UPDATE on our office contacts

Dear Blog Visitors:

We appreciate all the messages via our social media and blog in various matters pertaining to immigration, EU migration and student visas.

As you can imagine, we have been overwhelmed since the closure of many colleges which affected hundreds of genuine student visa holders.

Additionally, the UK Home Office are issuing daily letters requiring persons to visit reporting centres and are conducting more and more detention orders.


For  assistance with Immigration appeals, applications for UK visas, employment tribunals, contact:

Igor & Co Solicitors

Telephone: +44 (0) 203 174 1311

Email: info@igorandco.co.uk

Please ensure that you have all information pertaining to explain when contacting us in order for a speedy feedback.

UK Property Rental - Scam Alert

SCAM ALERT: Beware of PROPERTY RENTAL scams

It has come to our attention from a few clients that there are a few advertisers-mainly on GUMTREE, claiming that they have properties in zone 1 and zone 2 areas for an extraordinary low rental, using beautiful pictures of the property to confirm.

In one case a Canary Wharf Studio inclusive of all bills for £650 per month. In another, it was a Shoreditch Studio all inclusive for £500 - he/she states that they cannot come to London to show the property unless guaranteed the payment that you bring cash and require you to prove you have the money.

Beware....They are using different methods to scam money from you, but most are stating they do not reside in the country and are asking for copies of your passport, email, full name and first and last month payment as deposit either in cash or via Western Union.

The moment you request information via which ever site they have posted the 'rental ad' on, it will be deleted and you will not be able to find any information.

One has gone as far as to state they use AIRBNB to conduct viewings (which they say you have to pay for) and are using AIRBNB website link to sound legitimate.

We contacted AIRBNB and the representative stated that they absolutely do not do this type of arrangement.

This is a SCAM. 

Don't provide any info or give any money. Make a note of the name and email address and share it so others will not be scammed.

Do pass this information on.

Get assistance with UK visa appeals and applications

Dear Readers:

We have been overwhelmed by messages and requests within the past months, particularly from those who have received instructions to 'report' to Home Office and many who have been taken to various detention centres.



For  assistance with Immigration appeals, applications for UK visas, employment tribunals, contact:

Igor & Co Solicitors

Telephone: +44 (0) 203 174 1311

Email: info@igorandco.co.uk

New Rules and Changes to Tier 4 visas

The  following changes were announced on 13 July 2015 and will affect TIER 4 visa holders / applicants (mainly international students studying in the UK)

The main changes will:

• stop new students at publicly funded colleges from working, bringing them in line with those at private colleges (from August)
  
  
• allow university students to study a new course at the same level but only where there’s a link to their previous course or the university confirms that this supports their career aspirations. There will be credibility interviews and sanctions against universities who abuse this rule (from August)
  
  
• ban college students from extending their Tier 4 visas in the UK unless they are studying at an ‘embedded college’, one which has a formal, direct link to a university that is recognised by the Home Office. This will require them to leave and apply for a new visa from outside the UK if they wish to study another course (from November)
  
  
• ban college students from being able to switch visas to Tiers 2 or 5 in the UK, and require them to apply from outside the UK (from November)
  
  
• reduce the time limit for study at further education level from 3 years to 2 years. This brings the maximum period into line with the length of time British students generally spend in further education (from November)
  
  
• stop Tier 4 dependants from taking a low or unskilled job, but allow them to take part-time or full-time skilled work (from the autumn)
  

 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tier-4-visas-immigration-rules-changes

Why are Tier 4 Colleges / Universities Revoked?

Once again we are seeing colleges who provide tution to Tier 4 - international visa students having their Tier 4 license revoked or suspended as evidenced in our previous listings of 'revoked, suspended colleges'.

These are due to a combination of infractions from colleges which are set out in the legal document UKVI Tier 4 Sponsor guidance - Tier 4 Compliance which include but are not limited to:

• Failure to keep records about the institution.
• Failure to keep records about Tier 4 students
• Failure to report a change in the sponsor’s circumstances to UKVI and/or the relevant Educational Oversight body
• Failure to report a change in students’ circumstances
• Failure to withdraw sponsorship from non-compliant students
• Failure to take steps to ensure that students have valid leave
• Instances of the Sponsor Management System being misused
• Failure of students to comply with their conditions of leave
• Failure to monitor students; academic progression before assigning CAS
• Deliberately providing false information, failing to disclose information, or acting dishonestly.
• Failure to cooperate with the Home Office, such as not allowing its staff immediate access to any of your sites on request (whether or not visits are prearranged)
• Failure to report a significant change in your institution’s circumstances, such as a change of ownership.
• Assigning CAS to students without properly assessing their English language ability in accordance with this guidance, or their academic suitability.
• Providing courses to Tier 4 students that do not meet the Tier requirements set out in this guidance. For example, courses which do not lead to an approved qualification or meet the requirements relating to work placements, minimum NQF levels, or teaching locations.
• Failure to monitor student attendance effectively.
• Failure to comply, as an employer, with illegal working requirements
• Giving UKVI cause to believe that you do not or cannot comply with a sponsorship duty, when failure to comply suggests a serious or systematic failing or indicates a threat to immigration control.
•  Operating in a manner that poses a risk to immigration control, such as failing to take steps to ensure non-EEA students have leave to remain in the UK.
• Failure to have proper records of staff and right to work

 
As the above list states, Tier 4 sponsors do have a duty to ensure they are complying at all times with these requirements.

Genuine colleges that are still fortunate to be on the registered list of Tier 4 sponsors are being extremely vigilant in their record keeping, management of current students and in many cases have tightened up and become selective in their Admissions and Enrolment processes.  

More and more students who breach their college/university regulations are being reported to the UKVI/Home Office and having their sponsorship withdrawn.

If you are a TIER 4 student we strongly advise that you do everything to stay within the rules of your College/University.

Be assured that no GENUINE college or university will be risking their Tier 4 Sponsor License to keep students who are in breach of their rules and regulations.

Further update to Tier 4 Revoked colleges in UK 2015

Our last listing on SUSPENDED and REVOKED Tier 4 License colleges in the UK  dated 4th June 2015 has been updated as below - please note if you do not see your college listed here and you do have proof that they have been suspended or revoked,  feel free to submit the information to  us at britishvisas@gmail.com


KNOWN SUSPENDED Tier 4 Sponsors as of 28th JUNE 2015

1. Aldgate College
2. Bucks New University (suspended 9th March 2015)
3. Essex College of Management and IT Ltd
4. London College of Business Management and Information Technology
5. London School of Business and Accountancy
6. London School of Law
7. Middlesex College of Law Ltd
8. Oxford College of London
9. St. Patrick's International College (suspended 19th Feb 2015)
10. Sharp Development Solutions Ltd - Trading As SDS College London
11. The City College
12. University Tutorial College
13. Westminster Academy

 
KNOWN REVOKED Tier 4 Sponsors as of 28th JUNE 2015


As always, we do advise, if you are a student at any of the colleges below, do not wait for the 60day letter - start to apply to a new, recognised, TIER 4, education provider as soon as possible.

1. 360 GSP College - revoked
2. 14 Stars (London) Ltd - Trading As European College for Higher Education - Revoked
3. Alpha College - Revoked
4. Alpha Meridian College - Revoked 
5. Apex College - (revoked FEB 2015)
6. APS Computer Solutions Ltd Trading As Pitman Training Centre Peterborough - Revoked 
7. Barking & Dagenham College (revoked)
8. Birmingham Informatics College Ltd - Revoked
9. Birmingham Institute of Education Training and Technology - Revoked
10. Blake Hall College - Revoked
11. Bradford College of Management - Surrendered
12. Bradford Metropolitan College - Revoked
13. Bradford Regional College – Revoked
14. British Institute of Technology & E-Commerce
15. Bristol College of Accountancy - Revoked
16. Britain College - Surrendered
17. CAHRO Academy Ltd - Revoked
18. Central College London (a division of Huawen Institute) - Revoked
19. Central College of Studies (CCS) - Revoked
20. Central Cranbrook College - Revoked
21. Citizen 2000 Education Institute - Revoked
22. City College Nottingham - Revoked
23. City of London Academy - Revoked
24. College of Advanced Studies - Revoked
25. College of East London - Revoked
26. College of Excellence Limited - Revoked
27. Cranford College - (revoked 1st May 2015)
28. Docklands Academy - (revoked March 2015)
29. Docklands College - Revoked
30. East End Computing & Business College -( revoked MARCH 2015)
31. Empress College - Surrendered
32. Essex College Ltd - Revoked
33. Eynsford College - Revoked
34. Forbes Graduate School - Revoked 
35. Futures College -  ( revoked FEB 2015)
36. Finance & Technology Institute of London (Study Solutions Ltd)- revoked MAY 2015
37. Grafton College - surrendered March 2015
38. Global Vision College-revoked
39. Hammersmith Management College - Revoked
40. Helios International College - Revoked 
41. Hendon Business School (revoked)
42. IIM Bedford - Revoked
43. Interlink College of Technology and Business Studies - Revoked
44. Katherine and King's College of London - Revoked 
45. Kent College of Business & Computing (revoked Sept 2014)
46. Kinnaird College - Revoked 
47. Leyton College- revoked
48. LIT LON Ltd - Revoked
49. London Academy of Management and Business (LAMB) - Surrendered
50. London Churchill College - Surrendered 
51. London College of Advanced Management ( revoked JAN 2015)
52. London College of Finance and Accounting - Revoked
53. London College of Business Management and Computing Studies -Surrendered
54. London Corporate College - Revoked
55. London Educators Limited - Revoked
56. London Empire Academy - Surrendered
57. London Metropolitan College – Revoked
58. London Premier College Limited - Revoked
59. London Regal College - Revoked 
60. London School of Commerce & IT - revoked
61. London Academy of Management Sciences - revoked
62. London School of Advanced Studies - Revoked 
63. London School of Commerce & IT (revoked)
64. London School of Marketing - Trading As LS Business School - Revoked
65. London School of Technology - Revoked
66. London St. Andrew's College - Revoked
67. Manchester College of Management Sciences Limited - Revoked
68. Manchester International College - Revoked
69. Manchester Trinity College Limited - Revoked 
70. Metro College of Management Sciences - ( revoked MARCH 2015)
71. Midlands Academy of Business and Technology - Revoked 
72. Meridan Business School - (revoked  MAY 2015)
73. North West College Reading - Revoked
74. Newcastle Academy of Business and Technology -  (revoked JAN 2015)
75. Opal College (revoked FEB 2015)
76. Pharez UK Ltd Trading As Pharez College - Revoked 
77. Pinnacle College - (revoked Feb 2015)
78. Queensbury College - Revoked
79. Radcliffe College - Revoked
80. Sanjari International College - Revoked
81. Shakespeare College - Revoked
82. Stanfords College UK Limited - Revoked
83. South London College - Revoked
84. Superior College London - Revoked 
85. Swarthmore College - revoked 
86. Thames College Berkshire - revoked
87. Unipro College London - (revoked JAN 2015) 
88. UK College of Business & Computing-UKCBC Ilford (JUNE 2015)
89. UK Business College - (revoked 24 Feb 2015)
90. UK Education Professional - revoked 28 Oct 2013
91. UK Business Academy - Revoked
92. UK Vocational Training College -Trading As UK College of Arts and Technology- Revoked
93. Vernon Community College - Revoked 
94. Vista Business College - revoked 2013
95. West George College - Revoked
96. West London Business College Ltd - Revoked
97. West London College of Business & Management Sciences (Manchester) - Revoked
98. West Link College - revoked May 2014 
99. Zaskin College (revoked March 2013) 

Highly Trusted status replaced

As per our posting of 8th March 2015, on changes to be made  by the Home Office/UKVI to various elements, we wish to remind you that the following have come into  effect as of April 2015.


*'Highly Trusted Sponsor status' has been removed and all education establishments that already have a Tier 4 sponsor licensed will simply be known to have 'Tier 4 Sponsor status'.

Every 12 months, these educational establishments will be required to pass a Basic compliance Assessment test.

To pass this Basic Compliance test, educational sponsors must have:

• a refusal rate of less than 10%
• an enrolment rate of at least 90%; and
• a course completion rate of at least 85%.

Should any educational establishment fail this assessment, it is very likely that their Tier 4 licence will be revoked.  They will have to prove that they fall within the discretionary assessment criteria (issued less than 50 CAS in the assessment period or are classed as an independent school)

A result of the changes also mean that if a licence is revoked, the UKVI can then refuse to allow the sponsor back onto the Sponsor register for up to 24 months.
 

*A-rated sponsor status' has been replaced by 'Probationary Sponsor status:  Any educational establishments that apply for a Tier 4 sponsor licence, if the license is approved they will be known as ‘Probationary Sponsors’ for the first 11 months.

Probationary Sponsors will then need to pass a new Basic Compliance Assessment, in order to become an approved Tier 4 Sponsor.


*The student visitor (SVV) and extended student visitor routes are now known as SHORT TERM STUDY ROUTES  which will sit in Part 3 of the Immigration Rules alongside other study provisions.

The reason for this is to make the system clearer for those whose main purpose for coming to the UK is to study a short course up to six months or 11 months in the case of adults studying longer English language courses.