Everybody knows the news about the UK… Below we have everything you need to know about Brexit and what it means for students coming to learn English in London.
Lots of people have been asking new questions about what all of this means for the United Kingdom.
More importantly, how will this affect visitors from overseas?
Below we will try to answer everything, but the main news is that there is nothing to worry about.
We will also explain how this results in cheap English courses in London this summer.
The full details are below, but the main points are:
- The UK is still a full member of the EU
- There is no legal change for the UK
- In terms of visas, there is no difference for visitors to the UK
- The pound is now weak
- Other currencies like the Euro are now much stronger which puts more money in your pocket if you visit the UK now
IS LONDON EXPENSIVE NOW?
Well, because of the vote, the value of the pound / £ / GBP sterling has gone down to the level that it was in 1984. All other currencies have stayed at the same value more or less.
So, if your currency is Euros, Rubles, Swiss Francs, Yen, Yuan, Riyal, or Dirham (or whichever) then an English course in London at SGI is now basically 20% cheaper in cost to you than it was 2 weeks ago at the start of the summer.
That’s right! Some London schools have put up their course prices to counteract the drop in value of the pound, but at Saint George International our English course prices have stayed exactly the same.
This means much greater value for our students this summer: Student accommodation is cheaper and you can do more London shopping with your money!
And this summer there are lots of incredible cultural highlights that can only be experienced in London that you just can not miss.
CHEAP ENGLISH COURSE IN LONDON???
At SGI, we do not like to describe our English courses as “cheap”, because cheap can sometimes mean ‘low quality’.
Let’s make sure there is no misunderstanding: Nothing we do at SGI is low quality, especially not the English lessons!
However, as the Euro and other currencies are now stronger against the pound, then it is true to say that everything that a foreign visitor buys in the UK is now a lot cheaper.
We work very hard to make sure that we have the best teachers who give amazing lessons that you will remember forever… Everybody remembers a great teacher, don’t they? 🙂
In fact, the UK government’s independent inspectors of schools rated the teaching at SGI as excellent and stated in their report that students make excellent progress with their English. SGI students have even been shown on the world famous BBC.
There is a regular annual or bi-annual inspection to ensure quality is maintained and in the previous inspection and report of SGI, the government inspectors also said that SGI Language College exceeds expectations and the teaching is outstanding.
AFTER THE “BREXIT VOTE”, DO I NEED A VISA TO ENTER THE UK?
The vote happened, but there is NO CHANGE in the legal status of the UK.
The United Kingdom is still a full member of the European Union.
Politicians are already saying that they will not formally apply to leave the EU for another year, and then it would take at least another 2 years to leave.
So basically, the earliest that the status of the UK would change might be 2019… However, many people believe that the UK will never leave the EU as it is too difficult to solve legally.
Therefore, everything regarding entering the United Kingdom is EXACTLY THE SAME AS BEFORE.
I am from the EU. Do I need a visa to enter the UK now?
No. If you are an EU citizen you will NOT need to apply for a visa to enter the UK and study English in London at SGI.
I am from outside the EU. Do I need a visa to study English in the UK?
If you are a non-EU citizen, you will still need to apply for a UK Student Visa just the same as before.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED for overseas visitors
DO LONDONERS LIKE FOREIGNERS?
The first thing to note is that a huge majority of the people of London voted to remain in Europe.
London is a very multi-cultural, lively and open city that welcomes people from all over the world.
Communities become part of the most mixed city in the world, where more languages are spoken than in any other capital city, even including New York.
In London, after the vote there have been huge protests against the result with thousands of people marching peacefully to show that they do not agree with this result.
The Brexit vote was extremely close (Leave: 51.8% / Remain in EU: 48.2%) and so there are a huge number of people in the UK who think the same way as Londoners do.
Since the vote, there have been hundreds of reports of people regretting that they voted to leave. Also many of the ‘Reasons to Leave’ said by politicians before the vote happened have now been proven to be complete lies.
Lots of media and political commentators are now saying that if there is a second referendum that the Remain in the EU vote will win by a huge margin.
SGI is full of open-minded, intelligent and tolerant people. We have been welcoming foreign visitors to London for over 50 years.
Before the referendum, SGI strongly backed the Remain campaign with posts on Facebook showing our wish to be in the European Union.
A study visit to SGI is not just about learning English.
When you enter our doors, you become part of our worldwide SGI family that meets in London to experience other cultures, ideas, new friendships with smiles, laughs and amazing memories.
SGI is learning and friendship.
We hope to welcome you this summer to the best little English school in London and take home fantastic memories and friendships for life.
As a final word on the subject, please read what SGI school director, Max Loach wrote… and then also what the Mayor of London (the man in charge of the city) had to say…
A MESSAGE FROM SGI SCHOOL DIRECTOR:
Dear All,
As I am sure you are aware, just over 50% of the British people have voted to leave the European Union.
However, as all UK politicians have stated today, nothing will change for a very long time.
So, we continue to welcome everyone from all nations and cultures from all over the world to the best little English School in London to learn English and experience our multi-cultural, lively and amazing city
So, even though the news is unfortunate, please rest assured that we are looking forward to seeing you in London this summer and for years to come with a very warm welcome.
Max Loach,
Saint George International School Director
THE MAYOR OF LONDON, Sadiq Khan, said this….
“I want to send a clear message to every European – you are very welcome here. As a city, we are grateful for the enormous contribution you make, and that will not change as a result of this referendum.
There are nearly one million European citizens living in London today, and they bring huge benefits to our city – working hard, paying taxes, working in our public services and contributing to our civic and cultural life.
We all have to focus on what unites us, rather than that which divides us.”
If you have any questions, we look forward to hearing from you.
