I don't care where you are from, or where you are going. It will never go smoothly. If you think "Hey, this isn't as bad as people have said" at any point, be prepared for the inevitable bumps in the road. Some bumps are actually more like the Alps, as you will see below.
So, what has been the VISA thorn in my side? A little thing called the CAS number. CAS stands for Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, or Can't Aquire Smoothly. This essentially the number that allows you to register as a student in the UK, as opposed to a landed immigrant or someone on a general work VISA. My initial emails to the Admissions office were back in June, inquiring how to get a CAS number for my VISA. The entire exchange went something like this:
How do I get a CAS number?
We give it to you when we get them from the Government.
...Okay? But when would that be?
Soon.
Now keep in mind, these email exchanges take a 12 hour period each, as we are in different time zones. So I wait...and wait...and wait a bit more. I send another email and am finally told, "Oh the government doesn't allow Universities to issue the number until three months before a student's arrival." That information would have been nice to know in the first place. So I wait some more, and finally hear that the numbers will be going out in the first week of July or shortly after.
Can you guess what week it is now? Correct! It's the last week of July! Have I received the CAS number or any of the information that goes with it? NO! I have a MONTH left to get this application in! I have officially run out of wiggle room in regards to re-submitting if anything should go wrong with my application. So, feeling the time squeeze I decided it's time for some human interaction and called the admissions office when they open at 9am. That's 9am UK time by the way. So it's 1am here.
The phone call lasted 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Mind you, the man I spoke to was very nice and actually knew who I was just by first name (I have been sending quite a few emails, so at least they're paying attention). I now know that the CAS numbers have been sent from Chichester to the Border Agency. They will be verified by the UKBA and then sent back to Chich, who will then send the information to me. This should take no longer than a week. Should being the operative word.
Guys? As nice as that is to hear...it's really a week I DON'T HAVE! I need to get this application submitted, make an appointment with the consulate for my interview and pray to whatever deity I can think of (and all the once I forget) that they don't reject the damn thing or ask me to resubmit information. Then I get to wait between 10 and 15 days to get the VISA back from the Border Agency once it's been approved.
Please excuse me while pull out my hair in frustration/stress.
My advice for anyone on Study Abroad:
- FILL OUT HARD COPIES AND LOOK AT THEM MULTIPLE TIMES! You will forget things that you need to have completed before submitting your forms if you only read them through once. Time is not a luxury we have, and if you miss a deadline...well...good luck to you.
- Should you require information from your Host Uni PESTER THEM! Honestly, it's the only way of getting a straight answer, especially in bureaucratic nations like England. The admissions office knows who I am now because I won't leave them alone! That, my friends, is a good thing!
- Look at the requirements for finances and heath insurance coverage. No really, look at what you need. I needed the full amount of money for the year abroad in my bank account 30 days before I could submit for a Visa or my application would be rejected. Luckily my mother caught that before I did. (Again, read piece of advice #1)
- In regards to heath insurance, make sure the coverage you have is the coverage you need, in the HOST CURRENCY or CURRENCY THAT IS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED! Save yourself the trouble and stress!
That's all I have for this entry, it's 1:45 in the morning and need to sleep if I want to be of any use at work tomorrow. Cheers guys!
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