How do I sponsor a migrant?
Re-sits, retakes and writing up
This page explains what you should do if you are sponsoring a student who needs to re-sit an exam or retake part of their course, or who is writing up a dissertation or thesis.
Re-sits and retakes
A migrant student is allowed to re-sit examinations or repeat any part of their course up to two times for each individual examination or module. If their permission to stay under tier 4 will expire before they have finished the re-sit or repeated the appropriate studies, they must apply to us - before their current permission expires - to extend their permission.
If a migrant has to re-sit an examination or repeat a module of study, you must decide - based on your knowledge of them and your assessment of their ability to pass the course - whether it is appropriate for you to continue sponsoring them.
- If you require the student's continued participation, and you are confident that it will be able to meet your sponsor duties with respect to the student during the re-sit or repeat period, it will be appropriate for you to continue sponsoring the student throughout the re-sit or repeat period.
- If you do not require the student's continued participation within 60 days of the start of the next academic period (with the exception of recognised institutional vacation periods), you should not continue to sponsor the student. If the student has continuing permission to stay under Tier 4 but you do not require their participation during this 60-day period, you sponsor should notify us of this and advise the student to leave the United Kingdom. If the student's permission to stay under Tier 4 is due to expire, and you do not require their continuing participation within 60 days of the start of the next academic period, you should not issue a visa letter or confirmation of acceptance for studies, and the student should make arrangements to leave the United Kingdom. At a later point, you may issue a visa letter or confirmation of acceptance for studies so that the student can apply to return to the United Kingdom
You must not continue to sponsor a migrant if they have already twice failed a re-sit, or twice repeated a period of study. If you continue to sponsor them beyond these limits, we may downgrade or withdraw your licence.
Writing up
It is appropriate for you to continue sponsoring a postgraduate student for the purposes of writing up, if:
- you require the student's continued participation; and
- you are confident that you can meet your sponsor duties with respect to the student during the period leading up to final submission of the dissertation or thesis, and including an oral examination as required.
If you do not require the student's continued participation for a period of time (normally for 60 days or more), you must be confident that you can meet your sponsor duties with respect to that student during the writing-up period - if you cannot meet your duties during this period, you should notify us of this and advise the student to leave the United Kingdom. At a alterpoint, you may issue a visa letter or confirmation of acceptance for studies so that the student can apply to return to the United Kingdom.