We understand that coming to a new country can be challenging for students, therefore we have dedicated team to help you in every step such as completing a course application, helping you find accommodation or even opening bank account.
We are here to ensure that you receive a high quality education, without any doubts or concerns. We understand that it is not only our responsibility to teach our international students, but it is also our responsibility to ensure that there is someone to turn to in the College should they need advice or assistance on any matter.
Therefore, we will assist students in matters such as:
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in all public places in the UK, including bars, restaurants, shops, cinemas, stations and on public transport. You can smoke outside the building. The legal age for buying tobacco in the UK is 18.
Drinking
The legal age to drink alcohol in the UK is 18. Some bars and nightclubs have a ‘21 years old and over’ policy. Alcohol is not allowed on public transport. It is forbidden to drink alcohol anywhere on the school premises. It is illegal to buy alcohol for anyone under 18.
Drugs
The possession and use of leisure drugs is illegal. Penalties can include up to 7 years in prison and/or a fine. You are strongly advised not to use illegal drugs during your stay.
Weapons
It is illegal to carry any weapon for defence, including gas and sprays. You will be arrested if the police stop you and you have a knife.
TV licence
Every property that has a TV must have a TV licence. If you rent a room or are in a flat share, find out who is responsible for paying the TV licence.
Council tax
Council tax is a local tax that is charged on each property. Each borough (district) in London has its own rates. Discounts are sometimes available for students.
Traffic
In the UK we drive on the left, so please be careful when crossing the road. The legal age for driving is 17. If you want to hire a car, the average minimum age is 23.
Cycling
You cannot ride a bike on a pavement/footpath. You must have lights on if you cycle at night. A helmet is not compulsory but is strongly recommended.
Legal Matters
Certain crimes such as theft, shoplifting, fraud, assault, involvement with illegal drugs, or damage may lead to immediate deportation.
If you need legal advice, we suggest that you go to a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). They do not charge for their service. The address of a local CAB is:
What to do in case of an arrest
What do Students need to remember when packing
Arrival and orientation for students in London
Arriving at Heathrow
Short-term students (up to 6 months)
Short-term study students (up to 6 months) who have not obtained a visa from their home country should NOT use the eGates, as they need to see an officer for a stamp in their passport. They MUST see a Border Force officer and get their passport stamped if they are coming to the UK as a Short-term study student (up to 6 months). This stamp gives them the permission needed for their studies.
Non-visa nationals from the countries above entering the UK with a short-term study visa must NOT use the eGates. They MUST insist on seeing an Immigrating officer and obtaining a short-term study stamp in their passport.
Students who fail to obtain a Short-term study visa stamp in their passport can be enrolled on arrival at Cisco Tech, but MUST exit the UK within 30 days and re-enter to obtain the Short-term study visa stamp.
Transport
By Underground
A quick and easy way to get to central London is by the Piccadilly line. The journey time is usually under an hour and trains run every 5-10 minutes. Underground tickets are available at all stations. Tickets are issued by zone, depending on which part of London you are travelling to. A one-day travel card gives unlimited travel around London. For more information visit www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments or visit the Travel Information Centre at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 underground station.
By Train
The Heathrow Express is a non-stop train service that is the fastest travel option between Heathrow Airport and central London. Services run every 15 minutes. Tickets can be pre-booked or are available on arrival. For details of special offers and to pre-book tickets visit www.heathrowexpress.com or ring 0845 600 1515 (UK only).
Arriving at Gatwick
By Coach
National Express direct services to London Victoria operate once an hour with a journey time of 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the time of the day.
By Train
The fastest train service into central London is the Gatwick Express which travels direct to London Victoria station. Trains are non-stop and run every 15 minutes from 05:00 to 23:45 with a journey time of 30 minutes and a less frequent service running through the night.National Rail services also run to London Bridge every 20 – 30 minutes during the day with a journey time of about 40 minutes.
Arriving at Stansted
By Coach
National Express coaches from Stansted to London run 24 hours a day, the average journey time is 1 hour and 5 minutes.
By Train
The Stansted Express train is the quickest way to get to London. Services run every 15 minutes from 05:30 to 12:30. Stansted express stops at London Liverpool Street Station or Tottenham Hale and the journey time is 47 and 36 minutes respectively.
Arriving at St Pancras
If you are coming to the UK on the Eurostar, you will arrive into St Pancras International station which has excellent links around London.
By Underground
The Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines all stop at St Pancras making it easy to travel around the city.
Living in London
The TFL Oyster card is London’s travel smartcard. It can store your season ticket or prepay (pay-as-you-go travel), or a combination of both. You simply touch it on the card readers at Tube and DLR stations, on buses and at tram stops.
Oyster cards are reusable. When your ticket expires, simply buy another one using the same Oyster card.
When your Pre Pay runs out, just top it up. Paying for transport in London with cash is much more expensive than using an Oyster card so, since you are certain to use the Tube or buses while you are in London, we strongly recommend that you get an Oyster card.
If you have guests in London they can buy single tickets for cash, or get a Daily Travelcard.
You can get an Oyster card at an underground station or at certain shops when you arrive.
If you are studying with us full time for more than 14 weeks you will be eligible for a Student Oyster card, which will give you further discounts (usually around 30%). You can only apply for a student Oyster card after you have arrived at the school.
The Underground is divided into six zones. Zone 1 being central London and increasing the further out you travel from the centre. Last trains run at around midnight. For more information on Transport for London’s Tube pages. (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx)
Remember to put your arm out to stop the bus. The last buses and tubes leave central London at around midnight but there is also a network of night buses. All night buses have a letter ‘N’ before the number on the front of the bus. Daily travel cards can be used until 04.00AM the following day on these night buses.
On some routes you have to buy your ticket before boarding the bus, so check if there is a machine at the bus stop. When travelling on a London bus, you must press the red button once to indicate that you want to get off at the next bus stop. More information on Transport for London’s Bus pages. ( http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2605.aspx)
Contraception and birth control advice is free for students entitled to free NHS treatment. Go to your doctor or your local NHS Family Planning Clinic. Advice on pregnancy and family planning can also be obtained from private agencies registered with the Department of Health, such as:
British Pregnancy Advisory Service:
45 Columbo Street
London, SE1 8EE
Tel: 03457304030 Website: www.bpas.org
If you are registered with a doctor for NHS medical treatment you can go to a NHS dentist. Lists are available from the reception or at post offices. There is a charge for dental treatment under the NHS. For more information
about NHS dental charges, please see: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74
Eye tests are available from any optician. It costs around £20. Lenses and frames for glasses can cost £50 or more, depending on what you choose.
For more information and location of opticians near college please see:
If you come from an EU country you will need to apply for an European Health Insurance Card in your home country.
Healthcare for EU students if you come from an EU country you are eligible for free healthcare in the UK, but you will need to check any restrictions in your home country (your home country will have an agreement with the UK). You must apply for a European Health Insurance Card in your home country before you come to the UK. If you need to see a doctor you can go to a surgery (an NHS surgery, not a private clinic) with your European Health Insurance Card and make an appointment. You do not need to register with the doctor.
Most European Health Insurance Cards are valid for a visit of approximately 3 months. After this time some doctors surgeries will allow you to register and get free treatment although the surgery can choose not to register you if you are not a permanent resident in the UK.
If you are from outside the EU and you will be studying in the UK for at least six months then you can register with a doctor. We recommend that you register as soon as possible to save time if you become ill. When you ring the surgery you would like to register with check the following:
If you are from outside the EU and will be studying in the UK for less than six months you will need to go to a private medical centre.
You may need to register with the police if you come to UK for longer than 6 months, extend your current leave or switch to a different visa.
You’ll be told if you need to register with the police on one of the following documents:
You may be told to register with the police if all the following apply:
You must register with the police if you’re from:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
You may also need to register if:
You don’t need to register if you have dual nationality with one of these countries and a country that’s not on the list.
You must register within 7 days of arriving in the UK or within 7 days of getting your biometric residence permit.
You must register at
Overseas Visitors Records Office (OVRO)
323 Borough High Street
London
SE1 1JL.
Registering with the police costs £34. You can pay at the police station.
You’ll need to take:
You may need to provide additional documents depending on your status and the police force you’re registering with. You may also have to fill in an application form before you register. Contact the police to find out.
If you registered with the police you must tell them if any of the information you’ve given them changes. Contact the police station to check if you need to go in person.
If you registered at the Overseas Visitors Records Office, check what changes they need to know about and how to report them.
Local Services
There are hundreds of public libraries in London. Some of them may allow membership for the residents of that borough (area of London) only whereas most of them give a membership card regardless of the area you live in.
You can also use internet/computers for 1 hour for free in a public library.
To register with a public library you will need 1 proof of ID (e.g. passport) and a proof of address (any bill – e.g. bank statement, credit card statement etc.)
The British Library
96 Euston Rd, London, Greater London NW1 2DB, 0843 208 1144
Southwark Local History Library
211 Borough High St,London SE1 1JA,
Ph:020 75250232
City Business Library
Guildhall, London EC2V 7HH
Ph: 020 73321812
You can post letters and cards in the red post-boxes you see in the street. They should show the times of collection on them. Last times of collection vary but are usually 17.30 Monday to Friday (sometimes later) 12.00 Saturday. Post is collected from some boxes (but not all) on Sundays, particularly at post offices.
Check the information on the box before posting, especially if it is an urgent letter. You must take parcels to a post office.
It is difficult to be precise about how long letters and cards take to get to other countries. Two days is perfectly common to most of western Europe, but it can be a week or more.
Most post offices are open between 09.00 – 17.00 Monday to Friday and 09.00 – 13.00 on Saturday.
Post Office around us:
Bethnal Green Police Station
12 Victoria Park Square E2 9NZ
Opening times: 24 hours a day
Brick Lane Police Office
23-15 Brick Lane E1 6PU
Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday 12 noon-8pm
It is advisable for you to open a bank account when you arrive in London and start your course. There are several major banks and building societies in London you can choose from.
You will need to have your passport, confirmation of your UK address (credit card statement, or electricity bill, or your rental agreement etc.) and a letter from the College.
We will assist you in opening a new bank account in London and give you a letter from the college confirming that you are enrolled as a student at Cisco Tech.
The college cannot recommend any particular UK bank.
The following banks have branches close to Cisco Tech:
Barclays
HSBC
Lloyds
NATWEST
We strongly recommend that you register with an NHS general practitioner as soon as you arrive, even if you do not normally need to see a doctor. You will need a proof of your address to register at your local GP clinic.
If you want to see the doctor the same day, then you can use the services of NHS Walk-in clinics. Soho NHS Walk-in Centre is based at the Soho Centre for Health and Care, located in Soho Square.
Guy’s Hospital Walk-in Centre,
Great Maze Pond
London
SE1 9RT
Tel: 020 75346500
Opening Hours are:
Monday – Friday 8.00am to 7.00pm;
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays (Closed only on Christmas Day) 10.00am to 8.00pm.
Private Medical Centre
City Walk-In Clinic
3-34 Bury St, London EC3A 5AR
Hours: 7:30am – 6:30pm (Mon-Fri)
Saturday & Sunday Closed
Phone: 020 7101 0355
https://walkin-clinic.co.uk
Insurance:
We advise all students to arrange medical and personal insurance. Cisco Tech does not provide insurance or endorse any insurance company, but Endsleigh Insurance Services (www.endsleigh.co.uk) is a commonly used company and can arrange insurance for you.
Saint Botolph
Aldgate High St, London
EC3N 1AB
stbotolphs.org.uk
Phone: 020 7283 1670
Roman Catholic Church of the English Martyrs
30 Prescot St, London
E1 8BB
rcdow.org.uk
Phone: 020 7488 4654
Bricklane Mosque
59 Brick Ln, London
E1 6QL
bricklanejammemasjid.co.uk
Phone: 020 7247 6052
The East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
82-92 Whitechapel Rd, London
E1 1JQ
eastlondonmosque.org.uk
Phone: 020 7650 3000
Sai Trust
Middlesex St, London
E1 7EZ
saitrust.uk
Phone: 07711 200300
Hindu Pragati Sangha
33 Rhondda Grove,
London E3 5AP
hindupragatisangha.net
Phone: 020 3489 7078
The short-term study immigration route allows students to come to the UK to undertake a short period of study where the duration is less than six months or a part-time course. This Visa is not a part of the Home Office Point Based System (PBS).
Who can apply for a Short-term study visa :
Advantages:
Things to consider when applying for Short Term Study Visa:
How to apply for Short Term Study Visa
Short Term Study Visa must be applied from home country if the student is from a visa national country .
A non – visa national do not need to apply for Short Term Study Visa before coming to the UK. They can get it free on arrival.
The students need to submit their respective visa application by completing an online application on the Home Office website. As a part of the application students must attend the BHC in their home country in person and have their biometric data (fingerprints) taken.
What documents do I need to submit with an application for Short Term Study Visa?
Along with your application you will need to submit the following documents:
Getting a Short Term Study Visa on arrival
Students can get a Short Term Study Visa on arrival only if you are a non – visa national. They will need:
If the students are a visa national, they must get their visa before arriving in the UK.
Short Term Study Visa fees
The cost of Short Term Study Visa is £97 for visa nationals and non-visa nationals applying for a visa before they arrive in the UK.
It is free for non-visa nationals applying for Short Term Study Visa on arrival.
Length of Short Term Study Visa
Short Term Study Visa lasts for 6 months.
How will my Short Term Study Visa look like?
If you are applying for your Short Term Study Visa from overseas, a green color visa sticker will be endorsed in your passport. It will have the date your visa is valid from, and the date of expiry. It will include letters ‘Short Term Study Visa’ to show the type of your visa.
If you are getting your visa on arrival, you will not have a sticker in your passport. Instead, you will have your passport stamped in immigration, and officer will add letters ‘VST’ next to the stamp. (This is the difference between Short Term Study Visa and Visitor Visa).
Please check that the date of entry is clear on the entry stamp. If you cannot read it, ask the officer to stamp it again.
Will I be able to work in the UK?
Short Term Study Visa does not give the right to work in the UK.
At Ciscotech we are wholly dedicated to supporting our students with any advice and guidance they may need. Ciscotech has a enthusiastic student support team to help to dealing with any issues during your studies. Our dedicated team can help you in finding accommodation, settling in London, arranging academic support and help you to point you in the right direction.
At Ciscotech, we are focused on creating an environment that focuses on students’ health and wellbeing which includes providing resources that support development and studies of the students and helping them to succeed.
Mental health and wellbeing support
There is always help available for student’s wellbeing throughout their time with us at Ciscotech. Whether through counselling or at a drop-in session or appointment, our professional staff can provide students with advice and support on a wide range of mental health and wellbeing subjects, to help students get the most out of student life. The wellbeing team offers counselling to give students the opportunity to talk in confidence with someone who is impartial and separate from work, social and family life. The team also offers an outstanding range of classes, including mindfulness and many more to develop life skills such as managing stress effectively and becoming more confident.
Adjusting student life at Ciscotech
Starting university is an exhilarating time, with lots of opportunities to take advantage of. Some students can find this overwhelming. The staffs from support team can help students cope better with the challenges of academic study, independent living and thriving in a new surroundings.
Each faculty in Ciscotech has its own Student Advice Centre (SAC) to help, support and advise students with all learning support enquiries. Here is a glimpse of services that SACs provide to the students:
Library
Our library will provide guidance and support with reading lists and relevant sources to support referencing of the assignments.
