UKVI Compliance Team

• Helen Cutting- Executive Director of Legal Services & University Secretary (Authorising Officer)
• Kelly Dunn- Senior Solicitor (Compliance)
• Sharon Farrell- Senior UKVI Compliance Manager
• Rebecca Baines- Operational UKVI Compliance Manager (Student Sponsorship)
• Gemma Crossen- Operational UKVI Manager (Assurance)

Student Sponsorship: LGSComplianceUKVI@tees.ac.uk

The LGS UKVI Compliance (Student Sponsorship) unit is responsible for the monitoring of documentation of current students such as passport and visa validity throughout the duration of their studies. The team make notifications to UKVI in accordance with UKVI Sponsorship Duties such as notifying UKVI if a student transfers courses, undertakes a work placement, suspends, or withdraws from their studies or changes immigration category. The team are also responsible for reporting your successful course completion to UKVI in order to make an application for the Graduate Route.

Assurance: LGSAssuranceUKVI@tees.ac.uk

The LGS UKVI Assurance unit is responsible for a range of audit and assurance activity across various areas of UKVI Sponsor Compliance both centrally and across Schools and Departments. The team handle complex cases such as breach of visa conditions, attendance and engagement queries and applicant credibility concerns. The maintenance of the Sponsor Licence e.g., renewals is undertaken by the Assurance unit.

International students apply for a visa under the Student visa route issued by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) under the Points Based System which allows institutions to sponsor international students to come to the UK to study. Teesside University holds a UKVI Student Sponsor licence which enables us to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number to sponsor an international student to apply for a Student visa to come to Teesside University for a full-time course.

Teesside University is broadly required to:

• Recruit and admit international students as per recruitment and admissions policies and procedures. Ensure that all students which we sponsor are appropriately qualified for the course in terms of academic entry requirements as well as hold appropriate English Language qualifications at the level required for the course as well as the requirements defined by UKVI
• Undertake applicant checks to ensure that a CAS number is only issued where we have every assurance that the applicant has genuine intentions for applying to study in the UK
• Issue CAS in accordance with UKVI regulations to confirm academic and English Language competence in addition to other required checks e.g., financial commitment to the course by way of a mandatory deposit
• Enrol all international students by obtaining copies of documentation as required by UKVI Student Sponsor Guidance (Appendix D- Keeping Documents) and storing electronically for the duration of their study. Documentation required includes Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card confirming visa duration, immigration stamp confirming date of entry into the UK and passport copy
• Retain and maintain documents as per Appendix D to ensure these remain valid for the duration of study i.e., tracking passport and visa validity
• Monitor student's attendance and engagement with their course of study in accordance with Teesside University's Attendance Monitoring Policy and Procedure
• Adhere to UKVI reporting duties such as notifying UKVI if a Sponsored student transfers course, undertakes a work placement or completes their studies early
• Ensure continued compliance with UKVI Student Sponsor Guidance such as notifying UKVI if a Sponsored student is withdrawn from their course due to poor attendance/engagement to trigger visa curtailment action

As part of holding a UKVI Student Sponsor Licence, certain applications need to be renewed, usually on an annual basis and metrics need to be met in order to retain the UKVI Student Sponsor Licence. Holding a UKVI Student Sponsor Licence means the ability to sponsor international students to come to the UK to study as a UKVI Sponsored student for a full-time course of study.

Transfers

All students apply for their chosen course and provide details as part of their application e.g., personal statement/credibility survey (where required) to confirm their reasons for choosing their course and career plans after study. Sometimes students may enrol on the course they applied for and then, for various reasons may decide an alternative course may be a preferred option to them, for example if following discussion with an Academic Tutor they believe their knowledge and skills would be better suited to modules as part of a different course. As transfers must be reported to UKVI, the LGS UKVI Assurance Team deem whether a transfer can be agreed in principle, i.e., whether it meets UKVI regulations, such as:

• Can the new course be completed with the original timeframe?
• Is the new course connected to the previous course, or involve a deeper specialisation?
• Is an ATAS certificate held for the new course (where required)?

Individual Complex cases

The LGS UKVI Assurance Team manage cases which are irregular in terms of Student Sponsor compliance, for example liaising with students who are pregnant to ensure they have appropriate support to manage both the demands of a new baby as well as continuing to comply with their responsibilities as a Sponsored student in terms of attendance and engagement. In such circumstances it is likely that the Academic School or another central department may refer the case to LGS UKVI Assurance for involvement, or a Sponsored Student may choose to contact LGS UKVI Assurance directly to discuss.

Complaints and Appeals

Applicants and students have the right to appeal against a decision, e.g., CAS rejection, in accordance with the University's Complaints procedure (see 'Useful Documents' for link to Student Casework Office (SCO)). Student Casework Office (SCO) administer the review process of the UKVI Sponsored Student Compliance Policy. LGS UKVI Assurance review the appeal and background to determine the outcome.

Working permissions

Sponsored students are restricted in terms of working alongside their studies as per UKVI visa requirements.

• For students studying a course below Degree level (e.g., Pre-Sessional English) work is restricted to 10 hours per week during term time.
• For students studying a course at Degree level or higher (e.g., Bachelor/Master's Degree) work is restricted to 20 hours per week during term time.
• For all Sponsored students regardless of their course level, they are able to work full time outside of term time i.e., official University holiday as stated on the Teesside University website and as per their official course structure (as this may vary slightly for some specialised courses).

For the purpose of calculating hours per week, a week is classed as the period Monday to Sunday. For students studying a work placement (assessed and integral part of the course) the term-time work restrictions do not apply therefore the placement can be full time. Students must ensure that any part time work does not interfere with their studies.

From time to time during your studies with us you may require a letter for several different reasons, for example to prove your enrolment status or to open a UK bank account. The following letters are available for you to download as a PDF document from E-vision and are available free of charge:

• Proof of Enrolment Letter - this letter confirms that you are an enrolled student with Teesside University and which course you are enrolled on.
• Council Tax Letter - this letter confirms that you are an enrolled student with Teesside University and which course you are enrolled on. This can be used to provide proof of your student status to your local council to apply for a council tax exemption.
• Bank letter - this letter confirms that you are an enrolled student at Teesside University, the course you are studying and personal details such as your date of birth, home address and term time address. This can be used to present to your chosen bank when you are wishing to open a UK bank account.
• Eligibility to Work Letter - this letter confirms the hours you are permitted to work during and outside of term time and can be given to prospective employers if required.
• Proof of Award Letter - this letter confirms the award you have received and the date it was awarded. Please note that this letter is only available once your studies have been fully completed.

All of the above letters can be self-downloaded from E-vision, under the 'my courses' tab.

Some letters may require more specific information or to be addressed to a particular company/Embassy/visa application centre and/or a specific recipient. We have 2 letters that are available for you to purchase from our online shop which are:

• Bespoke Eligibility to Work letter - purchase cost £5 - this letter is similar to the Eligibility to work letter available on E-vision but can be purchased to include an employer's name, address, or specific term time dates.
• Non - UK Visa Application Letter - purchase cost £10 - This letter is sometimes referred to as a Schengen visa letter, travel visa letter, letter of no objection and can be used to support any travel plans that you may have.

These letters can be purchased from the Online Store

If at any point whilst you are studying with us you make an application to switch to another immigration category (e.g., Asylum Seeker, Dependent Visa, Skilled Worker) you will need to inform us by emailing LGSComplianceUKVI@tees.ac.uk. As your sponsor we are required to notify UKVI that you have/or will be applying to switch immigration category and that as a result we will no longer be sponsoring you as a UKVI Sponsored Student. If you intend to continue your studies with us, we will also need to ensure that your new immigration category permits studying.

Guidance for Student Sponsors

• Student Sponsor Guidance
• Appendix D: Keeping Documents Guidance for Sponsors

Guidance for Students

• UKVI Student Guidance
• UKVI Sponsored Student Compliance Policy
• Student Attendance and Engagement Policy
• Student Casework Office (SCO)

LGS UKVI Compliance (Student Sponsorship) - LGSComplianceUKVI@tees.ac.uk

LGS UKVI Assurance - LGSAssuranceUKVI@tees.ac.uk

The team are located in The Printworks Building. Please visit the Student Life Enquiries Team in the Student Life Building if you need to speak to someone in person.

External organisations

If you work for the Home Office/UK Border staff and require information relating to a Teesside University student, please contact LGSAssuranceUKVI@tees.ac.uk. Please note, depending on the nature of the request a formal GDPR request may be required.

Visa Advice

If you are a student and require advice relating to your visa, you can arrange an appointment with the International Advice Service based in the Student Life Building (bookable via the main reception desk or by contacting international@tees.ac.uk).

Course queries

If your query is with regards to your course such as attendance/leave of absence request or assessments/restudy, please contact your Academic School. If required, they will contact LGS UKVI Assurance if there are any visa implications to consider.

CAS Requests

If you wish to request a CAS for a visa extension, please contact LGSComplianceUKVI@tees.ac.uk. Please note, a CAS is only issued where there is a mandatory requirement to be in the UK for further study and an academic justification may be required from your School. If you have restudy to complete and this restudy can be completed via distance learning, you will be required to leave the UK before your visa expires and make arrangements with your School to study the remaining modules via distance learning from your home country.