PROCESS: INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CARE
1. Study Permit and Work Permit renewal:
Continuous
 Collect application forms from the Department of Home Affairs
Form BI-1739 – Extension of a study/work permit form
Form BI-1740 – Change of purpose/institution form
 Assist students in filling in the forms.
 Receive application forms from students/staff.
 Get all documents required by the Department of Home Affairs for permit
renewals:
 Proof of registration
 Last results
 Medical insurance letter
 Financial guarantee letter
 Study/work permit fee
 Passport
 Submit the application at the Department of Home Affairs. Submission
of applications to the Department of Home Affairs will be done every
second Thursday of the month.
 Get a receipt and acknowledgement letter from the Department of
Home Affairs.
 Collect the passports/permits after 10 working days.
 Make copies of the new permits for our records and hand the
passports to the students.
2. Health insurance
 Develop service level agreement.
 Monitor implementation of health insurance services by health
insurance consultant.
 Ensure provision of desk, photocopier, and telephone to enable
consultants to meet with clients.
 At registration, check validity of health insurance and clear registration
block.
 Ensure payments of student’s health insurance to the health insurance
company.
3. Orientation
 Recruit faculty-based students for the international buddy programme.
 Design and advertise international orientation programme.
 Liaise with the Faculty and Office of Student Life to ensure that
international orientation is part of mainstream orientation programme.
 Determination of dates
 Programme session and events
 Outdoor orientation
 Orientation handbook
 Workshop – "Maintaining your legal status"
 Orientation Week











Opening a bank account
Applying for a study permit
Telecommunication
Procuring necessary supplies
Introduction to immigration regulations
Academic advising system
Health education
Introduction to IT and library facilities
Introduction to various offices on campus
Student unemployment
Introduction to member of faculty administration and staff
4. Registration: Registration period
 Check that all international students are in possession of a valid study
permit and update passport and study permit information on ITS.
 Provide financial clearance to sponsored students upon receipt of the
original financial guarantee letter from the sponsor.
 Make copies of study permit, proof of medical insurance and financial
guarantee letter for records.
 Lift block for study permit and qualification on ITS
 Sign, stamp and indicate the name of the sponsor on the back of the
registration form. If student is not sponsored, sign and stamp only.
 Send sponsored student to Student Accounts for coding and so that
their accounts be sent directly to the sponsors.
 Send students to registration counters.
5. Student Finance
 Generate pro forma invoices for new and returning students.
 Draw up the finance section of the acceptance letters.
 Record receipts and payments on the Pastel system.
 Submit finance forms for authorisation.
 Collect cheques from Creditors and Petty Cash.
 Arrange payments of external companies.
 Reconcile health insurance payments.
 Telephonic and fax communication with student sponsors.
 Draft and distribute letters to English language students with
outstanding fees.
 Keep records of financial guarantee letters from sponsors.
 Ensure that comprehensive updated international student fees
information is available in relevant Tshwane University of Technology
information books.
6. Sponsors
 Receive letters of financial guarantee from students and verify the
letters for registration purposes.
 Attach the original financial guarantee letter to the registration form,
stamp the form as approval that the student can register, and send the
student to registration counter.
 Ensure that student’s accounts are paid and advise students on
payment procedures.
 Liaise with sponsors and employers regarding outstanding fees and
payments and send them statements as and when required.
 Make arrangements with departments and Student Debtors regarding
payment of student fees by the sponsors.
 Draw up a list of companies, embassies and employers who pay
students’ studies.
7. Applications
 Receive international applications forms and check if all the required
documents are submitted.
 Capture the data on ITS and generate reference numbers for
applicants.
 Create students files.
 Request omitted information from applicants telephonically, by e-mail
or by fax.
 Liaise with academic departments on applications' status.
 Capture and process change of course applications.
8. Information and enquiries
 The International Office will provide the Information Office with all the
brochures regarding international students.
 Complete admission information request form for international
students.
 Official transcripts: Evaluation of credentials.
 SAQA – non-SADC students.
 Recommendations from teachers, counsellors, bodies awarding
bursaries, and employers.
 Entrance requirements checklist.
 Application fees: International applications.
 Application form.
 Send in the application material.
 Receive acknowledgement or confirmation of acceptance letter.
 Housing.
 Tuition.
 Registration dates.
9. Pre-departure package
 Pre-departure responsibilities – check student to ascertain the
following:




Reviewed and signed contract
Enclosed or submitted deposits
Submitted student data sheet
Return application form
 Check if student has been accepted
 Arrange student attendance of the mandatory pre-departure orientation
at the embassy or with the agent
 Check for passports and medical reports
 Check the student visa
 Disseminate pre-departure handbook for a detailed checklist of the "to
do things"
 Enclose all relevant books, booklets, brochures, pamphlets and forms.
 Check if student has:




Booked flight
Money arrangements
Prepared arrival plan
Recent health insurance
10. Student Development (ISO)
Processes guided by Tshwane University of Technology: Student Life Office
processes.
 International Office
 Manage ISO in response to the following:








Orientation
Health and safety
Clubs and organisations
Buddy programme
Student Conduct and Grievance Policy
Dismissal
Complaints
Appeals
 Manage ISO budget
 Advice on all activities
 Plan and execute projects
 Supervise all activities
 Provide working space and manage telephone usage
 Leadership courses
11. Student Exchange Programme
 An arrangement for exchange students needs to be signed by both the
sending institution and the receiving institution.
 Once the candidates have been selected by the faculties, the receiving
department needs to furnish the international office as well as the
admissions office with a letter stating that they have accepted a
particular student for an exchange programme, and the duration of
his/her study.
 The international office needs to receive all documents of prospective
students, e.g. completed application form, certified copies of
qualifications and passport copies.
 The application form is then sent to the International Admissions
Office, at central student application and admissions, to be captured
and for a student number to be generated. Without the above
information we cannot issue a letter of acceptance or invitation to any
student, since we do not have any record of that particular student.
 After that has been done, the International Admission Officer e-mails a
letter to the International Office, requesting them to write an
acceptance letter to the student.
 As soon as the letter is written, it is faxed and posted to the
prospective international student and a copy is filed in the student’s
record.
12. Liaison: Embassies and governments
 CIS needs to maintain a good working relationship with both
embassies and governments, especially the cultural and educational
attachés.
 Good relationships need to be maintained with the Department of
Home Affairs.
 Liaison with the Department of Education.
 Involvement with professional bodies.



IEASA
NAFDEV
UNITECH
 Forge links with SAQA.
 Disseminate all relevant information to faculties.
 Provide feedback to executive management after meetings;
workshops; conferences and about agreements.
 Invite members to cooperate in terms of functions.
13. Partnerships and memo
 Establish relationship need with faculties
 Encourage faculty-to-faculty collaboration
 Liaise and facilitate meetings between faculties and the International
Office
 Involve embassies or high commissions or educational attachés from
responsible governments
 Involve the executive management of TUT
 Introduce the partner institution executive management to the TUT
counterparts
 Facilitate draft of first agreement from collaborating faculties
 Submit to executive management
 Ensure signing of the MoU
 Maintain links
 Service the agreement
14. English as a foreign language
 All international students need to submit their qualifications to SAQA
for evaluation. This helps the departments to know into which level to
accept the student.
 Check whether the student has studied an English bridging course with
any South African institution. If not, they will have to enrol for our
English bridging course, which takes 11 months.
 The student needs to complete an application form and submit it with
all the necessary documents, e.g. certified copies of SAQA, foreign
qualifications (translated into English), English bridging certificate and
passport copies.
 The application form is then sent to the International Admission Officer,
at central student application and admissions, to be captured and
generate a student number. Without the above information we cannot
issue a letter of acceptance to any student, since we do not have any
record of that particular student.
 A prospective student will only be considered for full-time studies for
the following academic year if he/she qualifies in terms of English
proficiency, if there is space available and if he/she is in possession of
SAQA evaluation.
 An acceptance letter of the English Bridging course will then be sent to
the student with all the terms and conditions of the course, e.g. the
nature of the course, duration, logistics, study permit requirements,
accommodation, medical insurance, airport shuttle, payment methods,
etc.
 Before the student arrives in South Africa, he/she should have paid
paid the full amount of the course.
 A name list of students who will be applying for the visas should be
faxed to the South African embassy in the country concerned.
 Make accommodation arrangement for the students.
 Arrange for airport pick-up for the students when they arrive in South
Africa.
 Once the students are in South Africa, arrangements must be made to
meet them and bring to the institution for a campus tour, to obtain a
student card, to open a bank account, and any assistance that may be
needed by the students.
 Students then have to write an English test to determine at which level
(beginners' phase, intermediate phase, or advanced phase) they
should be placed.
 A name lists of students for the English bridging course need to be
faxed to the library in order for the student to make use of the library.
 Students then proceed with their classes as soon as they receive their
results for the test.