ISSO PENRYN Tier 4 Stay Safe Stay Legal - Fresher's Week 2019

Tier 4: Stay Safe, Stay Legal!

SARAH BATCHELOR & DEBBY WRIGHT INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISORS

What is this session about?

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Your responsibilities as a student with a Tier 4 visa

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Our responsibilities as your Tier 4 ‘sponsor’

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How to make sure that you stay ‘compliant’

How we help you 

International Student Support Office (Forum)

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Qualified immigration advisers 

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Approx. 800 visa applications+ per year!

We are here to help students ...

... but you need to ask before it’s too late 

Immigration Compliance Office (Innovation Centre)

Who makes the rules? 

The Tier 4 visa rules are set by the Home Office (UKVI) – not the University

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You and the University are legally required to follow them

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They are non-negotiable – we can’t argue you out of them!

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If you seriously break the rules, it is unlikely that we will be able to fix things afterwards

Understanding your visa Applied for your visa at home: 

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When your visa was granted, you likely received: 

A 30 day ‘vignette’ in your passport to enter the UK

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A grant letter explaining the conditions connected with your visa

On arrival, you collected your BRP card – some of the conditions are written on this as well.

Applied for your visa in the UK: 

You should have received your grant email or letter and BRP card at the same time

Visa conditions

Visa expiry date 

Make sure that you know when your visa expires

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You must leave the UK or apply to extend your visa before that date

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The date can sometimes be shortened if you make certain changes to your studies, but it can’t be extended without making a visa application

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There is no grace period after your visa expires

Working in the UK 

Most students can work 20 hours per week during term-time, full-time hours during holidays: 

Undergraduates: Christmas, Easter, Summer, after course has finished

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Masters: Christmas and Easter, after course has finished

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PhD: Must stick to 20 hours throughout

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No self-employment

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No employment as a professional entertainer or sportsperson

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Cannot accept a permanent full-time job

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Work placements that are part of the course can be fulltime

Questions about working?

Police registration 

Nationality-based + studying a course of more than 6 months

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Check your grant letter

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Police registration on campus: 

Wednesday 18 September, 10am-2pm, Exchange Blue

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Thursday 18 September, 10a,m – 2pm, Exchange Blue

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The police will check your passport, BRP, address and study details and issue you with a police registration certificate

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You must update your police registration certificate any time you change your address or your visa – not doing so is a breach of your conditions and can affect future visa applications

‘Public funds’ 

You have no recourse to public funds in the UK

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This means that you cannot claim any welfare benefits from the UK government

Lost/stolen BRPs 

Keep your BRP safe

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Lost or stolen BRPs must be reported to the police and you must submit a BRP(RC) application to replace it – this can take 8 weeks to be processed.

Conditions connected to your studies

What are your responsibilities?

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Show your original qualifications, passport and visa

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Keep your contact details up to date – via iExeter

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Keep your visa and passport details up to date if you get a new visa and passport

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Maintain your visa status (don't let your visa expire!)

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Attend your programme

What are our responsibilities? 

Check original visa and qualification documents and keep copies on file

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Keep up to date contact details

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Check that all students continue to have valid visas throughout their programmes

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Monitor attendance

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Report to the Home Office if your attendance is poor or your circumstances change (example: change of programme, interruption, withdrawal etc)

Attendance-monitoring 

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Undergraduate and Masters – Digital Check-in: 

App on your phone, tablet or laptop

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Check in on the app at the start of each teaching session

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Use iExeter to report your absence if you have to miss class

PhD - MyPGR: 

Monthly supervisor contact

Example: Attendance I have missed lots of my classes because: 

My accommodation is too far away

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It was raining!

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I was too sleepy

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I don’t like one of my teachers so I don’t go to that seminar

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Chinese New Year is so important!

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My sister is getting married

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I was too sick to leave my room for 6 weeks

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What is an acceptable attendance level? Which of these are good excuses?

Answer 

None of these excuses are acceptable

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You can get excused for things but you need to ask in advance.

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If you’re ill, make sure to follow your College’s attendance reporting procedure as soon as you know that you won’t be able to go to class. Any illness of more than a few days will need a doctor’s note

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It is very difficult to get excused after the fact – if you miss too many classes, we are required to report you to the Home Office.

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Don’t get into this situation!

Changes to your course 

Change of programme

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Interruptions (taking time off from your course) 

Max. 2 60 day separate interruptions without being reported

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Withdrawals

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Completing early

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All of the above are reported to UKVI and most result in your visa being curtailed (shortened).

Case Study ď ľ

You are having some financial problems and decide to take a year off from your degree to work and earn some money.

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Is this okay? What kind of things will you need to consider?

Case study: Answer 

You can ‘interrupt’ your studies if there are good reasons

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You will not be able to stay in the UK during your interruption

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If your interruption is more than 2 months long, then we will report to the Home Office that you have interrupted and your visa will be cancelled – you must leave the UK and apply for a new visa to come back.

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You cannot take a break from your studies to work in the UK. Do not exceed your working hours!

Questions?

International Student Support - Cornwall Penryn Info Point 

Daily drop-in sessions until end of September – 12noon – 2pm @ Penryn Info Point

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From October, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12noon – 2pm @ Penryn Info Point

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Email: internationalcornwall@exeter.ac.uk

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Log an enquiry at sid.exeter.ac.uk

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Book an appointment with an adviser by email to internationalcornwall@exeter.ac.uk

Visa Conditions Website: www.exeter.ac.uk/ internationalstudents/ visaconditions