International Representatives’
Conference, May 2015
International Student Support
Sara Dyer, Head of International Student Support
James Gordon, International Student Adviser
What we will cover…
 Student Services at Sussex
 The support we offer
 Recent immigration changes
and what they mean for
Sussex students
Student Services at Sussex
 Specialist units staffed by teams of dedicated, multi-disciplinary
professionals
 Support, advise and guide throughout the student journey
 Can help with a wide range of issues
Teams & services
• Careers & Employability
• Chaplaincy
• Health & Wellbeing
• International Student Support
• Residential Student Support
• Student Life Centre
• Student Support Unit
• University Counselling Services
The role of the International Student
Support team is:
 To help international students prepare to come to Sussex
 To welcome them when they arrive
 To support them throughout their time at Sussex
Preparing students for life at Sussex
 Webinars
 ‘International students’ pre-arrival guide’
 ‘International students’ getting started
guide’
 Online international induction module
 International Student Support &
induction websites
 Social media
 Twitter
 Facebook – International Student
Support page and International
Students’ group
Welcoming students to the UK
 Meet and Greet service at Gatwick &
Heathrow airports, and Brighton &
Falmer train stations
 free coach service from Heathrow
during autumn arrival weekend –
12/13 September)
 Bookable (online) from 1 June
Welcome week – induction activities
 Information sessions:
 Welcome to new international
students
 How to open a bank account
 How to register with a doctor
 UK academic culture & study
skills
 Keeping safe in the UK
 Introduction to the Careers &
Employability Centre
 Campus and Library tours
Welcome week – social activities

Shopping trips (Brighton;
IKEA)

Sightseeing trips (local area;
London)

International students’
welcome party

Competitions

Quizzes
Immigration & visa advice
 Three expert advisers
 So far this year:
 950 immigration advice
appointments
 600 students have attended
information sessions (‘How to make
a successful visa application’;
‘Protecting your Tier 4 visa status’;
‘Working in the UK after your
studies’)
 4,500 immigration-related emails
answered
Other support throughout their stay
 General welfare support and advice about living in the UK
(banking; healthcare; travelling etc)
 Support during times of crises
 Taking feedback to improve the international student
experience (International Student Barometer; internal surveys;
focus groups)
 Collaborating with other units on joint initiatives and promoting
other services (Careers & Employability; Academic
Development; International Office)
Day trips 2014-15
 19 sell-out day trips
 Nearly 1,000 students
 Destinations included Bath;
Stonehenge; Stratford-uponAvon; Oxford; Harry Potter studio
 West End – Wicked; The Lion
King
Opportunities to learn about British
culture
 ‘Campus Christmas’
 Host programme
 ‘Best of British’ events
Collaboration with Students’ Union
For example, Diwali; Lunar
New Year; international food
evenings; Buddy Scheme,
Language Cafe
One World Week – March 2015
New developments

Enhancement of Support for targeted Student groups

 Students with families
 PGR students
 Students progressing from programmes with Study Group
and Sussex Centre for Language Studies
Study Direct site

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UCKISA) annual
conference to be held at Sussex (July 2015)
Immigration changes and what they
mean for Sussex students
 Immigration Health Charge – came into force 6 April 2015
 Applies to anyone requiring entry clearance to come to the UK
for a limited period where this permission results in leave of
over 6 months
 Also anyone making a leave to remain application (applying
from within the UK) for any length
 £150 for every year of leave they are granted. £75 for half a
year
 Paid online before the immigration application
 Exemption for visitors (not 11 month short-term student
visa), Australia/New Zealand
Immigration changes and what they
mean for Sussex students
 Biometric Residence Permits – when applying for entry
clearance for longer than 6 months
 Phased introduction based on when visa application made
 Short-term (30 days) vignette issued
 Collect BRP on arrival in the UK (within 10 days)
 BRP will be delivered to Sussex when applicant inputs special
code on the Tier 4 application. Otherwise post office in Brighton
Immigration changes and what they
mean for Sussex students
• Progressing to a new course at Sussex – new study
condition which ties a Tier 4 student visa to a particular course
as well as an institution
• UG and PGT starters will be able to register on their current
Sussex visa if they have one for 2015/16 (this could change in
2016/17)
• Masters to PhD – current masters students (on a Tier 4 visa)
cannot start PhD until January, if the offer is based on the
Sussex masters
• Changing course – this is still fine as long as the new
course is not ATAS requiring
Immigration changes and what they
mean for Sussex students
• Visitors – 15 categories now 4, which includes visitor
(standard). The standard route includes business visitor and
academic visitor
• Student visitor route replaced by a new category called ‘shortterm study’ route
• ATAS – changed so that most non-Tier 4 categories now have
to obtain ATAS clearance
• TB screening – not required if you have lived for at least 6
months in a country where TB screening is not required, and
you’ve been away from that country for no more than 6
months
Thank you!
International Student Support
Bramber House 2nd floor, University of
Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QU
T +44 (0)1273 678422
E: immigration@sussex.ac.uk
International.support@sussex.ac.uk
www.sussex.ac.uk/international
support/