Tier 4 General Student Visa: Immigration History Form

If you need a Tier 4 General Student visa to study at University of the Arts London, we will ask you to complete a UK Immigration History Form. The information you give us will help us to decide if you can obtain a Tier 4 General Student visa for the course you want to study.

Please complete the UK Immigration History Form as fully as you can and return it to us as soon as possible. What courses should I include?

All courses you have studied in the UK, including English language and short courses, whether you completed them or not.

Details of any courses for which you were issued a study visa which you did not use

Any course you are currently studying.

What courses should I NOT include?

Any courses you have studied outside the UK

The course you are now applying to study at the University

Why do we need this information? If you have studied in the UK before, and need a Tier 4 General Student visa for the course you want to study at the University, you must have enough time to study your course under the time limits for study in the UK set by the Home Office. Also the course you want to study with us must show you are making academic progression from your previous course in the UK. What are the Home Office time limits for study in the UK? There are two separate sets of time limits: one for courses below National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 6 and another one for courses at level NQF6 and above. What are the NQF levels?

NQF Level

Examples of Typical Qualifications

3 Access, Diplomas, Foundation Diplomas (not UAL), A-levels, IB

4 Foundation Diplomas (UAL), Cert HE

5 Foundation Degrees, Dip HE

6 Bachelor degrees, Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas

7 Masters Degrees (including MPhil), PG Certs, PG Dips

8 PhD

Tier 4 General Student Visa: Immigration History Form

I want to study a new course at a level below NQF6 – what is the time limit?

The total number of years you can study courses at levels below NQF6 (including English language courses) is two. Previous study which counts towards your 2 year study time limit:

Study periods on courses below NQF6 when you were on a Tier 4 Child visa or Tier 4 General Student visa when you were 18 years old. The period is counted from your 18th birthday onwards, not from the start date of the visa. The whole period of the visa is counted, whether you were in the UK or not. Periods of time for which a visa was granted which you did not use may also be counted.

Previous study which does not count towards your 2 year study time limit:

Courses you studied on a pre-Tier 4 Student visa* or any type of non-study visa

Courses you studied on a Tier 4 Child visa or Tier 4 General Student visa when you were a child (under 18 years old). The period is counted up to your 18th birthday, not to the end date of the visa.

Any study on courses at level NQF6 or above * Pre-Tier 4 Student visas were student visas issued before 31st March 2009

I want to study a new course at level NQF6 or NQF7

The total number of years you can study courses at levels NQF6 and NQF7 is five. ** Previous study which counts towards your 5 year study time limit:

Courses you studied which were at NQF6 or NQF7 on a Tier 4 General Student visa or pre-Tier 4 Student visa* The whole period of the visa is counted, whether you were in the UK. Periods of time for which a visa was granted which you did not use may also be counted.

Previous study which does not count towards your 5 year study time limit:

Courses you studied on a Tier 4 Child visa or any type of non-study visa.

Any study on courses below level NQF6 **There is a special exception to the 5 year rule for students who study an undergraduate degree that is four or five years in length (not including periods of repeat study or approved leaves of absence). The overall time limit for these students can be raised to six years if they wish to study a Master’s degree at a Higher Education Institution.

I want to study a new course at NQF8

If you have already spent five years in the UK studying at levels NQF 6 and NQF7, you can still undertake a PhD, which is at NQF 8. If you have already undertaken PhD level study in the UK you can only do further PhD level study if the total time spent studying on a Tier 4 General Student visa or pre-Tier 4 Student visa* will not exceed 8 years.

Tier 4 General Student Visa: Immigration History Form

How is the time calculated? When calculating the amount of time spent on previous study, we must count:

The full period of the visa including extra leave before the course started or after it finished, whether or not you were in the UK during those extra leave periods

Any periods of time spent in the UK between courses whilst waiting for a new visa to be issued

If your visa is curtailed (cancelled) we will use the new end date (following the curtailment) in the calculation. If you do not know this date we may need your permission to ask the Home Office.

When calculating the amount of time spent which will be spent on the new course, we must count:

The full period of the visa you will be granted including extra leave before the course starts or after it finishes, whether or not intend to be in the UK during those extra leave periods

Calculations are in months, rounded up or down to the nearest month.

What does “making academic progression” mean?

The Home Office consider you are making academic progression if:

The NQF level of your new course is higher than the level of your previous course

The NQF level of your new course is the same as the level of your previous course, but the new course complements the previous course and will allow you to develop a deeper specialisation in a particular field.

Who decides whether a course is academic progression from previous study or not? The first decision will be taken by the University. We can only sponsor you for a Tier 4 General Student visa if we strongly believe your new course represents academic progression from your previous course. If we decide that your new course does not represent academic progression, we will not progress your application. This decision is at the discretion of the University and will be final. The final decision will be taken by the Home Office. Even if the University considers your new course represents academic progression, if the Home Office disagree, they will refuse your Tier 4 General Student visa application. The University will not be able to challenge the Home Office’s decision. The Home Office can also take action against the University if we assess your new course as academic progression but the Home Office are concerned about our assessment, or if they consider that there is no progression. This action includes revoking our Tier 4 Sponsor Licence. This is why the University will not be able to sponsor you if we believe the Home Office will not agree that your new course represents academic progression from your previous course and why this decision will be final.

Qinyuan Yan

PERSONAL STATEMENT

I am Qinyuan Yan, a creative, observant and persistent international applicant from China, currently studying Fine Art in Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications. Fine art to me has always been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires. I would very much like to have a deeper understanding of it by pursuing postgraduate program at your honored university. Art is the right hand of nature. The latter only gave us being, but the former made us men. Through three years’ systematical study of fine art, aesthetic ability promotion by learning sketch and color, software application training, and visual transmission study, I was taught how to comprehend Fine Art and express feelings in a proper way that can be easily accepted by audiences. Illustration, from my point of view, could be best served as art expression, being the bridge between text messages and readers. It is ability to develop bespoke visual languages to translate narrative images and ideas to diverse audiences, like Johanna Basford reveals the natural pleasure in Secret

Garden. Concise lines, innovative ideas contribute to her commercial success.

Besides theoretical understanding, I actively participated in campus and social activities and have gotten excellent awards and achievements. In my first year in university, I took part in College Streamer Arts Competition and won the First Prize in Painting class, having my work exhibited on the 2nd Chongqing University Students Science and Technology Exchange. My confidence was great enhanced by the approval for my talent from other students and teachers. It is also worthy to mention that my performance in sketch is always among the best and one of my sketch works is kept as permanent collection by my school. Then by a coincidence, I was recommended to take a part-time job at an art training organization as a teacher of Graphic Design and Decorative Picture where I got tremendous improvement in both professional and personal ability. Because my teaching content is black and white decorative illustration, I gradually paid attention to the layout and relationship among grey, black and white, and studied deeply into how these three colours performed in the two-dimensional plane in the absence of other colours. During this period, I also found the insufficient of my works through repeated inspection from the view of an third party and tried to improve my skills and theme expression ability. Most important, I could get the feedback of creative thinking and techniques from my students after school tutoring and I would be shocked by their creativity and performance techniques frequently. Respecting individual differences of each student’s work also developed my artistic cultivation of how to distinguish and appreciate others' works. Because of particular preference for art performance and long-lasting painting habits, I desire improvement to higher level from art thinking, understanding and technique of expression by applying MA Illustration and Visual Media in The University of Arts London College. As grand cultural nation that has strong foundation of traditional art in Europe, the United Kingdom appeals to me a lot for its strong artistic and cultural

Qinyuan Yan

atmosphere created by opening ideology, rich material and the intangible cultural heritage. Being the biggest institution of art, design, media communication and performing art, The University of Arts London is one of the best schools of arts all over the world. And the course I apply provides with me the opportunity to explore both the theory and practice of illustration across a broad range of visual media. Through all these years, I have kept unique painting style, creative theme, and mode of thinking that quite accord with the major I apply. The subtle observation, deep thinking of a flash inspiration before creation, rational and dialectical thinking mode, sentimental application of innovative techniques during it, and the afterward reflection and improvement, all build up my solid advantage to be considered by your school.

Currently, fine arts have been applied to a range of areas besides pure art, and illustration in media communication is one of them, which covers varies of industries, such as advertisements, architectural rendering, book, video games, etc,. My long term goal is to devote myself in education in China, training talents in this area, but I will first take the chance to make illustration for Chinese companies after graduation because I believe industry experiences are indispensable for a university professor to give professional lectures. Compared to many developed countries, China has been fallen far behind in this field, resulting in most Chinese goods tagged with low-end products and this situation cannot be changed simply by one or two. Therefore, I hope to be a professor in Chinese universities, influencing my students to make an effort to improve this difficult position. Opportunities create intense competition. I think the most important two factors to stand in this competition are self-development and advanced global concept. As a result, I sincerely hope I could learn the latest concept, innovative ideas during my graduate study in your school.

QQiinnyyuuaann YYaann BASIC INFORMATION

DOB: 30/03/1994

Gender: Male

Nationality: China

Address: Room 2211, International Trade Centre, No.38 Qingnian Road, Yuzhong

District, Chongqing, P.R.China

Tel: 86-15608570922

Email: yanqy0330@sina.com

EDUCATION BACKGROUND

2012---2016 Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications China

BA, Fine Arts, July 2016

Courses including: Design Colour, Design Sketch, Print Design, Format

Design, Design & Philosophy, Design Psychology, Media Aesthetics

EXPERIENCE

Jan.~Sep. 2014 Served as part-time painting teacher in Teana Studio

◆ Making teaching plans

◆ Giving lectures of graphic design and decorative painting

November 2013 Participated in a restaurant website design

◆ Responsible for front-end design of the whole website

HONOURS AWARDED

2015 Received Award for Excellent at Microfilm Contest in University

2013 Awarded the First Prize of Painting Class in College Streamer Arts Competition

SELF-DESCRIPTION

Observant, Creative, Persistent, Enthusiastic

Qinyuan Yan

Research question:

What attracts me most is the story behind the illustration. Every form of art expresses certain

content among which illustration has particularly strong narrativenature with flexible topics and

multiple performancetechniques, fascinating me a lot. An illustration is not only the result of

inspiration, but a start of imagination. After appreciation,viewers would always raise

spontaneous association and supplement to the story. In future study, my primary task is to try

topics as much as possible, especially those related to Chinese culture and elements, enhance

the ability of telling story through constant improving creative skills and picture performance.

The context:

Akira ToriyamaIn 8 or 9, the popular workDragon Ballby well-known Japanese manga artist Akira

Toriyama raised my great interest in illustrationand ever since served as my enlightenment.

Different from other manga fans’fanaticism, I usually focused on drawing itself, characters’

expression, wrinkles, and visionary transportation through the works that creative and imaginary.

It cannot be ignored that my first experience of art imitating just started fromthis manga that

each page were designed independently based on the story by Akira. Until now, I would still go

through this complete collection of Dragon Balland still be deeply impressed by Mr. Akira’s

creativity.

Qinyuan Yan

Michael LauWhile Akira’s Dragon Ball being my enlightenment,the art works by Hong Kong

designer, Michael Lau also hasfar-reaching influenceon me. Michaelis used to find inspiration

from friends and create works from two-dimensional plane to three-dimensional doll. It is from

him that I first felt the charm of creation and his crazy for originality has seemed to play a model

role for me.

Qinyuan Yan

KAWSIf the above two influenced me in my early phase, then, the American artist, KAWSbrought

me a much mature world, whose works are much more pure than Michael Lau. His creations

cover a variety of areas from music to fashions, gradually being known to the world. His unique

art style has brought graffiti elements to the palace level that until now, I still intimate his creative

style from composition to colorbecause they are as textbooks to me.

Qinyuan Yan

Ashley WoodFor Europe and American Comic book fans, all knows the name of the Australian

famous toy designer, cartoonist and illustrator, Ashley Wood, because of his distinctivepainting

style. Ashley’s illustration style is quite fascinating and bold, full of dark atmosphere.The first time

I saw his work I thoughtitwas a mess, full of messy pencil lines, ink and posters like broken

pictures. But it is just the charm of his works and now they are my favorite. In his works all the

characters are shrouded in darkness, abandon gorgeous, allcontort and dance with blue ink.

Qinyuan Yan

Methodology:

I will try to use the following methods to do the methodology.

Social Network

I will followthe projects shared by my favorite artists in social network or website, analyze the

similarity and difference between them and imitate my favorite works.

Works of Painters

I will collect works of painters. Almost all of the classic works of Illustrators would be included in

his/her personal works, definitely the best route to appreciate works and study the skills.

Touring Exhibition

Attending artists’ touring exhibitions if possible, I could experience the intuitive impact the works

bring to me. Making notes of the direct feelings after appreciating the original works will guide

me in the focus in future creation.

Qinyuan Yan

Resources:

Art and design work sharing platform: Behance

Chongqing Art Museum

Bibliography:

Bridgman (2002) Bridgman’s Complete Guide to Drawing from Life, Guilin, Guangxi Fine Arts

Publishing House

Akira. T (2013),Dragon Ball Manga Series, Tokyo, Shueisha Inc.

Roddam (2015), This Is Van Gogh， London，Laurence King

Hongyuan Wen, ShanpingRen (1983), Tiger Painting, Shanghai, Shanghai people's Fine Arts

Publishing House

（Multi author works）（2014）CLASSIC PATTERNS，Guangzhou，Sendpoints

Dali，（2013）Dali，Köln，TASCHEN

Monet（2014）《Monet》，Köln，TASCHEN

Richard Cork，（2006）《Michael Craig-Martin》，London，Thames& Hudson

Fukuda Shigeo，（2004）《Fukuda Shigeo－－Design Creativity·Graphic Meaning》，Chengdu，

Sichuan Fine Arts Publishing House

Sarah Thompson（2015）《Hokusa》，Boston，MFA Publications