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Hundreds of International Students Could Be Forced To Leave The UK After College Loses Its Licence

Posted onFebruary 5, 2016

The Home Office has revoked the London School of Business and Finance licence to recruit non-EEA students, meaning the current intake studying at the institution will risk facing removal or be required to leave the UK by the end of next month.

Some students have paid up to £8,500 for their course. London School of Business and Finance’s rector and chief executive Prof Maurits van Rooijen has stated courses will be compressed to allow affected students to complete their studies before they are deported.

Tier 4 Sponsorship Requirements

Educational institutions who are granted a Sponsorship Licence to teach foreign-born students must comply with a number of obligations to retain their licence. The Home Office stated that the London School of Business and Finance had breached its compliance duties.

The college said the issue stemmed from "a technical discussion" about the proportion of non-EU students it had accepted whose visa applications had then been refused.

The relevant regulation, clause 2.14 of Tier 4 of the Points-Based System: Guidance for Sponsors states:

“A sponsor’s refusal rate must be less than 10 percent. This means that of all the CAS they have assigned that students have ‘used’ to support an application for leave to enter or remain, the total number of applications we refused must be less than 10 percent. For these purposes, a CAS is ‘used’ when it has been submitted in support of an application for leave to enter or remain and that application has been decided.”

Prof Van Rooijen said the college's own independently audited figures were "definitely within the margins" so it was "surprised and shocked" by the Home Office's conclusion.

This news highlights how important it is for educational institutes to obtain quality legal advice when it comes to compliance requirements, to protect both their ability to teach foreign students and the institution’s international reputation.

OTS Solicitors is widely regarded as one of the best Immigration Solicitor firms in the United Kingdom. Our Immigration solicitors have an in-depth knowledge of the regulatory guidance needed by the education sector. Our dynamic, down-to-earth legal team will ensure you receive the most comprehensive and up to date Immigration and compliance advice available.

To find out more on how we can advise your organisation, please phone our office on 0207 936 9960 to talk to one of our team. We would be happy to offer an initial consultation over the phone, or you can make an appointment to see us in our London office.

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