International education
Study in the United Kingdom
Language courses, undergraduate degrees and postgraduate programmes in a system where the sponsoring institution is central to the whole process.
How the system works
The institution sponsors the student
In the United Kingdom the study route runs through the institution. A licensed provider issues the sponsorship document, and without it there is no application to make — which is why admission and the immigration file cannot be treated as separate projects.
Postgraduate study is the most common route for professionals, with one-year taught master's programmes that fit a career rather than interrupting it. Undergraduate degrees run on their own centralised admission calendar.
Deadlines are the practical risk. Admission cycles, sponsorship issuance and application processing each have their own timing, and missing one usually means waiting a full year.
Programmes
What can be coordinated
Entry requirements, tuition and start dates are set by each institution and confirmed for the specific programme before anything is prepared.
- General and academic English courses
- Pre-sessional English for university entry
- Foundation and pathway programmes
- Undergraduate degrees
- Taught master's programmes
- Professional and business postgraduate study
- Short academic and summer programmes
- Research degrees, assessed on request
The file
Sponsorship, then the application
The order is fixed: the offer, then the acceptance, then the sponsorship document, then the immigration application. Nothing can be brought forward, and each step depends on the previous one being complete.
We coordinate the preparation and the follow-up. The admission decision belongs to the institution and the immigration decision to the competent authorities, and neither can be guaranteed.
- An offer and acceptance from a licensed institution
- The sponsorship document the institution issues
- English certification of the type and level required
- Academic transcripts, legalised and translated where needed
- Evidence of funds as the procedure requires
- Any health surcharge or health requirement in force
A country appearing on this website does not mean that a job offer, a study place or an open intake exists. Every opportunity is subject to availability, requirements, selection, admission, contract and immigration authorization.
Arlen Global Mobility coordinates the preparation and follow-up of these processes. Legal services and other regulated activities are provided by duly authorised independent professionals or providers. The granting of visas, permits and authorisations depends exclusively on the competent authorities.
Questions
Studying in the United Kingdom — questions
Can I apply without an offer from an institution?
No. The sponsorship document from a licensed institution is a precondition of the immigration application, so the admission has to be secured first.
Can I work during my studies?
Any entitlement and its limits are set by the conditions of the specific permission granted, by the level of the course and by the institution, and they change. It is confirmed with an authorised professional for the individual case, and it is never something to count on when planning finances.
When should I start preparing?
For a course starting in September, preparation usually begins a year ahead for undergraduate study and around nine months ahead for a master's, because English certification and document legalisation have to be finished before an application can be assembled.
Next step
Planning to study in the UK?
Send your academic background, your English certification and the field you are aiming at. We reply with the programmes that fit and the calendar they run on.
Transparency
Immigration Disclaimer
Arlen Global Mobility provides immigration consultancy and mobility coordination services. It is not a law firm. Legal representation and specialized legal assistance are provided by qualified immigration and foreign-nationality lawyers with whom we coordinate when required.
Arlen Global Mobility provides immigration consultancy and mobility coordination services. Immigration applications and legal matters may be handled in coordination with qualified immigration and foreign-nationality lawyers when specialized legal assistance or representation is required.
Visa decisions, residence permits and work authorizations are issued exclusively by the competent authorities. Requirements and eligibility vary according to nationality, destination, profession and individual circumstances.
Arlen Global Mobility does not guarantee visa approval, immigration authorization or employment.