Revised forms now available include: 

• Tier 4 (General) student
• Tier 4 (Child) student and
• Points-based system dependant

These forms are only to be used if you are applying ‘in country’ from within the UK.

Forms for overseas applications are available on the visa services website.

Points-based system: Revised policy guidance for tier 4 of the points-based system and for PBS dependants

Revised versions of the policy guidance for tier 4 of the points-based system, and of the PBS dependants policy guidance, have now been published.

Other key changes that are included in the revised guidance are highlighted below: 

Proof of availability of finances – transitional arrangements

There are transitional arrangements in place that allow applicants to show they have the money needed to meet the maintenance requirements of tier 4, on the day that they apply, rather than for a period of 28 days prior to their application. 

Proof of availability of finances – loan documentation

 The policy guidance allows applicants to provide a letter from an appropriately regulated financial institution confirming availability of funds in the form of a loan.

Slight revisions have been made to the required content of these loan letters, to allow for the fact that they will not always include an applicant’s account number.

Official financial sponsorship

Prior to 1 June 2009, there was no provision for a tier 4 migrant’s official financial sponsor to extend their financial sponsorship to the family members of the tier 4 migrant.

From 1 June 2009 a tier 4 migrant’s official financial sponsor will be permitted to extend their financial sponsorship to cover the tier 4 migrant’s dependants.

Electronic signatures on visa letters

Visa letters must be signed and dated by an authorised official (original or electronic signature).

The policy guidance has been revised to clarify that either a digital signature or a scanned signature will be accepted as an ‘electronic signature’ for these purposes.

Maintenance requirements – inner and outer London

Applicants studying in inner London are required to show a higher level of funds to cover their living costs than those studying outside London.

The definition of who the higher maintenance requirements apply to has not changed, but has been altered to clarify the fact that the higher maintenance requirements apply only to those who will be studying in inner London and that applicants who will be studying in outer London, or elsewhere in the UK, will be assessed against the lower requirements.

Date of application

The date of application will be taken to be the following:

For applications made in the United Kingdom

• where the application form is sent by post, the date of posting
• where the application form is sent by courier, the date on which it is delivered to the UK Border Agency of the Home Office

For applications made outside the United Kingdom

the date that the fee associated with the application is paid.

This means the date shown on your payment receipt, which depends on how you paid for your visa application, for example, at a British Diplomatic Post, visa application centre or online.

See also: Make sure your college is on the Tier 4 Sponsors Register before renewing your visa, which outlines details of the new 56 page ‘TIER 4 (G)’ form (APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OF LEAVE AND BIOMETRIC IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT UNDER TIER 4 GENERAL STUDENT).

This form replaces the FLR form, clearly requests the ‘Sponsor Licence Number’ in section 3.  

If you need any immigration advice or help with Studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

The Cambridge College of Learning was authorised by the Government, and visas were granted visas for international students to study there.

Last December television programme BBC London revealed that the college had been infiltrated by fraudsters, who were selling diplomas for cash with no actual studying required.

The Home Office later rejected 2,500 visa applications from the college.

Three students are now appealing against this decision, as part of a test case at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT).

Top immigration lawyer Ian Macdonald QC, representing the students, told the judges that the college was “perfectly genuine” but had been “hijacked by a small group of unscrupulous fraudsters”.

He said it was essential to separate the “wheat from the chaff”.

One of the three students, Mohammed Raja, claimed he studied a genuine post-graduate diploma in IT at the Cambridge College of Learning. He used this diploma certificate to apply for a two-year visa extension or Further Leave to Remain (The TIER 4 ‘G’ form APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OF LEAVE has since replaced the FLR form).

But Gerard Clarke QC, representing the Home Office, attacked the authenticity of Raja’s coursework, saying it had been copied “word for word” from a website.

Mr Raja insisted: “I did study there.”

Mr Clarke asked: “Was it a post-graduate diploma in how to use Google?”

In a separate case, another student has already appealed and won. He convinced judges that he was a genuine student who had not taken part in any scam.

The student, who did not want to be named, told BBC London that clearing his name had been more important to him than staying in the UK:

“It is just really embarrassing. [The college] is so notorious. It’s just like a stamp on your face…”

The principal and owner of the Cambridge College of Learning, which closed after it was raided by the UK Border Agency in December, was Saif Ullah, a Pakistani national.

Police had issued a warrant for Mr Ullah’s arrest but he is believed to have returned to Pakistan. The BBC has been unable to contact Mr Ullah.

The tribunal is expected to reach a conclusion next month.
Source BBC 

The Home Office appoints accreditation bodies, such as ASIC, BAC and the British Council, to inspect colleges prior to applying for a sponsors licence from the UK Border Agency.

Since the introduction of Tier 4 of the points-based system on 31 March, educational institutions must appear on the UK Border Agency’s Tier 4 Register of Sponsors to recruit non EU students. This also applies to students extending their student visas. 

A Home Office spokesperson said:

“All colleges receive thorough checks before they are issued a licence to sponsor foreign students.

“Before an institution can bring over any student we have to be satisfied they are genuine – this includes approval by an accredited body, and assessment of their premises, courses and teaching staff.

“By July this year, every single establishment will have been visited by a UK Border Agency assessor.”

Cynthia Barker, Centre Manager of Majestic College, which has received its Tier 4 Licence, said the whole accreditation and licensing process was “very thorough and robust” and added that the process could take up to nine months.

The new system of accrediting and licensing colleges has come under some criticism in the press recently. To be fair to the Home Office they are in the process of rolling out a stricter regime of checking and monitoring colleges. 

In fact, many of the recent problems with failing or bogus colleges have only come to light because of the accreditation and licensing process. 

We need to allow time the Tier 4 and sponsors licensing system, which only started on 31 March, time to bed in before we start shooting it down.

If you need any immigration advice or help with studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Related Article:

Make sure your college is on the Tier 4 Sponsors Register before renewing your visa

Since Tier 4 of the Points based System was implemented on 31 March this year, colleges must be licensed by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to take international students on student visas. 

In country students already in the system do not come to light until they want to extend their visas. 

The new 56 page ‘TIER 4 (G)’ form (APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OF LEAVE AND BIOMETRIC IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT UNDER TIER 4 GENERAL STUDENT), which replaces the FLR form, clearly requests the ‘Sponsor Licence Number’ in section 3. 

Evelie, an OISC registered adviser with Bison UK, has advised several students this week whose visas are expiring but are studying at colleges not yet licensed by the UKBA. 

Some have even been told by the non-registered college that their “applications have been sent to the Home Office”, which leaves the students in a very dangerous position since the application, in the unlikely event that it had been submitted, would be rejected. 

Evelie was worried that they could be left stranded if their visas expired. She said:  

“The students are being kept in the dark by the college, which has applied for the sponsor licence, whilst the clock is ticking on their visas.

“If their visa expires they will have to leave the UK and could be branded an ‘overstayer’.

“Others have had their applications returned by the UKBA advising them to “register with a licensed college”. 

You can check the Sponsors Register on the ‘Sponsoring students under the points-based system for immigration‘ of the UKBA website. 

Colleges appearing on the register will be given a Tier 4 ‘A’ or Tier 4 ‘B’ rating based on a scoring system, but the main point is that they must be listed. 

Colleges not yet listed may be one of the hundreds of educational institutions still be going through the accreditation process with one of the accreditation bodies such the British Council, BAC or ASIC. 

ASIC publishes a directory of colleges accredited or currently going through the process.

Once a college is accredited it can apply for a Tier 4 licence, which will take around six weeks and involve an inspection visit by a UK Border Agency officer.   

Cynthia Barker, Centre Manager of Majestic College, which has received its Tier 4 Licence, said the whole accreditation and licensing process could take up to nine months.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk