Important Numbers

Emergency Police/Ambulance/Fire: 999

111 is the new easy-to-remember shared number for NHS Direct Wales and the GP Out of Hours service that is free to call from mobiles and landlines. It is a 24 hour, 7-days-a-week service, offering guidance and care for all non-emergency urgent medical problems.

Any questions or queries during your time with us?

Email: experienceinternational@cavc.ac.uk or come and see us at the CAVC international team at our office next to the main reception at the City Centre Campus.

At enrolment, you will be given an out of hours telephone number to call if there are any serious issues or emergencies outside of the college sites being open.

Our Team

We are here to help! Come and say hello!

Alun Rees- Director of International

Patricia Harris- International Manager

Ben Garner- International Development Coordinator

Itzel Lopez- International Officer

Jamie Matičić - International Student Experience Officer

Mandy Good - Accommodation Officer

Bayan Ali - Admissions & Compliance Officer

Are you on a student route visa?

It is your responsibility to be aware and follow, the conditions of your visa.

Important Points for Student Route Visa learners:

• You cannot take up paid employment

• You must inform the college if your contact information such as address or mobile number changes

• You must regularly attend classes, as attendance is part of the visa conditions. If you are ill or cannot make your lesson for a legitimate reason, please send an email to your subject teacher. If you do not make contact with us for more than 10 days, you will be at risk of having your visa revoked.

General College Expectations:

As a part of the College, you are expected to treat everyone you encounter with respect- this includes other students, tutors, college & accommodation staff and members of the public.

You are expected to dress appropriately when in college

There is no smoking allowed on campus

It is not acceptable to wear baseball camps and dark glasses in class

Mobile phones should be switched off when in class

No smoking or drinking alcohol on college sites

No viewing or sharing inappropriate material on electronic device

If you will be going away for a holiday, please email the international team your travel plans in advance – experienceinternational@cavc.ac.uk

If you will be absent, please let your subject teacher know on the day

Opening a Bank Account

Managing finances from your home country account can be impractical and expensive because you will be charged currency conversion fees each time you use your card or withdraw cash in the UK. For this reason, we strongly advise you to open a bank account in the UK.

Many of our students open an account with Halifax, as we have a partnership with them whereby our students are known to them and they can get you registered faster and more efficiently.

The address for the Halifax branch we have this agreement with is:

10A & 10B, 15 Queen's Arcade, Working St, Cardiff CF10 1GN

Regardless of which bank you choose, to open a bank account you should prepare the following documents:

• Your passport

• A valid visa

• A letter from Cardiff and Vale College (please email experienceinternational@cavc.ac.uk with your request and your letter will be emailed to you as soon as possible)

• Student ID

• A document to confirm your UK address (this could be an accommodation contract)

• You may also need to bring evidence of your address and bank account in your home country (dated in the last three months)

Some UK banks may allow you to set up a bank account before you arrive in Wales. Please also check with your home bank to find out about any additional charges there might be to transfer money into your new UK account.

BRP Collection

Please collect your BRP before the vignette sticker in your passport expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK (whichever is later).

Please check your visa decision letter- it will tell you to collect your BRP from a named Post Office branch in Cardiff.

Bring your passport or travel document with your vignette sticker in when you collect your BRP.

If you are under 18, a member of CAVC International team will go with you.

BRP errors

Your BRP will include:

your name, date and place of birth

the data of your fingerprints and a photo of your face

your immigration status and any conditions of your stay

whether you can access public funds, for example benefits and health services

Please check these details are correct. Any errors need to reported to the UKVI within 10 days. You should also inform the college by contacting experienceinternational@cavc.ac.uk