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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

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

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

621114

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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether all international students applying to study in the UK are required in their visa applications to submit bank statements showing that they have sufficient available funds to cover their living expenses in the UK; and if not, what are the criteria for selecting which students are required to do so, and to students from which countries this requirement applies.
tabling member printed	Lord Harris of Haringey
uin	HL2631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2016 answer text <p>The maintenance requirements for Tier 4 (General) Students to cover living costs is set at the same level as the combined maximum maintenance loan and grant available to English students living away from home. These requirements are set out in paragraphs 153-176 of the Tier 4 Migrant Guidance.</p><p>All students need to meet the same maintenance requirements; however, some students are not required to provide documentation with their applications to confirm this, although the Home Office retain the right to request these documents at any point during the visa process. The details of this are set out in Appendix H of the Immigration Rules.</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 printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL2632 HL2633 question first answered 11/11/2016 14:50:58 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2671 label Biography information for Lord Harris of Haringey

621115

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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what level of funds they deem sufficient to cover the living expenses in the UK of international students, and how this is calculated.
tabling member printed	Lord Harris of Haringey
uin	HL2632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2016 answer text <p>The maintenance requirements for Tier 4 (General) Students to cover living costs is set at the same level as the combined maximum maintenance loan and grant available to English students living away from home. These requirements are set out in paragraphs 153-176 of the Tier 4 Migrant Guidance.</p><p>All students need to meet the same maintenance requirements; however, some students are not required to provide documentation with their applications to confirm this, although the Home Office retain the right to request these documents at any point during the visa process. The details of this are set out in Appendix H of the Immigration Rules.</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 printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL2631 HL2633 question first answered 11/11/2016 14:50:58 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2671 label Biography information for Lord Harris of Haringey

621116

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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the impact of the requirement that, in applying for a visa to study in the UK, international students should demonstrate they have sufficient available funds to cover their living expenses.
tabling member printed	Lord Harris of Haringey
uin	HL2633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2016 answer text <p>The maintenance requirements for Tier 4 (General) Students to cover living costs is set at the same level as the combined maximum maintenance loan and grant available to English students living away from home. These requirements are set out in paragraphs 153-176 of the Tier 4 Migrant Guidance.</p><p>All students need to meet the same maintenance requirements; however, some students are not required to provide documentation with their applications to confirm this, although the Home Office retain the right to request these documents at any point during the visa process. The details of this are set out in Appendix H of the Immigration Rules.</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 printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL2631 HL2632 question first answered 11/11/2016 14:50:58 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2671 label Biography information for Lord Harris of Haringey