This page is here to provide general guidance. If you would like to speak to an Advisor please click here.
Visa's
The SU cannot provide specialist advice on your VISA. The school’s Student Advice and Wellbeing and Visa team are specially trained in this field so if you have any questions please do contact them
SOAS Student Visa and immigration information:
https://www.soas.ac.uk/international/visas-and-immigration
Further information and advice for international students
https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/
Sanctuary Fund
In 2019, SOAS awarded the SU £10,000 under a commitment to give the SU £10 for every person who completed the NSS (National Student Survey). The money was intended to be put towards the student society Solidarity with Refugees and Displaced People (SRDP) and the LGBTQIA+ liberation campaign, to provide financial support for students on the Sanctuary Scholarship.
The SU wants to make the money available as an emergency fund to all SOAS students with unclear or unstable immigration status (including but not limited to asylum seekers, refugees, humanitarian protection status, discretionary or limited leave to remain, and those on the SOAS sanctuary scholarship). The intention of the fund is to provide short-term and immediate financial assistance to those who are eligible, recognizing that a consequence of the hostile environment in the UK, which the university is part of, is often financial hardship. We are accepting a limited number of applications as the funding is a set amount.
We have tried to make the questions as open as possible to make it straightforward for students to apply and be approved, but please let us know if you have any suggestions.
Application:
This application is for an emergency fund ONLY for SOAS students with unclear or unstable immigration status (e.g. asylum seekers, refugees, humanitarian protection status, and those on the SOAS sanctuary scholarship). The intention of the fund is to provide short-term and immediate financial assistance of between £50-£500 to those who are eligible, recognizing that a consequence of the hostile environment in the UK, which the university is part of, is often financial hardship. We can only accept a limited number of applications as the funds are limited to a set amount. The questions we ask below are to work out if this fund is for you and to collect information which will be used to improve the support offered to students who fit the criteria by the Student Union and by SOAS. The information will only be seen by the review panel in the SU.
Applications will be reviewed and approved by the Union and you will be contacted directly for payment details if your application is approved.
To apply please email SU@soas.ac.uk with the following information:
- Name
- Email
- Description of immigration status
- Reason for applying
- Amount applying for: £50, £150, £250 and £500
- Apart from financial support, what other kind of support do you need that you are not currently getting?
If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to at SU@soas.ac.uk