UK Visa Regulations Updates- Sponsor Licenses

On March 31, 2009, the UK Border Agency began enforcing new regulations that affect education abroad programs, including requirements for programs to be licensed or accredited depending on whether participants enter as "student visitors" or must obtain a student visa. In general:

If an institution has education abroad programs in the United Kingdom that are 6 months or longer, or involve a work placement/internship component (paid or unpaid), participants will need a prior entry clearance student visa, and the institution will need a sponsor license. See the links to the right for additional guidance and application forms, and see the section "Applying for a Sponsor License" below for an overview of the license process.

If an institution only has programs that are less than 6 months and do NOT involve a work placement/internship, students who are U.S. nationals* may apply at the UK border to enter as “Student Visitors,” which only requires that the institution is "accredited."**

* Note: "visa nationals" may still need to apply for a visa to enter as student visitors. See the UKBA web page Visa Nationals to see if the student's country of origin requires a visa to enter the UK.

** Note: the UKBA has clarified that for this purpose, "accredited" institutions include:

• A UK-Accredited Educational Institution
• An institution that holds a Tier 4 Sponsor Licence, or
• US Institution of Higher Education which is delivering only part of its program in the UK and holds its own national accreditation and awards degrees equivalent to those in the UK (eg study abroad programmes).

If your institution has already applied, the new Consular Affairs Liaison Subcommittee of the Education Abroad Regulatory Practice Committee is interested in hearing about your experience. Please share your experience with your colleagues by reporting to IssueNet: Report an Issue.

 

Does My Institution Need a Sponsor License for Our Programs in the UK?

September 26, 2008
The UK Border Agency has provided the following guidance for overseas higher education institutions whose programs are 6 months or longer in duration and/or involve a work placement/internship:

If you are an overseas higher education institution that only offers short-term study abroad programmes in your own premises in the United Kingdom to students who are enrolled in their home country and who come to the United Kingdom for one or two semesters before returning home to finish their degree courses you will not need any additional accreditation.

You must still get a licence, by providing the following to prove that you are a genuine institution:

• you hold overseas accreditation from a nationally recognised accreditor
• you only teach part of your higher education programmes in the United Kingdom
• you have full legal control of the premises you use
• if we are able to confirm that your programmes are United Kingdom degree level equivalents

If you want to employ migrant workers in your educational institution, you should decide under what tier and category you want to bring them to the United Kingdom and read the section for the tier and category.

Applying for a Sponsor License

The following is an overview of the license application process for Overseas (non-UK) Higher Education Institutions' Programs:

1. Register online with your name and E-mail address
2. Apply for a Tier 4 Student Sponsor Licence Online
   • The form has a number of questions and will take you approximately 25 to 30 minutes to complete if you have all of the necessary information prepared.
3. After you have submitted your application online, print the submission sheet page to fill in and send with your payment and documents to the address on the submission sheet.
4. Include the Appropriate Fee when you mail your application.
   
   • The cost for a Tier 4 Student License is currently £400.
   • Applicants may pay by:
     
     • a cheque in sterling on a United Kingdom bank account (this should be made payable to Home Office PBS Sponsorship and attached to the front of the completed payment slip); or
     • credit or debit card (include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, valid from and expiry date, card verification value (CVV) code, signature and date. The issue number is also needed for Switch and Maestro cards).
5. Submit the following required documents:
   
   • Overseas accreditation, which can be confirmed by NARIC, that the overseas Higher Education institution’s programmes are United Kingdom Higher Education equivalents. This overseas accreditation must be from a nationally recognised accrediting body clearly stating their name and be accompanied by a certifiedweb page for the institution showing that accreditation;
   • Proof that they only teach part of their programmes in the United Kingdom. The information submitted should verify that students are studying in the United Kingdom for no more than one academic year (i.e. one semester, two semesters, 2 terms, etc.)
     
     • a) Original letter from the home campus confirming the above or
       
     • b) original brochure/leaflet/catalogue confirming the above or
     • c) certified copy of appropriate information from the institutional web site confirming the above; and
   • Proof that they have full legal control of the premises they use. For example, original or certified copy of licence, lease, or proof of ownership.
     
     • NB - Those that offer study abroad programmes on a franchise basis via a third party in the United Kingdom will need to provide proof that their contractor is accredited in the United Kingdom. In all cases, the relevant document from the above list is mandatory for any organisation who is an Educational Institution.
   • Note: An applicant may send in more documents later on, as long as they reach UKBA before it makes a decision on the application.

For more information, see the links to the UK Border Agency Resources in the box to the right.

Inquiring with UKBA about a Sponsor License

UKBA has provided the following contact information for inquiries regarding sponsor licenses:

If you have not yet submitted your sponsor licence application and: you have an inquiry about specific aspects of the points-based system that are not covered in published guidance or require further clarification you would like to arrange for an account manager from within your region to visit your company to assess readiness to meet sponsor obligations or to discuss in more detail specific concerns. Contact the Sponsor Management Support Unit Phone: 0845 010 6677 Email: sponsor.management[at]ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

If you have already submitted a sponsor license application and: have a specific inquiry need to submit changes to application details or need to submit changes in sponsor circumstances. Contact the Sponsor Licensing Unit Phone: 0114 207 2867 Email: sponsorlicensing[at]ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 0900 - 1700 GMT (0400-1200 Eastern Standard Time)