ISAS Advice Services for Staff

ISAS advisers are the University's designated immmigration advisers and it is our job to keep up to date with the rapidly changing immigration rules and guidance issued by UKBA.

As a rough guide, if a student needs more than general information they should be referred to ISAS with any visa related queries they have.

ISAS advice services that you can refer students to:
Contact Us
Please contact us if you would like any of our business cards to give to students.

Faculty contacts within ISAS

Business - Freda Cammack - Tel: 4889 Email: fcammack@brookes.ac.uk

Health and Life Sciences - Stephen Davies - Tel: 4646 Email: stephendavies@brookes.ac.uk

Humanites and Social Sciences - Nahid Tonge - Tel: 4988 Email n.tonge@brookes.ac.uk

Technology, Design and Environment - Hazel English - Tel: 4680 Email: henglish@brookes.ac.uk

 

FAQs

Presentations

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can students study with us if they have a visa that is not a Tier 4 visa?
   ISAS can have a look at the student's current visa to see if there are any restrictions on studying.
   If a student is going to be studying full-time then it is very likely that UKBA will see studying as being their main reason for being in the UK and therefore it would be advisable for the student to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. The student can be referred to ISAS to check if they can make this application in the UK or not.
   
2. When can a student study part-time?
   Part-time study is allowed with a student visitor visa for courses of less than 6 months (or up to 11 months with the new Extended Student Visitor route for English Language courses) and for occasional visits for a distance learner.
   Part-time study is allowed on a Tier 4 (General) student visa when a student is retaking a module or writing up a postgraduate dissertation as part of a full-time course.
   If a student wants to apply for a part-time course they cannot do this with a Tier 4 (General) visa but may be able to do it if they have another visa that does not prohibit study. In this case please contact ISAS.
3. I've got a question about a CAS.
   General CAS information
   Issuing a CAS means that Oxford Brookes University is agreeing to academically sponsor a student and meet the sponsorship duties and reporting requirements of the Points Based System.
   A CAS lasts for six months and should not be issued more than six months before the end date of the student's visa if they are already in the UK.
   A student cannot use the CAS more than three months before the start of their course.
   UKBA CAS Help Document
4. A student is asking me for a letter to say they can work.
   You do not need to provide such a letter. It is the employer's responsibility to check with UKBA if they are not sure if they can employ a student. The employer should refer to the UKBA guidance document. The student may require an Attendance Certificate to confirm they are a student.
5. A student wants me to extend their dissertation deadline so they can extend their visa.
   Oxford Brookes should extend a dissertation with reference to mitigating circumstances and not just to enable a student to extend their visa.
6. A student wants me to write a letter to say they have completed their course so they can make a Post-study work application.
   Post-study work applications are now closed.
7. A student is asking me for a letter because they are travelling home during semester time.
   If a student needs to travel home during semester time for personal or immigration reasons then it would be very useful for the student to have a letter from their Academic Adviser or Course Administrator to say that you are aware they are travelling home and giving the latest date that they should return by to be allowed to continue their course. If the student is taking a break from study that Brookes will report to the UKBA then the UKBA will curtail their visa to just 60 days.
8. What is a Biometrics Residence Permit?
   Most people applying under the Points Based System in the UK now get their visa on a separate card, not in their passports.
9. What are the new English Language requirements for Tier 4 students? (From 21 April 2011)
   The simplified version is that student's studying below degree level need an UKBA approved test to show they are at B1 (IELTS 4.0). For degree level, Brookes needs to make an assessment that the student is at B2 (IELTS 5.5).
   UKBA information
   UKBA CAS Help Document

SELT providers and B1 and B2 equivalents

 

10. What are the new requirements for a CAS issued from 4 July 2011?
    Students who wish to study a further course in the UK must have a CAS that states how the new course shows academic progression from their previous course. If the new course is not at a higher academic level then the CAS will need to state why it 'complements' their previous course. Evidence of this assessment will need to be available for a UKBA inspection visit. For details see paragraphs 277-283 and 344 of the UKBA Sponsor Guidance
    UKBA CAS Help Document .
    

 

Presentations

ISAS can come to your Faculty or department and present to staff or students. Please contact us if you are interested in any of these topics or have any suggestions for other areas.

1. An Introduction to ISAS
2. How to extend your student visa
3. Our responsibilities under the Points Based System
4. Cultural awareness
5. Students, work and immigration