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.
