International Students
Resources to support students who are from outside the UK with their student life at Leeds Conservatoire.
Visa Information
Complying with the conditions of your student visa.
Complying With Your Visa Conditions
You have been granted a visa by the UK Home Office to study at Leeds Conservatoire.
You must ensure that you comply with the conditions of your visa by fully engaging with your course and the conservatoire as follows:
- You need to provide all the immigration documents that the Admissions Team have requested before you can fully register for your course
- You must prepare for and attend all of your timetabled classes, whether they are in-person or online
- You must prepare for and undertake your assessments
- You must inform the conservatoire of, and any change to, your address or UK mobile phone number
- You must inform the conservation if you lose, renew, or replace your passport or official immigration documents
- You must not work unless you are allowed to
- At the end of your course, you must leave the UK before your visa expires (unless you have been granted further leave).
Important Links
Visa Compliance Advice
What to do if you are unable to attend a lesson through illness or other unexpected circumstances…
If you cannot attend a class, for example if you are too ill, you should report your illness before the class starts, otherwise you will be recorded as absent rather than sick.
If you will be missing a Specialist Group Study class, you should also email your group study tutor to let them know that you will not be attending that class.
You will not succeed on your course if you do not attend your classes, plus the conservatoire is required by law to report any students on student visa who do not fully engage with their studies to the Home Office.
How do you update your contact information and what changes must you inform the conservatoire of…
You must inform the conservatoire if your UK mobile phone number or address changes. You can update your details on the My Portal student record system.
As a sponsor, Leeds Conservatoire is required by the Home Office to ensure up-to-date contact details for all students on a Student visa are held on record.
How do you ensure you do not breach the conditions of your visa by working…
You must not work if you are not allowed to do so. If you are allowed to work, you must not work more hours per week than you are legally allowed to. For the purpose of counting hours, the first day of a week is always a Monday.
You can work more hours outside term-time, for example in vacation periods and before or after your course starts or ends.
You are not allowed to be self-employed, so for example you can’t set yourself up as a guitar teacher, or promoter. Furthermore, you are also not allowed to work as an entertainer, playing a gig in a bar, or busking for example, even if you do not receive any payment for these activities.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website has more information about working on your Student Visa.
Graduate Route Visa
If you want to work in the UK after completing your degree or other relevant qualification, you may be eligible for the Graduate route. If granted you will be able to stay and work for up to 18 months.
Please see the information on the UKVI website, as there are some important conditions to a gradute route application.
Help Resources
Useful links, contacts, and resources for International Students.
If you are unsure who to contact at the conservatoire, you can email help@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk who will direct you to the correct information.
Useful Contacts & Services
Organisations and services outside the conservatoire who can help you:
UK Council for International Student Affairs offer independent international student advice.
Details of foreign embassies, high commissions and consulates in the UK, including heads of mission.
A service which works directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence & connections in partnership with the UK.
UKVI is part of the Home Office and is responsible for immigration documents, including student visas.
Health, Wellbeing & Safety
A confidential listening and information service targeted at students in the Leeds area.
General health information, phone 111 for non-emergency advice. For emergency services, phone 999.
High quality, professional and confidential sexual health services across Leeds.
Local crime information, including how to report a crime. In an emergency, dial 999. For non-emergencies dial 101.
Report a hate crime to this organisation, this can be done anonymously. Otherwise, contact the police.
Insurance provider specifically for students.
Specialist musical instrument insurance.
Contacts at Leeds Conservatoire
Key emails of teams who can support international students at the conservatoire:
studyvisas@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk
Contact the HE Registrar who can advise you on meeting your visa requirements.
healthandwellbeing@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk
Contact our dedicated international student wellbeing adviser, who can support you when you’re struggling with your mental health, anxiety, homesickness, stress or relationship issues.
skillsforlearning@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk
The Skills for Learning team can support you with your academic skills such as academic writing, research, referencing, and presenting skills.
Leeds Conservatoire Services
Other information pages which you may find helpful:
Staying Safe
Avoiding Scams & Phishing Targeting International Students
There are occasionally stories in the press about international students being the target of fraudsters who want to take money from them. They frighten students into paying large sums of money (hundreds or thousands of pounds) by saying that they are at risk of deportation or penalties or a ban from the UK if they don’t pay.
If you receive a telephone call from someone who says they are from the Home Office or UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) or the Government, you should ask them for their name, job title and contact number so that you can ring them back when you have arranged for a member of conservatoire staff to be with you when you do. A genuine official would see this as an acceptable course of action.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you happen to receive any phone calls or letters like this. We are here and more than willing to assist you.
Advice Links
Check out these websites for additional resources and support