Tier 4 Student Response Hull

May

2012

Tier 4 (Student) UK Points Based Immigration System

(Hull campus)

Tier 4 (Student) UK 2

Note that any reference to a visa in this leaflet includes reference to an entry clearance(visa granted overseas), a residence permit (visa granted in the UK) or a UK Identity Card(also known as a Biometric Residence permit (BRP) issued by the UK Border Agency(UKBA), a British Embassy, High Commission or by any other authorised agency of the UKBorder Agency.

If you applied for your current visa after 5 October 2009, and it is a visa for study at aninstitution other than the University of Hull, the University is not allowed to enrol youuntil you have applied for a new visa using a CAS issued by the University of Hull. Pleaseseek advice urgently from the Immigration Advisers if you are in this situation.

Students who have a student visa issued before the start of Tier 4 are not currentlysubject to the requirements of Tier 4, but the UKBA may change the law in the future toinclude all those people with a student visa.

If you require advice about other visa categories (Tier 2, Tier 4 (Child), Tier 5, visitingstudents/academics) please contact the Immigration Advisers.

Tier 4 general students visa

Tier 4 of the points-based system is the primary immigration route available to studentswho want to study full-time in the UK. They must be sponsored by an education providerthat has a sponsor licence. Education providers can apply for a licence in twocategories: � Tier 4 (General) student. This is for anyone who comes to the UK for their post-16 education.

� Tier 4 (Child) students. This is for children between the ages of 4 and 17 (inclusive) who come to the UK for their education. Children aged between 4 and 15 (inclusive) may only be educated at independent, fee-paying schools.

� If the student is over the age of 16 and under the age of 18, then they can apply under either the General or the Child category.

The Student Visitor and Child Visitor routes are available for students to come to the UKfor short periods of study. You can find out more about the visitor routes on the UKBAwebsite: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/.

Part 6A of the Immigration Rules (paragraphs 245ZT to 245ZY) contains full details of theTier 4 (General) category's requirements.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

If you want to study a course leading to a postgraduate qualification in the UnitedKingdom, you may need to apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)certificate.

You may also need an ATAS Certificate if you wish to carry out research here for more than6 months.

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) was introduced on 1 November 2007and is an essential part of the UK’s commitment to Counter Proliferation. Its aim is to helpstop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weaponsof mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery.

The ATAS is specifically designed to ensure that those applying for postgraduate study incertain sensitive subjects do not acquire knowledge that could potentially be used in WMDprogrammes. We advise you to find out if you need an ATAS certificate before applying for astudent visa or extension.

If you wish to check whether or not you are required to hold an ATAS Certificate you can

Tier 4 (Student) UK www.hull.ac.uk 3

check here www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/who-atas/

Courses currently running at the University of Hull that require an ATAS certificate can befound here www.courses.hull.ac.uk/atas/

If you need to apply for an ATAS certificate you can do so here www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/apply-online/

This leaflet was last updated in April 2012 by the UKBA Monitoring and Reporting Officerand reflects current understanding of both the University’s duties as a licensed sponsorand your responsibilities, if you have a visa under Tier 4 of the UK Points BasedImmigration System.

However, the policies and procedures are subject to regular change. You should alwayscheck that you have full up-to-date information before taking any action that will affectyour status in the UK.

This information is written for students enrolled or planning to enrol at the University ofHull, including students at the Scarborough Campus of the University.

Your responsibilities: Before you enrol

1. You must give full and accurate answers to any questions the university may ask you about your previous study and immigration history in the UK.

2. You must supply the university with a copy (electronic) of your ATAS certificate, if one is required for you to study on your course. Please see www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/who-atas/

3. Under the Tier 4 system, an education institution is considered to be your ‘sponsor’ tostudy in the UK. If you get a visa under Tier 4 to study at the University of Hull, then theUniversity of Hull will be your ‘sponsor’. If you change your mind and want to study atanother institution, you should contact the Immigration Advisers to discuss your options as soon as possible.

4. Please seek advice from the Immigration Advisers if you do not understand the conditions attached to your visa.

� You must be studying full-time; part-time study is not allowed, although you are allowed to apply for a visa to retake failed modules or resubmit a dissertation or thesis

� You must not work more hours than allowed. � If you suspend/defer or withdraw from your course, the UKBA requires you to return to your home country

� You must always ensure that you apply to extend your visa before your visa expires � You must comply with attendance monitoring expectations at the university

These are not the only conditions of your visa, you must make sure that you are aware of allof the conditions of your visa.

Please seek advice from Immigration Advisers if you do not understand the conditionsattached to your visa.

5. If you have a Tier 4 visa, it must have the University of Hull licence number on it as your academic sponsor. Note that you are allowed to study with a visa other than a Tier 4 student visa. If you do not have a Tier 4 (Student) visa, the information in this leaflet may not apply to you but we advise you to confirm whether or not these conditions are relevant to you and if your visa is acceptable before commencing your studies at the University of Hull.


6. If you do not have the correct type of visa or your visa does not cover the whole course, you should seek advice immediately from the Immigration Advisers and, if necessary, apply immediately for a new visa, a visa extension or a visa correction. Normally, you will not be allowed to enrol until you have proof that you have submitted a visa application.

At enrolment

1. At enrolment, you must present a valid passport with a valid visa to cover the whole course you intend to study. New students will be required to show their passport and immigration permission in order to register. Whenever you subsequently obtain a new or replacement passport, visa, biometric ID card or ATAS certificate you must show this to the Customer Service Desk so that staff can scan it and update our system.

2. You must ensure you register for your programme on time every academic year. If you anticipate you will be late for registration, e.g. due to flight or visa delay, you must contact the University to confirm whether you will be accepted for late registration before travelling to the UK.

After enrolment

1. You must register promptly with the police if required to, and update your police registration if you change address, get a new passport or visa, change course or changeplace of study. Police registration events are held regularly, appointments can be booked through the Information Point on the 3rd floor of the Students Union Building.

2. You must not work more than the hours permitted by your visa, and comply with university regulations on hours of employment while studying. If you seek or obtain employment with the University, you must declare any other employment that you already have in the UK and keep the University informed of any changes to that employment. If you have a student visa, you can normally work full-time only during theholidays. Holiday periods are different depending on the type/level of your studies (undergraduate, taught postgraduate and research). Find out how many hours you can work from www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/working_during.php

3. You must only study the programme for which you have been given immigration permission. If you wish to change programme you must seek advice from the Immigration Advisers before changing.

4. You must comply with the attendance monitoring systems that the University has in place and attend all timetabled classes, meetings with tutors and any other arranged sessions, unless you have good reason to be absent. You should seek conformation from your department on their attendance monitoring procedures for your level of study.

5. It is your responsibility to keep your contact details up to date by either logging on to the University’s Portal system to amend your details, or by reporting any change in yourcontact details to the University’s Customer Service Desk in person or via [email protected] or [email protected]. You must also report any change in your contact details to the UKBA using the designated form at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/migrantchangeofcircumstanc2.pdf

6. You must report to the UKBA if your course of study at the University becomes shorter than was intended by emailing [email protected].


7. You must inform the University if you intend to defer or suspend your studies (i.e. take a leave of absence) or withdraw from your programme. We recommend that you seek advice from the Immigration Advisers before making a decision.

8. If you hold Tier 4 permission and you defer or suspend your studies, you should leave the UK. You may return to the UK when your studies resume. We recommend that you seek advice from the Immigration Adviser before making a decision.

9. If you hold Tier 4 permission, you must inform the UKBA of relevant changes during your stay. Any student issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (ID card) while in the UK must also comply with other reporting responsibilities.

10. You must keep your immigration permission up to date and apply for a visa extension before your existing visa runs out. If you have overstayed your permission, it is important to seek advice from the Immigration Advisers and legalize your status as soon as possible. Think ahead; make a note to start collecting and organising the documents you will need to extend your student visa at least 8 weeks before your current visa expires.

11. You should respond promptly to e-mail correspondence from the University, particularly communications regarding your visa, registration or attendance, to ensure that you are not unnecessarily reported to the UKBA. All email correspondence will be sent to your university email account, it is important for you to check it regularly.

12. You should be aware of the implications to your visa of stopping, changing or suspending your studies, being absent from the University without authority and not complying with any of the conditions of your visa.

If you do not understand any of the rules, seek help from Immigration Advisers. Theadvisers are the only staff members at the University qualified to give immigration adviceto international students. Breaking the rules because you do not understand them is not avalid excuse and the UKBA will not accept it. Any breach in the rules can have seriousconsequences for you.

The University’s duties as a licensed sponsor:

The University has a licence to sponsor students, which imposes duties on the University.In order to comply with these conditions the University must:

1. Keep a copy of your passport(s), ATAS Certificates (where appropriate), visa(s) and/or Biometrics card(s). After registration this is carried out by Customer Service Desk.

2. Keep a record of all your studies at the University of Hull and at other UK educational institutions. We must do this because the UKBA has set time limits on how long you canspend in the UK on a student visa.

3. Keep an up-to-date record of your contact details and UK address. This is monitored by the UKBA Monitoring and Reporting Officer.

4. Report to the UKBA if: � You fail to enrol on time � You are absent from the university without permission for a prescribed period � The University is no longer your licensed sponsor � Your circumstances change, for example, if your course of study changes or becomesshorter or longer

� It has evidence that you are breaking the conditions of your visa.


The University must always act responsibly in carrying out its duties. If you feel that theUniversity has not acted responsibly, you can complain to the UKBA. If you have anyconcerns about how the University has acted, the University encourages you to use itsinternal complaints procedures. You can find the Complaints Procedure atwww.hull.ac.uk/Administration/quality/studentinfo/studentcomplaints

See www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/contact/makingacomplaint/how-to-complainfor details of how to complain directly to the UKBA.

Any complaint about the service Student Administrative Services provides is takenseriously. If you wish to make a complaint, you can speak directly any member of staff or,if you prefer, you can talk or write to Linda Hockley, Director of Student Services. You canalso complain to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, 5th Floor, CountingHouse, 53, Tooley Street, London SE1 2QN.

The Student Administrative Services (SAS) of the University of Hull makes every possibleeffort to ensure that the information and advice it provides is up-to-date and accurate, butaccepts no legal liability for errors or omissions, and reserves the right to make changeswithout notice. Furthermore, SAS accepts no legal liability for the outcome of any actionyou may take after taking our advice.

Important contact details

The Customer Services Desk is located on the 2nd floor of the Student Union building.Opening hours are:Monday 09.00 – 17.00Tuesday 10.00 – 17.00Wednesday 09.00 – 17.00Thursday 09.00 – 17.00Friday 09.00 – 16.00

E: [email protected]: 01482 462222

The Immigration Advisers are located on the 3rd floor of the student Union building.Hours of availability are:Monday 09.00 – 17.00Tuesday 09.00 – 17.00Wednesday 09.00 – 17.00Thursday 09.00 – 17.00Friday 09.00 – 16.00

E: [email protected]: 01482 466659

The UKBA Monitoring and Reporting Officer is located on the 2nd floor of the StudentUnion building.Hours of availability are:Monday 09.00 – 17.00Tuesday 09.00 – 17.00Wednesday 09.00 – 17.00Thursday 09.00 – 17.00Friday 09.00 – 16.00

E: [email protected]: 01482466810

The International Office is located in the Dennison building on Cottingham Road.E: [email protected]: 01482 466578


DisclaimerThis publication is intended principally as a guide for prospective students. The matters covered by it – academic and otherwise – are subject to

change from time to time, both before and after students are admitted, and the information contained in it does not form part of any contract.

While every reasonable precaution was taken in the production of this brochure, the University does not accept liability for any inaccuracies.

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© University of Hull May 2012

Documents

Tier 4 Student Response Hull