How do I sponsor a migrant?
Tier 4 - students
This page explains the duties you have as a sponsor under the tier 4 - student category of the points-based system.
Your specific duties as a sponsor of students
In addition to your general sponsorship duties, you must also:
- keep a copy of all sponsored migrants' passport pages, showing all personal details (including biometric details) and leave stamps or immigration status documents - including evidence of their entitlement to study in the United Kingdom and the period that they have permisison to stay here;
- keep each student's contact details and update them as necessary;
- report to us any students who fail to enrol on their course to us within the enrolment period;*
- report to us any unauthorised student absences (see 'Expected contacts' below);*
- report to us any students who discontinue their studies (including any deferrals of study);*
- report to us any significant changes in students' circumstances (for example, if the length of a course of study shortens);*
- maintain any appropriate accreditation;
- offer courses to international students that comply with our conditions;
- comply with applicable rules of the points-based system and the law; and co-operate with us.
Additionally, if you are sponsoring a child student who is going to be cared for in a private foster care arrangement during their stay, you must send the local authority in the area where they will be living:
- the name of the foster carer; and
- the address where the foster carer and the child student will be living.
You must send this information as soon as you become aware of the child student's arrival in the United Kingdom.
Reporting duties marked * will not be compulsory until we have rolled out the migrant reporting functionality in the sponsorship management system for Tier 4 sponsors. This will happen between autumn 2009 and March 2010 - see our implementation plan for more information. Until then, sponsors can report voluntarily by emailing MigrantReporting@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk.
If a student fails to enrol on their course, we expect you to tell us their details no more than 10 working days after the end of their prescribed enrolment period.
If a student ceases to attend your institution, either because you have withdrawn them from the course or because they have told you that they are leaving, we will expect you to tell us no more than 10 working days after this is confirmed.
If a student defers their studies after they have arrived in the United Kingdom, their permission to be in the United Kingdom will no longer be valid because they will not be actively studying. You will need to tell us of the deferral and advise the student to leave the United Kingdom. When the student is ready to continue their studies, they will need to make a new visa application.
Expected contacts
You will need to tell us if a student misses 10 expected contacts. For students in schools, further education colleges and English language colleges, this will normally be where the student has missed two weeks of a course. In the higher education sector, where daily registers are not kept, 'expected contacts' include:
- attendance at any lesson, lecture, tutorial or seminar (as relevant to the level of study);
- attendance at any test, examination or assessment board;
- submission of assessed or un-assessed coursework;
- submission of 'interim' dissertation/coursework/reports;
- attendance at any meeting with a supervisor or personal tutor;
- attendance at any 'research method' or 'research panel' meetings. or at 'writing up' seminars or 'doctoral workshops';
- attendance at a viva;
- registration (matriculation/enrolment); and
- attendance at an appointment with a welfare advisor or an international student adviser.
This list is not exhaustive - other types of interaction with students may also count as expected contacts.
Managing potential abuse
If significant numbers of students drop out or fail to enrol, this will raise concerns about your recruitment processes and your overall suitability as a licensed sponsor, and we will investigate.
If it turns out that it was because of poor administration, or deception on the part of the students, we may downgrade your licence to a B rating, and put in place an action plan to stop further abuse. If we find that you are aware of the abuse, we will suspend your licence immediately and possibly withdraw it if our in investigation proves this.
See also
Terms explained
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B rating
This term is applied to a sponsor under the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It is the rating awarded by us when a sponsor joins the register of sponsors. A B rating is a transitional rating for a sponsor who is under a sponsorship action plan.
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Working days
Monday to Friday are counted as working days. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not counted as working days. Ten working days may be two weeks or less, depending on where the weekends fall.