College Address: Cornwallis Octagon, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NF
Your checklist on arrival
Once you arrive at the University of Kent International College make sure you let your family know that you have arrived safely and settled into any accommodation. You can request a member of the team to help you notify your family of your arrival to the college via an email with your permission or a Whatsapp message if you prefer.
Once you have checked into your accommodation, please inform the reception team at University of Kent International College. If you are experiencing any problems, please mention this so we can provide any support you may require. More information can be found in the FAQ section of the accommodation website.
As part of your application, you will have requested how you want to collect your BRP. On your acceptance letter you will have a page stating in a grey box where your BRP card has been sent.
- If you have requested this to be sent to the University, you will be able to collect it when you enrol.
- If you have requested to collect this from the Post Office, you will need to take your UKVI decision letter and passport to the Post Office branch mentioned on the UKVI decision letter. You must usually do this before the vignette sticker in your travel document expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever is later.
You will need your BRP for the face-to-face visa verification.
Once you arrive on the University of Kent campus you should proceed to the International Student Information Point to complete your face-to-face registration and ID check. If you are not able to locate this, please contact the College as soon as possible. You must complete your online enrolment prior to completing in person enrolment. Online enrolment can be completed via the Pre-Enrolment Portal on KentVision. Complete as much as you can before you arrive in Kent.
Once your enrolment is complete, the Student Immigration Compliance Team will then contact you by email to book an appointment in the Arrivals Hub where you will be registered in person. You will need:
- Your stamped vignette
- Visa decision letter
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
- Qualification documents (original)
You will be issued with your student card when you complete your enrolment & ID check appointment at the university. Students are required to have their student card with them at all times when on campus and the card is also used for access to rooms and swiping into on lessons.
Your induction timetable will be sent to both your personal email and your university email address shortly before the start of your course. You will also receive more information about your induction during face-to-face enrolment.
During the first week of term induction, meet and greet events will be scheduled for current/new students, tutors, and members of staff. The Schedule will be confirmed at your enrolment meeting. You must attend these events so that you get to know your fellow students, tutors and UK IC support staff.
You will need your University of Kent email address and password to access Eduroam (University network).
Before you start you will receive an email from our IT Services department to your personal email account with details of your new username for your IT account. You will need to enter your new username to set your password for your IT account.
Please read and follow the steps in the email carefully as you will need your IT account to use all the University services.
Campus Wi-Fi trouble? What to do – Library and IT news (kent.ac.uk)
If you don’t receive an email with from the IT Services Department with your username before you start, please contact the IT Service Desk:
Tel: 01227 82 4999
Once you are enrolled personal timetables are sent to your UK IC email address.
University of Kent International College
Cornwallis Octagon, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NF
Alternatively, Whatsapp our Student Experience Officer +44(0)7503 316055
For general student enquiries, please contact: UKICadmin@kent.ac.uk
Roshanak Zarabi – College Director and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Vassia Farao – Student Services Director and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Lyn Southen – Student Services Officer, based at UKIC Reception
Once you arrive in the UK you may find it useful to open a UK bank account. To do this you will normally require:
- your BRP
- your passport
- a letter of introduction to the bank (which you can request from UK IC Reception – you must know which bank you wish to open an account with first)
- proof of address such as a lease agreement
Student support is available through the Mental Health Advisors Team, you can find more information about the team here.
This support could be personal, health, visa, or study problems. In each case student life is available to offer help and guidance for you.
Security is in operation on the University Campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can contact security via the safe zone app https://safezoneapp.com/ after you have registered using your Kent email address and personal phone number or by calling +44 1227 823333, all University security guards are first aid trained.
You can contact the Police, Fire or Ambulance service by calling 999, this number should only be used in case or emergencies.
For non-emergencies you can contact these services by calling 101.
Register online with the University Medical Centre: GP Reg Registration (gpregistration.com)
The team at UKIC will assist with registering with a local Doctor. When registering you will need original copies of your BRP Card, Passport and Student ID
If you intend to work part-time during your studies, we advise you to apply for a National Insurance – this is a unique personal reference number which will be required for tax and employment purposes. The application takes a maximum of 4 weeks for approval. The NI number comes through the post and it is important that you provide your correct address details to ensure that you don’t lose it.
You can apply for National Insurance number online Apply for a National Insurance number: How to apply – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
You can work in the UK for a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations.
You must ensure that you comply with the work restrictions that apply to you, as it is a criminal offence to breach any immigration conditions.
To support your search for a part-time job during your studies, Kent University are offering job search and interview preparation assistance via their Kent Union Jobshop Hub which you can access here:
https://kentunion.co.uk/jobshop
For further help and advice contact the University Career and Employability Service who can offer you lots of support. The UK IC student support team can also offer you advice. she will be able to assist with CV preparation and advise with Application Forms.
Additionally, you can find a wide range of part-time vacancies online, via jobs boards or directly through an organisation’s vacancies pages.
- Find a job is the jobs database from Jobcentre Plus, the UK government department that provides support for people seeking employment. It has useful advanced search features to help refine your search and is a good source of local part-time jobs.
- Indeed
- Totaljobs
Make sure to refine your search by job type, area and contract type to get the best results.
Everyone who possesses a TV, or devices such as a radio or tablet, must pay a TV licence fee. TV licences must be renewed annually and can be purchased from the Post Office or online. For more information go to www.tvlicensing.co.uk
Make sure you join the UK IC WhatsApp group to get the latest updates on events at the College. Also, remember to read the regular student newsletter, keep an eye on the announcement board, and check the latest updates on the UKIC KentVision page.
The University of Kent Union of Students is where you will find everything you need to compliment your student life, whether that is expanding your skills through sports, societies, media areas or volunteering; meeting new friends or enjoying our entertainments; joining with like-minded students in areas of politics; or getting academic or social advice and support.
Explore the Students Union website for lots of information about us, plus videos, photos and audio, and all the latest news and latest events. Make sure you like and follow us on all our social networks to stay connected
KentVision is your virtual learning environment where you can access your course materials, submit your assignments and communicate with your teacher and fellow students. You can access KentVision via this link Log in to the portal (kent.ac.uk) and sign in with your university username. A KentVision mobile app is also available. If you have any problems accessing KentVision when you start your course please speak to your tutor or the UKIC Student Support Office.
The name of your Personal Academic Tutor is available via KentVision. They will contact you within the first few weeks of the course but you can also email them at any time.
The attendance policy will be shared with you when you enrol and is also available via the UKIC KentVision page.
The student handbook will be shared with you when you enrol and is also available via the Kent Moodle page.
All students at the University of Kent International College are required to pay tuition fees either before the start of the course or during the enrolment process. If you are unable to pay your fees prior to the start of your course please contact the college for support.
Failure to pay your tuition fees will result in your becoming a debtor and you will be subject to College Sanctions.
Please note that the fees that you pay for the first part of your course at the University of Kent International College do not include the fees for the second stage of your course at the University. If you wish to discuss payment for stage 2 of your course please speak to the Kent Fees Team at incomeoffice@kent.ac.uk