United Kingdom (UK) is situated on the coast of the mainland of Europe. It comprises major cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester in England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Edinburg and Glasgow in Scotland, and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales. The UK has an indigenous mixture of diverse communities like Americans, Australians, and Chinese, Greeks, Russians, Poles, Serbs, Italians, Turkish Cypriots, and other Europeans. They also have other immigrants and refuge(s) living, working, and studying as a minority population. Some of them are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and many more. The country is inculcating and leading the tertiary education system globally in the fields of Engineering, Science, Art & Design, Business & Management, Law & Finance, and much more. The UK is producing global leaders and scientific researchers in various fields with alluring infrastructure facilities, the best curriculum, and advanced teaching techniques.
Why Study in UK
There are numerous reasons to study in the UK for an international or Indian aspirant. Some of them are:
The UK is a renowned name in the tertiary education ecosystem across the globe. They provide excellent research-oriented facilities, state-of-art infrastructure, innovative teaching techniques, and expert academicians. The country is producing global leaders and scientific researchers through premium universities. There are around 108 UK universities that have been ranked as top and best universities for international students.
According to the Times Higher Education Rankings (THE) 2021, QS World University Rankings 2021, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Rankings, and U.S. World Report Rankings 2021. There are multiple UK universities have secured top rankings and these universities are—University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College of London, University College London (UCL), University of Glasgow, Durham University, University of Birmingham, The University of Manchester, King’s College London, and plenty of other prestigious universities.
Based on QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2018, the most desirable and affordable best places to study in UK comprises 10 cities. Among them; London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Coventry, Nottingham, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Brighton.
There are incredible learning opportunities available in the UK for international or Indian students. The country is enriched with excellent multidisciplinary courses to evolve career-based skills and boost practical knowledge as per the recent industry trends. There are a few of the best courses to study in UK for a better career or job opportunities like Engineering, Computer Science, Arts & Social Sciences, Fashion & Designing, Law, Science, Technology, Business & Administration, Hospitality, and many versatile fields of studies. All the premium courses from renowned educational organizations will enhance the hidden talents of the potential students with innovative and practical training or internship opportunities. The United Kingdom is well-known for its unique education system that facilitates globally recognized courses. Therefore, it is the best choice for all the international or Indian potential candidates to study in UK after 10th & 12th for holistic career development.
Study in UK cost for Indian students
The UK is the gateway of fascinating leadership opportunities in a highly competitive working environment and creating a window of innovative career prospects. The tertiary education system has developed and designed the course curriculum meticulously to generate unique ideas, group research cooperation, via creative assignments and discussion techniques. The Brits have established a vast and diverse multicultural environment for the international students in a comfortable learning atmosphere.
Studying in a European country could be an unforgettable and life-changing experience for any international or Indian student. While estimating the cost of study in the UK one must note all the essential factors as per the requirement of the authorities.
The first factor in the cost is tuition fees that will be depending on the location of the university and the course one wants to or has enrolled into. All the study programs eligibility and relevant criteria differ from one to another. However, for an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree course, it probably can cost around 10,000 to 20,000 GBP per year. For a postgraduate or master’s degree program it can cost approx. 10,000 to 20,000 GBP per year. Whereas a doctoral degree may cost 15,000 to 24,000 GBP per year.
An international student has various options to accommodate in the UK as per their budget. Some basic options are available for the students from off-campus to on-campus both. Concerning the other living expenses, it depends on the lifestyle one will have and require. On an average note, it may cost around 40 GBP to 300 GBP per month/year.
Study in the UK without IELTS in 2021
It is a great initiative from the UK government to attract more international students to study in the UK and explore their potentials. The scholarships are provided by the UK government for 50,000 for fully-funded degree programs. Numerous universities in UK are a part of this wonderful opportunity so that an international student can study in UK without IELTS. There are a few scholarships like the Rhodes Scholarship, Great Scholarship in UK, Chevening Scholarship in UK, University of Plymouth UK Scholarships, and plenty of more.
Work and study in UK
All the international or Indian potential aspirants can work while studying in UK as per the regional government authorities in the United Kingdom. The international enthusiasts must confirm their eligibility before applying for a work permit or a work visa. UK encourages all the Indian talented and bright minds to apply through their wonderful opportunity Graduate route concerning to work without any job offer. This category comprises some essential eligibility criteria where an aspirant can work in flexible work hours, switch jobs, and enhance their career stream with practical experience.
An international or Indian student can work in UK on a part-time basis as per their course requirements. Remember, the aspirants who have enrolled in the full-time study programs are only eligible to work on a part-time basis.
Remember that if the UK education institution falls under the UKBA sponsors’ list or in the list of recognized bodies then, an Indian student is eligible to work in UK as mentioned in this article.
Those young and talented international students who are above 16 years may work for 20 hours a week during their studies. The students are eligible to work more than the mentioned working hours only in their seasonal or relevant vacation.
Under Graduate route an international student will only be eligible if they have completed their undergraduate degree or above, with limited number of professional qualifications at degree level, and who hold a valid Tier 4 or student visa during the time of application. All the international students who have Tier 4 student visa must check their category before proceeding in the same line.
The applicable cost for a Graduate route is 700 GBP and an additional Immigration Health Surcharge will also be payable as a part of this application process. For the Immigration Health Surcharge, it can cost around 624 GBP that will be helping the student to access on the UK’s National Health Services as a PR of the country.
Thus, after completing graduation or post-graduation or higher degree one can work under this new Graduate route category. The candidates will be eligible to work or seek job opportunities for maximum 2 years. A post-doctoral/doctoral degree completed enthusiast can work or stay up to 3 years in UK.
An international student is required to get an employment opportunity in UK with a salary of at least 20,800 GBP with a Tier 2 sponsor license. According to this visa rule, at the time of 1st year of graduation an international student or PSW visa owner can work in any job till find a job to move under the general visa work category.
UK student visa requirements & eligibility criteria
Tier 4 student visas are divided into more following categories like Tier 4 (General) student visa, Tier 4 (child) student visa, and short-term study visa. Each category comprises a different age limit and other relevant requirements.
In Tier 4 (General) Student visa, this category mentions those who are 16 years old or above and wish to study in UK for higher education. For Tier 4 (Child) Student visa, according to this category those children who are between 4 to 15 years of age and want to enrol in an UK education institute.
The cost of the Tier 4 General Student visa may cost around 348 GBP. Here, GBP stand for UK currency that is, Pound Sterling. The documents required for a UK Tier 4 student visa are:
- A completed student visa application form
- A letter of acceptance for the course enrolled in a UK university and it is also known as CAS and an official visa letter. Note that the visa letter must not be exceeding the 6 months duration for the application process.
- Proof of sufficient funds to study, live and bear all the expenses while studying in UK. One must ensure that the amount of money will be held in the bank account for at least 28 days. It is necessary to meet all the necessary requirements to receive a UK Tier 4 student visa.
How to get a PR in the UK after studying?
To get a Permanent Residence (PR) in UK involves following general procedure and one must check all the eligibility criteria before apply for a PR visa application. An individual can get a PR in UK after completing their graduation degree with a job for at least 5 years. At the beginning, an individual must attain the ‘indefinite leave to remain visa (ILR)’ to gain the PR in UK. Concerning ILR, one must have a full-time job in UK and bear a good character with no criminal record to get ILR visa.
To get the ILR visa for a PR in the United Kingdom, one must check the following steps:
- An international candidate is required to submit valid English proficiency test scores
- A valid and current passport
- Two passport size photographs
- Biometric/digital prints of both hand fingers
- Signature, name, date & place of birth
- The status of the international candidate on the recent status
- A proof of latest working or studying status in UK
United Kingdom is a land of the excellent education system for the international students in the stream of the tertiary education ecosystem. Therefore, one must grab the golden opportunity to learn, and evolve in the diversity of the multiculturalism of the United Kingdom (UK).