In line with the launch of the sponsorship management system for Tier 4 of
the points-based system on 5 October 2009, the UK Border Agency has announced
new policy for Tier 4 sponsors and would-be students.
The new policy centers on two main areas:
- Extending the maintenance concession for Tier 4 applicants who are already
in the United Kingdom - this will help to ease the transition process for
would-be students.
- Tying Tier 4 students' permission to stay to their sponsors, if they make
their application on or after 5 October - this will strengthen Tier 4 and
strengthen the United Kingdom border.
Extending the maintenance concession for Tier 4 applicants who are
already in the United Kingdom:
Tier 4 applicants need to have enough money to cover their course fees and
maintenance. They must normally show that they have held this money for a 28-day
period ending no more than one month before their application, but until now
we have operated a concession allowing them to show only that have the required
funds in place on the date when they apply. This concession ends on 1 October
2009.
However, we recognize that many students already in the United Kingdom will
not have needed to show this money before, so we have decided to allow a longer
transitional period for all Tier 4 applications made within the United Kingdom.
Would-be students who make a Tier 4 application from inside the United Kingdom
before February 2010 will only need to show that they have the money needed
on the day when they apply. They must still provide the correct documents to
support their application.
From 1 October 2009, would-be students applying from outside the United Kingdom
must show that they have held the required money for a 28-day period ending
no more than one month before the date of their application.
Tying Tier 4 students' permission to stay to their sponsors, if they
make their application on or after 5 October:
On 5 October 2009, new Tier 4 students' permission to stay in the United Kingdom
will be 'tied' to the education provider that is sponsoring them. This will
bring Tier 4 in line with other tiers of the points-based system.
From 5 October, every new Tier 4 student will find their sponsor's reference
number on the vignette in their passport or on their identity card for foreign
nationals.
In future, if a student wants to study with a new Tier 4 sponsor and they made
their last application for a Tier 4 visa on or after 5 October 2009, they will
need to apply for a new Tier 4 visa. They will not be allowed to begin studying
with the new education provider until they have received a decision on the outcome
of their application - if they do so, they will be committing a criminal offence
for which they could be prosecuted or removed from the country.
We have been asked whether students in this situation will be able to begin
studying with the new education provider, at their own risk, before they have
received a decision on their application. The UK Border Agency cannot condone
a criminal offence, and therefore cannot advise students that this is an option
for them. We will make every effort to ensure that applications from students
wishing to change education provider are considered within the published service
standard, so that they can move to the new education provider as quickly as
possible.
If a student wants to study with a new Tier 4 sponsor, and they made their
last application for a Tier 4 visa before 5 October 2009, they will continue
to be allowed to change their without making a new Tier 4 application. They
must, however, seek permission from the UK Border Agency to change their sponsor.
