Sponsoring a Student

This section explains how to sponsor migrants who want to study in the United Kingdom under tier 4 of the points-based system.

What education providers must show to be a tier 4 sponsor?

If you are an education provider and you want a licence to be a tier 4 sponsor, you must show that:

• you have been inspected, audited or reviewed by an appropriate body (if you are subject to public review);
• you hold valid accreditation from an appropriate body (if you are not subject to public review); or
• you directly offer short-term 'study abroad' programmes in your own premises in the United Kingdom (if you are an overseas higher education provider).

All sponsors have a number of duties that they must fulfil. These include keeping records and telling us about any changes.

For complete information on sponsoring and documents check out Sponsoring a migrant

Overseas higher education providers:
If you are an overseas higher education provider, you do not need United Kingdom accreditation as long as the courses you offer in the United Kingdom are short-term 'study abroad' programmes provided directly by you in your own premises. Students for these courses must be enrolled in their home country and be coming to the United Kingdom for one or two semesters before returning home to finish their degree course (which must be equivalent to a United Kingdom degree).

You will still need to apply for a tier 4 licence, and will need to provide proof that:

• you hold overseas accreditation, which can be confirmed by the national agency UK NARIC, as a provider of degree programmes that are equivalent to United Kingdom degree-level qualifications; and
• you only teach part of your higher education programmes in the United Kingdom (so that, for example, students are enrolled at the overseas university and study only part of their degree in the United Kingdom before returning overseas to finish their studies); and
• you have full legal control of the premises you use.

Sponsoring general students :

To qualify as a general student under the points-based system, a migrant must score 40 points
Migrants will need a visa letter from their tier 4 sponsor to support their application for permission to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.

The process of sponsoring a general student is made up of four stages.

• Make sure that the course the migrant wants to do is acceptable for a Tier 4 general student, and that any work placements meet the Tier 4 requirements.
• If the migrant is going to do a pre-sessional course to prepare them for their main course of study, make sure that the pre-sessional course meets the Tier 4 requirements.
• You do not have to check that the migrant has enough money (maintenance) to cover their course fees and monthly living costs, but you may wish to do so.
• Issue a visa letter offering the migrant an unconditional place at your institution. This will enable the migrant to apply for permission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom as a general student under Tier 4.

If the migrant accepts your offer and we give them permission to study in the United Kingdom based on your visa letter, you will become their sponsor. You must then make sure that you manage your record-keeping and reporting duties for the student.

Sponsoring child students:

To qualify as a child student under the points-based system, a migrant must score 40 points.
Migrants will need a visa letter from their tier 4 sponsor to support their application for permission to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.

The process of sponsoring a child student is made up of five stages.

• Make sure that the course the child wants to do is acceptable for a Tier 4 child student.
• If the child needs to do a pre-sessional course to prepare them for their main course of study, make sure that the pre-sessional course meets the Tier 4 requirements.
• You do not have to check that the child has enough money (maintenance) to cover their course fees and monthly living costs, but you may wish to do so.
• If the child will be staying in a private foster care arrangement while in the United Kingdom, you must give the foster carer's name and the address where they and the child will be living to the local authority in that area.
• Issue a visa letter offering the child an unconditional place at your institution. This will enable them to apply for permission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom as a child student.

If your offer is accepted and the child is granted permission to study in the United Kingdom based on your visa letter, you will become their sponsor. You must then make sure that you manage your record-keeping and reporting duties for them