Visa Requirements

Britain requires a visa for students whose program of study lasts longer than six months.

Information about obtaining the REQUIRED visa can be obtained by following the links from http://www.britainusa.com/, which links to their “fasttrack” system.

(1) You should not begin the fasttrack process until you have all documents in front of you ­ specifically, the option to “save and retrieve” is not reliable at present.

(2) You will need to send all required documents to them in Chicago (or take them personally), including a letter from Associate Dean Pratt certifying that you are a student in good standing and that you have been admitted to the program. You should be sure to provide reasonable advance notice for your request.

(3) Another of the required documents is proof of financial ability to cover the costs of the program. The Law School’s letter will attest that your fees have been paid; but you will need proof of ability to cover your living costs in London. If you have applied for aid through the ND Office of Financial Aid, a copy of your Financial Aid Award Letter can be used to meet this requirement. Additionally, a copy of a submitted private loan application with the approval notice from the lender can also be used. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

If you will not rely on loans, you will need proof of financial ability (click here to see the web page for more information, paragraph 12.21)

The student visa will allow you to enter Britain up to 3 months in advance of the start of classes; the visa will also allow you to work on a limited basis (in particular, you cannot plan to rely on the work to cover your basic expenses).

This process is likely to take some time, so you should begin as early as possible.