Student Route (formerly Tier 4) Engagement Monitoring

Student Route (formerly Tier 4) Engagement

Monitoring Policy September 2021 to

August 2022

Introduction The University holds a Sponsorship Licence that allows it to sponsor international students to come and study in the UK. As a Sponsor, the University must comply with specific sponsorship duties, which are closely monitored by UKVI and subject to audit.

International Student Support (“ISS”) has central oversight of the University’s compliance with its obligations under the Student Route (formally Tier 4). There are some matters that will be devolved locally to Schools, such as monitoring the attendance of sponsored students at expected academic ‘contact points’. These are a combination of both virtual and physical contact points. Any changes to a student’s circumstances will then be communicated back to ISS.

This policy aims to provide Schools with the University’s expectation of an effective engagement monitoring process that is able to demonstrate to the UKVI that the student is ‘actively and consistently following their course’ in order to continue to be permitted to be in the UK. This policy will also set out the role of ISS in maintaining oversight of attendance monitoring processes across the Schools, and also in providing a co-ordinated response to the reporting obligations imposed on the University by UKVI.

Please be aware that failure to comply with the sponsorship duties imposed by UKVI could result in the loss of the University’s sponsor licence. If this were to happen, the University would lose the right to recruit international students, and may also lose the right to recruit international staff. In addition, existing students and staff would be required to find a new sponsor elsewhere or leave the UK. This would have significant reputational and financial impact.

Student Awareness

It is important that students are informed at the outset of the expectations placed upon them. Material is provided to each student by ISS in relation to the obligations associated with their Student Route visa and they sign to acknowledge that they understand these obligations when completing their Right to Study check at Enrolment and Registration. Each School must inform students at the outset of the School’s process for monitoring their attendance on the course and it is good practice to publish these in the Course/Student Handbook.

Attendance Monitoring

1. Setting contact points

Attendance monitoring of students holding a visa is achieved through a series of specific contact points throughout the academic year. It is a responsibility of the School to set the specific contact points for each student. The number of contact points set will depend on the level of

Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy International Student Support [email protected] x3899

study of the student, and the type of contact will depend on the course of study. These will be as follows:

UG students – once every two weeks;

PGT students During taught modules: once every two weeks; During research modules: once a month; PGR students – once a month.

Examples of the types of contact points that can be set for sponsored students are provided in Documents 1 and 2 of Annex A.

Schools should complete the spreadsheet, provided to them by ISS via the SharePoint site, with the pre-identified contact points for each student in their school for the entire semester, at the start of each semester. For students who change modules in the first two weeks, any changes to the contact points can be made as soon as the information becomes available to the School. Please note that, where a tutorial, live online tutorial / lecture, lecture or class that has been selected as a contact point is cancelled, the School should only seek to identify an alternative contact point for that week where it is practicable to do so. Otherwise, the student will not be treated as having missed a contact point on that day. It is the School’s responsibility to ensure that the data contained on the SharePoint is up to date, including where there have been changes made to the date of the contact point.

Where Schools have approved courses which include block teaching, agreement would have already been sought through the Programme Approval Process as to how visa holding students are monitored in between the blocks of teaching. Schools should ensure that there are arranged contact points in addition to and outside of any periods of block teaching where students are actively present and engaged in their studies.

It is anticipated that Schools will have differing methods of obtaining evidence demonstrating students have attended contact points, however any evidence should show that the student was present at the particular lecture/tutorial/lab/meeting as expected.

2. Off-campus study

Students may spend time studying away from the campus as part of their programme. The University can continue to sponsor the visa of a student during this time however the School will be required to continue monitoring a student’s attendance. ISS should be notified via the notification form in Annex B Document 1 when students are participating in their course while away from the campus. ISS manage various reporting obligations to UKVI and so it is important that this information is made available in a timely manner. UKVI may also contact the University (via ISS) as a student leaves or re-enters the UK. ISS must be able to confirm that it knows of the sponsored student’s whereabouts and that the time spent off-campus has been authorised.

Off-campus study may refer to time spent on an integral and assessed part of the programme including:

Sandwich year

Industrial placement

Work based project

Work placement

mailto:[email protected]


Year in industry

Internships

Professional Internship

Professional Experience

Professional Practice

Study abroad semester

Erasmus semester

Fieldwork

Data collection

Research overseas

Short period overseas writing-up thesis

Please note that the School must authorise off-campus participation when the student is about to go on placement or study abroad, and contact their relevant ISS adviser to arrange for reporting to UKVI.

Student Visa holders are granted permission to be in the UK to study and it is understood that they may from time to time need to remain registered but undertake study outside the UK. However, being outside the UK while holding a visa for more than 6 months is not generally in the spirit for which their visa has been granted.

Particularly in relation to PGR students, changes to a student’s study location should be discussed with ISS in advance to ensure minimal disruption to a student’s study plan. If a student will be undertaking the majority of their research and writing-up outside of the UK, a visa may not be the most appropriate immigration route for the student to use. ISS can advise on other options.

It should be noted therefore that the University will only continue sponsorship of a student while they are off-campus and overseas for up to six months within a rolling 12 month period. For any periods outside the UK longer than six months or where the student is not required to return to studies on campus before their published course end date or any oral examination of a thesis, the University will withdraw sponsorship and the student will have to apply for a further visa in order to return. Exceptions to this rule being only when a student is either on a course of study that involves an integral and assessed industrial placement for up to a year which is being undertaken overseas or participating in a year studying abroad which will count towards their final degree classification. In both of these situations the student should be required to return to the University following completion of this year.

If a student applies to undertake a period of off-campus study outside the UK and the school confirms that there is no further academic participation required in the UK for their course following completion of the overseas study, this may result in sponsorship of the student’s visa being withdrawn. ISS should be informed as soon as a school becomes aware of this.

There may be exceptional circumstances whereby discretion can be exercised for sponsorship to continue for periods longer than six months, however this should be requested in advance from ISS.

The student’s engagement must continue to be monitored whilst they are on this period of course-related study and expected contact points must be set as per this policy. Where students are undertaking placements or study abroad, a monitoring arrangement should be in place between the School and a named contact at the workplace or institution who can confirm that the student is engaging and attending as expected. This will then form the basis for the SharePoint return for the designated contact points during the time spent on the placement or study abroad.



3. Absences Leaves of absence This is where the student is taking a leave of absence from the University, and their enrolment is suspended in QSIS for this period of absence. The University will normally only continue sponsorship of the student’s visa if they are on a leave of absence for a short time, usually 60 days or less, as per UKVI policy. It should be noted that assessments will be made on an individual basis, as UKVI policy states that a student should still be able to complete the course within their existing leave. Cumulative time on a Leave of Absence over the course of a 12 month period will be considered when making this assessment.

Reasons for this type of absence would normally be unrelated to the course and might include pregnancy, long term sick leave, family problems at home etc. International Student Support should be informed before any change is made in QSIS, so that an assessment can be made, and the appropriate report to UKVI instigated if appropriate. International Student Support will refer to the published semester dates, available online -

http://www.qub.ac.uk/about/Semester-dates/, when assessing any periods of absence unless informed about any differences to these.

Other Authorised Absences including Vacation

This is where a student is taking a short absence from the University for a vacation. This should only be completed where this vacation is outside the normal holiday periods for that type of student:

UG students – outside of the official holiday periods designated by the University;

PGT students During taught modules: outside of official holiday periods designated by the University; During research modules: at any time while the University is open (as official University holiday periods do not usually apply);

PGR students – At any time while the University is open (as official semester holiday periods do not usually apply). Any leave approved should also be in line with the University Research Degree Programme Regulations and therefore should be authorised in advance and not exceed the maximum 40 days specified. Sponsorship of the student’s visa will be maintained during this time.

All absences in line with the above, should be requested by the student using the form contained in Annex B Document 2. This should be authorised by an academic member of staff and passed to the School Office for their records before being forwarded to ISS. Please note the guidance notes for schools in processing the Absence Notification form.

4. Reporting to International Student Support

ISS provides a monthly spreadsheet of all Student Route students via their SharePoint site. The spreadsheet will contain the expected contact dates for each sponsored student, as provided by the Schools, and any anticipated work placement dates. Schools should complete their agreed contact dates on the form and must complete the spreadsheet to confirm whether each student attended the expected contact points for that month. This information must be updated on SharePoint for ISS by the seventh day of the following month.

Failure of a School to input the expected contact dates in a timely manner and/or to update


http://www.qub.ac.uk/about/Semester-dates/

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/AcademicAffairs/ResearchDegreeProgrammes/PeriodsofStudyHolidaysandOtherAbsences/



the attendance of their students as expected during the year, will result in this being escalated to the School Manager and Head of School. The Head of International Student Support reserves the right to notify the relevant Faculty Director of Operations of a School’s failure to provide the expected information. Please note that information relating to this may be requested to inform the QUB Immigration Compliance Governance Group.

5. Unauthorised absences

When a student misses 10 consecutive contact points due to unauthorised absences, or has not engaged for 60 days from the first point of contact from the University enquiring about non engagement, the University must report the student to UKVI as withdrawn and cease sponsorship. UKVI expects that it will only be in the rarest of cases that the University chooses to continue sponsoring a student who has missed 10 consecutive contact points. In such cases, UKVI requires the University to keep evidence of the decision and the reasoning behind it.

Given this, Schools must have in place an appropriate escalation procedure that will determine any reasons behind the absence and support the student in improving their academic engagement. The procedure will also have to facilitate presumed withdrawal of the student where the unauthorised absence continues. Please refer to Document 2 of Annex A for an example escalation procedure.

The escalation procedure will need to work in parallel with the four stage approach adopted by ISS in monitoring a student’s attendance where they are at risk of losing sponsorship. Please see Annex C for suggested Email Templates. Please also note that this relates to consecutive contact points for the full year and does not effectively ‘reset’ at the start of each semester.

Stage 1

Once a sponsored student has missed two consecutive contact points, the School should confirm to ISS that they have instigated their own internal escalation procedure by copying ISS into any correspondence to the student relating to the missed contact points. From this point on if the student does not engage for 60 days or more without reasonable excuse, they are likely to be reported to the UKVI – it is therefore important that records of contact with the student are retained to evidence this contact for audit as well as justification of actions taken in relation to the students visa.

ISS will email the student to advise them of the implications to their visa if they do not attend class and encourage the student to make contact with their School.

Stage 2

A student will be considered to be at Stage 2 of the escalation procedure if they do not re- engage with their studies after initial intervention after 2 missed contact points. ISS will continue to monitor attendance via SharePoint and also being copied into correspondence from Schools to the student. After 4 consecutive missed contact points the student should be invited to meet with ISS to discuss any issues they may be encountering.

Once a sponsored student has missed seven consecutive contact points, the case will be escalated to Stage 3 of this process.

Stage 3

When a School notifies ISS that a student has missed 7 identified contact points, ISS will



contact the student to arrange a meeting within 5 working days. If the student does not respond, ISS will contact the student a further time to arrange a meeting within 2 working days. If at this point the student has not responded to ISS, steps will be taken to arrange a wellbeing visit at the student’s address. ISS will liaise with the Disability and Wellbeing team to have this organized though it may be the School which undertakes the visit depending on the circumstances and availability of staff.

The School should commence the presumed withdrawn process if the student misses the ninth contact point and notify ISS. Please note that the School may decide to commence the presumed withdrawn process earlier than this point, and in this case should notify ISS of its decision.

If at any point during Stage 3 the student makes contact with the University and re-engages with their course, they will be deemed as having met the next contact point. This will halt the presumed withdrawn process and the student will no longer be at risk of having their sponsorship withdrawn. ISS will follow-up with the student to remind them of their obligations under Student Route and to ensure they understand the serious implications of not attending.

If, however, the student does not make contact throughout Stage 3 and misses the tenth consecutive contact point, Stage 4 of the escalation process should be instigated.

Stage 4

Once a sponsored student has missed 10 consecutive contact points (or has reached 60 days since the first correspondence to the student is sent by the School, whichever is soonest), ISS will check with the School that the student is now presumed as withdrawn and that the withdrawal notice has been issued.

Once ISS receives confirmation from QSIS that the student has been withdrawn from the course, ISS will notify UKVI within ten working days that sponsorship has been withdrawn for the student. ISS will also write to the student to notify them.

If the case arises that the School does not wish to withdraw sponsorship of a student who has missed ten consecutive contact points, this will need to be discussed with the Head of ISS and evidence will need to be provided as to why the School has reached this decision.

Retrospective Withdrawals

It is not possible for the University to effect a retrospective withdrawal for a student. The attendance monitoring policy is in place to ensure that, if a student is no longer engaging with the course, International Student Support is notified as soon as possible so that a withdrawal of sponsorship report can be made to UKVI within 10 working days as required. Similarly, if a student has been engaging with a course, it is not then possible to retrospectively claim that they were not attending. Where Schools want to make a case for a retrospective withdrawal, for example where incorrect records have been returned in error, the Head of ISS will consult with the Head of Student and Academic Affairs or the University Authorising Officer where necessary.

Record Keeping

Schools will have different methods of maintaining records on attendance monitoring, both paper-based and electronic. Where such records exist, Schools must retain them securely for at least one year after the University has stopped sponsoring the student. Attendance records



will also need to be made available for UKVI Audit. ISS will confirm with Schools when it may destroy records for each sponsored student.

Compliance

To ensure the attendance monitoring policy is being implemented correctly and remains

effective, ISS will carry out selective annual audits of attendance records for sponsored

students.


Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy International Student Support Annex A: Document 1 v.2: April 2021 [email protected] x3899

DOCUMENT 1: EXAMPLE OF CONTACT POINTS APPROVED BY UKVI Student Sponsor Guidance Document 2: Sponsorship Duties Version 05/20212022

‘Examples of expected contacts include:

• attending formal academic or pastoral care activities including:

- a lesson, lecture, tutorial or seminar;

- a test, examination or assessment board;

- a meeting with a supervisor or personal tutor;

- a research-method or research panel meeting, writing-up seminars or doctoral workshops;

- an oral examination (viva);

- an appointment with a welfare adviser or international student adviser;

- submitting;

assessed or unassessed coursework; or

an interim dissertation, coursework or report; and

registration (for enrolment or matriculation).’

Schools can use a combination of contact points to monitor academic engagement, including online teaching. However the contact points cannot be solely online as the principle of the visa is that students are physically in the UK. During the academic year 2021-22 there will be some students who are initially prohibited from travelling to the UK, or are delayed, largely due to limited spaces in managed quarantine when travelling from a ‘red list’ country. This however is the exception and not the norm – students who are in this situation should still be monitored for engagement but the monitoring will have to be done through online contact points until they arrive in the UK.



DOCUMENT 2: MONITORING Sponsored STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Example Contact Points

An example of how contact points for Undergraduate sponsored Students could be set once every two weeks:

Activity Date Evidence

1. Enrolment (first year of course) QSIS (screen capture)

2. Attendance at lecture Semester 1 / Week 2 27/09/2021 Lecture sign-in sheets


4. Attendance at lab Semester 1 / Week 6 25/10/2021 Lab sign-in sheets

5. Attendance at lecture Semester 1 / Week 8 08/11/2021 Canvas

6. Attendance at tutorial Semester 1 / Week 10 25/11/2021 Tutorial sign-in sheets


8. Attendance at tutorial Semester 2 / Week 14 13/01/2022 Tutorial sign-in sheets 9. Attendance at lecture Semester 2 / Week 16 28/01/2022 Canvas


11. Attendance at lab Semester 2 / Week 20 25/02/2022 Lab sign-in sheets

12. Attendance at work placement Semester 2 / Week 22

11/03/2022 Written confirmation from work placement supervisor

13. Attendance at work placement Semester 2 / Week 24

25/03/2022 Written confirmation from work placement supervisor

14. Submission of course-work Semester 2 / Week 26 08/04/2022 Coursework

15. Attendance at exam Semester 2 / Week 28 17/05/2022 Roll taken / hand-in of exam

An example of how contact points for Postgraduate Taught Sponsored Students could be set once

every two weeks during taught modules and once a month during research modules:


1. Enrolment (first year of course) QSIS (screen capture)













14. June meeting with dissertation supervisor 04/06/2022 Dissertation attendance form

15. Skype meeting with dissertation supervisor 02/07/2022 Dissertation attendance form

16. August meeting with dissertation supervisor 06/08/2022 Dissertation attendance form 17. Submission of dissertation 14/09/2022 Dissertation submission recording

Where possible, for UG and PGT students, contact points should be set over different modules.




An example of how contact points for Postgraduate Research Sponsored Students could be set once a month:


1. October meeting with supervisor 04/10/2021 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

2. November meeting with supervisor 18/11/2021 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

3. December meeting with supervisor 01/12/2021 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

4. January meeting with supervisor 15/01/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record 5. February meeting with supervisor 29/02/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

6. March meeting with supervisor 13/03/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

7. April meeting with supervisor 15/04/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

8. Meeting with Panel 29/05/2022 Panel Notes

9. June meeting with supervisor 12/06/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

10. Academic Progress Review 26/07/2022 APR Record on QSIS

11. Skype meeting with supervisor 12/08/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record

12. September meeting with supervisor 17/09/2022 QSIS Formal Meeting Record When the student submits their thesis, contact points will be as follows:

13. Submission of soft-bound thesis 01/10/2022 Soft-bound thesis

14. VIVA 02/12/2022 Attendance at VIVA

15. Submission of hard-bound thesis 04/02/2019 Hard-bound thesis

If the student is recommended to re-submit, contacts will revert to as before.

Example Escalation Procedure for Unauthorised Absences

An example of how a School may choose to escalate the case where a student is missing contact points:

1. Where a student fails to attend ONE monitored session, the student should be contacted immediately via

email by the nominated staff member to ascertain why they had not attended the session. This email

should enquire on the wellbeing of the student, establish details of and reasons for the absence. If the

student has a genuine reason for the absence, such as illness, and you are satisfied that it is genuine, you

may authorise the absence. This means that it will not be treated as a missed contact point due to an

unauthorised absence.

2. Where the student fails to attend TWO consecutive monitored sessions without explanation, the student

should be contacted immediately via email and a telephone call should be made (the time, date and

content should be noted for the student’s file) by the nominated staff member to ascertain why they had

not attended the session. The student should be given a warning and be informed that ISS has been made

aware. This information should also be communicated to ISS to ensure they are aware of the two missed

contacts.

3. If the student fails to attend THREE consecutive monitored sessions, the student should be asked to attend

a meeting with the Programme Director to discuss non-attendance, they should be notified by both email

and a letter posted to their UK address. The School should continue to keep ISS updated.

4. If the student fails to attend FOUR to SEVEN consecutive monitored sessions the nominated staff member

should continue trying to contacting the student via email to ascertain why they have not attended

the sessions.





5. Where the student has missed NINE consecutive monitored sessions the School should formally write to

the student and advise them if they do not re-engage within 10 working days they will be presumed

withdrawn from the course. The School should send ISS a copy of this correspondence.

6. After a student has failed to attend TEN consecutive monitored sessions, or have not engaged for more

than 60 days from the first point of contact a School has made with them about their engagement, they

will be withdrawn from their course of study. International Student Support should be informed

immediately to allow them to be report this information to the UKVI.

Please note that contacting ISS after two consecutive missed contact points and commencing the presumed

withdrawal process must be built into each School’s escalation procedure.



Escalation Procedure for Unauthorised

Absences of Sponsored Students

Student is attending regularly

NO ACTION REQUIRED

Student misses ONE contact EMAIL TO FIND REASON FOR NON-ATTENDANCE

STAGE 1

Student misses TWO consecutive contacts

REPORT NON-ATTENDANCE TO ISS & CONTINUE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE STUDENT VIA

EMAIL AND PHONE

STAGE 2

Student misses THREE consecutive contacts

SEND EMAIL & LETTER ARRANGE MEETING WITH PROGRAMME DIRECTOR TO DISCUSS NON-

ATTENDANCE.

Student misses FOUR TO SIX consecutive contacts

REPORT NON-ATTENDANCE & CONTINUE ATTEMPTING TO THE CONTACT STUDENT

STAGE 3

Student misses SEVEN consecutive contacts

REPORT NON-ATTENDANCE TO ISS & CONTINUE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE STUDENT

Student misses NINE consecutive contacts

FORMALLY NOTIFY STUDENT IF THEY DO NOT RE-

ENGAGE WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS THEY WILL BE PRESUMED WITHDRAWN

STAGE 4 Student misses TEN consecutive contacts

WITHDRAWN FROM COURSE AND ISS TO REPORT UKVI

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST

International Student Support

Off-campus Study Notification for sponsored International Students

To be used when students are to be away from the University for course-related reasons.

Section 1: Student Details To be completed by student

Name Student number

Nationality DOB Visa end date

Section 2: Details of Course and Off-campus Study To be completed by student

School

Course title Course level

Dates of Off-campus Study Period

From: To:

Reason (please include your destination and travel dates)

Eg Fieldwork, Research overseas, Work placement, internship etc

Student’s signature Date

Section 3: Approval from School To be completed by School

Recommendation of Course Director/Supervisor: Approved Declined

Comments

Course Director/Supervisor’s signature Date

NOTES

1. This form is designed for those international students who currently hold a visa in order to comply with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements. Please note the maximum permitted overseas research period for PGR students is normally 6 months in a rolling 12 month period. Please contact ISS if you have any queries in relation to this.

2. This form is designed to inform International Student Support of a student’s intention to undertake study

elsewhere other than the Queens University Belfast campus and approved sites and partnerships. ISS are obliged to inform UKVI of this change to the student’s circumstances and may seek further information from the school in order to complete this.

3. The student will continue to be enrolled on QSIS during this period of off-campus study.

4. It is the responsibility of both the student and the School Office to ensure that this form is completed.

5. Once the form is complete a copy should be sent (electronically or by internal mail) to International Student Support. The School should also retain a copy.

Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy International Student Support Annex B: Document 1 v.2: July 2021 [email protected] x3899




Absence Notification for Sponsored International Students

To be used when students are to be absent from the University, including any holiday approval.

Section 1: Student Details To be completed by student

Name Student number

Nationality

Section 2: Details of Course and Period of Absence

Course title

School Course level

Dates of absence

From: To:

Reason for absence (please include your destination and travel dates)

E.g. Holiday, Doctor appointment etc.

Student’s signature

Date

Section 3: Approval - to be completed by School

Will the student be absent for more than 60 calendar days? (Please note there are likely to be immigration implications if Yes. Please contact ISS for further advice)

Yes No

Will the student be registered on a leave of absence on QSIS? Yes No

Recommendation of Course Director/Supervisor: Approved Declined

Comments

Course Director/Supervisor’s signature Date

NOTES

1. It is the responsibility of both the student and the School Office to ensure that this form is completed. Once the form is complete a copy should be sent (electronically or by internal mail by the school) to International Student Support. The School should also retain a copy.

2. The form should be completed by students/Schools in the event that a student wishes to be absent/take a

vacation from their studies as follows:


PGT students – During taught modules: outside of official holiday periods designated by the University;

During research modules: at any time (as official University holiday periods do not

usually apply);

PGR students – At any time (as official University holiday periods do not usually apply).

Tier 4 Attendance Monitoring Policy International Student Support Annex B: Document 2 v.2: April 2021 [email protected] x3899




Guidance for Schools on processing Sponsored Absence Notification Form

In line with the Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy, and to comply with UK Visas &

Immigration (UKVI) requirements all authorised absences should be recorded and a copy of the

notification form forwarded to ISS. The nature of the form is that, if for any reason a student needs to

be absent from the University during term time, the University will in all cases be able to confirm that

this was an ‘authorised absence’ and therefore the student is not in breach of their visa conditions.

Students should be aware that the form should be completed in advance of the absence, however we

do recognise that there may be rare occasions where a school may need to approve an absence

retrospectively. Please note that this cannot happen retrospectively in cases where students are

taking a Leave of Absence and requiring a change to their QSIS status is respect of this. ISS have a

reporting deadline of 10 days to inform UKVI of any changes to a student’s circumstances therefore

retrospective approvals would be in breach of our duties. Schools should notify ISS as soon as they

are aware that a sponsored student requires a formal Leave of Absence as there may be immigration

implications depending on the length of time involved.

The form should initially be completed by the student and submitted to the school office for processing

after receiving approval from their supervisor/course director. The school should update the

Engagement Monitoring SharePoint record for that student if the authorisation covers an expected

contact point. The form or a copy, should be kept by the school and the original or a copy forwarded

to International Student Support.

International Student Support do not make decisions on approving or declining a request, however if a

member of staff within a school wishes to discuss a situation in more detail, they can contact the

Compliance Team or Immigration Adviser within ISS responsible for their school.

A course director/supervisor is not obliged to approve an absence if they receive a form. If it is

declined initially but the student takes the time off is spite of this, this should not be recorded in

SharePoint as an Authorised Absence.

The form should be completed by students/Schools in the event that a student wishes to be absent/take a vacation from their studies as follows:


PGT students – During taught modules: outside of official holiday periods designated by the

University;

During research modules: at any time (as official University holiday periods do

not usually apply);

PGR students – At any time while the University is open (as official University holiday periods

do not usually apply). Any leave approved should also be in line with the University PGR

Regulations.

Tier 4 Attendance Monitoring Policy International Student Support Annex B: Document 3 v.1: January 2022




Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy Annex C, Document 1 V1.2 June 2021

International Student Support Page | 1

Sample Email Templates for Attendance Monitoring Escalation Points – For Issue by School

For Taught Students

One Contact Point

Dear

It has been noted that you have missed the **** lecture/tutorial on *****. This session was identified

as a sponsored student engagement monitoring session.

I would be grateful if you could provide an explanation to your absence. I look forward to receiving

this information as soon as possible.

Best wishes

Two Contact Points

Dear

According to our attendance records, you have missed 2 contact points. We are now obliged to

inform International Student Support of this given the potential impact on your visa status.

All the modules in your degree are designed with the expectation that students attend all classes

(lectures and tutorials) and engage with the module material. This includes preparing for tutorials,

downloading and reading the lecture material in advance of the classes and planning ahead for the

assignments, etc. It is, therefore, essential, that you attend all classes and engage with the modules,

otherwise you are in danger of failing the modules. In addition, as a sponsored student attendance at

all classes is compulsory and non-attendance could have an impact on your student visa and

permission to study and remain in the UK.

The University has a range of resources to help you with your studies. You can find more

information on the MyQueen’s website including information on study support.

Please let me know if you need further information from the School. If you are having difficulties with

your studies or there is something which is impacting on your ability to study, then you should discuss

this with your Adviser of Studies.

Best wishes

Three Contact Points

Dear

Further to my previous email, it has been noted that you have now missed 3 consecutive contact

points. In accordance with our sponsored student escalation policy, you are invited to attend a

meeting with ****** to discuss your attendance. This has been scheduled for:

Tuesday 6th February at 11.00am at ***********

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes,

https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/my-queens/



Four – Eight Contact Points

Dear

Further to our previous correspondence, it has been noted that you have now missed **** consecutive

engagement contact points required to retain your student visa. You are expected to participate in all

areas of your course, including attending all classes associated with your modules. Failure to do so

will have an impact on your ability to pass your course and remain enrolled on your study path here at

Queen’s University Belfast. This will in turn impact on your immigration permission to be in and study

in the UK.

I trust the above information is clear and I would be grateful if you could respond with regards to your

non-attendance.

Best wishes,

Nine Contact Points

Dear

Re: OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION

Due to your failure to attend your course as previously advised, we are now obliged to formally notify

you should you fail to engage with your course and attend as required within the next 10 working

days, you may be presumed to be withdrawn from your course.

Our colleagues in International Student Support will follow up with you with regards to the implications

for your current immigration permission.

Best wishes,

For Research Students

One Contact Point

Dear

It has been noted that you have not logged a formal meeting record for the last month within the

Research Student Lifecycle on QSIS. This evidence is used to verify engagement in line with your

student visa.

I would be grateful if you could upload evidence of your most recent formal meeting as soon as

possible and confirm this with me.

Best wishes

Two Contact Points

Dear

On running the ‘Formal Meetings’ report on QSIS it appears that you have not uploaded any meeting

reports for either **** or **** 2019. If these meetings have taken place with your Supervisor(s) please

upload the report(s) immediately.

I would like to make you aware that as you have now missed a second consecutive report I am

required to notify International Student Support (cc’d) to make them aware of your non-compliance

with the regulations.



You can check the ‘Training material and simulations’ link below for instruction on how to upload

the reports.

Training material and simulations link:

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/StudentServicesSystems/Qsis/QsisService

s/QsisforStudents/QsisforResearchStudents/

Three Contact Points

Dear

Further to my previous email, it has been noted that you have now failed to upload information for 3

consecutive formal meetings. In accordance with our sponsored student escalation policy, you are

invited to attend a meeting with ****** to discuss your attendance. This has been scheduled for:

Tuesday 6th February at 11.00am at ***********

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes,

Four – Eight Contact Points

Dear

Further to our previous correspondence, it has been noted that you have now failed to upload

evidence for **** consecutive formal meetings. In line with the University Study Regulations for

Research Degree Programmes as a full-time student you are expected to record 10 formal, recorded

meetings per year with your supervisor to monitor progress against your research plan. Failure to do

so will have an impact on your ability to pass your course and thus remain enrolled on your study path

here at Queen’s University Belfast. This will in turn impact on your immigration permission to be in

and study in the UK.

I trust the above information is clear and I look forward to receiving confirmation that you have

uploaded the required record of meetings.

Best wishes,

Nine Contact Points

Dear

Re: OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION

Due to your failure to participate in your course as previously advised, we are now obliged to formally

notify you should you fail to engage with your course and submit the required meeting record within

the next 10 working days, you may be presumed to be withdrawn from your course.

Our colleagues in International Student Support will follow up with you with regards to the implications

for your current immigration permission.

Best wishes,

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/StudentServicesSystems/Qsis/QsisServices/QsisforStudents/QsisforResearchStudents/

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/StudentServicesSystems/Qsis/QsisServices/QsisforStudents/QsisforResearchStudents/

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/AcademicAffairs/ResearchDegreeProgrammes/ProgressMonitoringandAnnualProgressReview/

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/AcademicAffairs/ResearchDegreeProgrammes/ProgressMonitoringandAnnualProgressReview/

Student Rout Engagement Monitoring Policy

Annex C, Document 2 v.1.2: June 2021


Page | 1

Email Templates for Engagement Monitoring Escalation Points

For Issue by International Student Support

For Taught Students

1. Following confirmed absence from 2 consecutive contact points -

Dear student,

Your School has contacted International Student Support as they are concerned about your recent attendance on your course. I am emailing to remind you about the terms and conditions of your visa.

As your Student Route Student visa is sponsored by Queen’s University, poor attendance can affect your visa. Failure to attend your course or not comply with attendance monitoring requirements of your School can result in being withdrawn from your course, the University stopping sponsorship of your visa and being required to leave the UK.

It is important that you attend all supervision meetings, training, workshops etc. and request permission from your School for any absences.

******, please let us know if there is a particular reason for your absence where International Student Support can provide any help or support. You will also find information on Queen’s website about support services which you can access free of charge - https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/wellbeing/ .

Please ensure that you continue to reply to any correspondence from your School about this.

Regards,

2. After 4 consecutive missed contact points the student should be invited to meet with ISS to discuss any issues they may be encountering -

Dear student,

We understand that you are not currently engaging with your course or attending class. I would like to invite you to International Student Support to discuss this. If you could please come our office on the first floor of the Student Guidance Centre on Tuesday 6th February at 11.00am.

I look forward to seeing you then.

3. Stage 2 of the Engagement Monitoring Policy requires ISS to meet with the student after they have missed 7 consecutive contact points

Dear student,

Your school have informed us that you have now missed 7 nominated contact points. I would now request that you meet with me to discuss the implications of your continued absence from class. Please come to International Student Support on the first floor of the Student Guidance Centre on:

Tuesday 6th February at 11.00am

As you will be aware, failure to engage with your course and attend classes may result in the University presuming you to be withdrawn from your course. We are then required to report this to UK Visas & Immigration and withdraw sponsorship of your visa. UKVI will then curtail your visa and you will be required to leave the UK.

I look forward to meeting with you on the above date.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/wellbeing/

Student Rout Engagement Monitoring Policy

Annex C, Document 2 v.1.2: June 2021


Page | 2

For Research Students

1. Following confirmed absence from 2 consecutive contact points -

Dear student,

It has been noted that you have not recorded formal meetings with your supervisor through the Research Student Lifecycle on QSIS for the last 2 months. I am emailing to remind you about the terms and conditions of your visa.

As your Student Route Student visa is sponsored by Queen’s University, poor attendance can affect your visa. Failure to participate in your course or not comply with attendance monitoring requirements of your School can result in being withdrawn from your course, the University stopping sponsorship of your visa and being required to leave the UK.

It is important that you upload confirmation of your monthly supervision meetings to QSIS as required, and request permission from your School for any absences.

******, please let us know if there is a particular reason for your absence where International Student Support can provide any help or support. You will also find information on Queen’s website about support services which you can access free of charge - https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/wellbeing/ .

Please ensure that you continue to reply to any correspondence from your School about this.

Regards,

2. After 4 consecutive missed contact points the student should be invited to meet with ISS to

discuss any issues they may be encountering -

Dear student,

We understand that you are not currently engaging with your course and participating as required. I would like to invite you to International Student Support to discuss this. If you could please come our office on the first floor of the Student Guidance Centre on Tuesday 6th February at 11.00am.

I look forward to seeing you then.

3. Stage 2 of the Engagement Monitoring Policy requires ISS to meet with the student after they have missed 7 consecutive contact points

Dear student,

Your school have informed us that you have now failed to provide evidence for the last 7 formal meetings. I would now request that you meet with me to discuss the implications of your continued failure to participate in your course. Please come to International Student Support on the first floor of the Student Guidance Centre on:

Tuesday 6th February at 11.00am

As you will be aware, failure to engage with your course may result in the University presuming you to be withdrawn from your course. We are then required to report this to UK Visas & Immigration and withdraw sponsorship of your student visa. UKVI will then curtail your visa and you will be required to leave the UK.

I look forward to meeting with you on the above date.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/wellbeing/

Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy Annex D v1.0 June 2021


Guidance for Schools on Work Placements for Sponsored Students

Introduction

UK Visas & Immigration specify that any work placement opportunity for a student sponsored on a

Student Route student visa, must be an integral and assessed part of the course. In addition, a

placement cannot be more than 50% of the total duration of a student’s course, or time spent

studying in the UK where the student is here as part of a study abroad exchange.

Work placements can be referred to using different terminology, e.g. internship/sandwich year/year in

industry/professional studies, but for the purpose of this guidance ‘placement’ refers to a period of

work-based learning which consists of authentic structured opportunities for learning which are

achieved within a work setting. These placements can be paid or unpaid. This guidance does not

apply to students attending clinical attachments where their learning is being completed offsite.

It is recognised that some courses will have optional modules containing placements which a student

can select during registration. If a student selects such a module, this then becomes a compulsory

element of their course and the below obligations will apply.

Calculating Placements

Undergraduate Courses

Where a placement is part of a longer term course and forms a sandwich year/industrial year out, this

will be treated as one year of the total number of years on the course.

Postgraduate Courses

Where this placement forms part of a 1 or 2 year course, the total duration of the placement cannot

exceed the number of weeks the student is participating in academic elements of the course (e.g.

placement participation weeks must not exceed academic participation weeks). Where possible this

should be calculated in line with the published semester dates.

Short Courses and Part-time placements

Placement calculations for sponsored students undertaking short courses will be made in weeks or

days as appropriate. Any placements where sponsored students are required to attend on a part-

time basis as a compulsory part of a module, will also be calculated in weeks or days.

Student Route visa Obligations

As a sponsor license holder, Queen’s University Belfast has the following obligations to fulfil

regarding placements. These apply to all sponsored students on placement including those

undertaking a short course with a placement, part-time placements and module options with

placements.

CAS

From the outset, we must declare a compulsory placement on the CAS the student will use to apply

for their visa. The percentage of the total course must also be declared. At this point it is unlikely that

we are unable to confirm where exactly the student will undertake their placement and so a statement

confirming we will update UKVI with this information at a later date is included.

Reporting



It is crucial that information about a student’s placement is confirmed to ISS in a timely manner as we

have a narrow window to report this information to UKVI after a student commences their placement.

The following information is required for the report –

Company Name and Address of placement

Start date of placement

Expected end date of placement (the end date of the placement must not be later than the

official end date of the course)

Confirmation that the School have attendance monitoring arrangements in place

We would expect that placement details for students are collated and forwarded to ISS

([email protected] / [email protected]) in advance of the commencement of the placement as far

as possible, and no later than 1 week following the start date of the placement. Any late reporting of

placement details can reflect badly on the University therefore Schools should be mindful of this and

plan accordingly.

Should any of the above details change at any point during the placement, ISS should again be

informed as soon as possible so that a subsequent report be submitted to UKVI and to advise the

student on any implications for their visa.

Likewise for students selecting optional modules containing placements, Schools must inform ISS of

the above information in line with reporting requirements outlined in this document.

Attendance Monitoring

UKVI guidance stipulates that as the sponsoring institution, we must continue to comply with all our

sponsor duties during the time the student is on placement. This means that we must continue to

monitor attendance and participation for the duration of the student’s placement. The current Queen’s

University Belfast Student Route Engagement Monitoring Policy requirements therefore still apply

during a

student’s placement.

There must be an arrangement in place between the school and a named contact at the placement

provider, e.g. the student’s line manager/mentor, to confirm that a student is attending and engaging

in their placement. In line with the current Engagement Monitoring Policy for those on taught

programmes, attendance must be confirmed once every 2 weeks. Schools with courses which have a

placement element to a module where the student may only be attending part-time e.g. 1 day a week,

should be mindful to include attendance data from a placement contact point from time to time

throughout the duration of the module.

For full-time placements, a fortnightly email from the named contact confirming attendance while a

student is on placement, would be an example of appropriate evidence a school could retain to meet

their attendance monitoring requirements. This evidence should be retained in line with other

attendance monitoring data and the SharePoint site updated with the date for each student

undertaking a placement.

Placements outside the UK

Students are permitted to undertake placements outside the UK and the Student Route Engagement

Monitoring Policy provides for this, however the school should satisfy itself that it can meet the

obligations as detailed above. It is anticipated that students should be returning to study in Queen’s

following completion of their placement abroad, however we acknowledge there may be occasions

where students are not required to return to complete their studies. This situation has implications

for a student’s visa and ISS should be informed at the earliest opportunity to advise on these.

Please note this also applies to placements undertaken in the Republic of Ireland.

Change in length of placement period

Should a student decide not to undertake a placement for any reason or the placement they

undertake is shorter or longer than anticipated, this information should be passed to ISS as soon as

possible as this may have significant implications for a student visa holder.

Deadlines





The school should set clear deadlines for students to obtain placements and this should be

communicated to students from the outset.

Particularly for students undertaking a 2-year Masters course with placement, it is recommended that

students be given a deadline to secure their placement for the second year. It would be appropriate

that students should confirm placements prior to the deadline for enrolment on the second year of

their course to ensure that we are continuing to sponsor students accurately. As the student’s main

purpose while they are in the UK is to undertake study, and by extension a placement as part of this,

where a student is not doing so, it may not be appropriate to continue to sponsor their visa.

Student Responsibilities

Given the impact of some of the above factors, it is important that students are aware at the outset of

the responsibility placed on them in securing placements and encouraged to discuss any potential

changes with an Immigration Adviser as soon as possible.

Examples

The following table outlines some common scenarios which ISS would need to be informed of and

may affect a student’s immigration permission. This list is not exhaustive so Schools are asked to

contact ISS if they have any potential issues as and when they arise.

Scenario Student Action School Action ISS Action

Student wishes to change course to/from a non- placement pathway

Make an appointment with ISS at the earliest opportunity

No action until confirmed by ISS

Advise student/school accordingly

Report to UKVI accordingly

Student selects an optional module with a placement element

Attend classes and placement as required

Inform ISS of placement details following enrolment on particular module

Monitor attendance during placement

Report details of placement to UKVI prior to student attending placement

Student wishes to undertake a placement abroad


Confirm details of placement with ISS

Confirm if participation on course is required following completion of work placement abroad


Meet with student and advise accordingly


Student does not secure a placement by deadline


Inform ISS following deadline and advise of consequences from school perspective, e.g. transfer to non-placement pathway

Meet with student and advise accordingly




Student completes a placement early

Inform ISS as soon as possible.

Inform ISS of any subsequent change to expected course completion date (e.g. new dissertation submission date) and confirm if any further academic participation is required.

Advise student accordingly


Student wishes to start placement early including PGT students on a two year programme. Placement cannot be more than 52 weeks.

Check with ISS prior to student starting the placement if this is permitted.

Inform ISS of any subsequent change to expected course completion date, e.g. new dissertation submission date.

Confirm details of placement with ISS.


Advise School if this is permitted.

Advise student accordingly
