We welcome students from all over the world onto our courses and know that a mix of backgrounds and experiences enriches the learning process for everyone. All of our courses are very practical and 'hands-on', which means that you don't need to have previous filmmaking experience to join us.

There's also a wealth of useful information for students who are about to begin their study in the UK here: UKCISA. This site includes guidance notes on finance, immigration, working in the UK, health and more. The Met Film School has been licensed by the UK Border Agency to enrol International Students under Tier 4 of the Points Based System.

Your course will be taking place at the world-famous Ealing Studios, West London. The Met has numerous workshops and screening rooms, over eighty editing workstations and a large student common area. Many of your shooting exercises will take place in one of Ealing Studio’s original stages.

Ealing Studios is in London travel Zone 3 and has great bus, tube and train links to central London. The nearest tube station is Ealing Broadway on the central and district lines or South Ealing on the Piccadilly.  In addition, you will spend part of your course on location out and about in London shooting your film(s).

London is at the heart of the UK Film Industry and is home to many beautiful filming locations. To find out more about life in London, please check out Visit Britain.

London is one of the most vibrant and dynamic cities in the world. It's an ideal place to take a filmmaking course while getting to know the culture and people of the city at the same time. Also, Met Film School is located at the historic Ealing Studios so you will be in the best working environment possible to start your filmmaking career!

If you are a national of a country outside of the EEA and Switzerland and you are coming to study a programme lasting more than six months then you must apply for a Tier 4 student visa. Please use the UK Border Agency questionnaire to find out if you are required to get a Tier 4 student visa.

For full visa information, visit the UK Border Agency’s website.

The information below is for students who will be applying for a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa from within their home country of outside of the UK.

What is a Confirmation of Acceptance For Studies (CAS)?

Before you can apply for permission to enter or remain in the UK under Tier 4 (General), we must assign a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) to you. This confirms that you have been given an unconditional offer of a place on a course of study with a licensed Tier 4 sponsor.

A CAS is not an actual document but a virtual record held on the UKBA Sponsorship Management System. You will receive a CAS Number, which is a unique 14-digit reference number, containing a mixture of letters and numbers. This number links your visa application with the information contained in your CAS record. Information about you, your course and how we have assessed your suitability for the course are all contained within your CAS record.

A CAS is valid for 6 months from the date it is issued.

You should use your CAS to apply for a Tier 4 student visa no earlier than 3 months before the start date of your course. You can only use the CAS once. If your visa is refused for any reason, you must obtain a new CAS from us. Once we issue you with a CAS, we will send you notification of the unique number and information contained within your record.

Only students who have firmly accepted an unconditional offer to study at Met Film School will receive a CAS.

You will also need to meet the other Tier 4 (General) requirements.

How to meet the UKBA maintenance requirements

As a Tier 4 student you will need to be able to demonstrate to the UKBA that you have sufficient funds to pay your course fees and maintenance while you are in the UK. Your maintenance is made up of accommodation and living costs. You will need to show that you have £1,000 for each month of your course up to a maximum of nine months. This means the maximum you will need to show is £9,000. You will be required to produce a bank statement or bank letter showing maintenance of £9,000 when you are applying for your visa and this amount must have been held in the account for at least 28 days prior to the date you apply.

Please ensure you carefully read the guidance before applying to ensure that you are submitting the correct documents in the correct format.The most recent versions of the Tier 4 guidance can be found at UKBA website.

The Met Film School will require proof of the maintenance/ funds available to you before we can issue you with a CAS. It is important that all financial evidence is submitted in a timely manner.

Who is a “low risk” country national?

As of 4 July 2011, if your qualify for the UKBA differentiations arrangements because you are considered to be a “low risk” country national, you will be required to provide fewer evidential documents when applying for a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa to pursue a course at Met Film.

The Tier 4 Policy Guidance outlines where you are exempted from having to provide a document, or a group of documents under the current differentiation arrangements.  Please note however, that the UKBA reserves the right to request the full range of documents from you so it is important that these are readily available. Currently the "low risk" countries are (w.e.f. 1st Oct 2012):

Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America or British Overseas Nationals.

How long will it take to process my visa?

Information on visa processing times can be found using the ‘Guide to visa processing time’ tool on the UKBA website. 

If you have any queries about visas please feel free to email us: visas@metfilmschool.co.uk 

International students studying on a course which is 6 months or less in duration can now apply for leave to enter the UK as a Student Visitor. This new category allows for short term students to undertake a short period of study during their visit to the UK. As a Student Visitor you would be required to meet the requirements of the rules relating to visitors. The maximum period of leave allowed in this category is six months and there are no provisions for Student Visitors to extend their leave in the UK or switch in-country to any other category. If you wished to follow a further course of study you would have to return to your home country and obtain a student visa. 

Visa National Students

If you are from one of the countries listed here then you are considered a UK national and will be required to apply for leave to enter as Student Visitor prior  before you can enter the UK.

Non-Visa National Students

If you are from a country that is not listed here then you are considered a non-visa national. If you wish to study for course for six months or less, and do not wish to seek employment then you are not required under UK immigration law to obtain prior entry clearance.

However, upon arrival you may seek leave to enter as a Student Visitor by presenting the immigration officers with details of course i.e. your offer letter. You will also be required to show that you the financial means to meet the costs of your stay in the UK.

If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us: visas@metfilmschool.co.uk 

Due to the technical nature of some of the language used on our courses, it is essential that you have a good command of English. All students whose first language is not English must provide recent evidence that their English language ability is sufficient for the programmes for which they have applied. This must be evidenced in the form of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as IELTS, TOEFL or PEARSON.

You will need to be upper intermediate or above, which is equivalent to 6.5 on the IELTS test, a TOEFL score of 87 – 100 on the iBT test. You can test your language skills or book a test by visiting TOEFL, PEARSON, or the IELTS website.

Our Institution Code is: W05

Tier 4 (General) – UKBA English Language Requirements

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) require educational institutions to verify that applicants have achieved a specified minimum level in English before we are permitted to issue the Confirmation of Acceptance For Studies (CAS) which you need in order to apply for your visa.

See the official list of UKBA approved English Language Tests.  

The UKBA does not require SELTs from the following countries which they consider majority English speaking:

·       Antigua and Barbuda

·       Australia

.       Bahamas

.       Barbados

·       Belize

·       Canada

·       Dominica

·       Grenada

·       Guyana

·       Jamaica

·       New Zealand

·       St Kitts and Nevis

·       St Lucia

·       St Vincent and the Grenadines

·       Trinidad and Tobago

·       The United States of America

The UKBA will confirm your nationality using your passport. 

We understand that you will need a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study letter from us in order to apply for your student visa or student visitor visa. Please note that you will need to pay the course fees in full before the course begins, in order for us to issue you with a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study letter.
 

How to book:

First, select a course date and ensure that you have read our Terms & Conditions

To apply for a place on any of our programmes please call +44 20 8280 9119 and one of our enrolments team will take your booking details.

We accept payment over the telephone by VISA, Mastercard or Switch. Alternatively you can pay by cheque or direct bank transfer. Once we have completed your booking you will be sent confirmation of your place on the course, along with a course schedule. We look forward to seeing you soon! 

Do I need to register with the police?

If you are required to register with the police there will be instructions to do so on your student visa.

You must register with the police within seven days of arriving in the UK.

If you are staying in London you will be required to register in person at the Overseas Visitors Records Office:

Location:

Overseas Visitors Records Office

Brandon House

Ground Floor
180, Borough High Street

London

SE1 1LH

For information on opening hours and transport to the Office, please visit: Met Police's website 

Once you have been registered, you will be given a Certificate of Registration.

You must inform the police of any change to your address within seven days and of any changes to the other details on your certificate within eight days.

If you are granted an extension of stay you must report to the police to have your certificate renewed. There is no charge for renewal.

Failure to register with the police, if required to do so, is a criminal offence and could lead to prosecution.

Can I work whilst I attend Met Film School?

From the 4 July 2011 if you obtain a visa to study at a Private College or renew your visa after 4 July 2011, you will not be able to work and you will not be able to sponsor your dependent(s). 

This page includes information which will assist you in completing your application for a student visa.  The student visa process is now a points-based system (PBS). This means that in order to qualify for a visa you must obtain a set number of points.  

The Application Form To download the current VAF9 and Appendix 8 General Student self-assessment application forms, use the following link. The forms can be found under the heading 'Points-Based System (PBS)' here

Example VAF9 Form 

The Met Film School example VAF9 form contains some help on how to complete the application form and information you can use to complete it. Please note it is for brief guidance. You must follow the VAF9 Guidance carefully and use the Tier 4 Guidance as your primary source of information when applying for your visa. 

Example Appendix 8 Self-Assessment Form (for CAS issued AFTER 21 April 2011) 

The Met Film School example Appendix 8 General Student self-assessment form contains some help on how to complete the application form and information you can use to complete it. Please note it is for brief guidance. it. 

Download the Tier 4 Policy Guidance here