Does The University Of Hertfordshire Sponsor Student Visas?

The University of Hertfordshire can sponsor student visas. The university holds a Student Sponsor licence, which allows it to sponsor international students to come to the UK to study. The university is required to ensure that it remains compliant with the terms of its sponsor licence throughout the course. Students must also comply with the conditions of their Student Visa, as failure to do so may result in their visa being cancelled.

Student Visa Responsibilities

The University of Hertfordshire holds a Student Sponsor Licence, which allows them to sponsor international students to come to the UK to study. To retain this licence, both the university and the students must follow the rules and responsibilities set out by the Home Office.

Immigration Responsibilities:

• You must comply with the conditions of your Student Visa. Failure to do so is a criminal offence and may result in the curtailment of your visa and/or withdrawal from the university, removal from the UK, and refusal of future visas for a period of one to ten years.
• You can only study at the University of Hertfordshire and cannot study at other institutions.
• Do not claim public funds.
• Ensure your current passport, visa, and/or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) have been scanned by the university at registration/re-enrolment and every time you renew these documents.
• Provide the University of Hertfordshire with your UK contact details (address, email address, and mobile phone number) and keep them up to date via your Student Record.
• Inform the university of any changes to your circumstances that may affect your visa status in the UK, including changing from a Student Visa to another leave type or vice versa.
• Attend all required lectures, tutorials, and online teaching, and submit all required coursework on time.
• Inform UKVI of any changes required by them, including changes to your UK address.
• Register for your programme on time each academic year.
• Study full-time and ensure attendance in accordance with the University's UPRs and your programme of study's specific requirements.
• Engage in mandatory University attendance monitoring processes, including a yearly Visa Check and swiping your ID card at every teaching session.
• Follow university processes if you decide to defer, suspend, or withdraw from your studies and return home.
• Return home if you defer or suspend your studies, withdraw from your programme, or your programme is terminated. You must also return home before the expiry date of your visa.
• Inform the university if you decide to complete your studies overseas as a distance learner.
• Notify the university of any absences (medical or personal).
• Inform the university if you complete your studies earlier than expected.
• Obtain new ATAS clearance (if applicable) before changing your course, transferring to another course, or extending your visa.
• Adhere to work conditions as stipulated on your visa/Biometric Card (BRP), including not exceeding working hour restrictions.
• Act within the conditions of your visa and within the law.

University Immigration Responsibilities:

• Keep copies of student passports, visas, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), and ATAS certificates (if applicable). Make further copies every time a student obtains new documents.
• Ensure that they have up-to-date contact details for students, including changes to name, address, telephone, and email details.
• Inform UKVI if a student fails to register/re-enrol at the start of their course and each year afterward.
• Monitor and record attendance and notify UKVI of any unauthorised absence and/or non-attendance.
• Monitor and notify UKVI if a student suspends their studies, defers, transfers courses, withdraws from a course, or completes their studies earlier than the end date stated on their CAS.
• Provide details of any work and Study Abroad placements to UKVI and monitor attendance at that work placement/Study Abroad location.
• Notify UKVI if a student changes their visa status and no longer requires a Student Visa, or if sponsorship is no longer required due to a change in study circumstances. This includes changing to distance learning or switching immigration categories.
• Take and keep copies of any evidence used as the basis of an offer to study at the university, including any documents provided as part of the offer, interviews, and portfolios of work.
• Report any other information to UKVI if there are concerns about students breaching their visa conditions, including work conditions, non-attendance, and any other issue outside of their studies that may impact their immigration status.

Working During Studies

If you are studying at the University of Hertfordshire with a Student Visa, you should have been issued a visa that allows work during your studies. This will be stated on the vignette (yellow sticker) in your passport or on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Check the front of your BRP or vignette in your passport to see how many hours you are permitted to work.

Your visa/BRP will confirm how many hours the Home Office permits you to work:

• 20 hours per week during term time if you are studying at degree level and above; OR
• 10 hours per week during term time if you are studying below degree level; OR
• Full time during vacation periods; OR
• Full time during a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of your studies.

These hours are per week and must never be averaged over a longer time scale. The Home Office defines a working week as running from Monday to Sunday, regardless of where or for whom you work. This is especially important to remember if you have more than one job. Remember – paid and unpaid work, on-call hours, on-the job training and working as a voluntary worker all count towards your permitted weekly working hours limit.

Check your visa/BRP carefully for any working hour errors before you start working. If you think that the working hours restriction on your BRP is incorrect, please report the error online on https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem within 10 days of receipt of the BRP. You cannot exceed the working hours restriction until you get your visa/BRP corrected.

The University of Hertfordshire has its own restrictions on how many hours students can work, regardless of what your BRP states. Contact the Human Resources (HR) team to discuss how many hours you are permitted to work as a student sponsored by the university.

Your Student Visa restricts the number of hours you can work during term time, but you can work full time outside of term time. Term time means any period of time when you are expected to do any academic work, for example:

• Attending classes and lectures (whether face-to-face or online)
• Writing essays, dissertations or a thesis
• Preparing for and taking exams
• Undertaking re-sits, referrals and deferrals

Please note that Induction/Freshers' Week, school reading weeks and study weeks are considered to be term time, so you should not work full time during these weeks. You can find the general term dates and vacation periods on the University of Hertfordshire website. If you are registered in the current academic year, you are permitted to work full time outside of your term dates, which are noted on your student status letter and the University of Hertfordshire website.

Most courses are delivered within the standard term dates. However, some courses extend into vacation periods. To determine if your course is one of them, please refer to the course list on the University of Hertfordshire website. If your course is listed, it may impact your ability to work outside of term times.

To prove to an employer that you can work outside of term time, please provide a copy of your student status letter along with the list of courses noted on the University of Hertfordshire website.

If you are completing your dissertation, please note that you cannot work more than 20 hours per week. Failure to comply may result in your visa sponsorship being withdrawn.

Type of Work

The type of work you can do on a Student Visa is subject to certain restrictions.

Permitted Work

• Part-time employment that is paid or unpaid, including remote work for an employer outside the UK
• Work placement as part of a course that is paid or unpaid
• Volunteering – as long as it meets the definition for volunteering as stated in the Student Route Policy Guidance
• Self-employment e.g. freelancing, working from home, selling your own products such as artwork, music or jewellery
• Sabbatical officer in a Students' Union for up to 2 years

Prohibited Work

• Engaging in business or any professional activity. This includes (but is not limited to): setting up a business, being a company director, sleeping partner, sole trader, shareholder or entering a partnership arrangement. It also includes any work for a business that is based overseas, but the work is being done from within the UK.
• Doctor or dentist in training unless on a recognised foundation programme where permission has been granted for this course type
• Professional sportsperson/sports coach. Professional sportsperson includes playing or coaching, paid or unpaid, at all levels in any capacity. This includes being registered with a national/youth/state/professional/semi-professional team. This is not an exhaustive list, so if you are involved with any type of sporting activity or coaching, please seek advice from the Student Immigration Team (Advice).
• Entertainer (including modelling)
• Sole trader e.g. eBay, Amazon, Etsy
• Delivery person as a contractor e.g. Deliveroo, Uber, DPD, MyHermes etc.
• Direct sales e.g. Avon, Amway, Thermomix etc.
• Full-time internship or work placement that is not an integral and assessed part of a course
• Filling a full-time permanent position

Breaches of Working Conditions

WARNING: Do not breach your visa working conditions. It is important that you understand the rules about working in the UK, as the consequences of breaching your visa conditions (including working over your weekly limit) are extremely serious, for both the worker and the employer. Working breaches are a criminal offence and can lead to a fine of £5,000 and/or up to six months in prison and the possibility of removal from the UK. It can also seriously impact the University's ability to recruit and retain international students and staff. Any student suspected of breaching their visa conditions must be reported to the Home Office by the University. If that student is also working for the University, they will be told to stop working immediately and the University may also stop sponsorship of their Student Visa.

Dependants

The University of Hertfordshire holds a Student Sponsor licence, which allows it to sponsor international students to come to the UK to study. The university's responsibilities as a sponsor include keeping copies of student passports, visas, biometric residence permits, and ATAS certificates.

Now, onto dependants:

Who can be a dependent?

A dependent can be your:

• Husband, wife, or civil partner
• Unmarried partner (if you have been in a relationship similar to marriage or a civil partnership for at least 2 years)
• Child under 18 years old

Financial requirements

As part of the visa application, dependents must have sufficient funds to cover living costs in the UK. This is £680 for each month the visa will be valid, up to a maximum of 9 months. This amounts to a total of £6,120 per dependent if the visa will be granted for 9 months or more. These funds can be held in the student's name or the spouse/partner's name.

If you have official financial sponsorship that covers the living costs of any dependents, a letter from the sponsor confirming this can be submitted to fulfil the financial requirements. If the sponsorship does not cover the full amount, additional financial documentation would be needed.

Documents required

The following documents are also needed to support a dependent application:

• TB test certificate (if applicable)
• Evidence of the relationship to the main applicant (e.g. marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, birth certificate)
• Any documents not in English must be accompanied by official certified translations
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), if the dependent has one for their current visa
• Evidence of the relationship to the main applicant if the dependent partner or child has not previously been granted permission as a dependent
• For children over 16 years old when they apply, documentation confirming their residential address from two separate sources will be needed to prove they are not leading an independent life

Working on a dependent visa

Dependents can work full time in the UK but with some exceptions:

• They cannot work as a professional sportsperson, which includes a sports coach
• They cannot work as a doctor or dentist in training if granted dependent permission prior to 5 October 2020, unless they have a degree in medicine or dentistry from a UK institution or have previously been granted a UK visa that did not restrict their employment as a doctor or dentist in training and were employed as such during that period

Children born in the UK

It is not necessary to apply for a dependent visa for a child born in the UK. However, if the child leaves the UK, they will require immigration permission to re-enter. Additionally, charges may apply for NHS treatment after the child turns 3 months old unless a dependent visa has been obtained, as the immigration health surcharge would be paid as part of this application.

Application Process

The University of Hertfordshire can sponsor student visas. Here is the application process:

Step 1: Get a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

Before you can begin your Student Visa application, you need to have a CAS. The CAS is an electronic document issued by the University, which contains a unique reference number that you must use when applying for your visa. A CAS is valid for 6 months and can only be used once. To receive your CAS, you need to have cleared all conditions set out by the University on your offer document.

Step 2: Prepare the required documents

The following documents are usually required by the University for applications:

• Unconditional offer to study at the University.
• Completed University application, including a detailed personal statement.
• Copies of your qualifications.
• Immigration History Questionnaire (IHQ).
• Copy of your passport photo/name page.
• Copy of any previous UK visas (if applicable).
• Copy of any previous CAS which you used to obtain a previous Student Visa (if applicable).
• Copy of all visa refusals you have received for any country (if applicable).
• If requested – your bank statements/sponsor letter which you intend to use with your visa application.

Step 3: Complete the online visa application form

You must complete an online application form (unless you are applying from North Korea, in which case you must complete a paper application form). Before your appointment, check that you have scanned and uploaded all relevant documents for your visa application. You will need to insert your CAS number, passport/travel document, Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), and other relevant documents.

Step 4: Pay the application fee

The cost of Student Visa applications from the UK varies depending on the service level:

• Standard service (approx. 8 weeks): £490, plus £490 for each dependant (child under 18 or spouse).
• Priority service (approx. 5 working days): £990, plus £990 for each dependant.
• Super Priority service (approx. 1 working day): £1,490, plus £1,490 for each dependant.

Step 5: Submit your application

Submit your application before your visa expires. If you are unable to use the IDV app, you will need to book a Biometric Enrolment appointment.

Compliance

The University of Hertfordshire holds a Student Sponsor licence, which allows it to sponsor international students to come to the UK to study. To retain the licence, the university and its students must comply with the rules and responsibilities set out by the Home Office.

The University of Hertfordshire must:

• Keep copies of student passports, visas, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and ATAS certificates (if applicable). This includes making further copies every time new documents are obtained.
• Ensure that they have up-to-date contact details for students – including changes to name, address, telephone and email details.
• Inform UKVI if a student fails to register or re-enrol at the start of their course and each year afterwards.
• Monitor and record attendance and notify UKVI of any unauthorised absence and/or non-attendance.
• Monitor and notify UKVI if a student suspends their studies, defers, transfers courses, withdraws from a course or completes their studies earlier than the end date stated on their CAS.
• Provide details of any work and Study Abroad placements to UKVI, and monitor attendance at that work placement/Study Abroad location.
• Notify UKVI if a student changes their visa status and no longer requires a Student Visa, or if sponsorship is no longer required due to a change in study circumstances. This includes changing to distance learning or switching immigration categories.
• Take and keep copies of any evidence used as the basis of an offer to study at the university. This includes any documents provided as part of the application, including interviews and portfolios of work.
• Report any other information to UKVI if there are concerns about students breaching their visa conditions, including work conditions, non-attendance and any other issue outside of their studies which may impact their immigration status.

Students must:

• Comply with the conditions of their Student Visa. Failure to do so is a criminal offence and may result in curtailment of their visa and/or withdrawal from the university, removal from the UK, and refusal of future visas for a period of one to 10 years.
• Check all documents carefully for any conditions – including the vignette (the yellow sticker in their passport), their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) and the decision letter which came with their visa.
• Cooperate with the University in fulfilling their Student Sponsor duties, as required by UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration). This includes replying promptly to any visa-related enquiries from the University.
• Study only at the University of Hertfordshire.
• Not claim public funds.
• Ensure their current passport and visa/Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) have been scanned by the University at registration/re-enrolment, and immediately every time they renew their passport and/or visa.
• Provide the University with their UK contact details (address/email address/mobile telephone number) and keep them up to date via their Student Record.
• Inform the University immediately of any changes to their circumstances that may affect their visa status in the UK – this includes changing from Student Visa to another leave type (and vice-versa).
• Attend all required lectures, tutorials and online teaching, and submit all required coursework on time.
• Inform UKVI of any changes required by them (including changes to their UK address).
• Register for their programme on time each academic year.
• Study full-time (ensuring attendance in accordance with the University’s UPRs and their programme of study’s specific requirements).
• Engage in mandatory University attendance monitoring processes, including a yearly Visa Check and swiping their ID card at every teaching session.
• Follow University processes if they decide to defer, suspend or withdraw from their studies and return home.
• Return home if they defer or suspend their studies, withdraw from their programme or their programme is terminated. They must also return home before the expiry date of their visa.
• Inform the University if they decide to complete their studies overseas as a distance learner.
• Notify the University of any absences (medical or personal).
• Inform the University if they complete their studies earlier than expected.
• Obtain new ATAS clearance (if applicable) before changing their course, transferring to another course and extending their visa.
• Adhere to work conditions as stipulated on their visa/Biometric Card (BRP), which includes not exceeding working hour restrictions.
• Act within the conditions of their visa and within the law.

Frequently asked questions