Immigration and Visas for Postgraduate Students An Orientation Programme Presentation

Key Points How to protect your immigration permission (visa) and what could happen if you don’t University’s responsibilities under Tier 4 Your responsibilities under Tier 4 Dependants 5 Year Rule

Points Based System Tier 4 of the points based system was introduced on 31 March 2009 Much stricter immigration system, no discretion used Points needed for immigration applications Tier 4 sponsor has responsibilities to comply with the UKBA requirements Students with Tier 4 immigration permission have responsibilities to comply with the UKBA requirements

Check your immigration permission Check your immigration permission – does it have the University of Manchester’s sponsor license number on it? Our sponsor licence number is Q3DK76WN4 Check that you have been issued with the correct length of immigration permission – if not, contact IAT for advice. If you have immigration permission with a different institution’s sponsor licence number you will not be permitted to collect your student card until you have applied to UKBA to switch Tier 4 sponsors – seek advice from IAT Don’t register late – inform your School if there is going to be a delay If you need to apply for an extension or to switch Tier 4 sponsors you need to have all the documents ready – read the information on our website: life/immigration/checkingifyouneedimmigrationpermissiontostudyattheuniversityofma nchester/ life/immigration/checkingifyouneedimmigrationpermissiontostudyattheuniversityofma nchester/

Keep your passport safe If you are going on holiday outside the UK take special care of your passport. This applies particularly in the case of international students because airlines and other transport operators will not allow anyone to board a plane to the UK without a passport and official evidence of immigration permission to enter the UK. Please take extra care of your immigration documents when you are travelling outside the UK.

Keep your passport safe Keep your passport/Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) in a safe at your hotel/hostel if possible. Do not carry it with you if you don’t need it. If you do need to carry your passport/BRP keep it in a cash belt under your clothes so it is secure from pickpockets. Do not carry anyone else’s passport/BRP for them; Keep a copy of your passport and visa in your suitcase/hotel in case your documents are lost or stolen (and ask a friend in Manchester to keep copies too while you are away). Take out insurance that will cover the costs you incur if your passport or biometric residence permit is lost or stolen – it will be worth every penny! You must report the theft/loss to the police in the country that you are in and obtain a police report and apply for a replacement travel document from your Embassy in the country that you are in. Once you have a replacement passport you must apply for a visa and there is further information about how to apply on our website; life/immigration/lost-passports/ life/immigration/lost-passports/ If your documents are lost or stolen whilst travelling outside the UK contact us and your School.

Registration Your passport and immigration permission will be scanned as part of the registration process - this is one of our responsibilities as your Tier 4 sponsor If your passport or BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) is not available at registration because you have sent it to the UK Border Agency (UKBA) as part of an immigration extension application you need to provide your UKBA receipt Change of address – you must update your address on the student system and inform the UKBA by completing a ‘Change of Circumstances’ form, this is one of your duties as a Tier 4 student: cumstances/#header1 cumstances/#header1

Police Registration Check if you need to register with the police (it will be stated in your immigration permission) and book an appointment Only students from certain nationalities and students on courses longer than six months will need to register with the police You must update your police registration certificate every time you change address, extend your immigration permission, renew your passport, change educational institution etc. If you are not sure if you need to register with the police ask at the Orientation Helpdesk in University Place or see our website: life/immigration/policeregistration/ life/immigration/policeregistration/

Working Check your immigration permission to ensure you have the correct work restriction International students with Tier 4 immigration permission who are studying a degree level course or above at a University are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time in vacation periods Taught Masters students cannot work full-time during the summer because you should be working on their projects / dissertations so you are still in full-time study PhD students are eligible for 8 weeks holiday per year, but your supervisor must agree any holiday period in writing The UKBA takes work restrictions very seriously and they can refuse your immigration application or remove you from the UK if you work too many hours or do work that you are not allowed to do (eg. working as an entertainer or sportsperson) One of our responsibilities under Tier 4 is to report any students who are working illegally to the UKBA

Public Funds What does ‘no recourse to public funds’ mean? As an international student you cannot claim public funds such as child benefit or local authority housing If you claim public funds the UKBA can refuse your immigration application or remove you from the UK Using the National Health Service, sending your child to a state school or being exempt from Council Tax, do not count as accessing public funds

Money When you applied for Tier 4 immigration permission you signed a declaration to state that you have enough money to pay for your tuition fees and living costs (£800 per month) while you are in the UK You should not borrow the funds from someone in order to meet the maintenance requirements of an immigration application because the UKBA will view this as deception The money must be genuinely available to you for the duration of your course If you encounter financial difficulties during your studies contact staff at the Student Services Centre for advice

Bank statements Open a UK bank account that sends paper statements by post and ensure your bank has your most up-to-date address This is not an immigration requirement but it makes future immigration applications easier If you extend your immigration permission in the UK you must provide financial documents as evidence that you have the funds to cover your tuition fees and living costs The easiest way to meet the UKBA requirements is with postal paper bank statements from a UK account Make sure your bank knows that you need paper statements Keep all your bank statements; don’t throw them away

Extending your immigration permission Check when your immigration permission expires and make a note in your diary three months before that date as a reminder to yourself It takes time to collect all the documents you need for an extension application and you need to have the funds in your bank account for 28 days - prepare your application early If you want to apply for work immigration permission after you have finished your studies you will have to keep the funds in your account for 90 days so you need a few months to prepare for that For information about how to extend your immigration permission in the UK visit our website: life/immigration/applying-from-the-uk/ life/immigration/applying-from-the-uk/ When you have your new immigration permission you must take it to the Student Services Centre so that we can scan it for our records

Keep records Make copies of your passport, both sides of your BRP (if you have one) and your police registration certificate (if you have one) If you ever lose these documents or they are stolen it will be very useful for you to have copies of them. If you lose your passport or BRP there is information on our website to help you: guide/academic-life/immigration/lost-passports/ guide/academic-life/immigration/lost-passports/ Make copies of all the documents you send to the UKBA as part of any immigration application Keep the receipts from Royal Mail showing the date you post anything to the UKBA (always use Special Delivery post) Keep any letters you receive from the UKBA and the envelopes they sent them in (so you have proof of the date they sent them) Keep any paperwork relating to any of your travel into and out of the UK

Attendance You must attend all timetabled teaching periods and laboratory classes as well as any supervision sessions or meetings that have been arranged You must explain any absences or unsatisfactory work to your academic adviser When a University census takes place (three times per year) you must attend If you do not attend your classes the University must report you to the UKBA so it is very important that you seek advice from your School as soon as possible if you become ill and cannot attend If you need a break from your studies for maternity or illness you need to discuss your options with your School and IAT as soon as possible

University’s Tier 4 responsibilities We must keep a record of your immigration permission, your passport, and your BRP (if you have one) We must keep a record of your current address, telephone number and other contact details We must monitor your attendance at supervision sessions, tutorials, laboratory classes We must monitor your academic progress during your studies

Reporting We must report you to the UKBA if: -Your academic progress or attendance is poor -You withdraw from your course -We exclude you from your course -You interrupt your studies -You complete your course earlier than expected -You change course -You switch into another immigration category but continue studying -You are in breach of your immigration permission in some way If we report you to the UKBA you will receive an from us to confirm this and to explain what you must do The UKBA will write to you to inform you that your immigration permission will be curtailed to expire in 60 days time You will have 60 days from the date you are reported to either leave the UK or get new immigration permission for another institution or in another category

Your Tier 4 Responsibilities You must comply with the conditions of your Tier 4 immigration permission You must attend your timetabled teaching periods and laboratory classes as well as any supervision sessions or meetings which have been arranged You must explain any absences or unsatisfactory work to your designated Academic Adviser You must inform the UKBA if you change your address by completing a ‘Change of Circumstances’ form (see previous slide ‘Registration’) You must comply with any requests from UKBA e.g. meeting immigration officers when they are on an inspection visit to the University You must tell us if you switch into another immigration category while still studying at the University and you must take it to the Student Services Centre to be scanned

Dependants The UKBA changed the immigration rules for families on 4 July 2011 You can only bring family members to the UK if you are studying a postgraduate course that is longer than six months or if you are sponsored by your government If you are studying at undergraduate level and you are not sponsored by your government you cannot bring your family to the UK as your dependants If you have been studying a course for more than six months and your dependants are already with you, you may be able to extend your immigration permission with your dependants but you need to contact us for advice There is more information about dependants on our website: life/immigration/dependants/ life/immigration/dependants/

5 Year Rule The UKBA has announced a limit to the amount of time students are allowed to spend studying in the UK Students who have already spent 5 years studying on Undergraduate or Masters courses with student or tier 4 immigration may not further immigration permission under Tier 4, unless it is for a PhD If you think that you will be affected by this new rule please contact us

Contact us There are four International Student Advisers in the International Advice Team: – Gerry Bell – Laura Hardman – Ros Harrison – Erika Buzink We are based at the Student Services Centre on Burlington Street (near the University of Manchester Library) The Student Services Centre is open Monday – Friday 9am to 4pm, except on Tuesdays when we open 10am to 4pm You can contact us by phone or – (option 1) – If you would like an appointment with an International Student Adviser you should contact us by phone or via the front counter staff

So enjoy your time in Manchester and for more information on a range of subjects, check out the Crucial Guide Crucial Guide