Visa & Work Permits | Insurance | Other Assistance | Fees | Allowance | Security Deposit | Other Expenses | Start Dates and Deadlines

VISA AND WORK PERMITS
Interns on Mountbatten's London Programme qualify for work permits under the British Government's Training and Work Experience Scheme.  Interns will receive a 12 month work permit allowing them to work for their British sponsor company for 12 months, after which they MUST depart the UK.

Foreign citizens wishing to enter the UK with such a work permit must first apply for and obtain Entry Clearance (visa) from a British Consulate in their home country, (see OTHER EXPENSES below).  The Programme will advise and assist candidates but has no say in the final decision and therefore cannot guarantee the granting of either the Work Permit or Entry Clearance.  Applicants should be aware that since 2005 there has been a tightening of the British Government's interpretation of the guidelines and criteria governing Work Permits.  From time to time some Work Permits that Mountbatten believed properly conformed to the guidelines have been denied.  To date (7/07) no Mountbatten applicants have been refused Entry Clearance.

As part of the Entry Clearance application process, all UK visa applicants are now required to provide finger scans (biometric data).  Full details will be sent to you if you are placed with one of our sponsor companies.

The British Government imposes severe penalties on anyone who breaks the country's immigration laws.

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INSURANCE
The decision to live abroad in a culturally different environment carries many risks.  Only you can evaluate how acceptable these risks are to you and the level of insurance you may wish to purchase to offset those risks.  The Mountbatten Programme conforms to generally acceptable UK standards for young adults, and accepts no liability whatsoever for medical or for personal security matters.

Medical
Interns are entitled to receive full medical assistance and treatment under the British National Health Service, in common with all other UK residents.  The NHS does not typically accommodate non-mainstream medicine such as chiropractors.  Furthermore, the NHS, which is a socialized medicine service with budget constraints, may be quite different from your home country's health service, both in its priorities and its treatments and procedures.  Thus interns with pre-existing conditions that in their view demand high priority might wish to consider obtaining private medical insurance.  Generally speaking, the NHS' modus operandi is to provide standardized care designed to cover 95% - 98% of most medical problems.  This is typically below US private health-care levels.  If you are not comfortable with this philosophy, you should consider private insurance.  You may wish to visit the NHS website at www.nhs.uk

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OTHER ASSISTANCE
We maintain contact with interns and ad hoc contact with sponsor companies throughout the internship year to ensure that everyone is deriving benefit from the Programme.  We also provide tax advice at the end of each year to assist interns with filing their returns.

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FEES PAYABLE TO MOUNTBATTEN BY THE CANDIDATE

CERTIFICATE IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PRACTICE

MBA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PRACTICE
PART I OF MBA: DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PRACTICE

Beginning with the August 2008 intake, the fee arrangements for the MBA degree in International Business Practice will change from its current structure.  The total cost of the degree will stay the same - USD $25,000 for the full 16-month program (12 months for Part I in London and 4 months for Part II in Bangkok).  Under the new arrangements, however, the fees for Part I of the degree will be USD $15,000 and for Part II of the degree the cost will be USD $10,000.  The reason for these changes is to more accurately distribute the 'real' costs of the program across the two segments, and to allow students who are seeking to apply for Federal Loans to qualify for the maximum entitlement for all parts of the degree.

From March 2009 and subsequent intakes the fees will be increased. The cost of Part I of the degree will be USD $17,500 and Part II fees will be USD $12,500.

MBA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PRACTICE
PART II OF MBA IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Those interns who successfully complete Part I of the MBA (The Diploma) will have the option of completing Part II of the MBA degree program in Bangkok, Thailand following their year in London.

Fees for Part II include furnished accommodation.  The fees cover tuition and the cost of books and medical insurance.  The fees do not cover the cost of transportation to and from Thailand, nor travel costs associated with the business research project (if applicable).

Financial assistance in the form of Federal loans is available to eligible American or US Permanent Resident (Green Card Holders) applicants (MBA degree program only).

All payments should be by check (or money order) made payable to Mountbatten Internship Programme.

The Initial Deposit is actually the first part of the Participation Fee.  The Initial Deposit is fully refundable if the applicant is not placed.  It is not refundable if the applicant subsequently withdraws from the Programme or unreasonably refuses to take a Placement.

Acceptance means that the applicant, having been interviewed, is considered appropriate for the Programme.  Notification of Acceptance is always in writing (email) and is accompanied by a request for an Initial Deposit.  The Programme will not take any further action until it receives the Initial Deposit from you.

Acceptance does not guarantee a Placement, since this must ultimately be at the discretion of the sponsoring company.  Sponsoring companies demand a choice of candidates and as a practical matter this can only be achieved by having an oversupply of acceptable candidates.

The Programme would ideally place all accepted candidates.  However, the vagaries of both the supply of candidates and the demand by sponsoring companies, coupled with requests on both sides for a specific match, make this process difficult to predict and manage.  Thus, despite our best efforts, it could happen that, in a particular intake, several accepted candidates do not get placed.

It is also possible to be placed and then be denied Entry Clearance or a Work Permit.  Although this has rarely happened, it would be a government decision outside our control and we would be unable to do anything about it.  Your application would have to be terminated, for which the Programme accepts no liability whatsoever.  Your Participation Fee would be returned in full provided you had not withheld important relevant information that should have been disclosed (such as a criminal record).

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ALLOWANCES PAID TO THE INTERN
Allowances are paid by the Programme, (your employer of record).  No salary or allowance is paid to the intern by sponsor companies.

Living allowance: Interns receive a living allowance of GBP £615 per month paid monthly in arrears.  This is to cover your food, transportation, telephone, entertainment and personal items (from Jan to December 2007, the sterling exchange rate fluctuated between USD $1.95 - USD $2.07 per GBP £).  A fee of GBP £8 per month will be deducted from your living allowance for basic telephone and internet service.  Furnished accommodation is provided at no charge to the intern (see Living in London).

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SECURITY DEPOSIT
A Security Deposit (see Living in London) of GBP £100 is retained by the Programme by deducting GBP £50 from each of the first 2 living allowance payments.  This deposit will be returned without interest after the internship less any required payments for breakages, damage to apartment furniture, etc., and less any charges required for professional cleaning of the apartment.

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OTHER EXPENSES
Interns will be responsible for their own Entry Clearance fees of USD $431 + USD $12 S & H payable to the British Consulate General in the US.  These fees were correct as of June 2008, but are subject to change without notice.

Interns pay their own airfares to and from the UK.  Airfare costs vary according to the time of year.  ISIC cards may provide some discounts.

Approximately GBP £1,500 will be needed to cover expenses during the first few weeks.  The Programme makes arrangements for interns to open a UK bank account as soon as possible after their arrival in the UK - this is subject to new and developing security regulations governing foreign owned bank accounts.

Interns are responsible for their own telephone bills, food, entertainment and all personal items.

Travel costs:  You will be responsible for your own daily travel to work, all visits to the Mountbatten Office, and any academic events in London.  The Programme will cover any mandated academic travel costs to and from places in the UK that are outside London.

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START DATES AND DEADLINES
See How to Apply.

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