By making a booking with International House Trust Ltd (trading as ‘International House London or IHL’) you agree to the terms and conditions as set out below and understand how your data is used as part of our privacy policy. Unless specifically agreed in writing, these conditions have precedence over any other communications. If you have made a booking using an Educational Travel Operator (ETO), please check with them as additional terms may apply to your booking.
The following terms are valid for all bookings made for study starting in 2024.
1.0 Course availability and suitability
Every attempt will be made to place you on the course of your choice. For some courses, placements are not guaranteed until the appropriate entrance test has been taken. Please check the appropriate course literature for admission requirements. In the event of insufficient applications for a course, the school reserves the right to offer an alternative course of equal value or a refund. The school will endeavour to notify affected candidates at least one working week prior to course commencement.
1.1 Age
Our minimum publicised age for integrated lessons at IHL is a follows:
General English (GE) School: 16 years
Executive English (EX) School: 21 years
IHL reserves the right to admit under 16’s on GE courses and under 21’s on EX courses providing appropriate risk assessments and safeguarding measures have been carried out. Closed group provision for students aged 10 or more can be made on request and will be assessed accordingly. Any IHL student under the age of 18 is required to book IHL contracted accommodation or provide address and contact details for their place of stay if booked independently. Accommodation not provided by IHL for under 18s may be inspected as part of a risk assessment for minors. If found to be unsuitable, IHL reserves the right to cancel the course and any refund due would be processed in accordance with section 8.0
1.2 Code of Conduct
The school reserves the right to terminate an enrolment without issuing a refund, where a participant’s behaviour is such that it would be unreasonable for them to continue their studies. We also reserve the right to refuse to admit onto the premises or cancel a student’s course or accommodation due to overriding health and safety concerns. Students in the General English and Executive English school are to adhere to the student agreement as published in the Student Handbook.
1.3 Attendance and student holidays
Students on courses of twelve (12) weeks or more may take one (1) week of holiday for every twelve (12) weeks booked. Holidays must be booked at least seven (7) days in advance and cannot be taken during fixed-date exam preparation courses such as IELTS or Cambridge preparation courses. Students are expected to attend lessons regularly and on time. No refunds will be provided for lateness or unauthorised absence.
1.4 Public Holidays
Unless otherwise stated there are no classes on public holidays in England. The dates of the public holidays are as follows: 01 Jan, 29 Mar, 01 Apr, 06, 27 May, 26 Aug, 25, 26 Dec. Course fees are not pro rata for weeks where bank holidays take place. Partial refund requests for lessons missed due to public holidays will not be considered. Please note that there will be no classes from 23 Dec 2024 – 05 Jan 2025. Classes restart on Mon 06 Jan 2025.
2.0 Visa & immigration regulations
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have the correct visa for the length of their course. We are not responsible for complications arising from failing to obtain an appropriate visa. For the latest information about studying in the UK, see our Getting a Visa page or visit the UK gov website https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
We are a Student Visa Sponsor under the UKVI’s points-based system (Sponsor licence no. 5BY3ENNA5). To comply with UKVI regulations, we require additional background and financial information for all applicants before issuing the supporting documents for a Student Visa. Non-visa nationals may enter the UK to study and stay for up to 6 months without a visa. For courses of more than 6 months, a visa will be required. Visa Nationals require a visa for all stays in the UK that must be obtained before they travel.
The school has a legal obligation to collect and maintain application information, including passport and visa data. For Student Visa holders, the school has an obligation to inform the Immigration Authorities (UKVI) about students whose attendance falls below the standard required by their visa. We are not able to extend a course beyond the length of the current visa. A course may be terminated at any point (without refund) if a participant is found not to have a valid visa to study in the UK or breaches the conditions under which they are in the UK.
For those needing a visa to study it is important that you apply for a visa well in advance for the start dates of your course. Late application may mean that you lose your place on a course. You must confirm that you have the visa at least seven (7) days before the course start date. After that time, we may release your reserved course and/or accommodation to another student if the full fees have not been paid.
If a visa application is unsuccessful, yet all documentation was correctly submitted, we will offer a course fee refund (excluding registration fees and deducting refund handling fees) following receipt of a copy of the visa refusal letter. Refunds will not be considered without this document. Any accommodation cancellations because of a visa refusal will be subject to conditions as outlined in section 6.0.
3.0 Course Bookings
IHL only accepts bookings made via our website, course booking link(s) or application form. Bookings made via a third-party ETO (Educational Tour Operator) will only be accepted from officially registered affiliates. For more information, please email sales@ihlondon.com
3.1 Payment of fees and deposits
Course and accommodation bookings require full and upfront payment 28 days prior to the intended start / check-in date. For bookings made within 28 days of the intended commencement date immediate payment is required. If not paid via our online booking system, an invoice will be raised and sent to you. We do not allow students that owe any fees to attend the class or to enter their accommodation or classroom. Your place is not confirmed, and therefore only provisional, until the full course fees have been received. Where payment via bank transfer is made you are responsible for any associated bank transfer fees. Bank transfers should include the student ID number as a payment reference.
Arriving students with an outstanding balance will be asked to make full payment before being admitted to their course. IH London reserves the right to suspend the student from any course should any outstanding fees be owed post arrival. Students with accommodation booked will be denied access to their chosen accommodation where any fees are outstanding.
Deposits for courses booked with or without accommodation are equal to the associated registration fee for the chosen service (see section 3.4). No official course confirmations including visa supporting documents are issued without prior registration fee or full course fee payment. No official accommodation confirmations are issued until the full fees have been paid. IH London reserves the right to release any unpaid (provisional) room reservations, without prior warning, where full fees have not been received within four (4) weeks of the intended check-in date. All deposits are non-refundable.
Any group or bespoke bookings are governed by separate payment terms as outlined in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) applicable to the group booking.
3.2 Special offers
Any promotional special offers or campaigns are subject to additional booking terms which are made clear at the time of issue. Special offers cannot be applied retrospectively to existing bookings which are made prior to the eligible booking period for a given promotion. Promotions cannot be combined under any circumstances. IHL reserves to right to refuse or discontinue a promotion without prior warning. Bookings made using a valid promotion cannot be postponed to an alternative start date unless done so during the eligible promotion booking period. Postponements outside of this period can be made but full fees will apply.
3.3 Variation to fees
We usually set and hold our fees for a calendar year. In certain circumstances, IHL may revise and publish new fees midway through a calendar year. Fees are chargeable based on the year in which you choose to study and the course booking date.
Courses booked in the same calendar year as the desired start date are chargeable using the fees for that calendar year. Courses booked before 01 November with start dates in the following year are chargeable using the fees applicable to courses starting in the same calendar year as when the booking was made. Courses booked on or after 01 November with a start date in the following year are chargeable at the rate for the forthcoming calendar year. Any course extension for additional weeks’ study will be chargeable at the fee applicable on the date that you extend your booking.
Residence fees are subject to change from 25 August, 2024 and new rates may be applied to existing bookings from that date onward.
3.4 Registration fees and supplements
A non-refundable course registration fee is chargeable to process your application and enrol you on your chosen course. This fee acts as a deposit and is not payable by existing students choosing to extend their studies or those re-enrolling within a year of leaving.
3.41 The following registration fees apply to all course bookings made between 01 Nov 2023 – 31 Oct 2024:
- A non-refundable £98 registration fee for all daytime group courses
- A non-refundable £30 registration fee for all evening group courses
- A non-refundable £29 registration fee for all 1:1 courses booked without an accompanying group course
3.42 The following supplements apply to all course bookings made between 01 Nov 2023 – 31 Oct 2024
- A non-discountable summer teaching supplement of £15 per week is applied to all weeks studied on a General English or Executive English group course between 17/06/24 – 26/08/24. This does not apply to evening or online classes.
3.43 The following fees apply to accommodation bookings made between 01 Nov 2023 – 31 Oct 2024
- A non-refundable accommodation booking fee of £59
- A non-discountable summer supplement of £51 per week for residential and £37 per week for homestay is applied to all accommodation stays between 16/06/24 – 25/08/24
- A non-discountable £22 weekly supplement for all students aged under 18 staying in IH London booked homestay.
4.0 Changing, postponing or cancelling your course
If you decide to change, postpone or cancel your course, you must provide written notification by email to info@ihlondon.com. All requests, unless otherwise stated, are subject to availability and a change fee of £25. Should you need to change your group course the following terms apply:
4.1 Changes made 14 or more days prior to course commencement date
- Course changes to a course of equal intensity and/or duration with the same commencement date: permitted
- Course changes to a course of lesser intensity and/or duration (curtailments) with the same commencement date: permitted. Where full fees have been received any resulting course credit will be refunded according to the refund timelines outlined in section 8.0
4.2 Changes made within 14 days of course commencement date
- Course changes to a course of equal intensity and/or duration with the same commencement date: permitted
- Course changes to a course of lesser intensity and/or duration (downgrades/curtailments) with the same commencement date: permitted. No partial refunds are permitted for downgrades.
4.3 Changes made on or after course commencement date
- Course changes to a course of equal intensity and/or duration requested post commencement: permitted
- Course changes to a course of lesser intensity and/or duration (downgrades/curtailments): permitted without partial refund.
- Group courses, once begun, cannot, under any circumstances be changed to 1:1 lessons.
- Upgrades to course of greater value or course extensions: permitted once additional fees have been paid. No change fee applies
4.4 Postponements made 14 or more days prior to course commencement date
- Permitted
4.5 Postponements within 14 days of the course commencement date
- Permitted with a charge equivalent to one week of tuition fees for the postponed course. An additional week of tuition can be purchased to retain the originally intended booking duration or one week of the originally booked course is forfeited. No additional change fee applies.
Where courses are postponed to a start date in the next calendar year, IHL reserves the right to charge any difference in fees to the originally booked period of study. Bookings that have been made using a promotion or agreed discount cannot be postponed with the same terms applied unless the request is made within the period of eligibility for a given promotion.
4.6 Postponements on or after the course commencement date
- Course postponements requested post commencement: Not permitted
4.7 Course cancellations
For course cancellation requests the following terms apply, no change fees are applied for course cancellations.
- Cancellations made 28 or more days before course commencement date: full refund less registration and refund handling fees
- Cancellations made within 21-27 days in advance of course commencement date: 75% refund less registration and refund handling fees
- Cancellations made within 14-20 days of course commencement date: 50% refund less registration and refund handling fees
- Cancellations made within 7-13 days of course commencement date: 25% refund less registration and refund handling fees
- Cancellations made less than 7 days before the course commencement date: No refund
- All courses, once begun, cannot, under any circumstances, be exchanged for credit and are non-transferrable.
4.8 1:1 Lessons
- Please note that we require at least 24 hours’ notice to reschedule a planned class. For classes scheduled for a Monday notice must be given on the preceding Friday. Unfortunately, we cannot reschedule a class or issue a refund for any class cancelled with under 24 hours’ notice.
Section 8.0 outlines how refunds are paid and any associated charges which are applied.
5.0 Supplementary services
5.1 Insurance
It is highly recommended that all students take out comprehensive travel insurance. IHL offers comprehensive insurance: www.ihlondon.com/useful-information/insurance/. Where insurance is requested, it will be booked to cover the enrolment period and associated travel to and from your country of residence. To book insurance you must provide your intended travel dates to ensure a valid policy is provided. Your insurance is only valid from receipt of course payment and from that point is non-refundable. The maximum age for cover provided by IHL is 66 years and all people covered must be registered with a doctor in their home country. Those travelling without adequate travel insurance do so at their own risk.
5.2 Airport and railway station transfers
IHL offers a range of arrival and departure services. Transfer fees must be paid at least two (2) weeks before the transfer date. Refunds for cancelled transfer services are only considered where cancellations are made 72hrs ahead of the booked transfer time. Cancellations made within 72hrs are non-refundable. Students booking private airport transfers with IHL will be collected and dropped off at the arrivals and departure halls. On arrival the maximum scheduled wait time is two hours for students from being met in arrivals hall to the departure of the transfer; on departure, arrival at airport is no more than four hours before the scheduled departure of flight. For late arriving passengers additional wait fees may apply which will be collected once in school.
6.0 Accommodation
- A non-refundable accommodation booking fee of £59 is applied to all accommodation bookings made by IHL
- A summer accommodation supplement is applied to all weeks for IHL booked accommodation between 16/06/24 – 25/08/24. The fee is £51 and £37 per week for residential and homestay accommodation respectively
- Students under the age of 18 will pay a £22 supplement for each week they stay in homestay
- IH London can only accept bookings for under 18 students with suitable accommodation. We strongly encourage under 18s to stay in homestay accommodation arranged by the school
- Under 18s cannot stay in a hotel/ residence booked independent of IHL unless they are with a responsible adult
- 42 or more days prior to check-in: permitted without charge
- 21-41 days prior to check-in: permitted with charge equal to one week’s stay
- 7-20 days prior to check-in: permitted with charge equal to two week’s stay
- Within 7 days of check-in: permitted with charge equal to three week’s stay
- 28 or more days prior to check-in: permitted
- 7-27 days prior to check-in: permitted with charge equal to one week’s stay
- Within 7 days of check-in: permitted with charge equal to two week’s stay
- 42 or more days prior to check-in: permitted without charge
- 21-41 days prior to check-in: permitted with charge equal to three week’s stay
- 7-20 days prior to check-in: permitted with charge equal to four week’s stay
- Within 7 days of check-in: permitted with charge equal to five week’s stay
- On or after check-in date: permitted with charge equal to six week’s stay
- 28 or more days prior to check-in: permitted without charge
- 7-27 days prior to check-in: permitted with charge equal to one week’s stay
- Within 7 days of check-in: permitted with charge equal to two week’s stay
- On or after check-in date: permitted with charge equal to three week’s stay
7.0 Bespoke & closed group programmes
Bespoke and closed group courses are governed by an accompanying Service Level Agreement (SLA). Please check your SLA for any additional terms applicable to your booking.
8.0 Payments & Refunds
8.1 Payments
IHL is a cashless operation and does not accept any cash onsite regardless of value. All fees are stated in GBP. For a full list of available payment options, please visit: https://www.ihlondon.com/paymentoptions
We accept payment using all major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, American Express and JCB. You can pay via our website at the time of booking or by a secure payment link.
Students domiciled outside the UK can pay via Flywire (www. flywire.com). For bank transfers please refer to payment instructions on the invoice provided. Please make sure that you quote your Student ID (ST-XXXXX) in the reference section. IHL is not responsible for international bank transfer fees, and these must be covered by the payee when making the bank instruction. Any outstanding fees will be collected on arrival and students will not be permitted to enter class until the balance is settled in full, this includes any unpaid bank charges.
Students with UK residency can apply for third party financing to help cover the cost of their course fees. IH London offers this facility with Payl8r who are an external lender regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Payl8r scheme is available for those who have a UK bank account or debit card. Finance is subject to your ability to repay the loan and your application will be assessed immediately although a final decision may take up to 48hrs. Further information on this scheme can be found here: https://www.ihlondon.com/paymentoptions
8.2 Refunds
Any agreed refunds for course or sundries will be paid up to 30 days following the agreed refund date. Refunds are only payable to the bank account or card used for the original booking and must conform with IHL’s Anti Money Laundering policy and any other regulatory or statutory requirements applicable. Any course or accommodation that is postponed and then subsequently cancelled is bound by the same terms and conditions that would have applied at the time of the initial postponement.
All refunds exclude our course and accommodation registration fees (where applicable). If a registration fee was waived at time of booking it will be deducted from the total refund payable. All agreed refunds are processed with a refund handling fee of £15 per transaction. Where a course booking has been cancelled after having only paid a deposit, the deposit amount is non-refundable.
8.3 Anti-Money Laundering
IH London policy and aim is to fully comply with all UK legislation in relation to Anti Money Laundering, and to ensure it minimises the risk of money-laundering taking place in its operations. IH London AML Policy
9.0 Force Majeure
In the event of ‘force majeure’, such as but not limited to fire, flood, pandemic, infectious diseases and any other events outside our reasonable control which may cause the closure of the school, no refund of fees will be made to students.
10.0 Reviews
International House London will contact you via email to invite you to review any services received from us. We use an external company, Trustpilot A/S, to collect your feedback which means that we will share your name, email address and student reference number with Trustpilot. If you want to read more about how Trustpilot process your data, you can find their Privacy Policy here.
By making a booking with International House Trust Ltd (trading as ‘International House London or IHL’) you agree to the terms and conditions as set out below and understand how your data is used as part of our privacy policy. Unless specifically agreed in writing, these conditions have precedence over any other communications.
If you have made a booking using an Educational Travel Operator (ETO), please check with them as additional terms may apply to your booking.
1.0 Course availability and suitability
Every attempt will be made to place you on the course of your choice. For some courses, such as Future Leaders, placements may not be guaranteed until the appropriate language entrance test has been taken. Please check course literature for admission prerequisites. In the event of insufficient applications for a course, the school reserves the right to offer an alternative course of equal value or a refund. In such cases the school will endeavour to notify affected candidates one working week prior to course commencement. Where required, IHL reserves the right to make any operational changes to any of its advertised programmes as listed on its website or in any of its published materials. In such cases, IHL will ensure suitable alternatives are offered but will not extend any offer of refund, partial or otherwise.
Age
For young learner programmes the advertised minimum age is twelve (12), except at Frensham where it is eight (8). Young learner programmes also have a maximum age of seventeen (17). IHL reserves the right to admit underage students on any programme providing appropriate risk assessments and safeguarding measures have been carried out. Closed group provision for students outside of the advertised age range can be made on request.
Code of Conduct
Students are expected to uphold levels of decency and respect in their behaviour and attitudes to learning. Acts of violence, intimidation, aggression, as well as other anti-social behaviour deemed unacceptable towards other students, visitors or members of staff are not tolerated. While every effort will be made to contact parents or guardians regarding serious breaches of school rules, the centre manager may at his/her discretion impose sanctions, including suspension and expulsion. We reserve the right to dismiss any student whose standard of conduct is unsatisfactory. We do not refund any fees in cases of expulsion or where the student is excluded from aspects of the programme as a result of unsatisfactory conduct. A £50 damage deposit will be taken from all students upon arrival and returned at the end of the programme, providing no damage has been incurred. All students are liable for loss or damage to school property for which they are responsible. School rules will be sent out along with the joining documentation.
Attendance and student holidays
Students are expected to attend lessons regularly and on time. No refunds will be provided for lateness or unauthorised absence.
2.0 Visa & immigration regulations
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have the correct visa for the length of their course. We are not responsible for complications arising from failing to obtain an appropriate visa. For the latest information about studying in the UK, see our Getting a Visa page or visit the UK gov website https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
We are a Student Visa Sponsor under the UKVI’s points-based system (Sponsor licence no. 5BY3ENNA5). To comply with UKVI regulations, we require additional background and financial information for all applicants before issuing the supporting documents for a Student Visa.
Non-visa nationals may enter the UK to study and stay for up to 6 months without a visa. For courses of more than 6 months, a visa will be required. Visa Nationals require a visa for all stays in the UK that must be obtained before they travel.
The school has a legal obligation to collect and maintain application information, as well as passport and visa data. For Student Visa holders, the school has an obligation to inform the Immigration Authorities (UKVI) about students whose attendance falls below the standard required by their visa. We are not able to extend a course beyond the length of the current visa. A course may be terminated at any point if a participant is found not to have leave to remain in the UK or breaches the conditions under which they are in the UK.
If a visa application is unsuccessful, yet all documentation was correctly submitted, we will offer a course fee refund (excluding registration and refund handling fees) following receipt of a copy of the visa refusal letter. Refunds will not be considered without this document. Any accommodation fee refunds will be subject to conditions as outlined in accommodation refunds section (section 3.0).
3.0 Course Bookings
IHL only accepts bookings made via our website, approved course booking link(s) or application form. Bookings made via a third-party ETO (Educational Tour Operator) will only be accepted from officially registered affiliates. For more information, please email sales@ihlondon.com
Payment of fees and deposits
All of our courses require full and upfront payment within four (4) weeks of the intended start date. If not paid via our online booking system an invoice will be raised and sent to you. We do not allow students that owe any fees to attend our programmes. Your place is not confirmed until the full course fees have been received. Where payment via bank transfer is made you are responsible for any associated bank transfer fees not borne by IHL. Arriving students with an outstanding balance will be asked to make full payment before being admitted to the programme and will be denied entry to the course if unpaid. IHL reserves the right to suspend the student from any course and accommodation should any outstanding fees be owed post arrival. Students unable to pay any balance at registration will be turned away and, where applicable parents, agents or sponsors informed. Students under 18 will be passed across to the care of local government social services.
Any unpaid bookings are not considered confirmed until the full fees or a deposit payment is made. IHL reserves to right to release any unpaid course places without warning. Deposits are non-refundable, except under the visa refusal conditions detailed above. Deposit payments are fixed at a minimum of £450. No official course documentation including visa supporting documents or accommodation confirmations are issued without prior deposit or full course fee payment.
Group bookings are governed by separate payment terms as outlined in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) applicable to the group booking. Subject to a small leeway, to allow for funds to be transferred, until the deposit is paid, the ‘booking’, remains a quotation or an allocation, and the place(s) are not confirmed; they may be sold to another person.
Special offers
Any promotional special offers or campaigns are subject to separate booking terms which are made clear at the time of issue. Special offers cannot be applied retrospectively to existing bookings which are made prior to the eligible booking period for a given promotion. Promotions cannot be combined under any circumstances. IHL reserves to right to refuse or discontinue a promotion without warning.
Variation to fees
We usually set, and hold, our fees for a calendar year. In certain circumstances, IHL may revise and publish new fees midway through a calendar year. Fees are chargeable based on the fee for the course published in the brochure for the year in which you choose to study.
4.0 Changing, postponing or cancelling your course
Should you need to change your course the following terms apply:
- Course changes to a course of equal value and/or duration made prior to commencement: Permitted subject to availability
- Course changes to a course of lesser intensity and/or duration (curtailments) made prior to commencement: Permitted subject to availability with payment of a £20 change fee. Where full fees have been received any resulting course credit will be refunded according to the refund timelines outlined in section 7.0 (Payments & Refunds)
- Course changes requested post commencement: Not permitted
Should you wish to postpone your booking the following terms apply:
- Course postponements made prior to commencement: Permitted for courses starting in the same calendar year, subject to availability and with payment of a change fee of £20
- Course postponements requested post commencement: Not permitted
Should you need to cancel your booking the following notice period applies:
- Up until 10 working days before the start of the course = Full refund less handling fee
- Fewer than 10 working days before arrival = 75% refund less handling fee
- On or after the course start date = No refund
5.0 Supplementary services
Airport and railway station transfers
IHL offers a range of shared and private arrival and departure services. Transfer fees must be paid at least four (4) weeks before the transfer date. On arrival, the maximum scheduled wait time is three hours for students from being met in arrivals hall to the departure of the transfer; on departure, arrival at airport is no more than five hours before the scheduled departure of flight.
If you have booked a shared airport transfer, students will be met by a IHL staff member and accompanied to the school. Shared transfers are available from 10:00 until 19:00 from: London Heathrow (LHR).
For arrivals outside of these times or to other airports, clients can make their own way to the school or book a private transfer. Clients are welcome to choose between a shared or private transfer during the hours of 10:00 and 19:00, but private transfers will be charged at the full private transfer rate. This includes a member of the school staff meeting the student at the airport as a part of our Unaccompanied Minor service (UM) and checking in the student at the airport upon departure. Unaccompanied minors on private transfers are charged an additional £138 due to the additional staff resources needed to provide this service. The UM service must be booked as a return service at a cost of £138.
All travel details must be finalised and communicated to us at least 28 days before the start of the programme. Within 28 days we may have to arrange a private transfer, in which case the fee difference will be due before the course commences.
Refunds for cancelled transfer services (shared and private) are only considered where cancellations are made 72hrs ahead of the booked transfer time. Cancellations made within 72hrs are non-refundable.
Insurance
All young learner courses have fully comprehensive travel insurance included. Please see policy wording for more information.
Special rooming requests
International House (IH) acknowledges and considers special rooming requests for residential campuses. While IH endeavors to fulfill these requests, it cannot guarantee them unless there is explicit agreement, such as in the case of premium accommodation for Oxford.
6.0 Bespoke & closed group programmes
Bespoke and closed group courses are governed by an accompanying Service Level Agreement (SLA). Please check your SLA for any additional terms applicable to your booking.
7.0 Payments & Refunds
How to Pay
IHL is a cashless operation and does not accept any cash onsite regardless of value. All fees are stated in GBP. For a full list of available payment please visit: https://www.ihlondon.com/paymentoptions
We accept payment using all major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, American Express and JCB. You can pay via our website at the time of booking or by a secure payment link. Students domiciled outside the UK can pay via Flywire (www. flywire.com). For bank transfers please refer to payment instructions on the invoice provided. Please make sure that you quote your Student ID (ST-XXXXX) in the reference section. IHL is not responsible for international bank transfer fees, and these must be covered by the payee when making the bank instruction. Any outstanding fees will be collected on arrival and students will not be permitted to enter class until the balance is settled in full, this includes any unpaid bank charges.
Refunds
Any agreed refunds will be paid up to thirty (30) days following the date of cancellation. Refunds are only payable to the bank account or card used for the original booking and must conform with IHL’s Anti-money laundering (AML) policy and any other regulatory or statutory requirements applicable. Any course or accommodation that is postponed and then subsequently cancelled is bound by the same terms and conditions that would have applied at the time of the initial postponement.
All agreed young learner refunds are processed with a refund handling fee of £100 per transaction. Where a course booking has been cancelled after having only paid a deposit the deposit amount is non-refundable.
Anti-Money Laundering
IH London policy and aim is to fully comply with all UK legislation in relation to Anti Money Laundering, and to ensure it minimises the risk of money-laundering taking place in its operations. IH London AML Policy
8.0 Force Majeure
In the event of ‘force majeure’, such as fire, flooding, pandemic, infectious diseases and other events outside our reasonable control which may cause the closure of the school, no refund of fees will be made to students, except at the school’s discretion in exceptional circumstances.
9. Reviews
International House London will contact you via email to invite you to review any services received from us. We use an external company, Trustpilot A/S, to collect your feedback which means that we will share your name, email address and student reference number with Trustpilot. If you want to read more about how Trustpilot process your data, you can find their Privacy Policy here
By making a booking with International House Trust Ltd (trading as ‘International House London or IHL’) you agree to the terms and conditions as set out below and understand how your data is used as part of our privacy policy. Unless specifically agreed in writing, these conditions have precedence over any other communications. If you have made a booking using an Educational Travel Operator (ETO), please check with them as additional terms may apply to your booking.
1.0 Course availability and suitability
Every attempt will be made to place you on the course of your choice. For some courses, placements are not guaranteed until the appropriate entrance test has been taken. Please check the appropriate course literature for admission requirements. In the event of insufficient applications for a course, the school reserves the right to offer an alternative course of equal value or a refund. The school will endeavour to notify affected candidates one working week prior to course commencement.
Age
Our minimum publicised age for all teacher training courses is 18.
Code of Conduct
The school reserves the right to terminate an enrolment without issuing a refund, where a participant’s behaviour is such that it would be unreasonable for them to continue their studies. We also reserve the right to refuse to admit onto the premises or cancel a student’s course or accommodation due to overriding health and safety concerns. Please consult our study and welfare page for further guidance.
Attendance and student holidays
Students are expected to attend lessons regularly and on time. No refunds will be provided for lateness or absence.
Public Holidays
Unless otherwise stated there are no classes on public holidays in England. The dates of the public holidays are as follows: 02 Jan, 07, 10 Apr, 01, 08, 29 May, 28 Aug, 25, 26 Dec. Course fees are not pro rata for weeks where bank holidays take place. Partial refund requests for lessons missed due to public holidays will not be considered. Please note that there will be no classes from Saturday 23 December 2023 until classes restart on Tuesday 02 January 2024.
2.0 Visa & immigration regulations
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have the correct visa for the length of their course. We are not responsible for complications arising from failing to obtain an appropriate visa. For the latest information about studying in the UK, see our Getting a Visa page or visit the UK gov website https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
We are a Student Visa Sponsor under the UKVI’s points-based system (Sponsor licence no. 5BY3ENNA5). To comply with UKVI regulations, we require additional background and financial information for all applicants before issuing the supporting documents for a Student Visa. Non-visa nationals may enter the UK to study and stay for up to 6 months without a visa. For courses of more than 6 months, a visa will be required. Visa Nationals require a visa for all stays in the UK that must be obtained before they travel.
The school has a legal obligation to collect and maintain application information, as well as passport and visa data. For Student Visa holders, the school has an obligation to inform the Immigration Authorities (UKVI) about students whose attendance falls below the standard required by their visa. We are not able to extend a course beyond the length of the current visa. A course may be terminated at any point if a participant is found not to have a valid visa to study in the UK or breaches the conditions under which they are in the UK.
It is important that you apply for a visa well in advance for the start dates of your course. Late application may mean that you lose your place on a course. You must confirm that you have the visa at least seven (7) days before the course start date. After that time, we may release your reserved course place to another student.
If a visa application is refused, yet all documentation was correctly submitted, we will offer a course fee refund (excluding an administration fee, and refund handling fees) following receipt of a copy of the visa refusal letter. Refunds will not be considered without this document. Any accommodation fee refunds will be subject to conditions as outlined in section 5.0.
3.0 Course Bookings
IHL only accepts bookings made via our website, approved course booking link(s) or application form(s). Bookings made via a third-party ETO (Educational Tour Operator) will only be accepted from officially registered affiliates. For more information, please email sales@ihlondon.com. CELTA and Delta applicants are subject to additional admission criteria which will be made clear at the time of booking. Any place offered on a course may be time dependent, details will be shared once a course offer has been made.
Payment of fees and deposits
All our courses require full and upfront payment within four (4) weeks of the intended start date.
For CELTA and Delta applicants, you will be asked to complete the application process, confirm your availability for the course dates selected, and pay the deposit or full fees to book the course. Some short courses can be booked via the online booking system, or an invoice will be raised and sent to you. We do not allow students that owe any fees to start the course.
Where payment via bank transfer is made you are responsible for any associated bank transfer fees. Arriving students with an outstanding balance will be asked to make full payment before being admitted to their course. IHL reserves the right to suspend the student from any course and accommodation should any outstanding fees be owed post arrival.
Any unpaid course or accommodation bookings are not considered confirmed until the full fees or a deposit payment is made. IHL reserves to right to release any provisionally (unpaid) course or accommodation bookings without warning. Deposits are non-refundable, except under the visa refusal conditions detailed above. Course deposit payments are fixed at a minimum of £500 for CELTA, £450 for CPD short courses and £750 for Delta & Distance Delta. Accommodation booking deposits must equal two weeks of accommodation fees including the booking fee. No official course or accommodation confirmations including visa supporting documents are issued without prior deposit or full course fee payment.
Any group bookings are governed by separate payment terms as outlined in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) applicable to the group booking.
Special offers
Any promotional special offers or campaigns are subject to separate booking terms which are made clear at the time of issue. Special offers cannot be applied retrospectively to existing bookings which are made prior to the eligible booking period for a given promotion. Promotions cannot be combined under any circumstances. IHL reserves to right to refuse or discontinue a promotion without warning.
Variation to fees
We usually set, and hold, our fees for a calendar year. In certain circumstances, IHL may revise and publish new fees midway through a calendar year. Fees are chargeable based on the fee for the course published in the brochure for the year in which you choose to study. Courses booked before 01 November with start dates in the following year are chargeable using the fees applicable at the time of booking.
4.0 Changing, postponing or cancelling your course
We understand that you may want to change your course dates before the course starts. Changes made to start dates are dependent on the type of course, availability and notice given and may incur an administration charge.
Should you need to cancel or postpone your study the following terms apply for the refund of tuition fees paid for Cambridge CELTA, Cambridge Delta, Cert IBET courses, Trinity Cert PT and short courses for qualified teachers (CPD)
Postponements
- Up until 10 working days before start date: postponements within 12 months are permitted. A change fee of £50 applies
- Less than 10 working days (2 weeks) before start date: postponements within 12 months are permitted. A change fee of £200 for CELTA postponements and £50 for all other course postponements applies
- On or after course start date: no postponements or curtailments permitted
Cancellations
- Up until 10 working days (2 weeks) before start date: full refund applies less refund handling fee
- Less than 10 working days (2 weeks) before start date: full refund, less deposit value for applicable course
- On or after course start date: no refund applies
Any changes made to accommodation bookings will be subject to conditions as outlined in section 5.0.
5.0 Supplementary services
Insurance
It is highly recommended that all students take out comprehensive travel insurance. IHL offers comprehensive insurance for £10 per week. Please see: www.ihlondon.com/useful-information/insurance/ for more details. Where insurance is requested, it will be booked to cover the enrolment period and associated travel to and from your country of residence. To book insurance you must provide your intended travel dates to ensure a valid policy is provided.
Airport and railway station transfers
IHL offers a range of arrival and departure services. Transfer fees must be paid at least four (4) weeks before the transfer date. Refunds for cancelled transfer services are only considered where cancellations are made 72hrs ahead of the booked transfer time. Cancellations made with 72hrs are non-refundable. Students booking private airport transfers with IHL will be collected and dropped off at the arrivals and departure halls. On arrival the maximum scheduled wait time is two hours for students from being met in arrivals hall to the departure of the transfer; on departure, arrival at airport is no more than four hours before the scheduled departure of flight. For late arriving passengers additional wait fees may apply which will be collected once in school.
Accommodation
If you book a residence or homestay accommodation with IHL, you will need to pay four (4) weeks in advance of your arrival date. Your accommodation is not confirmed until full payment is received. We charge an accommodation booking fee of £54 to cover our costs in finding you suitable accommodation, either in a student residence, homestay accommodation or a hotel or apartment. This fee is non-refundable where accommodation is cancelled for any reason. No official accommodation confirmations are issued until full fees have been paid. Where IHL downgrades a student to an accommodation type of lesser value the difference in fees will be refunded.
In some circumstances IHL may source your accommodation via an accredited accommodation agency. Residence bookings made via a third-party agency may be governed by separate terms and conditions which will be communicated to you before booking.
The following fees and supplements apply to accommodation booked by IHL:
- A non-refundable accommodation booking fee of £54 applies to all accommodation bookings made by IHL
- A non-refundable summer accommodation supplement of applies to all weeks for IHL booked accommodation between 19/06/23 – 25/08/23. The fee is £47 and £34 per week for residential and homestay accommodation respectively
Cancelling, postponing or changing your accommodation
Once booked, should you wish to make any change to your accommodation booking we can arrange this, for a fee of £20. Changes are subject to availability. If you decide to cancel or change your accommodation IHL requires two (2) week’s written notice to be made for a refund without penalty. The following refund policy applies:
- Two (2) weeks’ notice provided: full refund for remaining weeks of accommodation
- Fewer than two (2) weeks’ notice provided: full refund less two weeks of accommodation fees
Should you wish to change your accommodation after checking-in, two (2) weeks’ notice must be served to avoid any penalty. Should you wish to move to different accommodation before the notice period is served you may be liable for a penalty equal to two (2) weeks of accommodation fees. Where you move to an accommodation category with a different price you may be entitled to a partial refund or be subject to additional fees. This will be made clear at the time of the change being granted.
6.0 Bespoke & closed group programmes
Bespoke and closed group courses are governed by an accompanying Service Level Agreement (SLA). Please check your SLA for any additional terms applicable to your booking.
7.0 Payments & Refunds
How to Pay
IHL is a cashless operation and does not accept any cash onsite regardless of value. All fees are stated in GBP.
We accept payment using all major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, American Express and JCB. You can pay via our website at the time of booking or by a secure payment link. Students domiciled outside the UK can pay via Flywire (www. flywire.com). For bank transfers please refer to payment instructions on the invoice provided. Please make sure that you quote your Student ID (ST-XXXXX) in the reference section. IHL is not responsible for international bank transfer fees, and these must be covered by the payee when making the bank instruction. Any outstanding fees will be collected on arrival and students will not be permitted to enter class until the balance is settled in full, this includes any unpaid bank charges.
Students with UK residency can apply for third party financing to help cover the cost of their course fees. IH London offers this facility with Payl8r who are an external lender regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Payl8r scheme is available for those who have a UK bank account or debit card. Finance is subject to your ability to repay the loan and your application will be assessed immediately although a final decision may take up to 48hrs. Further information on this scheme can be found here: https://www.ihlondon.com/paymentoptions
Refunds
Any agreed refunds will be paid up to thirty (30) days following the date of cancellation. Refunds are only payable to the bank account or card used for the original booking and must conform with IHL’s Anti-money laundering (AML) policy and any other regulatory or statutory requirements applicable. Any course or accommodation that is postponed and then subsequently cancelled is bound by the same terms and conditions that would have applied at the time of the initial postponement.
All refunds exclude accommodation booking fees (where applicable). If a booking fee was waived at time of booking it will be deducted from the total refund payable. All refund requests which do not incur the deposit penalty are processed with a refund handling fee of £100 per transaction. Where a course booking has been cancelled after having only paid a deposit the deposit amount is non-refundable, and no additional refund handling fee applies.
Anti-Money Laundering
IH London policy and aim is to fully comply with all UK legislation in relation to Anti Money Laundering, and to ensure it minimises the risk of money-laundering taking place in its operations. IH London AML Policy .
8.0 Force Majeure
In the event of ‘force majeure’, such as fire, flooding, pandemic, infectious diseases and other events outside our reasonable control which may cause the closure of the school, no refund of fees will be made to students, except at the school’s discretion in exceptional circumstances.
9. Reviews
International House London will contact you via email to invite you to review any services received from us. We use an external company, Trustpilot A/S, to collect your feedback which means that we will share your name, email address and student reference number with Trustpilot. If you want to read more about how Trustpilot process your data, you can find their Privacy Policy here
By making a booking with International House Trust Ltd (trading as ‘International House London or IHL’) you agree to the terms and conditions as set out below. Unless specifically agreed in writing, these conditions have precedence over any other communications. These terms and conditions relate to any booking made on or after 25/11/2023.
If you have made a booking using an Educational Travel Operator (ETO), please check with them to see if any additional terms apply to your booking.
1.0 Course Availability and Suitability
Every attempt will be made to place you on the course of your choice. In the event of insufficient applications for a course, the school reserves the right to offer an alternative course of equal value or a full refund. Please note that final confirmation of participation in the course will be subject to the demand for each language and level. In the unlikely event of IHL being unable to run a student’s chosen course, they will be offered an alternative course of equivalent value or a full refund of the fees.
Should your course not be at a suitable level we will seek to accommodate you, subject to availability, in a different class. To accommodate this change, we will need to receive written notification on or before the last working day which falls during the first week of the enrolled course.
Courses take place either Online via Zoom or at our school in Covent Garden. Please check specific course pages for exact details. Class times and course content are as advertised on the website.
1.1 Age
Our minimum publicised age for integrated foreign language lessons at IHL is 18. IHL reserves the right to admit under 18s on integrated courses providing appropriate risk assessments and safeguarding measures have been carried out. Closed group provision for students of any age can be made on request.
1.2 Attendance and Student Holidays
Students are expected to attend lessons regularly and on time. No refunds will be provided for lateness or unauthorised absence.
1.3 Public Holidays
Unless otherwise stated there are no classes on public holidays in England. The dates of the public holidays are as follows: 01 Jan, 29 March, 1st April, 06 and 27 May, 26 Aug, 25 and 26 Dec. Please note that there will be no classes from Friday 22 December 2023 until Monday 08 January 2024. Any class that falls on a bank holiday is rescheduled to another day. This is detailed on each course page with an intake which is affected and in the confirmation email received before course starts. Course fees are not pro rata for any student unable to adjust to the change in schedule when classes are moved from a week where bank holidays take place. Partial refund requests for lessons missed due to public holidays will not be considered.
1.4 Code of Conduct
The school reserves the right to terminate an enrolment without issuing a refund, where a participant’s behaviour is such that it would be unreasonable for them to continue their studies. We also reserve the right to refuse to admit onto the premises or cancel a student’s course due to overriding health and safety concerns.
2.0 Course Bookings
2.1 Special Offers
Any promotional special offers or campaigns are subject to separate terms and conditions which are made clear at the time of booking. Special offers cannot be applied retrospectively to existing bookings which are made prior to the eligible booking period for a given promotion. Promotions cannot be combined under any circumstances. IHL reserves the right to refuse or discontinue a promotion without warning.
2.2 Variation to Fees
We usually set, and hold, our fees for a calendar year. In certain circumstances, IHL may revise and publish new fees midway through a calendar year. Fees are chargeable based on the rates published at www.ihlondon.com.
2.3 Payment of Fees
All courses require full and upfront payment. If not paid via our online booking system, an invoice or payment link will be raised and sent to you. We do not allow students that owe any fees to attend the class or to enter the classroom. Your place is not confirmed until the full course fees have been received. Where payment via bank transfer is made you are responsible for any associated bank transfer fees not borne by IHL. Enrolling students with an outstanding balance will be asked to make full payment before being admitted to their course. IHL reserves the right to suspend the student from any course should any outstanding fees be owed post arrival.
Any unpaid course bookings are not considered confirmed until the full fees are paid, and no official course documentation is issued without remittance of full course fee payment.
Group and bespoke bookings are governed by separate payment terms as outlined in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) applicable to the group booking.
3.0 Postponing, Changing or Cancelling Your Booking – Group Classes
If you decide to change, postpone or cancel your course, you must provide written notification by email to languages@ihlondon.com.
3.1 Course Postponements
Should you need to postpone your booking the following terms apply:
3.11 Postponements made 7 or more days prior to course commencement date
- Permitted
3.12 Postponements within 7 days of the course commencement date
- Not permitted
3.13 Postponements on or after the course commencement date
- Not permitted
You cannot postpone a course more than once, any subsequent requests to postpone will not be permitted. Any postponed course cannot be cancelled at a later date for a refund.
Where courses are postponed to a start date in the next calendar year, IHL reserves the right to charge any difference in fees to the originally booked period of study.
Postponements can only be made for a new course start date within 6 months of the originally booked course start date. Additional fees may apply where the requested course has a higher value than the original booking. In this case you will receive an additional invoice to pay any difference in fees.
3.2 Changing Your Course Level
Should you begin your course and feel the need to change to a higher or lower level, you will need to notify your teacher during the first lesson and in writing to languages@ihlondon.com within the first calendar week of your course. Level changes requested later than this may not be considered.
3.3 Cancelling Your Course
For course cancellation requests the following terms apply. Any agreed refund is subject to a refund handling fee as outlined in section 5.2. Please note this applies to all courses booked any time before, on the day of, or even after the course’s start date.
3.34 Cancellations 14 or more days before course commencement date: full refund
3.35 Cancellations between 14 and 7 days before course commencement date: full refund minus £50 cancellation fee
3.36 Cancellations made within 7 days of course commencement date: no refund
Where IHL is unable to deliver the programme as sold a full refund will be provided without any refund handling fees applied.
3.4 Postponing or Cancelling Your Course – Block Bookings
Customers booking multiple courses in one block benefit from a cumulative discount as advertised. The following terms apply where block bookings are postponed or cancelled:
3.41 Postponements for the first course within a block are subject to the terms and conditions outlined in point 3.1. Any postponements for subsequent courses within the block are not permitted.
3.42 Cancellations for the first course within a block are subject to the terms and conditions outlined in point 3.3. Any cancellations for subsequent courses within the block are not permitted.
4.0 Bespoke Courses & 1:1 Tuition
The following terms relate to bespoke course bookings including private 1:1 tuition and closed groups. Bespoke courses are based on the students’ needs which are assessed via an online needs analysis form before starting the course. Please check your Service Level Agreement (SLA) for any additional terms applicable to your booking.
4.1 Course Provision and Delivery
For IHL to source the most appropriate trainer for a given course it is requested that two (two) weeks’ notice is given between course booking and commencement. Where sessions are pre-paid and not scheduled, you have up to 6 months from the booking date to schedule your lessons. Any hours which remain unscheduled after 6 months of the booking date are non-refundable and cannot be postponed or transferred.
Face to Face lessons can be hosted at our school in Covent Garden or at the student’s workplace. Where sessions are delivered offsite reasonable travel costs will be charged for your trainer should the training location be outside Zone 2. Online bespoke lessons are delivered via Zoom.
4.2 Cancellations and Postponements
If you decide to change, postpone or cancel your course, you must provide written notification by email to languages@ihlondon.com.
4.21 Cancelling blocks of 1:1 lessons
- Cancellations 7 or more days before course commencement date: full refund
- Cancellations within 7 days commencement date: no refund
4.23 Cancelling or postponing a single 1:1 lesson within a block
- 1 or more working day in advance of a lesson: permitted for rescheduling
- Within 1 working day of a lesson: Lesson considered as delivered and there will be no refund or further lesson added to the schedule as credit.
Some bespoke bookings will have an accompanying Service Level agreement which will outline any additional terms, any such agreement will take precedent over the published terms and conditions on this page.
5.0 Payments and Refunds
5.1 How to Pay
IHL is a cashless operation and does not accept any cash onsite regardless of value. All fees are stated in GBP. For a full list of available payment methods please visit: https://www.ihlondon.com/paymentoptions
We accept payment using MasterCard, Visa, American Express and JCB and you can pay via our website at the time of booking or by a secure payment link. Students domiciled outside the UK can pay via Flywire (www. flywire.com). For bank transfers please refer to payment instructions on the invoice provided. Please make sure that you quote your Student ID (ST-XXXXX) in the reference section. IHL is not responsible for international bank transfer fees, and these must be covered by the payee when making the bank instruction. Any outstanding fees will be collected on arrival and students will not be permitted to enter class until the balance is settled in full, this includes any unpaid bank charges.
5.2 Refunds
Any agreed refunds for course or sundries will be paid up to 30 calendar days following the agreed refund date. Refunds are only payable to the bank account or card used for the original booking and must conform with IHL’s Anti Money Laundering policy and any other regulatory or statutory requirements applicable. Any course that is postponed and then subsequently cancelled is bound by the same terms and conditions that would have applied at the time of the initial postponement.
5.3 Anti-Money Laundering
IH London policy and aim is to fully comply with all UK legislation in relation to Anti Money Laundering, and to ensure it minimises the risk of money-laundering taking place in its operations. IH London AML Policy
6.0 Force Majeure
In the event of ‘force majeure’, such as but not limited to fire, flood, pandemic, infectious diseases and any other events outside our reasonable control which may cause the closure of the school, no refund of fees will be made to students.
7.0 Reviews
International House London will contact you via email to invite you to review any services received from us. We use an external company, Trustpilot A/S, to collect your feedback which means that we will share your name, email address and student reference number with Trustpilot. If you want to read more about how Trustpilot process your data, you can find their Privacy Policy here.
8.0 Course Certificates
Providing you have attended a minimum of 66% of your course, we can provide you with a digital Certificate of Attendance. Please send an email to languages@ihlondon.com and we can arrange this for you.
If you have a problem with any of our services, please let a member of staff know so we can resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
If we cannot resolve your problem or you would like to make a complaint, please follow the steps below.
IH London policy and aim is to fully comply with all UK legislation in relation to Anti Money Laundering, and to ensure it minimises the risk of money-laundering taking place in its operations. IH London AML Policy
Newsletter offer can be redeemed on the following courses:
General English daytime, evening or online coursesProfessional English courses (excludes 1:1 lessons)
Teacher Training short courses (excluding CELTA and Delta)
Young Learners
Foreign Languages (excludes 1:1 lessons and Private Groups)
Terms and conditions
Offer applicable for new course bookings only. Offer applicable for courses starting in 2024. CELTA, DELTA, private groups, 1:1 lessons, accommodation, airport transfers, exams, registration fees and any sundries are excluded. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other offers and can only be redeemed once per customer. IH London reserves the right to cancel any booking that has been made with repeat usage of this discount. Once booked, a course cannot be postponed with the same offer applied. This offer can only be redeemed if booked with IH London directly. Bookings via intermediaries or ETO’s (Educational Travel Operators) are not eligible for the Newsletter subscriber discount. Newsletter subscribers consent to receiving promotional material from IH London for an indeterminate period of time. IH London will not share your data with any third party.
Terms & Conditions
Friend10 offer applicable for new bookings only. Offer applicable for 2024 starters only. For individual student bookings, group bookings excluded. Applicable on bookings made between 1-31 October 2024. Valid on General English, Exam Preparation and Professional English courses starting in 2024. IELTS Study & Test, 1:1 lessons, accommodation, transfers, exams, registration fees and any sundries excluded. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Once booked, a course cannot be postponed with the same offer applied. Registration fees and additional supplements are excluded from promotion.
Terms & Conditions
Offer applicable for new bookings only. Offer applicable for 2024/2025 starters only. Applicable on individual bookings made between 11 Nov – 01 Dec 2024. Group bookings excluded. 1:1 lessons , accommodation, transfers, exams, registration fees and any sundries excluded. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other offers. Once booked, a course cannot be postponed with the same offer applied. Offer not valid on existing bookings. Offer cannot be applied retrospectively.