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631005

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 November (HL2634), whether (1) nationality or country of origin, and (2) the status of the institution as a university or college, are factors taken into account in the process for determining which international students applying for a visa to study in the UK should undergo an interview to assess that their course of study is genuine before a visa is issued; and what equality impact assessment has been carried out on the operation of these arrangements.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harris of Haringey
	uin	HL3024
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2016 answer text <p>Interviews are conducted with international students as part of the visa application process in order to confirm that the applicant meets the requirements of the UK immigration rules, in particular that he or she is a genuine student. A number of different factors including the status of the institution are taken into account to assess the potential level of risk that an applicant might pose to the UK border and these are used to determine whether or not an interview is required.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 15/11/2016 14:51:14 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	2671 label Biography information for Lord Harris of Haringey

631195

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the consistency of applications of the provisions in the immigration rules on the genuine student rule.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	52095
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2016 answer text <p>All PBS tier 4 applications are subject to assessment against paragraph 245ZV(k) of the immigration rules which state the Entry Clearance Officer must be satisfied the applicant is a genuine student.</p><p>Entry Clearance Officers have access to detailed guidance on how the Genuine Student Rule should be implemented with reference to the relevant sections of the immigrations rules, and guidance when interviewing may be required to support decision making.</p><p>Entry Clearance Managers will conduct regular reviews on the Tier 4 decision making process and UKVI International have a specialist assurance function that reviews decision quality of PBS applications.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 14/11/2016 16:08:52 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

628969

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations have been undertaken in each of the last 12 months into UK Visas and Immigration officials failing to carry out Tier 4 interviews fairly and consistently; and what action was taken on each such occasion.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	51921
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2016 answer text <p>The information requested on investigations is not held centrally and is only available at disproportionate cost.</p><p>All decisions to refuse students on the basis of an interview can be appealed under the Administrative Review process and by an independent decision-maker. UK Visas and Immigration also have a specialist international assurance function that will review decisions on Tier 4 applications.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 21/11/2016 17:23:19 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

628970

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) safeguards and (b) procedures are in place to ensure the fair and consistent operation of the Genuine Student Rule and Tier 4 interview policy by UK Visas and Immigration officers.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	51922
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2016 answer text <p>Interviews are conducted with international students as part of the visa application process in order to confirm that the applicant meets the requirements of the UK immigration rules, in particular that he or she is a genuine student. Entry Clearance Officers have access to detailed guidance on how the Genuine Student Rule should be implemented with reference to the relevant sections of the immigrations rules, and guidance when interviewing may be required to support decision making.</p><p>Entry Clearance Managers will conduct regular reviews on the Tier 4 decision making process and UKVI International have a specialist assurance function that reviews decision quality of PBS applications.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 14/11/2016 16:11:10 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

628971

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance on what questions are (a) appropriate and (b) inappropriate to be asked by UK Visas and Immigration officers when conducting Tier 4 interviews in relation to the Genuine Student Rule.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	51923
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2016 answer text <p>Entry Clearance staff are provided with full guidance on how the Genuine Student Rule should be implemented and this includes guidance on interviewing in support of making final decisions on Points Based System Tier 4 cases.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 14/11/2016 15:43:16 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

628972

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many appeals to Tier 4 visa decisions were (a) received and (b) upheld by the appellant's country of origin in each of the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	51924
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2016 answer text <p>The information for how many appeals received and upheld for Tier 4 visa decisions in the last 12 months is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 14/11/2016 15:42:47 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

628973

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken for processing appeals to Tier 4 visa decisions was in the last 12 months; what targets or limits she has set in relation to processing those appeals; and on how many occasions the length of time taken in such cases prevented a successful applicant from taking up a place at a UK higher education institution by country of origin of the applicant.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	51925
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2016 answer text <p>The information for the average time taken for processing appeals to Tier 4 visa decisions in the last 12 months is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p>The listing of an appeal is the responsibility of HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service and as such the targets or limits set in relation to processing those appeals are not available to the Home Office.</p><p>We do not hold the information on how many occasions the length of time taken in such cases prevented a successful applicant from taking up a place at a UK higher education institution.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 14/11/2016 15:42:28 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

628977

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on whether the operation of the Genuine Student Rule and Tier 4 interview policy by UK Visas and Immigration officers is (a) fair and (b) consistent.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	51957
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>We are in constant engagement with stakeholders within the education sector to ensure that the rules and guidance within Tier 4 are operating as intended. Entry Clearance Managers conduct regular reviews on the Tier 4 decision making process and UKVI International have a specialist assurance function that reviews decision quality of PBS applications.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 16/11/2016 17:32:20 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

623442

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2016 to Question 49108, what assessment she has made of the proportion of visa refusals that relate to university admissions; and how many visa applications have related to such admissions in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh South
	tabling member printed	Ian Murray
	uin	50908
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2016 answer text <p>Data regarding the number and proportion of visa refusals under Tier 4 of the Points Based System over the last five years can be found within the data tables produced for the immigration statistics, last published in August 2016 including data up to and including June 2016:</p><p>All data tables:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2016-data-tables</p><p>Visa applications table:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/546766/entry-visas1-q2-2016-tabs.ods</p><p>The data tables do not split the data according to the sponsoring institution type. Whilst this data is recorded in relation to each institution it is not held centrally in such a way as to be available without incurring disproportionate costs.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 03/11/2016 17:50:38 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	3966 label Biography information for Ian Murray

620978

	registered interest
	date	25/10/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on the number of student visas issued to international students studying on UK higher education courses who lack proficiency in English.
	tabling member constituency	Ilford North
	tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
	uin	50079
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2016 answer text <p>Students who wish to study a higher education course in the UK need to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in English, currently set at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level B2 in each of the four components (speaking, listening, reading and writing), with some exemptions as set out in paragraphs 127-129 at the following link:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/540421/T4_Migrant_Guidance_July_2016.pdf</p><p>We will shortly be consulting on proposed changes to the non-EU work and study migration routes to see what more we can do to strengthen the system to support the best institutions – and those that stick to the rules – to attract the best talent.</p><p>Interested parties, including businesses and members of the education sector, will have the opportunity to engage with this consultation to help us get these reforms right.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 31/10/2016 17:36:08 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting