International Students
Important Update
We are pleased to announce that Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design has been acquired by BrandEd, a global education company with a portfolio of academic institutions including Sotheby’s Institute of Art, The School of The New York Times, and City Football Leadership Institute. Being a part of BrandEd will create exciting opportunities for our students, alumni, and staff, and will strengthen our position as a global leader in fashion education.
Press Release (April 13th): BrandEd Acquires Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design
We understand that this change may raise some questions, and we are committed to providing support and guidance throughout this transition period. Our Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team is available to answer any questions that you may have and to provide assistance with any immigration-related matters.
If you are one of our current sponsored students, we understand that this may bring questions and concerns regarding your visa status and sponsorship. We have been working closely with UKVI to ensure that all students who were sponsored under the Condé Nast College License will maintain their immigration status until the end of their visa (and/or studies). The Condé Nast College sponsorship license is now dormant and no longer shows on the Register of Licensed Sponsors.
As a result of the acquisition of Condé Nast College by BrandEd, both the College and Sotheby’s Institute of Art will operate under a single student sponsorship license (PD7PHU2J2). If you are an international student accepted into one of our courses or have already received your Unconditional Acceptance Letter for our September 2023 intake, you will be sponsored by Sotheby’s Institute of Art - London, a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance. Your Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will reflect Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design as your teaching site.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Visa Compliance & Immigration Visa Services.
We look forward to welcoming you to Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design.
International Students Studying in the UK
Condé Nast College welcomes international students from all corners of the globe. A substantial number of nationalities are represented in our student body, making for a wonderfully stimulating and diverse environment.
Below, you will find information about visas for studying in the UK, as well as essential information about studying in London.
The type of visa you need, and the process for applying for it, will differ depending on the type, of course, you plan to study, the length of your course, and other criteria. If you are unsure whether you need a visa to study with us or the kind of visa you will have to apply for, please check here: Check if you need a UK Visa.
Firstly, you should use the Check if You Need a UK Visa tool to see if you will be required to obtain a visa to join any of our courses. You will need to confirm your nationality, that you intend to travel for the purpose of studying, and the length of the course you intend to undertake.
MA programmes | BA (Hons) Fashion Communication | Vogue Foundation Programme | Condé Nast Diploma
International students without a valid migratory permit that grants them the rights to study will require a Student Visa (previously known as Tier 4) to attend either of these courses.
You can apply for this visa only after you have been accepted and issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement by the College.
You can apply for this visa no more than six months before the start of the course.
Once you have been accepted, we will send you all the required information to help guide you through the visa application process.
More information on this visa can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Vogue Fashion Certificate | Vogue Summer School Courses | 5 Days of Courses | Vogue Teen Festival | Condé Nast Certificates
Most international students without a UK passport will be required to apply for a Standard Visitor visa for these courses, which are less than 6 months long.
Consult the Gov.uk website to confirm this in relation to your nationality. A list of the required documents and other important information can also be found on the site.
To apply for the short-term visa, you will need an unconditional acceptance letter from Condé Nast College confirming your enrolment on the course. The original letter will only be issued once the full payment of the tuition fee has been received and cleared. Please note that photocopies and scans are not accepted.
If you have not received yours yet, please get in touch with our Compliance Team at visa.compliance@condenastcollege.ac.uk
If you are a Non-Visa National you must avoid entering the country through the E-Gates. Visit a Border Control Officer when entering the UK to get an endorsing stamp in your passport. This will validate your Right to Study.
Student Visa
For all our MA programmes, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication, the Vogue Fashion Foundation Programme and our Vogue Diploma in Fashion Communication
International students that intend to study on one of our 9-, 12- or 24- months programmes will require a Student Visa unless they already hold a different immigration permit that grants them the right to reside in the UK and study with us. The UK Government provides you with a Step-by-Step guide of what you need to do to apply for a Student Visa as well as a full overview of the requirements. You can also find further information and advice for International Students on the UKCISA (UK Council for International Students Affairs) page.
As a Condé Nast College International Student, you will be able to benefit from the services of our Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team. They will support you through your UK Student Visa Application from the moment you receive your Unconditional Acceptance Offer until they complete your enrolment during your first week at the College premises.
It is important to keep in mind that International Students must apply for their Student Visa within the six months prior to the start date of their course and only after they have obtained a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) Statement from us.
To receive a CAS Statement, you must first receive an Unconditional Acceptance Letter from our Admissions Team. We will not be able to proceed with your CAS Application or Student Visa with a Conditional Offer.
After receiving the Unconditional Acceptance Letter confirming that you meet all the requirements to study at the College you can start working on your CAS Application. The Visa Cycle will open on June 1st, date from which the Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team will reach out and schedule a one-to-one meeting to study your immigration history and brief you on the required documentation for your CAS Application. At the meeting, they will share guidelines, templates and useful information as well as answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Once you have submitted your CAS Application and in conjunction with your Immigration History, the Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team will assess your eligibility for sponsorship under the Student Visa Route. If your application is successful, your CAS will be released and shared with you. Please note that an Unconditional Acceptance Offer does not automatically entitle you to a CAS Statement.
The issuance of a CAS is at the sole discretion of the Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team and does not guarantee a successful visa application. Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design is not responsible for a failed visa application. For further information, please visit our Visa Compliance Policy.
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
The CAS Statement includes important information about your course of study, your personal information and the financial requirements you must meet to study in the UK.
Once you receive your CAS Statement and the same documents you submitted for your CAS Application for your Student Visa application. The Student Visa application is completed online, after which you will be prompted to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and the Application Fee. Once done, you will be able to book a Biometric Appointment at a Visa Application Centre, which you will need to attend before your application is submitted to a Home Office caseworker (please note, not all countries have an official visa application centre and travelling to a third country may be required).
Depending on where you are from and the type of passport that you have, you may be prompted to use the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app to scan your identity document. This will substitute the need to attend a biometric appointment and you will, most likely, receive an e-visa instead of a printed visa vignette on your passport.
Visa Processing Times
Please visit the Visa Processing Times service to check when you should expect a decision from the Home Office.
When planing your CAS and Student Visa Application process, please allow for extra time to collect your supporting evidence and to find an available appointment at a Visa Application Centre near you.
Once your Student Visa is Granted
If your Student Visa is granted, please contact the Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team at visa.compliance@condenastcollege.ac.uk and attach a copy of your Visa Vignette and UKVI 01 letter.
If, unfortunately, your Student Visa is refused, attach a copy of your refusal letter.
Our Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team will advise you on next steps on both situations.
You might notice that the validity of your Visa Vignette does not last as long as your course. This is normal: the document in your passport is not your visa, it is an Entry Vignette you use to enter the UK for the first time and should only be valid for a 90-day period. Within the first 10 days in the United Kingdom, you should go to the Post Office of your choice to pick up your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
You must make sure you enter the UK at the correct time, if you arrive in the UK before your electronic visa has become active (EU citizens), or you come before your visa vignette has been added to your passport (visa national visitors) you will have to leave the common travel area and then return at the correct time.
It is not possible to submit biometrics and complete a Student Route visa application from inside the UK as a visitor under any circumstances.
Conditions of your stay as a Sponsored International Student
As an International Student, you are obliged to comply with certain Student Visa regulations that have been imposed by the Home Office.
Attendance
As a Student Visa holder, you must comply with the College's Attendance Policy and Academic Engagement Policy. Those have been designed to comply with UKVI and Home Office requirements attached to your Student Visa. You are committing to full time studying and Condé Nast College will monitor your attendance. If you miss a certain number of classes, contact points or are in breach of the Attendance or Academic Engagement Policies, you may be withdrawn from your course and we will have to report this to the Home Office, which may result in your Student Visa being curtailed. Before any action is taken you will receive up to three warnings.
We understand that some absences are unavoidable and sometimes life gets on the way, so if you find yourself unable to attend classes, please do notify the Attendance Team at attendance@condenastcollege.ac.uk to receive further instructions.
Work Rights
As a Student Visa holder, you are prohibited from being self-employed, a professional sportsperson, an entertainer, a doctor or dentist in training and/or conducting your own business activity. In basic terms, this means you must always work on an employed basis under a contract of employment where your employer is responsible for paying your income tax. You won't be able to issue invoices, take a gig economy job or work as a free-lance or consultant.
Please consult the Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team on this issue if you have any questions, as UKVI do enforce this rule very strictly.
Check UKCISA platform on Student's Work for more information.
Contact Details
Condé Nast College must be able to get in touch with you at all times during the length of your studies. For this purpose, we must keep on file up to date contact details, including your term time address, a preferred telephone number and an email address. It is your responsibility as a Student Visa holder to keep the College updated with any changes to this information.
Changing Visa Categories
If you are intending to apply for a different type of visa whilst you are a sponsored student at Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design, we strongly encourage you to get in touch with the Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team to discuss how it could potentially affect your studies and your stay in the UK.
Standard Visitor Visa
International Students that intend to study one of our Certificates, Vogue Summer School programmes or short courses of up to six months will require a Standard Visitor Visa unless they already hold a different immigration permit that grants them the right to visit the UK and study with us.
The Standard Visitor Visa has replaced the Short-Term Study Visa. Please note Short-Term Student Visas are now only for courses between 6 and 11 months and with the purpose of studying an English Language Course.
The Standard Visitor Visa is a non-sponsored route, meaning that you will not require our sponsorship to submit your visa application. The application process will look different whether you are a Visa National or a Non-Visa National. To know wether you are a Visa National or a Non-Visa National you can check the Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa National List or Check if you need a Visa. If after checking both services you are till unsure, please get in touch with our Visa Compliance & Immigration Services Team at visa.compliance@condenastcollege.ac.uk
Since this is a non-sponsored visa route, it is important to note that it is your full responsibility to submit a valid visa application on time and to make sure that you have a valid migratory permit and that you comply with the migratory rules and regulations at all times during the length of your studies with us.
If you are a Visa National, you will need to submit a valid Visa Application in the 3 months prior to the course start date. An overview of the visa process and requirements can be seen in the UK Government Website.
In order to submit a Standard Visitor Visa Application, you will have to provide UKVI with supporting evidence that shows:
- That you have been accepted in a course by an accredited institution - please contact visa.compliance@condenastcollege.ac.uk to receive a copy of your Unconditional Acceptance Letter;
- That you are able to support yourself during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you) - this can be a Bank Statement, for example;
- That you are able to pay for your return journey or have already arranged for this;
- That you have arranged accommodation for your stay; and
- That you will leave the UK at the end of your visit.
This is not an exhaustive list. You may be required to provide with other documents (such as your previous Immigration History, proof of your English language ability, ties to your home country...) If you have any questions about the supporting evidence that you will need to gather for your Standard Visitor Visa, please contact our Visa Compliance & Immigration Services team.
Please make sure that a copy of your Visa Vignette is shared with your Visa Compliance & Immigration Services Team before you travel to the UK to enrol in our course.
If you are a Non-Visa National, you have the option of applying for this visa prior to your trip or obtaining the visa at the airport upon arrival. If you are unsure of what procedure to follow, please get in touch with us and we will be of assistance.
Whilst applying for your Standard Visitor Visa at the airport is common practice when you are a Non-Visa National, we advise against it if you have a history of previous visa refusals in the UK.
As a Non-Visa National, you are still required to show the above-mentioned documentation at Border Control (every time that you enter the UK if you decide to travel during the length of your course with us). If you are able to enter the UK territory using the e-gates, you will be granted Standard Visitor Visa permit without a passport endorsement. For this reason, it is important to keep a copy of your Entry Point and Date into the country (for example, your travel itinerary or boarding pass).
If you have any questions about visa, CAS, or Graduate Visa Route please contact our Visa Compliance Team at visa.compliance@condenastcollege.ac.uk
