The Money Saga Part II

Or, How to Get a UK Bank Account if you're an International Student


I have written a post about my trials and tribulations in applying for, getting and securing my financial aid for my visa.  For some reason the UK Border Agency (UKBA) wants to make sure that students coming into their country have enough money to pay for their course fees and have enough money to pay for room and board so they don't get onto welfare.  Having succesfully secured a loan, gotten a letter of proof of funds from the university and having got here I then enjoyed the frustrations of trying to get a UK bank account.

Which is not nearly as easy as you might think.

So, for anyone planning on going to the UK for school who are going to open a checking account, please pay attention as I am about to save you a lot of walking, headaches, idiots who don't know what the heck they're doing, what you're doing or what's been done as well as save you from tears of frustration that could lead to homicidal rage-which isn't exactly pretty.

So here is my guide to getting a UK bank account if you're not a British citizen:

1.  Get a letter of introduction from the International Office.
The very first thing you should do when arriving in the UK is to go to the International Office-even before you check out the University itself.  Now, for Hull, the International Office likes to know that their students have arrived.  They even have wristbands you can wear so if anyone from their office sees you looking bewildered  they'll help you out.  I did not wear mine as I had Mark with me.  For Hull, there was a specific day where they had banks to get students bank accounts.

For me I chose Lloyds TSB simply because it's the bank the university uses and it's just down the road from both the International Office and the University-convenient eh?

When I went to open mine, I was told that I needed to go to the branch itself as they knew students were coming.  They knew students were coming and though they were willing to take down some information they still needed those letters. Which brings me to my next hint.

2.  Make sure you have your Passport & Visa on you when trying to open an account

I have seen more than one person turned away because they didn't have their passport on them.  Don't let this happen to you.  And no, a passport card or a DL isn't going to work.  You need the same passport and visa you used to get through customs.  When I went over that Tuesday they made a copy of both my passport and the visa.  They also had me fill out an application.  And then they told me to return the following day with my Letter of Introduction.

I had returned to the International Office the following day to be told quite rudely that the banks would pick up the letters directly and that I'd get an email when the account was open.  Fine, whatever.  A week later I still had not heard from the bank so I decided it would behoove of me to get a little pushy and returned to the International Office and asked about it.  Sure enough the bank had come and the letters had been given. Wonderful!  So I walked to the bank and asked about getting my account opened up!  The lady quite nicely told me that, due to the sheer press of students, they haven't gotten to them all yet (a week later) and that they might be finished on Friday.  Well... it didn't matter all that much since I didn't even have my money yet!

The original email I got said the financial aid disbursement checks would go out on the 20th only to find out that they weren't going to be disbursed until Oct. 3.  Um... that's a difference of two weeks and when you've got no money, that's a bit harsh.  But I had Mark so we were doing okay... for now.  But that brings me to my next suggestion:

3.  Make sure the bank looks at your application and tell you everything they're missing and need from you!

See, I wasn't quite pushy enough.  After I had said a merry, ok thank you and left the bank that monday (it was the 3rd) I went to the university to track down the guy who was supposed to give me my money!  grr....   He asked if I had my bank details and I said- uh, not yet so then he said that I'd be getting a check in pounds sterling and that he was putting out the info that day and the check would arrive either Tuesday (which it did) or Wednesday (when I was able to physically pick it up).

So It's now Wednesday and I had a beautiful check made out to me and I really wanted to deposit it into my bank account as I really needed that money already.  So I return to the bank, sure that I'd be able to open my account.  And no, I was not! See, they needed a letter of introduction and proof of residence.  Great.  I was told by the bank that they hadn't gotten a letter of introduction for everyone and I was one of the unlucky few.  Happily, I had gotten one from the guy in the International Office the previous Monday so I was able to give that to them right then and there.  Which bring up item #4:

4.  Make sure you have proof of residency from the Landlord or the International Office or via a Status Letter from the University

But now I needed to get proof of residency.  My problem is that, without any money, I can't afford to get onto the lease, without being on the lease, I can't get my bank account and thus no money... it's a vicious circle.  So I return to the International Office, ask them where I am to get it and, shock and surprise I can get it from them!  Only... I can't because you see... I'm not living on campus and they only have it from students living on campus.  So I had to go to the 2nd floor (what we in the real world would understand to be the third floor as the ground floor is  the first floor) of the Hull Student Union and get one from there.  And finally I got my Status Letter.

Which required yet another trip back to the bank.  Fortunately this was all that they needed and they accepted it.  Of course, it was still going to take them time to register it but they said they'd do it later that afternoon.  I was also finally able to put that beautiful check into the bank... but they have a 3-5 working day clearance so for me that's next Tuesday.  However, I should be able to access my money and get my ATM card whenever I head over there on Tuesday morning so yay!  I just need to bring my passport with me is all.  I can do that.

So, if you are going to open a checking account in the UK as an International student here's what you need on hand, with you before you go.

1.  Get a Letter of Introduction from the International Office
2.  Make sure you have your passport when opening up and dealing with the bank at all times
3.  Make sure the Bank looks at your application and lets you know what items you're missing
4.  Make sure you have a lease contract, statement from the landlord, a letter of residency from the International Office or a Status Letter from the University.

Only then, my intrepid friend, should you even think about opening an account!

Getting a UK Tier 4 Student Visa-General

Having just written the previous post I realized that my two readers (hi mom!) might not be fully cognizant of what it entails to get a Tier 4 Student Visa from the UK. If you know the pains I've been through, then you know it's a bitch and a half, but you don't know what is required well... I'll tell you. After 3 times at bat, I think I have it down now.

And if you are an American looking to cross the pond for school... here's a few questions and answers to help you on your way.

First of all, if you're getting a visa, you need to know which one you have to get. For me I had to get a Tier 4 Student Visa-General. How did I know I needed that one? The UKBA website made that fairly obvious. Although you can get a bit nervous when the online application asks you what kind of Tier 4 Student Visa you're getting because it has options. If you don't have a scholarship and you either have student loans or Mommy & Daddy have the money in their bank account and you're over 17... you're a general student.

So I know what visa to get, what documents do I need?

The first thing you need is what is called a CAS from your sponsor-which is the university itself. The CAS is the Certificate of Acceptance for Studies, or something like that. It's a document that the university sends to the UKBA to let them know you're coming to their school. They should email you a copy. The University of Hull does, at any rate. I would recommend that you save this email... you need all the information of of it for your application.

What does it take to get a CAS?

I think it depends on the University. For Hull I had to apply. I thought it was the easiest application process ever. And it was. Once I was accepted I got a Conditional letter of acceptance which meant I needed to send them a few things before they'd send me my CAS. They needed official transcripts, 2 letters of recommendation and a copy of my diploma. Once they had those and processed them I was sent a CAS, which was also sent to the UKBA. You will get the CAS 4 months before the start of term. You CANNOT apply for a visa any sooner than 4 months start of term. You CANNOT enter the country on a student visa any earlier than 1 month prior to start of term.

I have my CAS now what?

You need money, and lots of it! The website will tell you that you need to have enough money to cover your tuition and enough money to cover what they call your maintenance fees. These fees are what the UKBA requires you to have so that you will have money for things like books and housing and food so you won't try and get onto their version of welfare. They have to different rates depending on where you're going to school. Because I am outside of the inner London Boroughs I only needed 600 GBP for 9 months which is 9800 GBP total. That's over $15,000 so yeah, it's a lot of money. If you don't have $40,000 wasting away in the bank and neither does Mommy or Daddy, make sure you apply for financial aid before March 2... you're going to need every dime you can get your hands on.

Once you've done that- go to your university's website and see what they require from You and what they require from your loans. The University of Hull requires you to send them the 8 page SAR. When ordering it make sure it can get to the university and if it doesn't, you might have to mail it. Ask to see if you can't email scans instead. Hull's been great about accepting scans of all my stuff... thank God!

So I have my CAS and the university is awarding me $40,000, now what?

Make sure you have a copy of their award letter. A print up of the email saying you have it is okay, though they university will probably send you an official copy of the award letter. And double check the amount. The people in the office are only human and there is a huge difference between a $20K award letter and a $40K award letter! The UKBA needs every single piece of paper the university gives you saying how much money you're getting so if the university sends you 5 sheets, make sure you give that to the UKBA with your visa packet. If there's only 1, make sure you send that. If you're going to Hull, you should have 2.

Alright already, can I apply for my visa now or what??

Yes. Make sure you have a copy of your CAS in front of you as you will be referring to that to answer the questions on the visa application. This is really easy and straight forward so don't sweat it. It also doesn't take very long. And all the questions they ask are either things you know (such as your mother's name, birthday, birthplace, same with dear old dad) and things you might not know (do you qualify for NTI?-your CAS has the answer for you). Once you are finished, GO Over Your Answers!!! At one point, I noticed that I had somehow checked that I was male. I'm not. So do be paranoid about your answers.

And Make Sure you have the RIGHT GW number (visa application number) and the right passport number!!!

Once you've finished that pay for it and schedule a biometrics appointment. This will be with the DHS immigration services building in the closest city to you (If you're in Sacramento this is on Reed Ave just off of Harbor BLVD and across the road from Ikea). You'll be given a date and time for your appt. but I'll give you a hint, you might be able to get in early, like a day early. You never know.

But you have 2 weeks from your biometrics appt. to send in your application packet so don't sit on it!

Do I need to worry about my biometrics appointment?

No, this is easy and painless and should take no more than 5 minutes. At this point I would suggest that you have a manila envelope or something to hold all of your visa application documents in. If you're at the point where you're getting your biometrics done then you should have the following printed up and on hand:

1. Copy of your CAS printed from your email.

2. Copy of your visa application.

3. Copy of your biometrics appointment (both of these will have been printed from your online application site) 4. Copy of your proof of financials.

5. Official transcripts (can be opened) or whatever proof you sent to the university to show you already have a degree and

6. YOUR PASSPORT! If you don't have all of these things together, stop what you're doing and get them together.

Now!

Okay, so I got fingerprinted and my picture taken now what?

You're almost done. Did you know that you need an auxiliary sheet?

Say what?

It's true. They need additional information from you. This is something you print up and fill out in blue or black ink. This lets them know how much money you owe the university, how much money you've paid, how much money they require from you total and how much money you can get your hands on to support yourself. They have changed their website and so you should be able to get this form once you've started your application. If not, make sure you scour the UKBA site for it!! and make sure you're filling out the right one. If it doesn't say Tier 4 general student visa on the top right hand corner, you've got the wrong one.

Anything else?

Yes. They want 1 passport picture of your pretty face. You can send them both but they'll just return the one they don't need. Make sure you don't smile. A Mona Lisa smile is okay but really, all they want is a mug shot. Don't smile.

Can I mail it already?

yes but check off these items to make sure you have them.

1. Printed Visa application

2. Biometrics appt. stamped and verified

3. Auxiliary information sheet (the one you had to find)

4. Evidence used to obtain your CAS (transcripts)

5. Copy of your CAS

6. Copy of your proof of financials

7. 1 passport photo of you Not smiling no older than 6 months old

8. Your Passport + any old passports you might have on hand

Got them all? Good, now you're ready to mail them.

There are 4 places in the continental 48 to take your application, the British General Consulate in LA, NYC, Chicago & DC. Your appt. sheet tells you where you're supposed to send your application.

So how should I send this?

If you have never applied for a visa before, your application should be easy and shouldn't take too long. If you have managed to get all of this done 4-2 months before start of term, put the documents into an express envelope and spend the $5 to get it there priority. It should arrive in 2 days. And it should take them a couple of weeks to approve your visa at which point they mail all your documents back to you.

If, however, you got a month to go and you're worried about getting to the UK in time for start of term, do a search for their expedited services. They have two options: You can either spend $100 for their expedited fee or $150. The $100 is one in which you make an appointment in either LA, Chicago, NY or DC to walk and get your visa in the same day (you can hope). The $150 fee is for NYC only. You pay worldbridge $150, write Priotrity Service on the outside of your envelope (spend the $20 to get it shipped overnight w/ express) and mail it in. You can only mail it in after 24 hours have passed since your biometrics appointment. Once you've paid for it, you Have to include that receipt in with your whole visa package. They will send you an email letting you know each stage of the game.

At no time should you even Think of buying a plane ticket until you have your visa in your hot little hand. I have learned this the hard way. You might have to pay a few extra scheckles to get your plane ticket with little advance warning but you could end up spending a Lot more in the long run. Trust me, I learned that the hard way.

Once you have your travelling papers in order, get in touch with the university and they'll probably have a welcome team to pick you up from the train station/bus station/whatever that is closest to the university and help you get settled in.

All I can say is good luck.

They Like Me!

I am not a fan of the UK Border Agency. Their website isn't clear, it suggests one thing while saying something else, it doesn't give you all the information you need in one place and you can't get any help with anything without paying a company a ton of money, and even then, they're not UKBA agents.

In September of 2010 I tried to head to England for grad school.

That was a fail- they didn't like my lack of visa-even though the site suggested I could get one in the UK. Boy was I wrong. Never mind the fact that school started on the 27th, I flew out on the 21st and got my CAS a week before that. I can get vet a visa in 3 weeks... of course I can... suuure.

So I spent an additional $330 to get a visa so I could go back! Aaaand that took so long I extended the school's 4 week allowance for international students Plus the 2 weeks they allow for extreme cases like mine. I got the visa back 3 days too late to do me any good.

So I had a pretty piece of paper glued to the inside of my passport. It's about as effective as a nerf paperweight in a tornado.

And so now it is 2011 and I am making my second attempt to cross the pond and successfully enter England-land (yes I know it's really England and the addition of land is redundant-that's the point people). My CAS arrived on time in May. For the University of Hull you need transcripts, two letters of recommendation and a copy of your diploma ( I think) to get the CAS (certificate of acceptance for study). I had already turned mine in last year so they just bumped it all up to this year's application. Thankfully!

But I got an email from the UK Visa office in NYC and my visa has been approved and my visa is on its way! WOOOOOOT! I've been very excited since I got the email this afternoon. It's hard to believe!!

Now all I need to do is pack, clean out my room so there's nothing of mine in it and get ready to go.

I will miss my dog but she's going to stay home with Grammy and Aunt Libbie so she should be okay without her mommy. Plus Grammy gives her doggie treats, not Mommy.