Tier 4: Stay Safe, Stay Legal! SARAH BATCHELOR & DEBBY WRIGHT INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISORS
What is this session about?
Your responsibilities as a student with a Tier 4 visa
Our responsibilities as your Tier 4 ‘sponsor’
How to make sure that you stay ‘compliant’
How we help you
International Student Support Office (Forum)
Qualified immigration advisers
Approx. 800 visa applications+ per year!
We are here to help students ...
... but you need to ask before it’s too late
Immigration Compliance Office (Innovation Centre)
Who makes the rules?
The Tier 4 visa rules are set by the Home Office (UKVI) – not the University
You and the University are legally required to follow them
They are non-negotiable – we can’t argue you out of them!
If you seriously break the rules, it is unlikely that we will be able to fix things afterwards
Understanding your visa Applied for your visa at home:
When your visa was granted, you likely received:
A 30 day ‘vignette’ in your passport to enter the UK
A grant letter explaining the conditions connected with your visa
On arrival, you collected your BRP card – some of the conditions are written on this as well.
Applied for your visa in the UK:
You should have received your grant email or letter and BRP card at the same time
Visa conditions
Visa expiry date
Make sure that you know when your visa expires
You must leave the UK or apply to extend your visa before that date
The date can sometimes be shortened if you make certain changes to your studies, but it can’t be extended without making a visa application
There is no grace period after your visa expires
Working in the UK
Most students can work 20 hours per week during term-time, full-time hours during holidays:
Undergraduates: Christmas, Easter, Summer, after course has finished
Masters: Christmas and Easter, after course has finished
PhD: Must stick to 20 hours throughout
No self-employment
No employment as a professional entertainer or sportsperson
Cannot accept a permanent full-time job
Work placements that are part of the course can be fulltime
Questions about working?
Police registration
Nationality-based + studying a course of more than 6 months
Check your grant letter
Police registration on campus:
Wednesday 18 September, 10am-2pm, Exchange Blue
Thursday 18 September, 10a,m – 2pm, Exchange Blue
The police will check your passport, BRP, address and study details and issue you with a police registration certificate
You must update your police registration certificate any time you change your address or your visa – not doing so is a breach of your conditions and can affect future visa applications
‘Public funds’
You have no recourse to public funds in the UK
This means that you cannot claim any welfare benefits from the UK government
Lost/stolen BRPs
Keep your BRP safe
Lost or stolen BRPs must be reported to the police and you must submit a BRP(RC) application to replace it – this can take 8 weeks to be processed.
Conditions connected to your studies
What are your responsibilities?
Show your original qualifications, passport and visa
Keep your contact details up to date – via iExeter
Keep your visa and passport details up to date if you get a new visa and passport
Maintain your visa status (don't let your visa expire!)
Attend your programme
What are our responsibilities?
Check original visa and qualification documents and keep copies on file
Keep up to date contact details
Check that all students continue to have valid visas throughout their programmes
Monitor attendance
Report to the Home Office if your attendance is poor or your circumstances change (example: change of programme, interruption, withdrawal etc)
Attendance-monitoring
Undergraduate and Masters – Digital Check-in:
App on your phone, tablet or laptop
Check in on the app at the start of each teaching session
Use iExeter to report your absence if you have to miss class
PhD - MyPGR:
Monthly supervisor contact
Example: Attendance I have missed lots of my classes because:
My accommodation is too far away
It was raining!
I was too sleepy
I don’t like one of my teachers so I don’t go to that seminar
Chinese New Year is so important!
My sister is getting married
I was too sick to leave my room for 6 weeks
What is an acceptable attendance level? Which of these are good excuses?
Answer
None of these excuses are acceptable
You can get excused for things but you need to ask in advance.
If you’re ill, make sure to follow your College’s attendance reporting procedure as soon as you know that you won’t be able to go to class. Any illness of more than a few days will need a doctor’s note
It is very difficult to get excused after the fact – if you miss too many classes, we are required to report you to the Home Office.
Don’t get into this situation!
Changes to your course
Change of programme
Interruptions (taking time off from your course)
Max. 2 60 day separate interruptions without being reported
Withdrawals
Completing early
All of the above are reported to UKVI and most result in your visa being curtailed (shortened).
Case Study ď ľ
You are having some financial problems and decide to take a year off from your degree to work and earn some money.
ď ľ
Is this okay? What kind of things will you need to consider?
Case study: Answer
You can ‘interrupt’ your studies if there are good reasons
You will not be able to stay in the UK during your interruption
If your interruption is more than 2 months long, then we will report to the Home Office that you have interrupted and your visa will be cancelled – you must leave the UK and apply for a new visa to come back.
You cannot take a break from your studies to work in the UK. Do not exceed your working hours!
Questions?
International Student Support - Cornwall Penryn Info Point
Daily drop-in sessions until end of September – 12noon – 2pm @ Penryn Info Point
From October, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12noon – 2pm @ Penryn Info Point
Email: internationalcornwall@exeter.ac.uk
Log an enquiry at sid.exeter.ac.uk
Book an appointment with an adviser by email to internationalcornwall@exeter.ac.uk
Visa Conditions Website: www.exeter.ac.uk/ internationalstudents/ visaconditions