Preparing to go HomeLouise Saunderson and Alison Learwood

Student Support Hub

Sending your luggage home

It may be cheaper to send luggage via a shipping company, rather than take it yourself. Some companies to try are:

Tudor Freight www.tudorfreight.com Whitby Oliver www.whitbyoliver-removals.com Acorn Delivery, Collection and Removals 07949 391508

Most storage companies will deliver to your nearest airport, where you will have to pay additional handling charges, and may have customs duty expenses as well. Delivery to a home address is very expensive.

Sending your luggage home

If you only need to send one or two suitcases, the University Post Room may be able to help:

www.york.ac.uk.campusservices/postroom/

Make sure luggage is insured against theft, loss or damage. Try:

www.endsleigh.co.uk/personal/student-insurance www.moneysupermarket.com www.gocompare.com

Income Tax Refunds

Income Tax refunds

You may be entitled to reimbursement of some National Insurance if you have been working in the UK

If you have earned less than £10,000 (threshold for 2014-15) and have paid tax, you can claim a refund

Use form P50 (download online) Go to www.hmrc.gov.uk/students/

VAT Refunds

VAT (Value Added Tax)

If you buy items within 3 months of your leaving date which you will take back to your home country (outside the EEA) you may be entitled to a refund

To qualify, the items must have been bought from a shop which is a member of the VAT Retail Export Scheme

You should fill in a VAT 407 (or equivalent) form obtained from the shop. This should be filled in when buying the item in front of the cashier. You will need a passport or similar ID. The retailer will explain how to obtain your refund.

VAT Refunds

When leaving the UK, you must show your goods and refund form to Customs at the last country you are travelling in before leaving the EU.

For full details, see Inland Revenue Enquiry Office or visit:

www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/overseas-visitors.htm

Notification of departure

Make sure you inform anyone who needs to know of your departure, including your leaving date. For example:

Friends! Department Fees Office Accommodation Office / Landlord Employer Doctor Bank Utility Companies (electricity, phone, gas etc) Fulford Road Police if you have a Police Registration Certificate

Forwarding address

Ensure you pass on your new address where required, eg:

Alumni Office E:Vision Bank Landlord or Tenancy Deposit Scheme Royal Mail operates a redirection service for a fee. Go to:

www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redirections

Accommodation

Give notice of leaving date in writing Pass on forwarding address Find out how to apply for deposit –

especially if Tenancy Deposit Scheme used

Visas

If you have a Tier 4 student visa, the University must inform the Home Office when you have completed your studies

When you leave the UK, you should get a new visa if you wish to return

If you are planning to come back for a graduation ceremony, it is safest to get a general visitor visa even if your student visa has not yet expired

This is because some students have been sent back home at the UK airports by Immigration Officers for having the ‘wrong’ visa as they are no longer on a course of study

Seeking work

You may wish to:

Ask tutors and former employers for a written reference Join professional organisations to keep your knowledge up to date Subscribe to publications not available in your home country Speak to the Careers Service for advice on interview skills, CVs and

making applications Visit the Careers Service website for links to international job sites

and other useful information:

https://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/students/international-students/#tab-4

Seeking work

Try these useful websites: www.prospects.ac.uk - includes country profiles, interview

tips and information in using your language skills www.targetjobs.co.uk – advertises some overseas

employment www.jobs.ac.uk – for those who want to work in Higher

Education, includes overseas posts www.eurobrussels.com – jobs in the EU aimed at those

with language skills www.nases.org.uk – useful section aimed at international

students going back to home countries

Reverse culture shock

Just as you may have found it hard to adjust to UK culture, re-adjusting to your home culture can be difficult

Factors which can cause this include: Missing the food and weather! Not seeing your friends Changing family circumstances Economic and political changes Differences in your own attitudes and beliefs

Reverse culture shock

Ways to deal with reverse culture shock include:

Keeping in touch with friends Reading UK newspapers online Joining the York Alumni Association Finding friends in your home country who have

also lived in the UK Accept that it’s a normal process

Useful information

UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) have a useful

information on returning home. Visit www.ukcisa.org.uk (see tab headed

‘The Next Stage’).

The University of York Alumni Association can be found at:

www.yorkspace.net/ This includes the latest campus news, networking

groups, events, an online magazine and a directory of graduates.

The local Inland Revenue Enquiry Office is located at:

2 Victoria Avenue

Harrogate HG1 1TW

Tel: 0845 302 1433

Any questions?