Immigration Matters: Land of opportunity for free training and student ...

Immigration Matters: Land of opportunity for free training and student ...: The UK is the land of opportunity for jobs, free education and government funded student loans - even for EU and EEA nationals or non-EU na...

Land of opportunity for free training and student loans

The UK is the land of opportunity for jobs, free education and government funded student loans - even for EU and EEA nationals or non-EU national residents.

Vocational or work related diploma courses - such as Health and Social Care (leading to a career in care or nursing) or Assessing - are available with no money to pay upfront, and where student loan fees are only repaid when you are working and earning over £21,000. In some cases the loans can be legally written off and never have to be repaid.

Universities and approved Colleges of Further Education (FE Colleges) all offer courses funded by the student loan scheme and this year hundreds of millions of pounds will be used by students who study in the UK.

Despite this, millions of pounds of funding and loans are not taken up, perhaps because students are confused or afraid of ending up with a debt at the end of their studies.

The reality is that the repayments are relatively painless and many student loans will be written off, for instance when a student takes a loan for a level 3 BTEC course and then goes on to higher education.

There are also fully funded or free courses such as government-backed Apprenticeships, like those offered by London Cactus College in North London.




 With around a million young people not in employment or education (NEATS), the UK government are pumping billions of pounds into apprenticeship courses (e.g. in health and social care, business admin, child care or hairdressing), which are combined with paid work arranged by your training provider.

London Cactus College specialises in vocational and management training and offers a huge range of courses in everything from Child Care to higher level diplomas in management. Many of their courses are totally free to the student (subject to qualification) and others offer a £500 bursary or grant!

College head, Jackie Aiyela feels that people of all ages are missing out on opportunities to further their education and enhance their career prospects:

"Many people are not aware that there are opportunities to further or get back into education - from basic maths and English, SIA Door Supervision, right up to diplomas and degree level qualifications - most either free or paid for via student loans.

"Our courses are all work related and lead to real employment opportunities, for instance apprenticeships with paid jobs, and transferable skills."

"Our trained career and course advisers are on hand every day to help students decide the on the best way forward for their needs."

Now you know about it, you have no excuse not to do something about it! If you need to gain further qualifications, the UK really is the 'land of opportunity'.

For further information on funded or free courses, contact London Cactus College Tel 0208 381 1838 or email admin@mycccollege.com. Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU. . Website: www.mycccollege.com 

Immigration Matters: Conservative Government Introduce New NHS Health C...

Immigration Matters: Conservative Government Introduce New NHS Health C...: UK Home Office will impose in a new ‘health surcharge’ on non-EU migrants to gain access to the NHS treatment at UK hospitals. Staring on ...

Conservative Government Introduce New NHS Health Charge For UK Migrants

UK Home Office will impose in a new ‘health surcharge’ on non-EU migrants to gain access to the NHS treatment at UK hospitals. Staring on 6 April, all citizens from outside of Europe who want to to live in the UK for longer than six months will be required to pay a ‘health surcharge’ before being issue with a visa or leave to remain.

Until now, all non-EEA national migrants coming to work, study or join family members automatically received free medical treatment in the UK’s NHS hospital and had the same access a permanent resident or British Citizen.

This has now changed as the Government wants to ensure “that those coming to the UK make an appropriate financial contribution to the cost of their healthcare”.

The health surcharge charge will also apply to non-EEA nationals already in the UK who apply to extend their stay.

The cost of health surcharge will be £200 per year and £150 per year for students - payable at the you apply for your UK visa.

UK Visa applicants will have to pay up-front for the total period of their stay in the UK, regardless of whether or not you actually use the NHS system.

The surcharge levels were set by the Conservative-led coalition Government, now fighting an election to come back into power on 7 May 2015, after taking into account the wide range of free health services available to migrants coming to live in the UK, whilst balancing that the valuable contribution they make to the economy.

Immigration and Security Minister, James Brokenshire said:

“The health surcharge will play a vital role in ensuring Britain’s most cherished public service is provided on a basis that is fair to all who use it. For generations, the British public have paid their taxes to help make the NHS what it is today – the surcharge will mean temporary migrants will also pay their way.

“And by keeping the surcharge at a competitive level, we are also recognising the contribution temporary migrants make to the wider economy.”

The Conservatives have been critical of the previous Labour administration which allowed open access to the NHS under what became known as ‘health tourism’, where people flew into to the UK to deliver a baby or receive treatment for diabetes or HIV.

The visa changes do not affect UK visitors coming to the UK on a standard visit visa, and tourists will have to pay for any treatment they receive from the NHS at the point of receiving it. 

Administering this at the point of treatment, for instance following an accident or in an A & E ward, has proved difficult in the past.

Intra-company transfer (ICT Tier 2 visa) will be exempt from the charges but must still complete the process through the surcharge website.

The surcharge levels are set at a lower rate the cost of medical insurance required in some competitor nations, and is less than Croatian nationals pay in medical insurance in order to obtain a Yellow Card permit to work and study in the UK.

I you are an overseas student, the health charge amounts to only 1% of the total cost of studying in the UK for a three year undergraduate course, the Home Office said.

Those who have paid will enjoy the same access to the NHS as a UK permanent resident for the duration of their visa. The money generated by the health surcharge will go directly to funding the NHS.

Migrants and students already here will not be affected by the change unless they extend their leave to remain in the UK.

Other recent tighter immigration measure include a crackdown on sham marriages and a reduction in the right of appeal against deportation of visa overstayers.

Immigration Matters: Home Office Crackdown on Immigration Appeals Will ...

Immigration Matters: Home Office Crackdown on Immigration Appeals Will ...: UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s visa restrictions contained in the new 2014 Immigration Act are already starting to bite, despite the fact...

Home Office Crackdown on Immigration Appeals Will See More Deportations

UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s visa restrictions contained in the new 2014 Immigration Act are already starting to bite over staying immigrants. New Immigration Rules empowering the Home Office to deport visa overstayers and illegal immigrants - in some cases with no right of appeal - much faster are forcing migrants and their families to leave the UK.

Legal migrants, such as students applying for visa extensions, can also be arrested by UK Border Officers and removed from the UK if their applications are refused by the Home Office and they no longer have valid leave to remain.

The booming UK economy, and more job openings than in anywhere else in the EU, has resulted in an increase in EU immigration from countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Romania. More and more Filipinos with EU passports are coming to the UK to work in care or nursing jobs in the NHS.

David Cameron has promised an in-out European Union referendum if the Conservatives are voted back into power on 7 May, the only mainstream party to give British people the option of leaving the EU. 

Election surveys all show that immigration is high on the list of British voter concerns, coming only second to the NHS and ahead of the economy! Around 40% of those polled want to see further restrictions particularly on immigrants claiming benefits, despite the fact that migrants are less likely to claim benefits.

On the whole, the British public do not mind migrants who come to the UK to work in jobs where there are shortages, such as care work or to fill the huge number of vacancies for nurses in the NHS or nursing homes.

Many NHS hospitals are again recruiting nurses and doctors in the EU and the Philippines, so if you are a nurse make sure you check the UK NMC website and obtain an IELTS English language test overall band score of 7.00. You will need a year’s clinical experience in a hospital – obviously not in a call centre or as a private or company nurse.

Tier 2 work permits are available for nurses, higher managerial level jobs or in ‘shortage occupations’, but not for care givers. Beware of fake job advertisements offering working visas for unskilled jobs in care or catering and stick to POEA approved agencies.

Concept Care Solutions are on the LPP framework list of agencies approved to recruit overseas nurses for NHS hospital jobs.

For more information on UK jobs, immigration advice, help with Sponsorship, Work Permits, Visa, ILR, Settlement, Citizenship, Dependant Visa, Leave to Remain or visa refusal, email Immigration@londonccs.com.