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Tier 4

• Sponsor Duties
• Points Criteria
• Study & Living Fees
• Prospective Students

Sponsor Duties

The Tier 4 category is dedicated to students. We cover the basics for the UK government’s requirements for an education provider within this section, not in order to educate the education provider, because they should already have an excellent understanding of their duties and responsibilities, but as a guide to potential students and their parents to the rigorous requirements that education providers must meet in the UK in order to be allowed to care for the education of overseas students wishing to study in the UK.

This student route came into effect in March 2009.

In order for a student to study in the United Kingdom they must take up a course that is given by an approved education provider, who is known as the sponsor.

In the past, there have been unscrupulous ‘education providers’ in the UK that have been happy to take the students money, but the qualification the student earned have been bogus and of zero value; therefore, the students investment has been nothing more than an expensive waste of time and money. However, the implementation of strict rules by the British government should eradicate these bogus institutions.

Sponsorship

The sponsor in the United Kingdom must have a licence in order to recruit international students. To get a licence, a sponsor will need to show that:

• they have been inspected, audited or reviewed by Ofsted or its devolved equivalents, the Independent Schools Inspectorate or the Quality Assurance Agency; or

• they hold valid accreditation from an accreditation body that has been approved by the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) 

The courses the sponsor runs for adult international students will also need to lead to a qualification approved by UKBA, and any courses provided for children will need to be taught in line with the National Curriculum (NC), the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) or approved by Ofsted.

Tier 4 has two categories:

• general - for those coming for their post-16 education; and

• child - for children between the ages of 4 and 16 to come to an independent school.

Sponsorship duties

Sponsors will need to take great responsibility/control of their students by reporting on non-attendance and other requirements. The sponsor has a duty to ensure their students comply with their immigration conditions.

The sponsor will need to be able to show that they keep records on each student, and can report any changes to the UKBA, such as if they do not turn up for their studies. If the sponsor does not comply with their duties, they can have their sponsorship licence downgraded to a B rating or withdrawn.

Ratings

A licensed sponsor will be given an A rating or a B rating depending on how comfortable the UKBA feels about the quality of the sponsor, based on their previous experience of that sponsor or on the length of time the sponsor has been operating, and other factors too. Sponsors that the UKBA believe could be a risk to immigration control or those who do not have the correct systems in place will be given a B rating. B-rated sponsors must follow a sponsorship action plan designed to help them become A-rated or they risk losing their licence

Confirmation of acceptance for studies

Under Tier 4, in order to get a visa to come to the United Kingdom or continue their studies in the United Kingdom, the student will have to have a confirmation of acceptance for studies issued by the sponsor, and pass a points-based assessment.

Students will need permission to go to the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') before entering the United Kingdom, or they will need permission to remain in the United Kingdom (known as ‘further leave to remain’), if they are already in the UK and extending their student visa.