visas

Visa refusals

In the event that a member centre believes that one of their students has been unfairly refused a visa, we would ask that you send us a copy of the actual refusal notice signed by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO). These should be sent for the attention of Naadiya Rawat, Public Affairs, Policy and Research Manager (naadiya@englishuk.com).   

English UK collates these into a dossier which shows problems with invalid refusals cross-referenced by country/visa post/ECO, so that when we present the UK Border Agency with the evidence we can identify precisely where/what/who the problem is. UKBA require this information before investigating the claims.

In addition, it is recommended that members should individually complain to the Entry Clearance Manager (ECM) at the post in question, with a well-reasoned and courteous but firm explanation of why the ECO's rationale is unreasonable, copied to us and to UKBA. 

Students should submit a request for an Administrative Review. Please click here to access the contact details for visa offices.

Students & the Points Based System

The Points Based System, which went live on 31 March 2009, is intended to base visa decisions on objective rather than subjective criteria. If it works as intended, it will simplify and streamline the UK visa system.

Lists of  visa national and  non-visa national countries can be downloaded here.

Register of Sponsors

English UK is not notified of suspension or revocation of sponsor licences by the UKBA. If your licence has been revoked or suspended, do get in touch immediately so that English UK can help you with representations with UKBA. Send all relevant communications and documents to Naadiya Rawat (naadiya@englishuk.com).

Please click here to see the Register of Sponsors.

Downloads:

•  The Student Immigration System - A Consultation; Response from English UK (updated on 17 January 2011)
•  Extended Student Visitor Visa - FAQ
•  CEFR B1 - Threshold level, Equivalencies in Language Test Assessment
•  List of Visa National Countries
•  List of Non Visa National Countries
•  Contact details for visa offices

Visa-related news archive

Please click on the items below to read visa updates from English UK.

Today the Home Secretary made a statement to MPs on student visas. Please click here to see the statement. All sponsors should also have received an email from Jeremy Oppenheim, please click here to see a copy of the text.

English UK issued a press release in response to this announcement. Please click here to see this.  

Following the publication of the report on student visas by the Home Affairs Committee (HAC), English UK has prepared a short report for members. Please click here to access the summary. A press release has also been circulated and has been uploaded to the Press Centre on the English UK website.

A copy of the HAC report can be downloaded here.

Click on the links below to download a report by the Institue of Public Policy and Research (IPPR) on student migration and a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI).

Both reports undermine the government's case for treating students as part of net migration and cutting international student numbers by anything other than reducing abuse and improving accreditation. 

• Student Migration In The UK
  by Sarah Mulley, Associate Director for Migration, Trade and Development
  Institute of Public Policy and Research (IPPR)
• The UKBA's Proposed Restrictions on Tier 4 visas: implications for University recruitment of overseas students
  Professor Edward Acton, Vice-Chancellor, University of East Anglia
  Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)

From 10 January 2011, English language students wishing to attend exclusively English language courses will be able to apply for a student visitor visa allowing them to stay for up to 11 months.

To read English UK's press release following the announcement, please click here.

To download a Frequently Asked Questions document about the ESVV, please  click here.

English UK has produced its submission to the government's review of review of student visa routes, a draft of which can be downloaded here.

Please note the chart referred to on page 9 of this submission, showing the rise in net migration since 1970s can be viewed here.

Following discussions with the Minister for Immigration, Damian Green, and senior UKBA officials last week, English UK has put together a paper reviewing the options that could be considered as alternatives to level B1 as entry criterion for English language courses.

Please click here to see the position paper.

Stephen Lloyd MP and Julian Huppert MP have tabled EDM 603. The EDM has already been signed by several MPs. We would urge you to ask your MP to sign the EDM if they are allowed to. Below is the EDM.

EDM 603:

That this house disapproves of sections 17 and 18 of the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, HC 382, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22nd July 2010 for implementation on 23 July 2010; and calls on the Government to bring forward rules which do not require prospective English language students to achieve B1 standard English before their studies, in recognition of the potential damage the proposed rules could do with this vital £1.5 billion industry.

Further to the changes announced by the UKBA, please find below the main points that concern the ELT industry:

• English language level: Students can only enrol on courses at B2 on the CEFR from Friday 23 July. This includes students who are already in the UK, but excludes students who applied for their visa before 5 October 2009.
• Approved secure tests: This is not applicable to students enrolling on an English language course. Sponsors can still assess students by whichever means they wish. This should be made clear on the CAS and students will need to submit all documents that were used to assess their level.
• CAS assigned before 23 July 2010: Applications made by students enrolling on a course at A2 on the CEFR will be accepted by UKBA as long as the CAS was assigned before 23 July 2010.
• Exemptions: The exemptions on the minimum level which applied previously to government-sponsored language students and those undertaking a pre-sessional English language course before pursuing a degree course remain in place.

Please click here to see a letter from the Treasury Solicitor, categorically confirming that it is legally binding for the government to accept students at A1 for courses at A2.

More than 3,000 jobs and over £600 million a year in foreign earnings have been saved for the UK economy by a High Court judgement on which international students can come to the UK.

English UK has today won its case in the High Court against the last Home Secretary's decision to raise the level of English which students must have before they can get a UK visa to learn the language here.

Mr Justice Foskett instructed that a change back to the A1 level of English for students wanting to study on a General Student Visa would be effective immediately. To read the judgement in full, please click here.

The meeting arranged for English UK members with representatives of UKBA on Tuesday 16 March gave members the opportunity to hear of the developments planned for Tier 4.

 Click here for a summary of the meeting.

A mass lobby, where constituents meet their MPs in the Central Lobby of the Houses of Parliament, was organised on Wednesday 3 March.

Ahead of this event, Tony Millns put together a briefing paper on the new rules which came into effect on 3 March 2010, and their impact. The paper was sent to members encouraging them to bring up the issues mentioned in the document with their MPs. The briefing paper has also been sent to MPs, but members are encouraged to write again to their constituency MPs with material from the paper.

The mass lobby was well attended, with more than 70 members turning up for support or for individual meetings with MPs. A meeting followed the mass lobby at which some 10 MPs were present. David Lepper MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for English Language Teaching, and Damian Green MP both gave a short speech and representations were made by several members. An action plan has been agreed on. Click here to view the minutes.

English UK has, via its solicitor, sent a letter before Judicial Review to the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson. The UKBA/Home Office have asked for another week to provide a substantive reply.

In a speech today Alan Johnson, Home Secretary, announced the changes that will occur to the Tier 4 system. Information is available on the UKBA website (click here to access it) and a written ministerial statement is available as a download on the right hand side of this page.

English UK has produced a response to these changes, a copy of which can be downloaded here.

The government plans to hold a major review of the PBS system in December. It will cover the below focus areas:

• Should the minimum level of qualification that can be studied through the PBS be raised from NQF level 3?
• Should the minimum level of English language qualification that can be studied in the UK through the PBS be raised from CEFR level A2?
• Should English language testing be introduced for all courses of NQF level 5 and below, including English language courses, and if so, through what mechanism?
• Should access to vocational courses be restricted?
• Should we introduce a differential approach for countries which have historically been sources of illegal migration, raising the minimum level of qualification and introducing stricter tests for individuals from those higher risk countries?
• Should we restrict the work rights attached to student visas?
• Should we place limits on the progression of students on courses up the qualifications scale without their returning to their home countries?

English UK has produced a response to this review and the points raised above, a draft of which can be downloaded here.

English UK has also urged members to contact their local MPs to point out just what damage these changes could potentially cause to the UK economy if brought in. Members have also been encouraged to file their own response to the review, following the general line of arguments put forward by English UK.

Robert Syms, Conservative MP for Poole, won an Adjournment debate entitled "Immigration policy and language schools", which took place from 13:00 to 13:30 on Tuesday 8th December. 

The debate was attended by seven MPs on a cross-party basis. Led by Robert Syms, they included messrs Lepper, Smith (Oxford East), Hammond, Soames, Butterfill and Sanders.

If you wish to watch the adjournment debate, you can do so via this link.

Once you open the link, to go straight to the immigration policy and language schools debate, you'll need to forward the player to 3:28 (3 hours, 28 minutes on the timer) as it is towards the end of the debating schedule.

You can also read a transcript of the debate here.  To view the full debate please click "Next Section" at the end of the page.