UK immigration licence reinstated for Scottish university

13 May 2011 | Posted by Carl Thomas

The UK immigration rights of Glasgow Caledonian University have been reinstated by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

Last month, the university's licence to sponsor foreign students under the Tier 4 UK visa route was temporarily suspended.

The move was taken after an inspection discovered that around 150 Filipino nursing students were violating the rights of their UK visa by working almost full-time hours.

While students in the UK are allowed to work on their UK visa, they are limited to 20 hours a week of paid employment.

The initial problems arose due to the fact that the foreign students were taking a BSc in Nursing, which involves a heavy proportion of work-based learning.

But the students had been working more than necessary and had only been attending one or two days a month of formal studies, instead of the required 15 hours a week minimum.

However, the agency has now decided to reinstate the university's trusted status after a review found that the education establishment has fully addressed the UKBA's concerns.

Professor Pamela Gilles, principal and vice-chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian, commented: "The agency has commended us for the way in which we responded to the situation and we are keen to work together with them to share this experience with the sector so that others may avoid this process.

"Our strong international reputation is very important to us and we are grateful for the support and endorsement we received from students, staff, friends and partners as we moved through this process."