Police registration cancelled

Posted on October 11, 2016 by rcb24

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Kent Police Nationality Department have cancelled police registration appointments that are to be held on campus on 12th, 18th and 26th October. Registration with the police is currently on hold.

Kent Police are working to resolve the matter as soon as possible. This disruption may result in you being unable to register with the police within the seven day Home Office requirement. Kent Police have informed both UK Border Force and the Home Office, as well as some students, of the situation.

You will have received an email from us on 11th October 2016 with further information. We will update you when we have more information regarding the details about the police registration situation.

Please contact the Kent Police with further information:

Email: nationality.dept@kent.pnn.police.uk
Landline: 01303 297 337 or 01303 297 338

If you would like to contact a member of staff on campus about your situation we recommend contacting the Kent Union Advice Centre (Canterbury students) or GK Unions Advice Centre (Medway students).

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Police registration on campus

Posted on August 26, 2016 by rcb24

If you hold a Tier 4 visa and are of a national of one of the countries listed in Appendix 2 of the Immigration Rules, then you will need to register with the police if your course is longer than 6 months. Your visa vignette or your visa decision letter will state whether you have to register with the police.

You can register with the police on campus throughout September and October as the Kent Police Nationality Department will be at the Canterbury Campus. Further details can be found here on our webpage.

 

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Entering the UK via Ireland

Posted on August 9, 2016 by rcb24

If you are travelling to the UK and considering stopping over or travelling through the Republic of Ireland, you should be aware this may impact your ability to register on your course at the University.

Both the UK and Ireland are part of the Common Travel Area (CTA). The CTA streamlines arrival in the UK from Ireland because there is no immigration control on arrival in the UK if you have already entered the Republic of Ireland. However, this can cause a problem because when entering the UK (via Ireland) you will not receive a UK visa endorsement in your passport which permits you to study in the UK. This can be problematic if you will be studying a short course on a short-term study visa and did not apply for your short-term study visa before travelling.

We encourage all students to enter the UK directly via a UK port of entry (eg. London Heathrow or Gatwick airports).

Please refer to the following resources for more information.

UKCISA, Arriving via Ireland

University of Kent, Short-term study visa

 

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Post-registration change of course

Posted on August 9, 2016 by rcb24

Are you currently studying at Kent on a Tier 4 visa and considering changing courses? If this is the case, you should be aware that the Immigration Rules changed on 6 April 2016 which impact the ability to switch courses whilst studying on a Tier 4 visa.

If you have not successfully completed the course for which your visa was originally granted you may be able to switch courses, subject to approval by the University, but you may have to apply for a new visa first from outside the UK before you can start on your new course.

To find out more about changes to the Immigration Rules and how this may impact you please refer to the following web resources:

University of Kent, Student Immigration – changing your course

UKCISA, Protecting your Tier 4 status – study conditions (click on ‘Tier 4 Conditions’, then click on ‘Study’ which will provide more information about changing courses)

 

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BRP Collection dates, times and locations

Posted on July 26, 2016 by jg278

If you have selected to collect your BRP from the University, click here for collection dates, times and locations.

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Scam targets Tier 4 students

Posted on May 23, 2016 by jg278

The Home Office has notified Universities of the following scam which targets Tier 4 students whereby the student receives a telephone call from an individual who fraudulently purports to represent the Home Office.

The caller instructs the student to verify their telephone number 020 7035 4848 on the www.gov.uk website, search for Home Office, and then scroll down to the bottom of the screen so that they can verify that the caller is calling from the genuine Home Office number.  The caller ID on the student’s mobile does show this number.  The caller is in possession of the students full name, postcode in the UK and passport number, and asks the student to confirm those details are correct.

They then proceed to tell the student they have not paid for an immigration service and, as a result, have to pay a fine (usually £1200 – £1520) or they will be reported to the Police/or the Home Office who will detain or deport them.

Please be aware that UK Visas and Immigration will not contact students in this manner.

Students who have been targeted have reported that the fraudsters become increasingly insistent and verbally aggressive resulting in them feeling coerced in to making payment.

Further information regarding frauds and scams is available from:

UKCISA

HM Government

 

 

 

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Changes to Immigration Rules from 6 April 2016

Posted on April 10, 2016 by rcb24

Changes to the Immigration Rules come into effect on 6 April 2016 and apply to existing Tier 4 students as well as anyone applying for leave on or after this date.

The main changes impacting University of Kent students are outlined below.

Changing courses

Under the new rules, Tier 4 visa holders sponsored by the University may only change their course, without applying for a new visa first, if:

  • The new course is at degree level or above;
  • The new course is not at a lower level than the course for which the CAS was originally issued and the student was granted leave;
  • The student will be able to complete the new course within their current period of leave; and
  • The University confirms that:
    • The new course is related to the previous course, part of the same subject group, or involves deeper specialisation; or
    • The previous course and new course in combination support the student’s genuine career aspirations.

 

Self-employment

Students sponsored on a Tier 4 (General) visa cannot be self-employed or engage in business activity. Business activity includes working for a business in a capacity other than employee in which a student has a financial or other significant beneficial interest. This includes:

  • Setting up a business as a sole trader or under a partnership and the business is either trading or establishing a trading presence;
  • Being employed by a company in which a student holds shares of 10% or more (including where the shares are held in trust); or
  • Working for a company where a student also holds a statutory role, such as a director.

 

Calculation of time limits under Tier 4

The new rules clarify that the period of leave granted and the level of course for which the leave was granted will be counted towards the caps on study, rather than the periods and courses actually studied.

 

Academic progression

Tier 4 (General) students cannot study a course lower than their previous course.

 

English language requirements for US study abroad students

Third country nationals applying under Tier 4 (General) to study a short-term study abroad programme in the UK as part of their degree at an HEI in the USA will be exempt from the Tier 4 English language requirements.

 

Further information

Further changes and clarifications in the Immigration Rules including those relating to changing course with the same Tier 4 sponsor, NHS debt, maintenance requirements for Student Union Sabbatical Officers, postgraduate doctor or dentist students and Tier 4 sponsors converting to state schools can be found in the Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (April 2016)

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Lost or Stolen Passport, Travel & Identity documents

Posted on December 18, 2015 by jg278

If you take the opportunity to travel during the Christmas holidays and unfortunately experience difficulties with lost or stolen travel and identity documents, including your passport, the Home Office have provided advice.

http://www.kent.ac.uk/internationalstudent/winter-break/Student-guide-Lost-Documents.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

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Immigration Rule Changes to take effect from 12 November 2015

Posted on November 12, 2015 by jg278

The Home Office have introduced numerous changes to the Immigration Rules which come into effect on 12 November. 

Visa extensions for college students Students at colleges will no longer be able to extend their Tier 4 visa in the UK (for example if they wish to start a degree course after their college course), nor will they be able to switch to Tier 2 or Tier 5 in the UK. Applications from outside the UK will continue to be possible. This means that if you are already in the UK studying at a college on a Tier 4 (General) visa will have to go home to apply for your visa in order to start at the University.

Maximum length of study below degree level The maximum time allowed on a Tier 4 (General) visa to study below degree level will be reduced to two years from three. This will impact you if you have already studied in the UK on a Tier 4 (General) visa on a course that is below degree level and you are continuing to study on a foundation level course at the University.

‘Established Presence’ The ‘established presence’ rules for lower financial maintenance will be removed and all students (and dependants if applicable) will be required to show the higher maintenance (regardless of time spent in the UK). This change will impact you if you are already in the UK and need to extend your visa to either complete your course or start a new course as you will now have to show you have up to £9135 rather than £1640 for living costs when making your visa application.

Financial Maintenance The amount of money required for living costs in the UK will increase from £820 to £1015 per month of the course, up to a maximum amount of 9 months (or £9135). The amount of money that may be deducted for living costs on a CAS will increase to £1265 (from £1020). The amount of money that dependants will be required to show for living costs will increase to £680 per month of a student’s course, up to a maximum of 9 months (or £6120). This is important to be aware of if you are applying for a visa from overseas or from within the UK as it’s crucial you have the required amount of funds to evidence you meet the financial maintenance requirements for a Tier 4 (General) visa.

For further information please see the  Tier 4 (General) Policy Guidance

Should you have any additional questions about these changes we recommend you speak with one of our Student Advisers at the Kent Union Advice Centre.

 

 

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Keep your contact details up to date

Posted on October 2, 2015 by rcb24

It is important to keep the University informed of your current contact details for a variety of reasons. As a Tier 4 visa holder requirement it is a mandatory requirement that you provide the University with your most recent address, mobile number and email address.

Please take a moment to review the contact details held on your student record. If your details are up-to-date there is no need to take further action. If you need to make any changes to any of your details please refer to our Student Records and Examinations office website which contains instructions on how to change your address and other personal details.

 

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