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Tier 4:
Record Keeping Duties Policy
1. Purpose
This document sets out the University’s policy regarding its record keeping duties as a Tier 4 sponsor of students under Tier 4 of the points based immigration system. This document applies only to the record keeping requirements for Tier 4 (General) students.
2. Key Responsibilities
Responsibility for the management and implementation of this policy and any accompanying procedures lies with the Academic Registrar who is the Home Office Authorising Officer, with assistance of the Visa Compliance Team, Student Records and Examinations Office team, Medway Student Administration team, International Recruitment office, Admissions team and Schools.
Despite the overall key responsibilities, all staff working with students covered by the points based immigration system must ensure the policy is adhered to accordingly. All staff have a responsibility to adhere to good record keeping practices.
3. Retention of Documents
The University will retain specified documents for Tier 4 students in accordance with Appendix D of the Tier 4 Sponsor Guidance as well as any other guidance or policy provided by the Home Office.
All documents will be retained for the length of time outlined in accordance with the University’s Quality Assurance: Document Retention and Archiving Policy, but in all cases documents will be held for one year or until a Home Office Compliance Officer has examined and approved them, whichever is longer.
4. Documentation Held on Student File
The University will retain the following documents and information for each student is has sponsored under Tier 4:
Current passport, as well as previous passports Entry clearance certificate, Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or other immigration status document showing the student’s entitlement to study in the UK at the University of Kent, including previous visas Student attendance / absence record
Page 2 of 8 Student contact details including UK residential address, telephone number or mobile History of student contact details
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate, if applicable Copies of any evidence assessed by the University as part of making an offer to a
student. This will vary by course and level of study but may include references, English language testing, qualifications, portfolios and transcripts
Appendix A of this policy outlines the location of specific documents and Appendix B outlines the campus location of physical student files by academic School.
5. Passports
The University will retain a copy of the student’s current passport personal identity details page.
6. Entry Clearance Certificates, Biometric Residence Permits and Immigration Status Documentation
The University will retain a copy of a student’s entry clearance certificate, Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or other immigration status documentation outlining the student’s right to study in the UK and entitlement to study at the University of Kent. In certain cases, where the University has conducted a check with the Home Office to verify a student’s permission to stay in the UK, documentation may be retained on KentVision or held within the Visa Compliance Team.
A student who cannot provide a valid BRP, entry clearance certificate other document outlining their ability to study in the UK at the University of Kent must produce evidence they have made an in-time visa which would entitle them to study at the University. Acceptable proof of making a visa application includes:
a confirmation slip from the Kent Union (application sent via the batch scheme) a certificate of secure posting showing the Home Office as the recipient
a biometric appointment letter from the Home Office Home Office acknowledgement letter
Coversheet from the Tier 4 application
Any evidence to support a visa application has been made will be attached to a student’s SDS record.
Any student who cannot produce their current passport and valid visa, or proof having made an in-time visa application, will not be permitted to register at the University.
Page 3 of 8 7. Migrant Contact Details
Student contact details including address, email address and phone numbers are retained on SDS and Cressida. All students of the University are required to keep their contact details up-to-date on SDS. The Visa Compliance Team will conduct checks on a termly basis to ensure all students hold a valid term-time address. Students who do not provide an up-to-date term time address may have their sponsorship withdrawn.
8. Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Clearance Certificate
In accordance with the University’s ATAS policy, ATAS clearance certificates will be retained by the University for any student requiring ATAS clearance.
9. Evidence of Documentation Assessed as Part of Making an Offer
Any document taken into account and assessed as part of making an offer to a student will be retained on file. This includes but is not limited to Secure English Language Tests, HEI English language assessments, copies of qualifications and transcripts, portfolios, personal statements, recording of video/audio interviews and references. The type of documentation used to assess a student may vary depending on the course and level of study.
If any assessment (e.g. SELT) was confirmed through an online verification checking system then the online verification shall be retained on file (either through a screen shot saved to KentVision or a print out of the online verification which includes the date the verification took place).
10. Attendance Records
An attendance record will be retained for each student of the University. The attendance record will be held on SDS with the following exceptions:
Students on work placement - evidence of monthly interaction will be retained via the Placement Management System (from May 2016)
Students on year/term abroad - The International Partnerships office will retain evidence of monthly interaction with the partner institution.
Page 4 of 8 11. Immigration Appeals
The University will retain information about any appeal which a student makes against refusal of leave decisions.
12. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure it remains compliant with the Tier 4 Sponsor Guidance and Immigration Rules as well as good sector practice.
Policy Approved by : Jon Pink, Academic Registrar (Home Office Authorising Officer) Date: 29 April 2016
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Tier 4:
Record Keeping Duties Policy
Appendix A: Document Location
Document Format Location
Passport (for students admitted from
Sept 2012) Electronic SDS (Visa tab)
Passport (for students admitted prior to
Sept 2012) Paper Paper based student file held within the School
Entry Clearance Certificate, Biometric Residence Permit or other immigration status document
Electronic SDS (Visa tab) Proof that a visa application has been
made to the Home Office1 (eg. batch scheme, postal receipt, Home Office letter)
Electronic SDS (Visa tab)
Immigration History Check / Evidence of holding 3C leave or permission to stay in the UK
Electronic KentVision or held electronically by the Visa Compliance Team
Student UK contact details Electronic SDS (Address tab) and Cressida (address screen) History of student contact details Electronic Cressida (address screen)
ATAS clearance certificate
Electronic
Paper
ATAS clearance certificates are stored
electronically on a central file in Admissions (for any student admitted prior to 2013.-2014) as well as in the ATAS email box ([email protected]) which is accessed by Admissions and SREO. ATAS
certificates are held on KentVision for any student admitted from 2014-2015.
In addition to an electronic record, some ATAS clearance certificates are also held within a student’s paper based file in the School. Attendance record:
PGR supervision records (from Oct 2012)
Electronic
SDS (Progression Monitoring)
PGR supervision records (prior to Oct 2012)
Paper Paper based student file held in the School
Monitoring/attendance for outgoing
study abroad students Electronic
Electronic records stored by International Partnerships.
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Document Format Location
Monitoring / attendance record for Tier 4 students currently on a work placement
Electronic and paper
Stored electronically via the Placement Management System (from May 2016)
UG and PGT Attendance records Electronic SDS (Attendance tab)
Evidence of documentation assessed as part of making an offer to a student
Electronic and paper
From the 2014/2015 academic year all admissions documentation is held on KentVision. Admissions documentation for the 2013/2014 academic year is held on SDS and physical files for PG students are held in Schools. Physical files are held in Schools for any student admitted to the University prior to these dates. Skype video and audit interview files are held electronically on a central network drive (from Spring 2016).
English language assessment Paper and Electronic
From the 2014/2015 academic year all English language tests and assessments are held
electronically on KentVision and are verified online. For 2013/2014 English language tests and
assessments were verified online or are held on SDS; physical copies of SELTS or assessments are held in PG files within the School for 2013/2014. Prior to these dates all English language tests and assessments are physically held in paper files within Schools. Results of the KITE (Kent
International Test of English) are held within the Centre for English and World Languages for any student who completed a pre-sessional English course.
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Appendix B: Physical file location by campus and academic School
All documents are held electronically unless otherwise indicated in Appendix A. In the
event documentation is held in a paper file within a School, the campus location of the
paper file is specified below.
School Campus Location(s) of file
School of Biosciences Canterbury
Centre for Professional Practice Medway
Canterbury
School of Physical Sciences Canterbury
Kent Law School
Canterbury Medway Brussels
Kent Business School Medway
Canterbury School of European Languages and Cultures Canterbury School of Politics and International Relations Canterbury
Brussels
Centre for Journalism Medway
School of English Canterbury
School of Psychology Canterbury
School of Economics Canterbury
School of History Canterbury
School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences Canterbury School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research Canterbury
Medway
School of Sport and Exercise Science Medway
School of Engineering and Digital Arts Canterbury Centre for English and World Languages Canterbury
School of Computing Canterbury
Medway
School of Arts Canterbury
Medway School of Pharmacy Medway
School of Music and Fine Art Medway
Kent School of Architecture Canterbury
Page 8 of 8 Appendix C: Document checklist
The following checklist is used by the Visa Compliance Team, and can be used as a reference by Schools, to ensure each file for Tier 4 purposes is complete and accurate.
CAS
Check the following: course – does it match the course on system? Start/end dates – do they match system?
Current passport
Previous passport(s), if applicable Current Visa
Previous Visa(s), if applicable
Immigration history check, if applicable UK contact details – SDS
UK contact details – history of contact details
Documents listed on CAS – qualifications, transcript, etc Scholarship letter if listed on CAS
Application to the University / UCAS application if pre-dated SITS Personal statement
Reference(s)
Research proposal if applicable ATAS if applicable
English language:
IELTS certificate plus online verification B2 progression from pre-sessional or IFP
HEI assessment of English language; brief statement Attendance record:
UG, PGT, IFP, Pre-sessional – data from SDS (it is good practice to keep paper registers) PGR –PGR supervision records; if pre-date SDS supervision then something should be included
from the paper file
Senior tutor/Associate Dean warnings if applicable to attendance Authorised absences – approval and supporting evidence
Missed 10 consecutive contact points
Emails, letters, evidence, appeal information Progression:
Marks screen on SDS for UG, IFP, pre-sessional, PGT through to transcript PGR supervision meetings; reviews; thesis submission; viva; pass list
Change of circumstances: intermission approval form, change of course form, withdrawal form, change of study location, etc
UKVI reporting: SMS reporting snippet
Work placement: contract, engagement monitoring, address of employer, dates of placement Fieldwork: approval by DoGs, monthly engagement monitoring (ie. SDS supervision record), student address whilst on fieldwork, dates of fieldwork and location
