Fulham & Chelsea College

News - from the College and the Students

November 27^th, 2007 - The item from the UKCISA - Newsletter (UK Council for International Student Affairs)

'Short term student' entry clearance and extensions
Home Office approach to overstayers shifts radically
Student Batch Scheme
Academic Technology Approval Scheme
Latest UKCISA Briefing

1. 'Short term student' entry clearance and extensions

The Home Office is taking a strange approach towards those who have entry clearances (issued in their home countries abroad), where the type is described as 'short term student', and the conditions prohibit work. The Home Office is claiming that these individuals are not entitled to apply for more time in the UK, as students, from within the UK (ie it claims that they have to return abroad and make fresh entry clearance applications if they want to stay longer than the period that appears on the entry clearance). UKCISA believes this approach is wrong in law. Read more about this on the UKCISA website.

2. Home Office approach to overstayers shifts radically

Until recently, the Home Office had a small degree of tolerance towards those students who forgot to renew their immigration permission to be in the UK in time ('overstayers'). Provided they did not leave it too long, the Home Office would consider applications from them to 'regularise' their position (ie late applications for extensions). The Home Office would look at these applications in the round, with overstaying only one of a number of factors to be considered. Applications that were strong in all respects apart from being late, would be granted.

Now, it seems, the position has shifted. Overstaying is now regarded by the Home Office as extremely serious, and a significant proportion of applications from overstayers are being refused (despite being strong in all respects other than being a few days late). A student can inadvertently become an overstayer by using a credit or debit card to pay the fee for an in-time application, and then finding out (after the date that their immigration permission expires) that their payment for the application has failed. They have not made a valid application to the Home Office, and are therefore an overstayer at the point when they want to send their application back in again.

Read more about this in the UKCISA Briefing (No.6, 2007), where you will also find an action plan for advising students in the new climate.

3. Student Batch Scheme

You may have noticed in recent days that the Student Batch Scheme have been returning more passports to you individually (rather than in a batch) than you would usually expect. This is because of an internal problem that they have now rectified. The problem should therefore disappear.
Remember that the maximum number of applications you can submit in one batch is ten. This limit is specified in the Conditions of Use for the Home Office Student Batch Scheme (page 4, paragraph 7). If you are not aware of the limit, it may be that you are not aware of the other Conditions of Use for the scheme, in which case do take a few minutes to read through them now.
Please also go back and check the FLR(S) forms that you are distributing to students. Do they ALL include the page between pages 3 and 4, which has the following message typed on it?:

"If you are producing a double-sided copy of this application form, please include this page and make sure it falls on the reverse of the payment details page in the two-sided copy. For administrative reasons, it's important that the rest of the form begins with Section 1 - Applicant's Details facing upwards".

Some Student Batch Scheme users continue to send in forms without including this page, clogging up the system.

4. Academic Technology Approval Scheme

The new Academic Technology Approval Scheme is described in the latest edition of the UKCISA Briefing (No.6, 2007), which is now available on the UKCISA website.

5. Latest UKCISA Briefing

UKCISA Briefing No.6, 2007 is now available on the UKCISA website, and is being mailed out to members. It includes the following items (amongst others):
Home Office approach to overstayers shifts radically
Immigration Rules change from 30 November
Academic Technology Approval Scheme launched
Worker Authorisation Scheme changes
International Graduates Scheme update
Fees and Student Support in Scotland
Home Office publishes 'statement of intent' on sponsors

Contact amblercollins for more information

>>>back to FC College Latest News