Crawford Park, Bishop Street, Cork

Tel: 00 353 21 4320005

Email: info@cew.ie
Website: www.cew.ie

EXTRA INFORMATION FOR VISA REQUIRING STUDENTS

PRACTICAL
After class on the first day, a member of staff at CEW will sit with students to discuss the steps to take to
register at immigration in Cork.

Steps to register at Immigration

1. Students open a bank account, transfer €3,000 and print a full statement dated they are going to
register with immigration.
2. Students bring the bank statement to the school and request their registration letter. The address
on the bank statement, the medical insurance and on the registration letter must be the same.
3. Students request an appointment with Immigration in Cork Anglesea Street Garda Station. On the
day of the appointment, they will need the following:
• Passport
• School registration letter
• Insurance certificate
• A dated full bank statement
• Debit card to pay the €300 fee
4. Students return to Immigration two weeks later to collect their IRP (Irish Residency Permit) card.

Banking
CEW will provide students with the necessary information to open a Money Jar online account.

Housing:
CEW can only organise short-term accommodation for students.
1. Long-term accommodation: search www.daft.ie, consult Facebook pages for offers (Brasileiros em
Cork, Les Français à Cork, Italiani a Cork, Espanoles en Cork…. or talk to existing students).

2. CEW can provide students with a letter for a landlord confirming that they are registered in the
school and that their fees have been paid in full.

PPSN: Personal Public Service Number

1. Social Welfare officers only issue a PPSN on receipt of a written job offer from the student.
(students must first find a job and then apply for the PPSN).
2. Students must also provide proof of address: bank statement, medical insurance…
3. The Social Welfare Office is on Hanover Street. Opening hours: 9:15am to 5pm, Monday to
Thursday and 10:15am to 4:30pm on Friday.

Holidays
• Students are entitled to take 3 weeks holidays during the 25 week study period. NB: Holiday weeks
cannot be front-loaded and can never exceed 1/3rd of the overall lapsed time since the course
commenced.
• Holidays must be taken in one week blocks (Monday to Friday) and the finishing date of the course is
extended accordingly. Holidays cannot be booked retrospectively.
• Students must notify the school 2 weeks in advance: fill in a holiday request application form at
Reception. Holiday requests will only be approved if attendance is at 85% minimum.
NB: Please note all letters must be requested at Reception (ready for collection the following day)
 Crawford Park, Bishop Street, Cork
Tel: 00 353 21 4320005
Email: info@cew.ie
Website: www.cew.ie

ACADEMIC

Placement test
The placement test has 2 parts:
1. Written part: sent by email to students before the course starts
2. Speaking part: Students will be contacted by the Academic Team before they start to arrange a
speaking test on Skype.

Course
• Students on 25 week programmes are placed in a General English class for the first half of the course.
• During the second half of their course, students are moved to an Exam Preparation class
(IELTS/FCE/CAE).
• There is no extra cost for the exam preparation class except for the book (€50) and the exam fee. The
exam is mandatory for Stamp 2 visa holders and must be completed for each 8 month visa (1 visa = 1
exam, 2 visas = 2 exams and 3 visas = 3 exams).
• Staff at CEW will help students register for the relevant exam.

Progress Test
• When students wish to move up to the next level, they must first discuss this with the class teacher.
• If the teacher agrees, students can ask the Academic Coordinator to schedule a progress test.
• Progress tests take place on Wednesdays:
1. Speaking part: the Academic Coordinator takes the student out of class
2. Written part: after class, the student can call to Reception to pick up the test
• Result of the progress test will be sent to the student by email.

Attendance
• Students must maintain an attendance level of minimum 85%. If a student’s attendance drops
significantly below that threshold, they will be emailed by the Academic Team regarding their poor
attendance.
• Classroom attendance is taken twice by teachers every day (before and after break-time). Please note
that attending only 1 part of the class will be taken into account when calculating students’
attendance.
• On the spot extra attendance checks are carried out every 2 to 3 weeks. Students must sign
attendance record on that day.
• If students are sick and are not attending classes, these will be considered unauthorised absences
unless a medical certificate is submitted.

Academic Reviews
• Every student who has booked 7+ weeks of full-time classes will receive a Learner Diary
• The Learner Diary specifies a date for a review at 6-week intervals.
• Teachers complete the student’s Learner Diary during the specified review week
• The Learner Diary is the responsibility of and unique to the student. Students keep it with them at all
times. Lost diaries cannot be replaced especially if the review process has commenced.
• Academic Management will check Learner Diaries each month and record details on student’s file.