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International Exeter
annual report
2013/14
international recruitment performance
UKVI compliance
In order to recruit international students the University
is required to hold both a Tier 4 Sponsor License and
Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) status, both of which
are awarded by the Home Office.
To ensure that the University is fully compliant with
visa guidance, the Immigration Compliance Unit was
established in January 2013. As well as ensuring that
the University’s compliance processes run smoothly
and effectively, the Unit is tasked with keeping up to
date with changes in Home Office/UKVI guidance
and developing appropriate institutional responses.
The University applies each year to the Home
Office for a renewal of its HTS status. In assessing
our application the Home Office measures our
performance against a number of key indicators, one
of which is our visa refusal rate, i.e. the number of
applicants to Exeter for whom a Tier 4 visa application
is declined. Government concerns over immigration
meant that in 2013/14 it was ruled that an application
for HTS status would be refused in cases where the
visa refusal rate was 20% or more.
On 29 July 2014 it was announced by the Home Office
that this rate would be reduced to 10% with effect
from 1 November 2014. Exeter’s average visa refusal
rate is 2%.
One of the Home Office requirements that the sector
has found most challenging is the requirement to
monitor attendance of Tier 4 students. During 2013/14
Exeter introduced improvements to its monitoring
systems which helped to ensure greater accuracy and
consistency across the institution, with a consequent
reduction in the considerable administrative burden
for Colleges.
Another challenge for the sector is reacting quickly and
effectively to changes in Home Office guidance, and
communicating those changes clearly and speedily to
staff and international students alike: the Home Office’s
investigation into fraud connected with ETS English
Language qualifications, and the subsequent removal
of such qualifications from the list of ‘Secure English
Language Tests’, was a case in point. The University
responded by sending regular communications to
applicants on this topic during the year and continues
to support them through the visa application process.
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER VISA REFUSAL RATE: 2013/14
20%
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
September October November December January February March April May June July August
Source: UKVI data University estimates
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