London Metropolitan University：no longer qualified to sponsor non-EEA students 倫敦城市大學無法贊助非歐洲經濟區的學生
Background
In January 2012, the UKBA had warned the London Metropolitan University (LMU) to conduct thorough checks and comply adequately with the UKBA’s regulations in respect of sponsorship for foreign students. On 29th August 2012, UKBA considered that LMU had failed to achieve satisfactory compliance within the required timeframe. As LMU had failed in its responsibility as a sponsor, the UKBA took the decision to revoke LMU’s highly trusted status, thus requiring LMU to be banned from teaching and recruiting non-EEA students.
London Metropolitan University’s reaction
LMU has argued that the UKBA has frequently re-written its regulations, consequently it has been hard for the university to follow their rules. LMU has also said that it will take legal action against the UKBA’s decision.
Impact on LMU’s non- EEA students
More than 2,000 non- EEA undergraduates at LMU are potentially facing to be deported from the UK if they cannot find a new place at an alternative educational institute. If deported, these students would lose out on tens of thousands of pounds they had invested in their British education. It is unlikely that LMU will be able to afford a significant sum of the compensation based on the history of LMU’s financial record.
Mr Olly Wells, the head teacher from Oxford International College in Changzhou, China that is actively promoting international students to go to the UK for higher education, commented, “ If the London Metropolitan University is unable to recruit any non-EEA students, it may result in causing a collapse of the University’s finance. The UK Government has bailed out the University in the past, however, it is unlikely that they would be prepared to do the same again.”
UKBA’s advice to the non-EEA students at the LMU
As the LMU is no longer qualified to sponsor foreign students, this caused all the non-EEA students’ leave (permission to stay) in the UK to be curtailed. The UKBA is advising all the students affected at LMU to apply for a place at another university immediately. A task force involving several parties has been set up at the LMU to assist students to apply for an alternative education provider or institution in particular when the “clearing house” starts operating on 17th September 2012.
The UKBA published on its website indicating that they will write to all affected students at the LMU after 1st October 2012. In some cases, the students’ leave may be reduced to 60 days, meaning that within 60 days, students either have to find a sponsor or to leave the country. The time will start as of the UKBA ’s letter.
The student can either find an educational institution to be a sponsor, or an employer who is willing to be the student’s sponsor, or switching into a different immigration category.
The UKBA has requested any new Tier 4 application form must be filled in and sent to the address blow. This address is only for applications for visa extensions from existing non-EEA students from London Metropolitan University:
PO Box 492
London Met
Durham
DH99 1WU
Please do not use the address printed on the application form.
The UKBA also confirmed that if the student is about to hand in his or her final dissertation, or has just done so before the university’s licence was revoked, the student’s dissertation will be marked (either through written material or orally) and a degree will be awarded accordingly.
UKBA also indicated that if a student is sponsored by LMU but is studying at another education provider. This mostly applies to students at the London School of Business and Finance. London Metropolitan University can no longer be a sponsor.
Before coming to the UK to study, a student should obtain information from the education provider concerning its sponsor licence and agree (in a written form) that if the university cannot fulfill the contract due to suspension of its licence by the UKBA, the student should get reasonable compensation.
背景
2012年1月英國內政部曾警告倫敦城市大學（LMU）對其非歐洲經濟區的學生進行徹底的檢查，及確保其符合內政部對於贊助外國學生就讀的規定。 2012年8月29日，內政部指出，LMU未能於遵守規定的時間內達到令人滿意的贊助人責任，因此內政部決定撤銷LMU高度信任的地位和其贊助人執照，即日LMU便喪失了教學和招收非歐洲經濟區的學生的資格。
倫敦城市大學的反應
LMU表示，英國內政部經常更動或新增移民規定，所以，LMU對於遵守移民規定遭遇一些困難。 LMU還表示將針對英國內政部的決定，採取法律行動。
倫敦城市大學學生的影響
在LMU, 有2000多名大學生現正面臨被驅逐出境英國的危機，因為如果這些學生不能成功申請到另外一個教育機構的就讀機會，就會被驅逐出境。如果被驅逐出境，這些學生就形同失去了他們在英國的教育投資，金額可達數萬元甚至是數十萬元英鎊。以LMU的財務記錄的歷史來看, LMU應該是沒有能力為學生提供金錢補償。
何歐立先生，位於中國的牛津國際學院常州學校校長，是一所積極推動國際學生去英國接受高等教育的學校，評論說：“如果倫敦城市大學將來招不到任何非歐洲經濟區的學生，這樣可能導致學校產生財政危機。英國政府在過去曾提供該大學財政援助，然而，他們將不可能再做同樣的援助。”
英國內政部對倫敦城市大學學生的建議
因為LMU不再具贊助外國學生的執照，這會影響所有的大學裡所有非歐洲經濟區學生的英國合法學生簽證被縮減。目前內政部已通知所有受影響的學生立即申請另一所大學的學籍。也成立了一個特別工作小組，專門協助學生申請其它大學或教育機構，特別自2012年9月17日起，各大學開始提供尚可接受學生申請的系所名單。
內政部在其網站上表示，2012年10月1日後，他們將寫信給所有受影響的學生。在某些情況下，學生的有效簽證會減至60天，這意味著在60天內，學生必須找到另一大學就讀或離開英國。這60天的開始計算時間，將為英國內政部正式信的日期。
學生目前必須找到另一個教育機構去就學, 或者是找到一份工作, 由新雇主擔任簽證贊助人，或者，轉換到一個不同的移民類別。
另外, 內政部要求學生填寫新的學生簽證申請表格，並寄送到以下地址：
PO Box 492
London Met
Durham
DH99 1WU
英國內政部也指出，如果學生正準備提交論文，或者是在LMU失去贊助人執照前交出了論文，學生的論文將被評分（無論是透過書面材料或口頭面試），學位可正常頒發。
英國內政部還說明，如果學生是由倫敦城市大學為贊助人，但正在其他教育機構就讀。這主要適用於在倫敦商業與金融學院就學的學生。倫敦城市大學也不可成為贊助人。
學生來英國就讀之前，應該獲得的教育機構的贊助人執照的訊息，並同意（以書面形式），如果該大學因內政部暫停其贊助人執照而無法履行合約，學生應該得到合理賠償。
Tags: london metropolitan university, student visas, tier4 application, UK Border Agency