London is one of the most exciting, cosmopolitan and multicultural cities in the world. It is, therefore, no surprise that it is also a very attractive place to learn English. Whether you are interested in its fascinating history, a world-class university and historical institutions, dazzling gardens and parks, superb Victorian architecture, pulsating nightlife or flourishing cultural scene, you will meet people from all over the world while studying English in London.

Hamlets Training Centre offers a range of English languages courses to speakers of other languages (ESOL). Our thorough diagnostic assessment prior to the start of a language course ensures that you study at the level that is right for you so you can improve your English language skills for work, further studies and life in the UK or other English-speaking countries.

Our courses enable students to improve their communication skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, and realise and enhance their potential in the areas of citizenship, employability and study skills.

All students will be able to take full advantage of the fact that Hamlets Training Centre is accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC). Specialised English for international students and IELTS preparatory courses are also available to students enrolled in our language programmes.

Students wishing to undertake any language programme for periods up to 11 months (i.e. up to one academic year full-time) should apply for a ‘short-term study visa’.  Please note that this visa cannot be extended to enable further study and you cannot apply to transfer onto another type of student visa.  English language programmes undertaken on this visa category can be at any level.

If we are able to offer you a place on a course, full information about how to make payment will be included in our offer letter.

We will ask you to pay a deposit to secure your place. Hamlets Training Centre will issue a short-term study visa support letter once the appropriate deposit has been received.

All remaining fees must be paid at or before enrolment.  Students will not be formally enrolled on any course until fees for the agreed study programme have been paid in full.

There is no discount or reduction in fees in the case of a late arrival or early departure from a course.

The deposit you pay for your course is only refundable if you fail to get a student visa.  You must apply for a refund within 10 working days of your visa refusal notice by returning to us your original offer letter and submitting the original visa refusal letter issued by the British Embassy/High Commission or UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) office.  We will deduct £300 to cover administration costs.

No fees will be refunded if visa refusal is due to any of the following:

• A student has provided fraudulent or misleading information in the visa application.
• A student has provided incorrect or incomplete documentation when applying for a visa, contrary to advice from Hamlets Training Centre.
• A student has not provided adequate evidence of maintenance funds required by UKVI.
• A student has broken the law or conditions of his/her visa and is required to leave the country as a consequence.
• A student’s visa is revoked as a consequence of not attending the course regularly.
• The student has broken the terms and conditions of admission to the centre.

The student wishes to leave the course without good reason.

If you want to come to the UK on a short-term study visa, you must meet all the following requirements:

• You are at least 18 years of age
• You have enough money to support yourself while you are in the UK. You need to show you can pay your tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses
• You already have an unconditional offer to study an English language course in the UK
• You intend to study an English language course only (you are not allowed to combine an English language course with any other studies)
• Your English language course will be completed within 11 months
• You intend to study at an education provider which:
  • holds a Tier 4 sponsor licence, or
  • is accredited by a Home Office approved accreditation body, or
  • is inspected, reviewed or audited by a Home Office approved inspection body, or
  • is an overseas higher education institution offering only part of their programmes in the UK
• You intend to leave the UK at the end of the study or the end of 6 months, whichever of these is sooner
• You do not intend to study in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive periods as a short-term student

The English language course does not need to lead to a specific qualification.

There are no minimum academic requirements for immigration purposes, the course can be at any level, but your course provider may have specific admissions criteria.

You are not required to have a minimum English language ability, but your course provider may have specific admissions criteria.

There are no minimum hours which you must be studying during your time in the UK.  You can study part-time or full-time as a short-term student.

You will not be allowed to do any kind of work, work experience or the work placement (even if it is part of your course, or is unpaid). You will not be allowed to do any business or professional activities in the UK.

You must apply for entry clearance before travelling to the UK. It does not matter if you are a visa national or a non-visa national.

As part of your entry clearance application, you will have to pay an ‘immigration health surcharge’ of £150. This should mean you will be exempt from paying UK National Health Service hospital fees.

It is a good idea to carry with you all of the documents that you submitted with your immigration application for entry clearance as a short-term student when you travel to the UK. The Border Force Officer may ask to see these documents when you arrive in the UK.

For information from the UK immigration authorities about short-term students, please read the Home Office information for applicants. You can also read the modernised guidance on short-term students that they give to their own staff.

You can book your exam here.

You can apply up to three months before the date that you intend to travel to the UK (you can state on the application form when you intend to come to the UK and the visa start date will be close to this).  You can check how long it takes to process Short-term applications in your country on the UK Visas and Immigration website. See under ‘Other Visitor’.

The immigration rules for Short-term Students do not state exactly how much money you need to show but the guidance states that you should be able to show evidence of funds to cover your period of stay in the UK and your journey to and from the UK.

The application fee is the local currency equivalent of £89. Short term students studying English language for more than 6 months but not more than 11 months will be charged £170. Visa nationals should apply online using the Home Office Visa4UK website, except students from North Korea who should use the VAF1D paper application form. Applications can be submitted a maximum of three months in advance of your UK study start date, and from any country.

When using the website you should select:

• Reason for visit – ‘study’
• Visa type –  ‘study (non Points-Based System)’
• Visa sub type – ‘study – short-term student 6 months’ if you want to come for a maximum of 6 months, or ‘study – short-term study 11 months – English language’ if you want to come for an English language course of between 6 and 11 months, or ‘study – short-term student child 6 months’ if you are under 18.

You will need to submit a supporting letter from Hamlets Training Centre confirming you have been accepted on to your study programme. The acceptance letter must detail your programme start and end dates, and information on any tuition fees due.

If you are coming to the UK to study as part of an overseas course, or undertaking research whilst already enrolled on an overseas degree course, you should provide a letter from your home institution to confirm that they permit your absence and that the UK study is part of, or relevant to, your course of study.

You will also need to provide evidence of funds to cover fees and living costs, either in the form of scholarship funding or bank statements. There is no specific guidance from UK Visas and Immigration on the level of funding that you need for a short-term study visa, but we would recommend you plan to show evidence of at least £1015 per month of UK study as this is the maintenance funding requirement for Tier 4 student visas. Bank statements covering a period of up to eleven months before application date should be submitted. As short-term study visas cannot be extended beyond 11 months, when applying for this visa you should also plan to show evidence of your onward travel arrangements from the UK at the end of your studies at Hamlets Training Centre.

Further guidance on the documents required can be found on the UKVI website:  Supporting Documents.