Increase in UKVI compliance activity - how can you protect your school's Student Sponsor Licence?
Recently published Home Office figures show sharp increase in UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) taking action to revoke Student Sponsor Licences in recent months.
The latest statistics cover the whole of the education sector and so it is not possible to say with any certainty the extent to which independent schools are affected, the anecdotal evidence is that the compliance action is taking place across the entirety of the education sector, and so schools are certainly not immune from UKVI compliance visits and the threat of revocation.
What do the statistics tell us?
In Q4 2024, 13 Student sponsors received letters notifying them of UKVI's intention to revoke their licences, with two sponsors being removed from the register permanently. This quarterly total of 'intention notices' is the highest since 2016 and brings the total number of notices issued in 2024 to 30 - almost double the number of notices issued in 2023 and five times the number issued in 2022. It also represents approximately 3% of the total population of education providers which hold Student Sponsor Licences.
The total number of confirmed revocations in 2024 was 11, compared with only four in both 2023 and 2022.
The Home Office's statistics also show a significant increase in compliance action being taken against Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors since Q4 2023 (a total of 1,494 revocations in 2024 compared with just 337 in 2023). UKVI are clearly increasing their enforcement efforts against sponsors of all types who fail to comply with their sponsorship duties.
What steps should we take to review our Student Sponsor Licence?
Compliance with the Student Sponsor Guidance has always been important, but in light of UKVI's increased focus on compliance it is now more important than ever.
Your school should carry out a thorough review of the systems and processes it has in place to comply with its sponsorship duties. You can do this internally or by engaging external advisers to carry out that review for you.
Reviews should focus on international students' 'pupil journey' including: initial enquiry; the application and offer process; the due diligence carried out to make sure they meet the requirements of the Immigrations; sponsorship; the visa application; and arrival at the school.
The review should also ensure that all UKVI record keeping and reporting is up to date and that the school has appropriate systems in place to monitor its sponsored pupils and meet the additional safeguarding requirements which UKVI impose on schools.
Try Immigration Manager
If you would like more support to help your school manage its Student Sponsor Licence, book a free demo for Immigration manager. ITQ Metis, in collaboration with the immigration team at VWV have developed and designed this online platform specifically for schools to simplify Child Student visa sponsorship and compliance.