Sara Dyer - Head of International Student Support, University of Sussex Sally Saca – Head of International Student Advice Team, Oxford Brookes University March 2016

Complying with Tier 4; Challenges and Opportunities

The Big Picture: Who comes and why

• UK a key destination for students studying outside their own country – 2nd most popular after the US

• In the UK 1 in 8 students are international, at postgraduate level 1 in 3

• Numbers of Chinese students coming to the UK has increased by 52% since 2009 and Indians by 47%

• Competitors – Australia, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Malaysia, Japan

• According to British Council research the big influencers for choosing the UK are: quality of academics, internationally recognised qualifications, university reputation

Discussion

What do you know about the Points Based System and Tier 4?

How does Tier 4 compliance affect the work

that you do?

The Tiers

Tier Group Introduced

Tier 1 Highly skilled workers 29 Feb 2008

Tier 2 Sponsored work routes 27 Nov 2008

Tier 3 Low skilled workers Suspended

Tier 4 Students 31 Mar 2009

Tier 5 Temporary workers/Government Authorised Exchange

27 Nov 2008

The changing role of international student advice services

• Traditional role

• Welcome and orientation services

• Cultural adaptation

• Visa advice focused on the student – experts on immigration issues

• Being advocates for international students

• How has this changed since PBS?

Since introduction of the Points Based System

• Focus on compliance has raised the profile of immigration across universities – affects many areas of the student journey

• Visa advice has become more focused on retaining sponsor license and remaining compliant

• The introduction of the Compliance Officer role, which often sits in another team to international student support

The early PBS days at Sussex …

• International & Study Abroad Office part of Academic Registry

• Team: 1.3 advisers + two p/t administrators + me

• PBS Implementation Group

• Head of International Student Support: ‘unofficial’ compliance officer

• ISAs scanned documents and chased students

• Conflict between advice and compliance?

• Little time for anything other than immigration

When I arrived at Brookes

• Coincided with the introduction of PBS

• ISAT was part of Student Services within the Directorate Academic and Student Affairs

• Team - 3.5 advisers + me

• Part time administrator - Social programme

• PBS Working Group – Academic Registrar - Chair, me – Secretary

How things are now at Sussex • International Student Support (ISS) now part of Student

Services

• Compliance Manager role created Jan. 2013 (part of Academic Registry)

• UKVI Group (staff from across University)

• ISS now able to focus on advice and student experience

• Two new posts to improve international student experience

How things are now at Brookes • ISAT now one of the teams in ‘Student Central’

• Compliance Officer recruited Dec 2012 and joined the ISAT team with a PBS Administrator

• Tier 4 Compliance sits in the same team as visa advice

• PBS Advisory Group – Secretary, Compliance Officer

• Now 2.5 advisers + Full time administrator/events coordinator

Tier 4 Compliance requirements

• Tier 4 replaced the previous student immigration system in March 2009

• The main duties requiring action by HE providers are:

• Gaining, retaining and renewing the Tier 4 Sponsor Licence

• Tracking the international student journey

from application through to enrolment,

and monitoring through to departure

Student journey stages: key activities and departments involved Pre-application Recruitment, information to potential applicants re Tier 4 (International

Recruitment team, agents, ISAT)

Application HE must gather, check and store all documentation; academic qualifications; English language; academic progression (Admissions, ISAT)

CAS issuance ATAS, course study within time limits, academic progression, copies of UK student visas, passport (Admissions, ISAT), CAS needs to capture payments made (Student Finance)

Pre-arrival Pre-arrival information, visa advice and support (Recruitment team, Admissions, ISAT)

Registration Check and scan Passport, Biometrics Residence Permit (Admissions, ISAT/Compliance, Student Records)

Monitoring and engagement Including students on placement (all staff, compliance, faculties, Student Services)

Transfer and progression Attendance monitoring, changing course, deferring studies, early completion (faculties, student records, compliance, ISAT & other Student Services)

Tier 4 – A work in progress

• Lots of funding and resource needed to keep up-to-date with requirements (CAS increase, attendance monitoring systems, account manager fees £8,000)

• Systems have been improved and more efficient systems established

• Constant changes still cause major challenges (English Language, progression from FE, new course/new visa, refusal threshold reduced to 10%)

• Often rules hamper development of academic programmes (work placement options, progression)

The balanced approach

• Compliance has to work, but it must be done in the appropriate way and in liaison with all departments it affects

• Change = PBS advisory group meetings to establish a balanced approach considering relevant processes together with student support needs

• Use UKVI regulations in a positive way so more responsive to student needs eg monitoring student attendance and progress can be used so they are proactive and supportive for all students

The Sussex approach

• UKVI group meets termly o Focuses on developing policy

• Monthly catch-up meetings between Compliance Manager & ISS

o Considers specific issues and impact of changes to Immigration Rules etc

• Individual student cases: ad-hoc case review discussions o Working together to find solutions (eg whether to

issue a further CAS after a visa refusal)

Sussex ‘temporary withdrawal’ process for taught students

• Previously, international students often left with no knowledge of implications for their visa

• New process agreed following collaboration between Student Life Centre, Student Systems Office, & ISS

• Tier 4 students must take advice from ISS

• Opportunity to explain UKVI report, visa curtailment, 5-year cap implications

• Result = opportunity for ISS to influence final decision, offer welfare support & better-informed students

Sussex student immigration handbook

• Produced by International Student Support, with input from other departments (including Compliance and Student Progress)

• Given to all Tier 4 visa holders at registration

• Sets out our responsibilities and theirs – useful for audit

• Includes advice on bringing family to UK and travelling in Europe

• Keeps Sussex students informed & helps protect our licence

Attendance monitoring policy at Brookes

• Tier 4 check-in Semesters 1 and 2 – all students, those on placement/study abroad do it via phone

• Students contacted via email

• Students can check in at Student Central (main campus) or at locations at other campuses during a 2 week period

• Staff check the students contact details are up-to-date, that they attending lectures/seminars, that they understand the rules on work

• If students miss the check-in they are sent reminder emails, if they do not respond they are blocked and finally excluded and reported to the UKVI

Undergraduate and Taught Masters

• By submission of assessed work. Students excluded and reported if they miss 10 expected submissions in a semester

• After exam boards the Compliance Officer runs reports of all marks and contacts students who have missed submissions or received low grades

• Students attend meetings with ISAT to discuss their progress. Issues are identified, students referred to other services, Counselling, medical services, academic advisers, upgrade, English language support – an action plan drawn up

• If they do not engage with the process they are excluded and reported to the UKVI

Benefits of an effective attendance monitoring process

• Helps increase student focus and engagement

• Encourages a better student experience due to staff being made more aware of pastoral and welfare issues

• Where issues are highlighted, students can be referred to relevant support systems early on, this leads to improved retention and student wellbeing

• A systematic approach to monitoring attendance from the start of a programme fosters a culture of attendance in future years

Communication and working together - Recent UKVI audit experience at Brookes • 250 Tier 4 student files checked

• Non Tier 4 students

• 4 members of the Higher Education Assurance Team (HEAT) visiting for 4 days

• Meetings with staff responsible for recruitment and agents, English language assessment and admissions, attendance monitoring and progress, placements, partnerships and reporting

• Briefing meetings with all staff to prepare

• Meetings schedule arranged beforehand

• Compliance doesn’t have to be hard line and can be attached to other processes and support mechanisms

• ISAT at Brookes & ISS Sussex both seen very much as a student service to help students succeed and protect their status as well as protecting the institution

• Communication across departments essential - every time the rules change, we have to rethink our processes and find innovative solutions that continue to ensure a good student experience

• Can be a real challenge when rules changes have such an negative effect on the student

Conclusion - Strengths/opportunities

Opportunities

What opportunities exist or could exist at your institution?

Final questions?