Guidance Notes for Recording Attendances/Absences of
International Research Students
In setting up this system to record student attendances as required by the UK Border Agency
(UKBA), the aim has been to keep this process as simple but as effective as possible.
Date from which this applies – 31 March 2009
The new immigration rules apply to all students from the non-European Economic Area (EEA)
who enter the UK as from 31 March 2009. As our students commence only at the start of
each semester, these UK Border Agency regulations will thus apply to new international
students starting from September 2009 and onwards. Please note that the new style visa
(post 31 March 2009) names the ‘sponsoring institution’.
Students extending their ‘old-style’ visa
These regulations do not apply to a student who started before 31 March 2009 but has had to
extend their visa. Please check that their visa is the ‘old style’ visa – i.e. does not name the
sponsoring institution.
Admissions for International Students
The Admissions Office within Marketing, has responsibility for admitting international students
and for sending new international students the Research Student Handbook.
Welcome days are organised at the start of each semester at Cambridge and Chelmsford for
international research students. The programme for this day includes an English test so that
we can identify students who require additional support in this area. These days are
organised by Caroline Shanahan (Student Services) and Julie Scott (RDCS).
Period of time for study
Under these regulations full-time research students at Anglia Ruskin will have 3 years 8
months to complete their PhD with the possibility of a 4 months extension. Similarly, MPhil
full-time research students will be given 2 years 8 months to complete their award.
Students transferring to Anglia Ruskin from another institution
Should a research student who started, post 31 March 2009, at another institution wish to
transfer to us, they may, using one of the following two processes dependent on the issue
date of their Tier 4 Student visa.
Process 1
Students who have a Tier 4 Student visa that was issued between 31st March
2009 and 5th October 2009 may send an email to the UKBA requesting
permission to change institution. We cannot register the student onto an Anglia
Ruskin programme without sight of the confirmation from UKBA that they
approve the switch of institution.
Process 2
Students who have a Tier 4 Student visa that was issued after 5th October 2009
are required to apply for a new Tier 4 Student visa under our sponsor license.
We cannot register the student onto an Anglia Ruskin programme without sight of
the new Tier 4 Student visa.
It is not permitted for students switching institutions to commence the course of study at the
new institution until they have completed the switching process, as per the processes above.
For our purposes, ‘commence’ can be interpreted as ‘register onto’.
Contact requirements
From September 2009, new international research students will have to make contact to
demonstrate that they are still undertaking their research programme. Students will be
reported to the UKBA if there are any unauthorised absences from their studies. In each year
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(either September – October or February – January), students must make at least 10
contacts. Students who fail to register within the prescribed enrolment period or who do not
re-register will also be reported to the UKBA.
The University is only required to report on unauthorised absences. If a student cannot attend
a contact point due to ill health this should be noted on the attendance log. The student must
provide a medical certificate as evidence of their illness.
When students leave the UK to undertake field work for their research, and are thus not able
to meet with the supervisor, the supervisor must confirm to the Faculty Research
Administrator (FRA) the period of time that the student will be out of the UK undertaking this
field work.
Audit by the UKBA
We will be audited by the UKBA to ensure that our international students’ attendance is being
adequately monitored and reported. Any failure to do so may result in our University losing its
licence to admit international students.
International Office
The UKBA Compliance Officer, Niki Jones, will send a list of those research students who
have registered for the first time with their visa expiry dates to the FRA.
Completion of form and monitoring of attendance
The First Supervisor or Provisional Supervisor
The first supervisor or provisional supervisor maintains the contacts record for their
student(s). Please report to your Faculty Research Administrator (FRA) immediately should
either of the following occur:
 a student with an offer of a place fails to arrive at our University
 the student withdraws from their studies.
Students starting in September
For students starting in September the supervisor emails the contacts record to the Faculty
Research Administrator (FRA) for that student on 1 October, I December, 1 February, 1 April,
1 June and 1 September.
Students starting in February
For students starting in February the supervisor emails the contacts record to the Faculty
Research Administrator (FRA) for that student on 1 March, I May, 1 July, 1 September, 1
November and 1 January
The Faculty Research Administrator
Where a student fails to register or re-register onto their research programme, withdraws, or
has their programme of study terminated by Anglia Ruskin, the FRA immediately contacts the
International Office (the UKBA Compliance Officer, Niki Jones) who will inform the UKBA. It
is the FRA’s responsibility to check on SITS that international students have registered or reregistered.
Reporting Student Contacts
The FRA will send a reminder to supervisors that they need the up-to-date contacts record
one week before each due deadline.
The FRA will keep a copy of each contacts record that is submitted. This will either be kept in
the student file or electronically – to be determined at faculty level.
On receipt of the first contact record the FRA will check that a scan of the student’s visa and
passport has been recorded on SITS. The FRA will also cross-check any reported
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attendances at Faculty Research Events with the register from the event. Additionally, where
a student indicates they have attended one of the 3-stage training events, this will be
confirmed by the FRA through checking on the student’s SITS record. Faculties may wish to
record additional contact points but these cannot be substitutions for the contact points on the
contacts record.
At the end of each semester the FRA should send a copy of the contacts record for each
international student to the Research Degrees Manager, Lorraine Shotliff, in the Academic
Office, for the central research student files.
Should the FRA have concerns about a student they should, in the first instance, liaise with
the First Supervisor. If the student has not been in contact for two months the FRA must
report this to the Faculty Director of Research Students.
Faculty Director of Research Students
Please advise all First Supervisors of international students in your Faculty of the
arrangements for monitoring international students’ attendance.
The Faculty Director of Research Students or equivalent Faculty post must investigate any
research student who has not had a contact for 2 months. As a minimum, the Faculty Director
of Research Students will write to any such student asking the student to meet with the
Faculty Director of Research Students. Letters, asking the student for a response within two
weeks, should be sent by recorded delivery to all the student’s addresses and also sent by
email to the student’s Anglia Ruskin email address.
Should an international research student miss 10 contact points in a year, the FRA informs
the Faculty Director of Research Students. The Faculty Director of Research Students must
report any such student to the UKBA Compliance Officer, Niki Jones, in the International
Office and also inform the Faculty Research Degrees Sub-Committee. The International
Office is responsible for reporting a student who has missed 10 contact points to the UK
Border Agency.
FRDSC Secretary
In reporting on a student’s progress at the FRDSC, please ensure that an international
student is clearly flagged as such on any progress report.
Caroline Strange
12 March 2010
Updated 26 March 2010
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