A summary of significant changes to UK Home Office immigration rules and guidance: Published 6 April 2017

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On 6 April 2017 The UK Home Office made changes to the UK’s immigration system, which are currently still in effect.

Key changes include:

  • The introduction of a skills levy for Tier 2 Sponsors
  • The expansion of criminal record checks for certain job roles
  • Failure of basic compliance assessment is now a serious breach of sponsor compliance for Tier 4 sponsors
  • UK NARIC statements can be used to demonstrate English language proficiency at the appropriate level rather than at just C1

Skills levy

This will be levied on employers who employ migrants in skilled jobs. Set at £1,000 per employee per year, with a reduced rate of £364 for small or charitable organisations.

Criminal records checks

A criminal record certificate requirement has been extended to Tier 2 skilled worker applicants in the education, health and social care sectors.

Tier 2 applicants from non-EEA countries in these employment sectors now need to present a criminal record certificate. This is also the case for any adult dependants of the applicant.

A list of the job roles that are subject to this requirement can be found in the Tier 2 section of the UKVI website.

Failure of basic compliance assessment is now a serious breach

Tier 4 sponsors should be aware that failing their basic compliance assessment is now considered a ‘serious breach’.

A serious breach can lead to a ‘Compliance Track 2’ process which, in the majority of cases, will mean that the sponsor will be removed from the Tier 4 Register of Sponsors whilst UKVI investigates.

It is therefore imperative that Tier 4 sponsors ensure that they make fully informed decisions, with thorough record-keeping, about their international applicants for study.

A range of UK NARIC services for organisations is available to help universities, colleges and schools understand more about international education systems and international qualifications.

UK NARIC also offers training to support Tier 4 sponsors.

More information about Tier 4 and information for Tier 4 sponsors is available on the UKVI website.

UK NARIC statements for English language

Presenting their qualifications that are at least comparable to UK Bachelor level (with UK NARIC statements evidencing the comparability) has been one of the ways in which migrants to the UK can demonstrate their English language proficiency.

The 6 April 2017 changes to the immigration rules have extended the use of UK NARIC statements to all CEFR levels. Previously, UK NARIC statements could be used to demonstrate only CEFR level C1.

This means that UK NARIC statements can now be used to demonstrate the appropriate level of English language skills to support applications to UKVI for – work; study; family; settlement; citizenship; and naturalisation.

There is more information about using UK NARIC English language statements for immigration purposes on other pages of this blog.

Please visit the Home Office website for more information and recent changes to immigration rules and guidance: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration

Published by ECCTIS

Ecctis is a gold-standard provider of solutions and services in international education and training, and in the development and recognition of globally portable qualifications. We are an internationally trusted and respected reference point for qualifications and skills standards.

18 Thoughts

    1. Hi Adnan,

      Thank you for your comment.

      Unfortunately we are unable to comment on academic comparability on our social media accounts. You may wish to contact us on (0044) (0)871 330 7033, Monday to Friday (between 9:00am and 5:00pm), to speak to an Information Adviser and they will be happy to discuss this with you further. Alternatively, more information on how to apply for our services can be found below:
      https://www.naric.org.uk/naric/

      I hope this information is of assistance to you. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

      Kind regards,
      UK NARIC

  2. Dear sir/madam, I have received a certificate of comparison from UK NARIC, now i wish to get my English Language Assessment,from you. I have a query regarding that, As you have already assessed my certificates earlier ,do i need to attach and send them again to get a English Language assessment.

    Thank you.

    1. Dear Kolla,

      Thank you for your comment.

      Providing that you have received the Statement of Comparability within the last three months, the only additional document you will need to provide is a medium of instruction letter ( http://ecctis.co.uk/naric/individuals/Compare%20Qualifications/documents/TechUniCertification_in.pdf) . If it is longer than three months you will need to submit all of the relevant documentation again as they will have been deleted for Data Protection.

      The English Language Assessment service can be added via the ‘additional services’ tab of your order portal.

      I hope this helps.

      UK NARIC

  3. I WANT TO COMPARE MY BACHERLOR DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY OF Dar es salaam here in Tanzania with Uk. Please help me how can I do. I have BSc in Wildlife science and conservation with Overall G.P.A 3.8. My aim is to study MPh in Biodiversity consevation and management in Oxford University 2018/2019

    1. Hi Abel,

      Thank you for your message.

      A Statement of Comparability will provide a comparability of your overseas qualifications to the level in which they sit on the UK Framework. You can present this Statement of Comparability to Organisations and Institutions for further Work or Study. Please see the following page for more information on how to apply: https://www.naric.org.uk/naric/individuals/Compare%20Qualifications/Statement%20of%20Comparability.aspx

      Regards,
      UK NARIC

  5. I have passed SSLC education and Pre-Degree from India.Do I need to do functional level 2 Maths in the UK to do Nursing Degree ?

    1. Hi Jeena,
      Thank you for your comment.
      Each institution in the UK is autonomous and has their own entry requirements, we recommend you to contact the admissions department at the institution you are interested in attending directly to confirm your eligibility for their courses.
      Kind Regards,
      UK NARIC

  6. Hello.
    I’m from Brazil. I sent my diploma to do the equivalence, and I received this request:

    Dear Sir / Madam,

    Here at UK NARIC we are able to assess overseas academic awards that constitute a national level within the educational framework of the country from which the qualification was obtained.

    In order to provide recognition for academic awards from overseas, it is necessary first to establish their status in the country of origin. If you could provide a statement from SINAES (National Higher Education Assessment System) to confirm the recognition status of the award, then we could consider your application further.

    Kind regards

    UK NARIC

    what would it be?

    1. Hi Ricardo,

      Thank you for your comment.

      Unfortunately we are unable to comment on your application on our social media accounts. You may wish to contact us on (0044) (0)871 330 7033, Monday to Friday (between 9:00am and 5:00pm), to speak to an Information Adviser and they will be happy to discuss this with you further. Alternatively, you also have the option of sending us a message via the secure messaging facility within the online application and one of our Information Advisers would be able to respond to you.

      Kind regards,
      UK NARIC

  7. Hello, The Ministry of Education has post via mail my Beauty Culture Transcript to Evaluated on Friday May 29th 2018. I have to written examimation with the examination board in England. please let me know what level i am at present, and what grade must i continue.
    Please Reply.

    1. Hi Marilyn,
      Thank you for your comment.
      Unfortunately we are unable to comment on qualifications or institutions via our social media accounts. If you would like to discuss the comparability of your awards you can call us on (0044) (0)871 330 7033, Monday to Friday (between 9:00am and 5:00pm), to speak to an Information Adviser and they will be happy to discuss this with you further.
      Kind Regards,
      UK NARIC

  8. I am currently in Pakistan. I have a tier 2 job offer at univ. of Manchester. I have PhD degree from Korea and Master degree from Pakistan. I want the SoC to be delivered at my cousin’s address currently residing in UK, to save time, since it would require an additional 2 weeks for it to reach Pakistan.
    However, the delivery address form for SoC at UKNARIC webpage asks, country of residence. Since I am residing in Pakistan. Can I get SoC delivered to my cousin’s place?
    Thanks in advance

    1. Hi Dr ali,
      Thank you for your post.
      You can have the completed statement delivered to whatever postal address you like, anywhere in the world. You enter your chosen delivery address when creating the application.
      Regards,
      UK NARIC

  9. Hi, My husband has a Pakistani bachelors degree in English, how do I get it tested as to what it is equivalent to in the UK, for immigration purposes, thank you

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