Warner News
01/10/2009
Two new policy announcements for Tier 4
New policy for Tier 4 sponsors
01/10/2009
Identity cards speeds up
Skilled migrants renewing their visas to stay in the United Kingdom will be issued with an identity card from the new year, three months ahead of schedule, Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.
Tier 5
The specific duties as a sponsor of students
As well as the general sponsorship duties, education providers will also need to:
- keep a copy of all their non-EU students - passports showing evidence of their entitlement to study
- keep each student's contact details and update them as necessary
- report any students who fail to enrol on their course to the UKBA
- report any students who discontinue their studies (including any deferrals of study) to the UKBA
- report any significant changes in students' circumstances, for example, if the length of a course of study shortens, to the UKBA
- maintain any appropriate accreditation
- offer courses to international students which comply with UKBA conditions.
Record keeping and reporting
The sponsor will need to tell the UKBA if any student:
- fails to enrol with the sponsor no later than 10 working days after the end of the enrolment period
- misses 10 expected contacts. For students in schools, further education and English language colleges, this will normally be where the student has missed two weeks of a course. In the higher education institutions, where daily registers are not kept we will accept reports of where the student has missed expected interactions, for example, tutorials or submission of coursework
- stops attending an institution either because the institution has withdrawn them from the course or because the student has told them they are leaving. This must happen within 10 working days of this being confirmed
- defers their studies after their arrival in the United Kingdom. The student’s permission to be in the United Kingdom will no longer be valid as they will not be actively studying. The sponsor must notify the UKBA of the deferral and advise the student to leave the United Kingdom. When the student is ready to continue their studies they will need to make a new visa application.
Managing potential abuse
If significant numbers of students drop out or fail to enrol, this will raise concerns about the sponsors recruitment processes and their overall suitability as a licensed sponsor. If this happens the UKBA will investigate.
If it turns out that it was because of poor administration, or deception on the part of the students, the UKBA may downgrade the sponsors licence to a B rating, and put in place an action plan to stop further abuse. If the UKBA find that the sponsor is aware of the abuse, the UKBA will suspend the sponsor’s licence immediately and possibly withdraw it if their investigation proves this.
Monday to Friday are counted as working days. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not counted as working days. Ten working days may be two weeks or less, depending on where the weekends fall. This term is applied to a sponsor under the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It is the rating awarded by the UKBA when a sponsor joins the register of sponsors.