Guidance

Student sponsor guidance

How to apply for a Student sponsor licence and how to sponsor a student.

From:
UK Visas and Immigration
Published
1 October 2013
Last updated
168 OctoberNovember 20232024 — See all updates

Documents

Applying for a Student sponsor licence (accessible)

HTML

Applying for a Student sponsor licence

PDF, 595772 KB, 7778 pages

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Sponsorship duties (accessible)

HTML

Sponsorship duties

PDF, 797 KB, 104 pages

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Student sponsor compliance (accessible)

HTML

Student sponsor compliance

PDF, 386 KB, 24 pages

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Higher education regulatory reform (accessible)

HTML

Higher education regulatory reform

PDF, 287 KB, 15 pages

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Details

This is the full policy guidance on sponsoring a student. Use this guide to find out how to:

  • apply for (or renew) a university or college sponsor licence
  • enrol international students who will be studying under the Student or Child Student routes

Updates to this page

Published 1 October 2013
Last updated 168 OctoberNovember 20232024 + show all updates

  1. Updated applying for a student sponsor licence guidance.

  2. Updated 'Applying for a Student sponsor licence' and 'Student sponsor compliance' to remove information about premium customer service.

  3. Student Sponsor Guidance document 1 updated to reflect change of oversight provider from School Inspection Service to Mainland Education Ltd.

  4. Sponsorship duties document updated, changes to paragraphs 3.12, 3.27 and 5.82. Sponsorship compliance document updated, changes to paragraph 3.13.

  5. Added accessible HTML versions of documents.

  6. Sponsorship Duties guidance updated to confirm sponsors can accept Certificates of Application as proof of an unsponsored EU or EEA national's right to study in the UK (paragraph 2.11).

  7. Updated 'Sponsorship duties' document. Clarification added surrounding study abroad programmes and work placement durations.

  8. Sponsorship duties document update. Changes are detailed on page 5 of the document.

  9. Updated 'Sponsorship duties' guidance to reflect changes made to the ATAS requirement to apply to work routes as well as study routes.

  10. Updated guidance documents for use on or after 1 December.

  11. Updated all guidance documents to reflect new Student Visa route.

  12. Updated all 4 documents to reflect immigration rules changes.

  13. Updated guidance to be used from 1 August 2019.

  14. Replace all 4 documents with new versions.

  15. Updated guidance.

  16. Updated sponsorship duties document to be used from 8 May 2018.

  17. New guidance on higher education regulatory reform added.

  18. Guidance documents updated.

  19. Updated sponsorship duties guidance.

  20. Updated guidance for use on or after 6 April 2017.

  21. Updated guidance for use on or after 24 November.

  22. Updated guidance on 'Sponsorship duties'.

  23. Updated guidance.

  24. Updated guidance for educators.

  25. Updated guidance.

  26. Updated guidance for sponsors

  27. Updated tier 4 compliance guidance.

  28. Updated guidance

  29. Updated guidance

  30. Updated guidance.

  31. Updated guidance.

  32. Updated guidance.

  33. Updated sponsors' duties and compliance.

  34. Updated guidance.

  35. Updated sponsor guidance.

  36. Updated documents for use on or after 1 July 2014.

  37. New version of guidance published for use on or after 6 April.

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