coming to liver pool pdf

8/3/2019 Coming to Liver Pool PDF

1/12

COMING TOLIVERPOOLANESSENTIAL GUIDETO PREPARINGFORYOUR JOURNEY

InternationalSupport Team

TheUniversityof Liverpool

Student Services Centre

150Mount Pleasant

Liverpool L693GD

T:+44(0)1517945863

F:+44 (0)151794 4718

E: [email protected]

www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/ist


2/12

THEUNIVERSITYOF LIVERPOOLT:+44(0)151 794 5863 www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/ist001

THEUNIVERSITYOF LIVERPOOLT:+44(0)151 794 5863 www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/ist 002

Bringing a familyto the UKis a bigresponsibilitybut the childrenadaptedto theirnewsurroundingsveryquickly.

Its like theyvebeenhere alltheirlives.AiziRazmanIsmailPhD Civic Design, Malaysiaalaysia

DearInternationalStudent

This bookletis designedby theISTto

adviseyouabout what you need todo

beforeyoutravel totheUK.

Thecontactdetailsof all theorganisations

andservices referredto inComing to

Liverpoolcanbe foundin theback ofthis

booklet.

Studentscurrently studyingat XianJiatong-

LiverpoolUniversitywill be sentadditional

information regardinginduction andthe

Meetand Greetservice.

TheInternationalRecruitmentand Relations

Office(IRRO)will havebeen yourmain point

ofcontactup until now. Once youarrivein

theUK however, theInternationalSupport

Team(IST) takesoverfromthe IRRO to

make sure you arelookedafter!

TheISToffers adviceandsupportona wide

range of issues to all internationalstudents

on arrival andthroughoutyour studiesat the

Universityof Liverpool.

TheIST alsooffersadvice andsupport

to thefamiliesof internationalstudents.

Wehaveusedourknowledge ofworking

withinternationalstudents to develop a

Welcome Eventto provide you with allthe

informationyouneedto adjust tolifein

Liverpoolas effortlessly as possible.The

Welcome Eventwillbe held onMonday22

andTuesday23 September2008and we

encourageall newinternationalstudents to

attend.See page19 formore information.

If youare a newundergraduatestudent,

youmustalsoattend theeventfor allfreshers(newundergraduate students)whichfollows

theWelcome Event forinternational students.

Weare very pleased thatyouhavechosen

to study at theUniversity of Liverpool.Good

luckwith yourpreparationsand we look

forward to meetingyou whenyou arrive.

Wehopeyouhavea pleasantjourneyand

a happy, successful timeat the University

of Liverpool.

The International Support Team

T: +44(0)1517945863

F:+44 (0)1517944718


www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/istImportant Dates 200809

Meet and Greet Service

at Manchester Airport

Friday 19September,Saturday20 September

Sunday 21September

IST Welcome Event for

new international students 2008

Monday22 September andTuesday23

September

Freshers Welcome Event 2008

(new undergraduate students only)

Wednesday 24September,Thursday 25

September, Friday 26 September

National holidays 2008/09

ChristmasDay: 25December2008

Boxing Day:26 December 2008

NewYearsDay:1 January2009

GoodFriday: 10 April2009

Easter Sunday:12 April2009

Easter Monday:13 April2009

EarlyMay BankHoliday: 4 May2009

Spring BankHoliday: 25May 2009

Summer BankHoliday: 31August2009

Term dates

29 September 2008- 19 December2008

12January2009 - 03April2009

27April2009 - 12June2009

Semester dates

First Semester:

29 September 2008- 23 January2009

Second Semester:

26January2009 - 12June2009

ContentsPre pa rin g f or y ou r Jo urn ey t o t he U K 0 03

Imm igrati on- Ent eringt he UK asaSt udent 0 03

Working during your studies 007

Health Care 007

Co ntr ol s af fe cti ng y our e ntr y int o th e UK 0 07

Financial matters 009

Accommodation 011

Journey preparation checklist 012

Your Journey to the UK 014

Luggage and what to pack 015

Overnight accommodation 016

Immigration and arrival in the UK 017

Security 018

Travelling to Liverpool 018

Welcome event 019

Contact Directory 019


3/12

THEUNIVERSITYOF LIVERPOOLPREPARINGFOR YOURJOURNEY003


Immigration Enteringthe UKas a Student

Applying for a visa

Many studentsworry about applyingfor a visa.

Applyingfora visa need notbe a difficultor

stressfulexperience.This sectiontells you

whether ornotyou need a visa,how toapply

fora visa and howtoget furtherinformation

andadvice.Read thissectioncarefully,take

timeto prepare yourvisa application using

theadvice givenand applyearly!

European students

Ifyou area national ofthe European

EconomicArea (EEA), or of Switzerland, the

immigrationprocedures in thissectiondo not

applyto you. Ifyou arean EEAnationaland

havebeen acceptedon a course of study,

you areentitled toenter the UKfreelyandhave

the rightof residenceforthe durationof your

course.Youdo not need toreadthischapter

onimmigration.Oncein theUK, you canapply

fora residencepermitto prove yourstatusbut

thisis notcompulsory.

Common Immigration Terms

What is entry clearance?

Entry clearanceis theprocesswhereby

peoplewishingto come tothe UKarechecked,prior to travelling, to ensure thatthey

qualify underthe rulesfor admissionto the

UK.In somecasesit isa mandatory

requirement fora person to obtain priorentry

clearance; in others it is optional.

What is a visa?

Avisais thepermissiongiven toa visa

nationalto enterthe UK.

What is Leave To Remain?

LeaveToRemainsimplymeanspermission

tostayin theUK.It isalsosometimesreferred

toas leaveor LTR.As a student you may

begrantedpermissionto stayin theUK for

a limited amount of time: Limited Leave

To Remain.

What is a British diplomatic post?

A British diplomatic postis thegeneral termforBritishembassies, highcommissionsand

consulatesoverseas.

Do I need a visa?

TheIST stronglyadvisesall studentscoming

tothe UKto obtaina studentvisa(entry

clearance) in yourhome countrybefore

travelling.For most studentsit is compulsory

to haveentry clearanceas a studentbefore

travelling.For some studentsdoingcertain

courses itmaynot becompulsoryto getentry

clearancebeforetravellingbut it is stillhighly

advisable.

Thereare considerable benefitsto obtaininga

visa inyourhomecountryasopposedto at

theairport:

Ifyou applyfor a visa inyourhomecountry

youshouldbe granted leavefor thefull

length of yourcourse.

Itis usually muchcheaperto obtainyour visa

in yourhome country. If,for anyreason,an ImmigrationOfficer

does not want toadmit you when you arrive

inthe UK,if youhaveentry clearanceyouare

able toremainin theUK whileappealing

against thatdecision. Without entry

clearance,you couldbe immediately

returnedhome on thenext flight.

Ifyou geta visa atthe airport itis likelythat

youwillnotbe granted permission towork

during yourstudies.

Attheairportyou can only begranteda

maximum ofsix monthsstayin the UKand it

ishighlyunlikelythat this canlater beextended

inthe UK.Evenjusta sixmonthvisawillnot

beissued tothose comingto studya course

thatis of sixmonthsdurationor longer.

Howdo I get a Student Visa?Tenstepsto

making yourvisa (EntryClearance)

application

1 Readthese sourcesof information to help

youto applyfor studententry clearance

(downloadby going tothe relevant

homepage (see contactson pages19-20)

andfollowingthe instructionsbelow)

UKCISA informationsheet: I amcomingto

theUK tostart mystudies. Whatdo I need to

do about immigration? (click on advice for

international students).

British Council guidancenote: First

steps preparingfor Entryclearance(click

on study advice thenimmigrationand

workthen guide toimmigrationand entry

clearance).

UKVisasguidance note INF5 forstudents

(click on howto apply thenvisa application

guidanceand select theone forstudents)

2 Findout thelocationof yournearestBritish

diplomatic postthathas a visasection. Eac

British diplomatic posthas itsown website.

For a list ofBritishposts with linksto their

websites,go tothe UK Visaswebsite, clickonHowto applyandthenUK Missions

overseas.Each posts website contains

immigrationadvice andinformation about

anyproceduresthat arespecificto your

countryor region.Contactyournearest

British diplomatic postand askthem (orfind

theinformation on thewebsite):

DoI need toattendin person tosubmitmy

application? Orcan I submitit bypostor

internet?

DoI have toattendan interview? Ifso, how

long will I have towaitforan appointment?

Do I needto provide biometricinformation?

(You mayneed to haveyour photograph and

fingerprints taken).

Whatdocumentsmust I provide in support

of myapplication?

Howlong will ittakeyou toprocessmy

application?

DoI need toprovidea medical reportor

x-ray aspart of myvisa application?

DoI need tobe screenedfor tuberculosis

(TB)?

3 Obtain application formVAF3. You can

downloadthis formfrom theUK Visas

website, clickon How toApply andthen

Applicationf orms.

4 Completeform VAF3. Readthe

recommendedsourcesof information

detailedabove to helpyou tocomplete

theform.

Preparing for yourJourney to the UK


4/12



5 Prepare thedocuments required foryour

application seepoint 10.Youshould make

sure that youprovide allof therequired

documents as youusuallycannotsubmit

anyata laterdate.It isyourresponsibility to

show thatyoumeetthe requirementsfora

studentvisa.TheEntry ClearanceOfficer

makes his/her decision basedonly onthe

information youmakeavailableto thematthetimeof yourapplication.

6 Submit yourapplicationto theBritish

diplomatic postusingthe methodthey

advise, e.g. inperson orby post.Keep

photocopies of thecompleted application

form andallthe documents you give to

them.You will have topaya feewhenyou

makethe application. Feeinformation is

availableon UK Visaswebsite.

7 If youare successful in yourentryclearance

application,a residencepermitvisa sticker

will beplaced inyourpassport.Checkit

immediately for thefollowing:

Make sure itdoesnotprohibityoufrom

working.

Ifit does,ask theEntry ClearanceOfficerif

they couldchange it.Seepage7 formore

information on working in theUK during

your studies.

Make sure itstatesyou area studentand

nota visitor or studentvisitor.

Checkthe start date; youcannottravel to

theUK beforethestart date onthe visa.

Checkthe expirydate; makesureit is

enough timeto completeyour studiesandattendyour graduation ceremony.

Undergraduate studentvisasshouldbe valid

until 31October followingthe course end

date.

Postgraduate studentvisas should be valid

untilfour months afterthe course enddate.

Ifyou thinkyou have been granted a visa

that istoo shortthenask theEntryClearance

Officer tocheck it immediately. Makea note

inyourdiarytwomonthsahead ofthe expiry

date,to remindyouto seek adviceif you

need toapply fora visa.

Check whether it states youmust register

with thepolice.If so,youmustregister within

sevendaysof your arrival inthe UK.You will

havethe opportunityto registerat theIST

Welcome Event.

8 If youare notsuccessful in yourapplication

forentry clearanceyouwillbe givena

refusal notice givingdetailsof whyyou

havebeen refused. Contactthe ISTas soon

aspossible byemail ortelephone.If your

visais refused andit is approaching

September, please contactyour academic

department andinform themof your

situation. Askwhat thelatestdateis thatyou

canstartyourcourse;if youmiss this

deadlineyou shouldnottravel tothe UK.If

necessary, youmay needto considerasking

your department ifyou candefer your offertothefollowingacademic year.

9 Whenmakingyour application for entry

clearance, rememberthatit isthe jobof an

Entry ClearanceOfficerto decide if you

qualify for entryto theUK. Entry Clearance

Officers workto strict rulesand procedures.

Itis yourresponsibilityto prove thatyoumeet

theImmigrationRules for Studentsby

producingthe documents outlinedin point

10below. Ifyou wouldlike anexplanationof

the ImmigrationRules forstudents thenplease

seeUKCISA informationsheet detailed above.

10Youneedto make sure thatyouhave the

followingdocuments, as evidence thatyou

meetthe requirements of theImmigration

Rulesfor Students:

Youroffer letter. TheUniversity of Liverpool

hasa standardoffer letterwhich hasbeen

designedto include all of thenecessary

information to usefor yourvisa application.

You should stillcheck thatyourletter clearly

statestheend date ofyourcourseand

preferablyyour expectedgraduation date.

If it doesnot, contactyour academic

department.

Ifsomeoneelse ispaying foryour study, e.g

your parents,thenyouwill need a sponsor

letter fromthem confirming theirconnection

toyou,howmuchtheyaregoingto give you,howoften,for howlong andwherethat

moneyis goingto come from.Youwillalso

need evidence thattheywillbe able tofulfil

theirpromise(for example,their bank

statements orpayslipscovering atleasta 3

month period, or letter fromtheir employer

confirmingtheir salary).

If youare beingsponsoredby a government

orscholarshipagencyyouwill needa letter

fromthemconfirminghowlongthe scholarship

will continueand whatcostsit willcover.

Ifyou aregoing topayfor your studies from

yourown savings,you will need toshow

originalbank statements coveringat least

thelast threemonths.

Ifyourcourse isnot a degreecourseyou

may need evidence that youintendto leave

the UKwhenyoufinishyour studies(for

example,evidencethatyouhavea jobto

returnto,thatyouownyourown home orhavefamilyand responsibilitiesin yourhom

country).

Certificates forany qualificationsthat you

have that arerelevanttothe newcourse.

You should alsoshow an understandingof

thecoursecontentand structure.

All documents should be recent and

original:copiesare notaccepted.

Hopefully, youshouldnow feelmore confiden

aboutapplyingforyourvisaandwe wish you


5/12



luckwith yourapplication. TheUniversityof

Liverpoolaims to provide youwith the

supporting documents youneed to make

yourapplicationbut please rememberthat

we cannot intervenein theapplication

process.If youhave anyquestions after

reading thissectionand all theextra

informationrecommended then please

contactthe IST.

Workingduringyour studies

Internationalstudents on courses lasting

morethan sixmonthswill usually be granted

permission to work.Students whohave

permission toworkcanworkfor upto 20hours

perweek during term-timeand full-timeduring

vacations. TheUniversity recommends that

you donotworkmorethan15 hoursper week

during term-time soas notto interfere with

yourstudies. Ifyou arecomingfor a course

lastingsix months or lessyou mayrequest

permission toworkbutit isgrantedat the

discretion of theEntry ClearanceOfficer at

yourBritishdiplomaticpost.

Yourvisa is likelyto state:'Limitedleave to

remain intheUK.No recourseto public funds.

Ableto work asauthorisedby theSecretaryof

State.' or 'Norecourseto public funds.Work

(andany changes)must be authorised'.Both

sets of wordingmeanthatyouhave permission

tostayin theUK asa full-timestudentandcan

workpart-time(maximum 20 hours during

term-time).

To meetUK immigrationrequirements,you

mustshowthatyoucanpayyourcoursefees

andliving expenseswithoutworkingin theUK;

therefore,you should notexpectto finance

yourstudiesin thisway.Earnings frompart-

timeemploymentduring studiesare expected

to be usedfor additional pocket money only.

Health Care

TheNational Health Service (NHS) is theUKs

state health service whichprovides a widerange of treatments forUK residents. Free

healthtreatment isavailable onthe NHSto all

internationalstudents studying here for longer

than sixmonths, aswellas toall students

fromEEC countriesand those withreciprocal

healthcare agreements. Anystudent(and their

accompanyingfamilymembers) thatdoes not

comeunderthese categories is advised to

takeout medical insurancefor thetime that

they arein theUK. Pleaseseethe UKCISA

informationsheet KeepingHealthyfor further

information.

ControlsAffecting yourEntry intothe UK

Money transfer from abroad

Ifyou donothavea scholarshipandneed

totransfer moneyto theUK then youshould

check whether yourown government restricts

theamountof moneyit allowsto leavethe

country. Ifso, you will need tobegin the

arrangements for transferring moneyseveral

months before yourcoursebegins.Youwill

probablyhave to tellyour governments

authorities whatcourseyou are doingat the

Universitybeforeyour government will give

youpermission to transfermoney. Once

permission is granted,you willneed todeposit

themoneyin a localbankor your national

bank.Whenyou arrivein Liverpoolyoucan

open a bank account atone ofthe bankson

campus andarrangeto haveyour moneytransferred intoyour newaccount. You should

checkhow long itwill take forthemoney to

arrivein theUK onceit hasbeendeposited.

Carryenoughmoney(preferablytravellers

cheques rather thancash)with youwhen you

travelto theUK tolastseveraldaysin case

thereis a delayin openinga bankaccount.

Beloware thebasic methodsof money

transfer. Yourlocal bankin yourhome country

shouldbe able toprovideyou with full details

andadviseyouon thebestoptionforyou.

InternationalMoneyOrder - thiscan be paid

into a bankaccountor used toobtaincash

ata PostOffice. Ifyou areexchanging itfor

cash,themoney ordermustbe insterling

(Britishcurrency) andyou will needto

produceyour passportfor identification.

Bank draft- this issimilarto aninternational

moneyorder exceptthat itmustbe paid into

a bank account.If youarebringinga draft

with you, orhaving onesenttoyou,you

should make sure thatit ismadeoutin your

namein sterling anddrawnat a British bank

Ifthe draftis insterlingthenyouwillnot be

charged a commission andit will take less

time toclearthanif itis inyourown currency

Bank-to-BankTransfer- thisis thequickest

butoften themost expensiveway of having

money sentoverseas. Money canonly be

transferredin thisway once you have a bank

accountin the UK.

Don'tbe afraidto contact thestaffin theUniversity beforearrivingin

theUK. They arereally nice andwillnot careif you makemistakes orifyoucan'tremember allthe words.All they areconcerned about ishelping you!

AnuOjalaEconomic & Social History, Finland


6/12



It is very easyto get the train toLiverpool,especially fromManchester.And once youget to theUniversity,dont panic there arelots of peopleready tohelp you.

AndreaGomesMedicine, India

Customs allowances

Whenyou arriveat a British port orairport,you

willpass throughimmigrationand customs.

Customscontrolthe typeand amountof all

goods broughtinto theUK. Customsusually

allowyou tobring older, small personal effects

into theUK free ofcharge. However, ifyou are

stayingfor a year ormorein theUK, customs

will probablyallow thefreeimportof onlyone ofeachtypeof newerarticle(e.g.watch,

radio-cassette recorder, camera).There are

alsoregulationson certain foodstuffs.If you

require anyfurtherinformationabout customs

regulations,please visitthe HMRevenuesand

Customswebsiteor enquire at yournearest

British overseas mission.

The laws relatingto drugsare very strictin the

UKand thepenaltyforbreakingthemis harsh.

Drugs includingcannabis, LSD, andcocaine

areillegalin theUK andaretherefore strictly

prohibited. Customsofficersand police have

the rightto searchforillegal drugs.If youneed

tobring anydrugsthat havebeen prescribed

byyour doctor, youmust bringevidence(a

letter fromyour doctor)otherwise theywill

betakenaway from you.

FinancialMatters

Pleaseensurethatyou have enoughmoney

tocoverallyourtuitionfeesandliving

expensesbefore comingto the UK.It is

virtuallyimpossible to makearrangements

forfinancialsupportonce youhave leftyour

homecountry.Youneed to orderBritish

currencyand travellerschequesand bring

enough money to coveryour immediateneeds onarrivalin theUK, includingcustoms

charges,rail faresand anyemergency

expenses.If youbring dependants with

you,you will obviouslyneed to increase

theamountof money youbring.

Student fees

Theprocessfor determining thestudentfee

statusof a studentis based onUK government

regulations. Underthe regulations, students

whoare classifiedas overseas maybe

charged a higherlevelof feethanthose

classifiedas home or EU students. Thevast

majorityof non-EU international students

should expect to payfull, overseasfees which

will bequotedin your offerletter. Theremaybe

an extracharge (benchfees) for postgraduate

researchdegreesthat usea lotof consumable


7/12



materials. TheUniversity usesa fee status

questionnaireto determinean applicants fee

status.If you arein doubtas towhetheryou

should be regardedas an overseasstudent

forfeepurposesandhavenotyet hadthat

confirmedby theUniversity, thenaccessthe

StudentFees website forfurther information.

Sponsored studentsAfter arriving in Liverpoolyou must showproof

of yoursponsorshipat theStudentFees office

whenyou financiallyregister on or before the

startof your course.If youdonot you will be

invoiced and pursued accordingly.

Self-financing students

Ifyou donotprovidethe University

withevidenceof sponsorship,you will

automaticallybe consideredas self-

financing(you payyour ownstudentfees).

TheUniversityspreference is for feesto be

paidin full beforethestart ofthe programme.

However, ifthisis notpossible,youmaypayin instalments:a thirdof yourtuitionfees must

bepaidbeforethe startof theprogrammeand

theremainingbalance will be collectedin two

equal amountsby directdebitor bycredit

card. Checkinformationreceivedfrom the

StudentFees office for details of payment

dates. Ifyou miss anyof thesepayments then

theUniversity will makean extrachargeand

youmay loseyour rightto payin instalments.

Forstudents fromcountries wherethere

aretightercontrolson thetransferof money

overseas,it maybe moreconvenient topay

yourfull tuition fees forthefirstyearof your

studies directlyinto theUniversitysbankaccountbefore you travelto theUK.This

service is availableto all unconditionaloffer

holders only. Money forpurposesotherthan

studentfees mustnot be transferred tothe

Universitys account.

Formore information on studentfees visitthe

StudentFees office website (seepage 19

fordetails).

Acommodation

University accommodation

TheUniversity makes everyeffort to help

internationalstudents find somewhere

suitableto live.Studentswho receive an

offerwill automaticallybe sentan invitation

to apply for Universityaccommodationalong

with details ofhow toapply. Ifyou have been

acceptedby theUniversityand havenot

received information aboutaccommodation

thenpleasecontactthe Accommodation

Office. Please readall correspondence and

online information relating toyour University

accommodation verycarefully. If youdecide to

accept a roomin Universityaccommodation

please ensure thatyou readand fully

understandthe residence agreement which

is a legally binding contract.Toview the

residenceagreement and other information

about University accommodation please

visitthe accommodation website.Youwill

be charged a littleextrafor University

accommodationif youarriveearlier than your

contractdate forthe ISTsWelcome Event.

Family accommodation

It is advisableto either booksuitable family

accommodation before coming to the

UKor,if youdonot have suitablefamily

accommodation arranged,then travel to the

UKaloneat firstandhave yourfamily join you

ata laterdate.It isnot advisable tocometo

Liverpoolwith a family without firstarranging

accommodation. You should notrely on

stayingsomewhere temporarily untilyou have

found long-term accommodation as

temporaryaccommodation(hotelsand bedandbreakfasts)in the UK is veryexpensive

andsometimes difficultto secure. Travelling

here aloneat firstgivesyoutimeto consider

andtake adviceabout the area youwishto

live,the local amenities, heating andfuel costs

andtheamountof spaceyou need.The

number of Universityflatsfor couples and

families is limited anddemandis constantly

high forthistype ofaccommodation soit is

unfortunatelynot guaranteed. There is

however plenty of good, reasonably priced

accommodation for families in Liverpoolin the

private housing sector.

Private sector accommodation

LiverpoolStudentHomes(LSH)is an

organisationthat assistsstudents in finding

accommodation in theprivate sector. If you

wishto lookfor private accommodation you

shouldvisittheLSHwebsiteandreadall the

useful advice (under OurAdvice) including

theirGuide to House Hunting andtheir

Housing Check List.The website givesan

explanation of thedifferenttypesof private

accommodation andyou canalso search

hundredsof advertisementsfor available

propertyin theLiverpoolarea.

Temporary accommodation

Thereare three mainyouth hostels in

Liverpoolthat offercheap,clean, basic

accommodation: the EmbassieYouth Hostel,

theInternationalInnandthe YHA. Ifyou wouldpreferto stay ina hotel orbedandbreakfast

then look atthe Liverpooltourism website all

details arein thecontactssectionat theback

of thisbooklet.

Journey preparation checklist

Check whether youneed permission to

transfermoneytothe UK(arethereany

government restrictions on howmuch

money youcan takeout of thecountry?).

Order British currency(sterling) and

travellers cheques.

Buyflight tickets(including connecting flightoregionalairports, if required).

Buytravel insurance.

Book accommodation (long-termand

temporaryif necessary).

Makearrangements forany familytravelling

withyou (e.g. arrangeschooling, childcare)

Obtain letter fromdoctorfor anyprescribed

drugsyoumayneedto bringwithyou.

Find outaboutwhatitems you cantake

throughcustoms andwhat youmust

declare.

Weighluggage and checkit iswithin the

allowanceand thatis easily transportable

foryour onward journey.

Label luggage clearly withyour ownname

andnew accommodation address.

Makesure luggage is securelyfastened

andlocked.

The importantthingis notto bescared. Youneed tomake theeffortto talk toother students buteveryoneis in thesame situation.

NupurChowdhuryMedicine, India


8/12



Pleasetryto plan yourtripso you arrivein

theLiverpoolin time fortheWelcomeEvent

for newinternationalstudents whichis on

Monday 22 andTuesday 23 September. If you

plan tocome theUKand stayin temporary

accommodationwhile youlook forsomewhere

long-termthenyoushouldaim toarrive at

leasta fewdaysbeforetheWelcomeEvent.

Other studentsare encouraged to arrive

sometimeover theweekend before the

WelcomeEvent.Ifyou are stayingin University

accommodation andwould like to arrive

before yourcontract starts thenyou needto

checkthis withthe Accommodation Office

andfindouthowmuchthiswillcostyou.

Meet and Greet Service

at Manchester Airport

Leading up to theWelcomeEvent,the

Universityoperates a free Meetand Greet

service to collect newinternationalstudents

whoarrive at Manchester Airport andtake

themby coach to Liverpool.Full details of

Meet andGreetwill besentto you bythe

InternationalRecruitmentand RelationsOffice

(IRRO).Spaceon thecoachis limited,so

followtheguidelinesgivento you bytheIRRO

andonly bringessential luggage. If youarearriving at Manchester airport justbeforethe

Meetand Greetservicestarts,or outside the

dailycollection times, youshouldeither stay

overnightin a hotel closeto theairportand

then usetheMeetandGreetservicethenext

day(ifit will beoperating that day) ormake

yourown arrangementsto travel to Liverpool.

Money for travelling

Please rememberto bringsomecash

(sterling) withyou for yourimmediate expenses

suchas travelfares, accommodation, meals

etc. Weadvise that youbring the rest ofyour

money in sterling travellerschequesin small

denominationsso thatyou are notcarrying

toomuch cashwith youon yourjourney.

Travellerschequescan be cashed at airports

bureauxde change andbanks.The only24-

hour banksyouwillfind when youarrivein the

UKare atthemajorairports.Mostbanksopen

between 09.30 16.30 Monday to Saturday.

Donot putcash inyourmainluggage that youcheck-inat theairport; carryit with youin your

hand luggage orin a special moneybelt.

Your Journeyto the UK


9/12

THEUNIVERSITYOF LIVERPOOLYOURJOURNEYTO THEUK015


Luggage and what to pack

You should checkluggage limitswith boththe

airline andairportand weighyour luggage

before travellingas thecost of bringing excess

luggagemaybe high.If you plan totravel by

coachonce youhavearrivedin theUK then

youalso needto considerthe luggage

allowanceof the coach companytoo. You

may wish tosendluggage separately byair orwitha shippingcompany in advanceof your

arrival.If youdothis,makesuretheperson in

the UKwho you aresendingit tohasagreed

toreceiveand look afterit foryouuntil your

arrival. Remember to clearly labelyour

luggagewith yourname,addressand contact

telephonenumber. Neverallow strangersto

carry yourbagsat airportsand neverleave

bagsunattended even just fora few

seconds!As wellas anyimportant

documents, makesure youkeep thefollowing

in yourhand luggage:

Warmclothing

Travel insurance documents

List ofcontents ofmainluggage(incaseit

islostand you have tomakean insurance

claim)

Anyprescribed medication (plusa letter

fromyour doctor explainingwhat it is)

Address,telephone number andtravel

instructionsto yourfinal destination Documentsfor immigrationpurposes

YourComingto Liverpoolbooklet!

You should carry enough warmclothing with

you foryourjourney tothe UKand thefew

daysafterarrival: several layers of lightweight

clothesare better thana single thicklayer. It

is probablycheaperand easier to buywarm

winterclothing inthe UKrather than inyour

home country soit isadvisable tojustbring

enoughfora fewdaysandthenbuysome

moreonce youare settled in Liverpool.

Travel insurance

You needto protectyour cashand belongingsfromtheft or lossduringyour journey, so you

arestronglyadvisedto takeout travel

insurancebeforeyou leaveyour home

country. Makea listof everythingyou pack

sothatif your luggageis lost youcanaccount

forthe lostitems.If youhavebought anything

newbeforeyourjourneythenkeepthe

receipts as theinsurance companymay ask

you toprovidethemin theevent that youhave

tomakea claim.You shouldalsomakesure

thatthe insurancecoversyou for anymedical

emergencieswhile youare travelling.

Overnight accommodation

You should takeinto considerationwhat time

youwillarrive inLiverpool. Ifyou aregoing to

be livingin Universityaccommodation,but will

arriveoutside theUniversityaccommodation

office hours, youwill needto booktemporary

accommodation in Liverpool(at yourown

cost) untilyou canaccessyour University

accommodation.

Ifyou arenotflying directlyto Liverpoolthen

youmaywant tostayelsewhere inthe UK

e.g.Londonor Manchester, before travelling

onwardsto Liverpool;especially if youare

arriving lateat night. If youneed overnight

accommodation youare stronglyadvisedto

makea reservation before youleave your

homecountry. TheInternationalStudents

Houseoffers cheapaccommodationi f you

needto stayin London or theLondonTourist

Board canalso bookaccommodation foryou

If youare flying intoManchesterAirportthen

visittheirwebsitefordetailsof themanyhotels nearby.

Further details of temporaryaccommodation

are in thecontacts sectionof thisbooklet.

Its notas cold in Liverpoolas I expected. Mymumpacked lots of sweaters formebutI would advisebuyinga warm jacketonceyougethere soyou dont have tocarry so much.

EnyinnayaOrjiMechanical Engineering, Nigeria


10/12



Immigration on arrival in the UK

You willneed toshow yourpassport and

visato an Immigration Officer whenyou land

inthe UK.You areunlikelyto beaskedmany

questions or haveany problemsbut an

Immigration Officer doeshave theright to

interviewyou on arrival to checkthatyour

situationhas notchangedsince youwere

grantedentry clearance. You should thereforecarry evidence thatyou meetthe requirements

of theImmigrationRules for studentsin your

handluggage. If theyare notsatisfied thatyou

stillmeetthe rulestheymayrefuse youentry

asa student.If youobtainedentryclearance

inyourhomecountrythen you shouldbe

allowed to appeal againstthis decisionand

stayin theUK fortheduration ofthe appeal.

Ifyou didnotobtainentryclearancein your

homecountryyouwillhaveno rightof appeal

andyou maybe immediately returnedto your

home country.

Ifyou follow theadvice inthis bookletthenyour

arrivalin theUK shouldbe quick andeasy. If

howeveryou dohave anyproblemsat theairport

thenask theImmigrationOfficerto contactthe

InternationalSupport Teamor theImmigration

AdvisoryService(IAS).The IAShas officesacross

theUK andcanprovidespecialist immigration

adviceandrepresentation.

Customs Control

Onceyou areclear of passportcontrol you

canproceedthroughcustoms tothe luggage

reclaim area.At UK airportsthere are normally

threeexitsthroughcustoms:

Agreenchannelif youaretravelling from

outside theEuropeanUnionand have

nothingto declare.

Ared channel if you aretravellingfrom

outside theEuropeanUnionand do have

goods to declare.

Abluechannel if you aretravellingfroman

airport within theEuropeanEconomic Area

whereyour luggage hasalreadybeen

cleared throughcustoms control.

Thenotices inthe customsareas will tell

you if you need todeclareanythingyouhave

broughtinto thecountry. If in doubt, check

witha CustomsOfficerbefore passing

throughcustoms control.When youcome

throughcustoms, youwill havecompleted

all theformalities andhave officiallyarrived

inthe UK.

Assoonas youarrivein theUK,contactyour

family to letthem knowyou havearrivedsafely.

Security

Always be vigilant whentravelling. Do not

carrymorecashthan yourequirefor your

travellingexpenses. Always carry yourmoney

inan insidepocket,neverin yourbacktrouser

pocketor inthe outerpocketsof a coat or

jacket. Ifyou leave yourcoator jacket

anywhere,alwaystake yourmoneywith

you.Never leaveluggageor anybelongings

unattended anywhereeven forshort periods.

Remembertoo,it isimportantto keep a recordof theserial number on yourtravellers

cheques sothatif theyare lost you caninform

your bank.If youdohave itemsstolenfrom

you,you should contactthe police

immediately. Thepolice will issue youwith a

crime number.It is importantyou keepthis

number as it is requiredfor yourinsurance

companywhen youmake yourclaim.

Reportingthe theftto LostProperty onlyis not

enough; always report it tothe police too.

Keepyour passport, travel tickets and

important documents in a safeplace. It is

sensibleto havea photocopy of yourpassport

too. Itwill beeasier toreplaceif itis lost.If youdo loseyour passportinformthe police and

yourBritishdiplomatic post(embassy)

immediately.

Left luggage

Ifyou have heavyluggageanddo notwant to

carryit aroundwith you, youcanleaveit ina

LeftLuggage Office at most largestations fo

a smallchargeand pick itup later. Also check

thehours ofopeningor you may find that your

luggage hasbeen locked awayand you

cannot reclaim it for several hours.

Lost property

Shouldyouloseanyof your luggageduring

your journey itis importanttoraisethis

immediatelywith theofficialsof yourairline.If

youloseanythingat theairportor trainor

coach station,go immediately tothe Lost

PropertyOffice asit mayalreadyhave been

found andhandedin. Should youlose luggag

inthe street, orsuspectthatit hasbeen stolen

fromyou rather thanlost, findthe nearest

police stationand report it.

Travelling to Liverpool

Liverpooldoes haveits ownairport(John

Lennon Airport)butit isquitesmall.There isa cheap, regular busservice fromoutsidethe

airport intoLiverpool CityCentre;detailscan

be found on theairportwebsite.

Most studentswillarrivein theUK ateither

London HeathrowAirport,LondonGatwick

Airport or Manchester Airport.Heathrowand

Gatwickare thetwo mainLondonairports and

are bothseveralmiles outside thecentre of

London.The NationalExpresscoachservice

isa cheapmethodof travellingin theUK and

theyusuallyhave directservices fromthese

airportsto LiverpoolNortonStreet coach

station.Totravel toLiverpoolby trainfromHeathrowand Gatwick,it maybe necessary

to firsttravelto central London.Details of

travel optionsfrom these airportsto central

London canbe foundon theairports

websites.

Coming tothe UKcanbe a bit scaryat first because youdont know whatto expect, buteveryoneis veryfriendly youllhave a great time!

AdonyeBanigoMedicine, Nigeria


11/12



There is a trainstation at Manchester Airport.

During theday thereare direct trains from

Manchester Airport stationto Liverpool Lime

Street whichtake underan hour. National

Expressalsoruna coachservicefromthe

airport to Liverpool.

Visitthewebsiteof theairportyouare flying

into forfurtherdetailsof howtotravel to

Liverpool see thecontacts sectionat thebackof thisbookletfor website addresses.

WelcomeEvent

Wehopethatyouwillattendyouattend our

WelcomeEvent fornew international students

on Monday22 andTuesday23 September

2008: it is stronglyrecommendedthatyou

attend toget advice andassistanceabout the

importantthingsyouneedto doin your first

fewdays inLiverpoolandto help you toadjust

tolifein theUK. Once you arriveyouwill be

givena full programme of events butgenerally

it includes information stalls, presentations,

advice sessions,a coach-tour of Liverpool,lunch anda special WelcomeDinner and

Evening Reception.It is an idealopportunityto

meet alltheothernewstudents and make

yourfirstfriendsin the UK.You willreceive

further information regardingthe Welcome

Eventleadingup toyourdeparture.If you are

unable toattend,please contactthe ISTsoon

afteryou arrivein Liverpoolandwe cancheck

thatyou are settled andgive youinformation

on anythingyou havemissed.

AttheWelcome Event,youwillbe given

another ISTbooklet:The InternationalStudent

Handbook. Thehandbook is an essential

guide to livingand studyingin Liverpool.It

provideslots of useful information foryour first

fewdays inLiverpoolandalsocanbe used

asa referenceguide rightthroughoutyour

studies.

Contact DirectoryInternational dialling codefor Liverpool:

T: +44(0)151

Universityof LiverpoolContacts

Universityof Liverpool

(general telephone number)

T: +44(0)151794 2000

Contacting your academic department

Thereshouldbe a contactnumberfor your

academicdepartmenton youroffer letter

or othercorrespondence youmay have

received.If youdonot have a telephone

number for youracademic department,

justcall themain Universitynumber(above)

andask to be transferred to theparticular

department.

International Support Team (IST)

T: +44(0)151794 4716/6669/4712


www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/ist

International Recruitmentand

RelationsOffice(IRRO)

T: +44(0)151794 6730


www.liv.ac.uk/international

Student Administration and Support

T: +44(0)151794 6759


www.liv.ac.uk/sas

Student Fees

T: +44(0)151794 6777


www.liv.ac.uk/sas/administration/fees

Guild of Students

www.lgos.org

Accommodation Office

(University accommodation)

T: +44(0)151794 4715/4726/5873


www.liv.ac.uk/accommodation

LiverpoolStudentHomes

(private accommodation)

T: +44(0)151794 3296


www.lsh.liv.ac.uk

Disability Support Team (DST)

T: +44(0)151794 5863


www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/disability

TheUniversitywelcomes applicationsfrom

disabled students.

OtherUsefulContacts

Temporary Accommodation

LiverpoolInternational Inn

T: +44(0)151709 8135

E:See ContactUs on website

www.internationalinn.co.uk

EmbassieHostel

T: +44(0)151707 1089

www.embassie.com

YHAHostel

T: +44(0)870770 5924


www.yha.org.uk

Visit Liverpool

www.visitliverpool.com

London

InternationalStudents House

T: +44(0)20 76318300


www.ish.org.uk

Visit London

www.visitlondon.com

Manchester

Follow thebook hotels linkon

Manchesterairport website:

www.manchesterairport.co.uk

British Council

T: +44(0)1619577000 (Manchesteroffice)

www.britishcouncil.org

UKCISA (United Kingdom Council for

International Student Affairs)

www.ukcisa.org.uk

UK visas

www.ukvisas.gov.uk

HM Revenuesand Customs

T: +44(0)2920501 261

www.hmrc.gov.uk

Immigration Advisory Service

www.iasuk.org

Heathrow Airport

T: +44(0)8700000123

www.heathrowairport.com

Gatwick Airport

T: +44(0)8700002468

www.gatwickairport.com

Manchester Airport

T: +44(0)8712710711

www.manchesterairport.co.uk

LiverpoolJohn Lennon Airport

T: +44(0)8715218484

www.liverpooljohnlennonairport.com

National Express (coaches)

T: +44(0)8717818181

www.nationalexpress.com

Public Transportin theUK

T: +44(0)87120022 33

www.traveline.org.uk

Train Information in the UK

www.thetrainline.com

UK Student Life

(culturalinformationabout theUK)

www.ukstudentlife.com


12/12

The Welcome Event for New

International Students 2008

The event will provide lots of information to help you adjust to life in Liverpool

and to help you enjoy your time here. It also provides a great chance to meet

people, make friends and learn about the University, the City and living in the

UK. Please bring your offer letter with you for entry to the event. You will

receive a programme with details of everything included in the Welcome

Event. The event is free!

You are invited to:

Hosted by the International Support Team (IST)

Date: Monday 22ndand Tuesday23rdSeptember2008

Time: Please arriveat 10:00amon Monday

Venue: MountfordHall, guildof StudentsTheGuildof Studentsis thestudents unionbuilding.

See maptotheleft.

BROWNLOWHILL

MOUNTPLEASANT

Tours of the University and the City

Presentations (e.g. adapting to life in the UK, introduction to free

English classes)

General information about living in Liverpool

A free IST International Student Handbook

Information stalls (various University Departments and external organisations) Welcome Dinner at local hotel. Includes hot buffet

(vegetarian options/halal meat) followed by a disco.

Essential safety advice (how to keep yourself and your belongings safe)

Health information (including how to register with a doctor)

Opportunity to meet all the other new international students

Free food (lunches and refreshments)

Information on what you need to do in your first few days

Police registration (for those students who are required to register)

The Welcome Event includes:

At the Welcome Event I had the opportunity

to get advice on the questions that had beenbothering me.

(Law student from the USA)

When I have a question, I know where I can

go to get some advice. If I did not go to the

Welcome Event then I would not know how

to get help. I would worr y about little things

and they would interfere with my studies.

(Engineering postgraduate from China)

The Welcome Event helped me to quickly feel

at home in Liverpool.(Medicine undergraduate from Pakistan)

I really enjoyed the Welcome Event. The

Welcome Dinner was my favourite part as it

gave me the chance to talk to all the people

I met during the day. I am still friends with

some of the students now!

(MBA student from India)