What's wrong with the tourist or business visa approach?

[Mp777]

whirlgig- I do have italian stay & work permit and but still it doesn't allow me to enter in UK.,but i really need to have it anyhow in order to commence and start a my atpl with bristol.Any comments ll be appreciated..??

[jez d]

Alex,

I am sorry to hear that your school has decided not to become Tier 4 compliant. Presumably the amount of non-EU nationals applying to attend courses with Bristol GS doesn't justify the extra cost and time involved in becoming accredited?

It seems ridiculous to me that the CAA can't act as the accreditation body. What are they so worried about? I can't see how the would lose out financially, and, presumably, it can't be because they're worried about being held responsible if a student absconds, as the Tier 4 accreditation requires that an elected individual at the school holds responsibility for their students, not the accreditation body?

Regards, jez

[adverse-bump]

jez d

maybe you should read a paper from xmas day!

[Alex Whittingham]

jez_d

Most/all of our students are studying for JAA licenses and intend to work in the EU. If they have the right to work in the EU they don't need a student visa.

The usual reason why FTOs need to get immigration approval is that they have contracts for groups of students from outside the EU who are studying for JAA compliant licenses, typically from the Gulf States.

We asked the CAA to act as the accrediting body because otherwise the FTO has to operate two quality systems in parallel, one for each quango. I think they looked at it for a while and were very happy to find a reason to avoid the extra work, can't remember what it was now. As it happens both audit systems appear to be lax enough to allow this shambles to continue and FTOs that are operating to two different sets of rules don't seem to have any problems. Pure Noo Labour.

wicked approach - I'm sorry we can't help you. I would echo the comments of previous posters, though. Before you start spending money you really need to establish that you will have the right to work in the EU, otherwise it will all be wasted.

[Mike.Park]

wicked approch,

You do not need a special visa to sit exams, gain ratings, or fly a light aircraft in the UK.

We do not have an M-1 style visa for trainee pilots as flight training is vocational in nature and FTOs are not HE institutions.

All you need is a tourist (visitors) visa to enter the UK.

Either apply for a 3 or 6 month multiple entry visa and your good to go.