This three-part training course offers UKCISA members an introduction to the regulations that determine who should be charged ‘home’ fees and who can be charged ‘overseas fees’ for higher education in Wales.

We will cover key concepts of fee assessment and explore the ‘home’ student fee categories that assessors come across most frequently. This course is highly participative, and between sessions, delegates will be required to do extra reading in preparation for the next session.  

The course will be delivered in three parts. Delegates must attend all three sessions:

• Session 1: Thursday 25 April 2.00pm – 4.00pm
• Session 2: Friday 26 April 10.00am – 12.00pm
• Session 3: Friday 26 April 2.30pm – 4.30pm

In advance of the training, delegates should download a copy of UKCISA’s ‘Who pays ‘home’ fees for higher education in Wales?’ pdf guide, so that they can refer to it throughout the course.

Who should attend?

This course is for staff at UKCISA membership institutions who are fee assessors. We welcome those who are new to the role of assessing fee status and those who are familiar with fee assessment and would like a refresher course.

The Student route is part of the points-based visa system specifically for international students who want to study in the UK. This training course offers UKCISA members a general overview of this immigration route and its requirements.

This course will help you to:

• Identify the main requirements of the Student route, including those necessary to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
• Recognise the main sponsor duties under the Student route, including compliance duties while sponsoring international students.
• Discover key resources, relevant support networks, and good practice as a sponsor.
• Learn about the importance of OISC compliance.

This training can be taken as a stand-alone course or in conjunction with the Student route essentials series to develop your knowledge on specific requirements.

Who should attend?

This is an introductory course for all UKCISA members who work with student visa holders or applicants. It is aimed at those who are new to the Student route. We also welcome staff who are familiar with the Student route and would like a refresher course.

Advisers make good coaches – or do they? Many advice skills such as listening, asking questions and summarising are also key coaching skills, but there are several important differences.

This training course offers UKCISA members an introduction to coaching techniques which you can apply immediately in your day-to-day work with students, colleagues and staff you manage.

This course will help you to:

• Recognise what coaching is and how, when and why to use it.
• Listen more effectively.
• Apply powerful questions which support development.
• Set goals for yourself and for others.

This training is highly interactive and will provide the opportunity to practice coaching in small groups.

Who should attend?

This course is for all UKCISA members who are curious about coaching and who would like to enhance how they advise students, work with and/or manage staff. It is suitable for both new and experienced advisers and managers.

Join this free, online event to hear and participate in lively discussions about the future of International Student Advice in an educational setting.

It’s currently a time of change and uncertainty for higher and further education as well as for immigration policy and practice. Listen to the views of experts and then share ideas with other practitioners as we prepare for the months ahead. 

There will be external speakers including Jim Dickinson and an interactive session for Advisers to share their ideas about how we are approaching the end of BRPs.

You will need to register here to attend (not via the Booking Options section). Numbers are not limited for this conference and multiple members from one institution can attend.

This online discussion will take place on Zoom.

The ICN National workshop will be taking place at Aston University on the 10^th May 2024. Registration for the event will take place from 09:30. There will be an optional networking event on Thursday 9^th May 2024 from 4pm, included in the cost of booking. The ICN will confirm with those that have booked onto the session if they wish to attend the networking event separately. Places are limited to a maximum of 100 attendees, we kindly ask that members book no more than 2 members per institution onto this event.

The ICN Executive are aware that there may be individuals who, due to financial constraints within institutions, may not be able to attend the national meeting. As such we are pleased to announce that we have made a limited amount of bursaries available for colleagues – whether you work in student compliance or staff / HR compliance – to cover the cost of the meeting and travel expenses (please be aware the travel expenses would need to be paid upfront and then claimed back via ICN as expenses). If you would like to apply for a bursary please submit a short paragraph to ICN@ukcisa.org.uk confirming why the bursary would enable you to attend the national meeting and how attendance would help you in your role. The cut-off date for applications will be 23 April 2024 with those successful in obtaining a bursary notified by 30 April 2024.

Stop press is our annual flagship event for UKCISA members to keep up to date with all significant immigration changes affecting international students from the last 12 months.

We will be holding this event on 13 & 21 May to enable UKCISA members to attend either session.

This stand-alone training will include presentations, the opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss relevant immigration developments.

Who should attend?

This event is for UKCISA members who have a good understanding of the current immigration system.

Stop press is our annual flagship event for UKCISA members to keep up to date with all significant immigration changes affecting international students from the last 12 months.

We will be holding this event on 13 & 21 May to enable UKCISA members to attend either session.

This stand-alone training will include presentations, the opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss relevant immigration developments.

Who should attend?

This event is for UKCISA members who have a good understanding of the current immigration system.

There are many immigration routes available for students after they have completed their studies in the UK. We will focus on a select few during this training course to help develop your ability to effectively advise your students and graduates.

This course will help you to:

• Identify routes that a Student visa holder can apply to upon completion of their studies.
• Explore how students can meet the requirements of these routes, and when certain routes will be available to them.
• Compare and contrast the work routes available for students.
• Recall where relevant information and guidance for the routes can be found.
• Recognise the OISC requirements for providing advice on these routes.

This training is a stand-alone course and will include presentations, the opportunity for you to ask questions and share your experience.

Who should attend?

This course is for UKCISA members who have a good understanding of the Student route, who currently advise students, and would like to develop the ability to effectively advise them on post-study work options.

Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 protects applicants from becoming overstayers in certain circumstances. This training course will focus on what Section 3C is and how it operates.

This course will help you to:

• Learn what Section 3C is and what it does, including who it helps and who it cannot help.
• Identify how Section 3C applies to someone who has their immigration application refused and how that differs from having an application rejected as invalid.
• Recognise when Section 3C starts and ends and when it can be cancelled.

This training is a stand-alone course and will include presentations, the opportunity for you to ask questions and share your experience.

We will not have the opportunity to discuss immigration applications under specific routes such as the Student route, refusals of applications under the Student route or administrative reviews.

Who should attend?

This course is for UKCISA members who have a good understanding of the Student route, currently advise Student route applicants, and would like to develop their ability to effectively advise them.

This two-part online workshop will explain what policy is and how the UK education sector interacts with international student policy set by Westminster and devolved administrations.

We will look at policy that relates to the international student experience (including, but not limited to, immigration) and what part the sector plays in influencing it.

This course will help you to:

• Become familiar with how policy is formulated.
• Develop skills in policy interpretation and analysis.
• Identify when and how to influence policy, including decision-making in advocacy.
• Distinguish ‘policy’ from ‘operations’ and examine how they interact with each other.
• Learn how to work more effectively with others across the sector to achieve singular outcomes.

This training will include presentations, the opportunity for you to ask questions and share your experiences.

The workshop will be delivered in two parts. Delegates must attend both sessions:  

• Session 1: Wednesday 10 July 10.00am – 1.00pm 
• Session 2: Friday 12 July 10.00am – 1.00pm 

Who should attend?

This course is for UKCISA members interested in understanding national policy and how to interact with it from an institutional and sector perspective. It is suitable for UKCISA members who have some experience of working with international student policy or wider policies that affect international students.

This two-part training course focuses on the rules and guidance on refusals and administrative reviews, and how they function within the Student route.

This course will help you to:

• Explain the responsibilities and limits of your advice role.
• Recognise a Student route refusal based on general grounds and understand its likely consequences.
• Identify available options for students when their leave expires, following a refusal.
• Find the relevant rules and guidance on administrative reviews, including the relevant timescales and requirements.
• Explain how students apply for administrative reviews, including when an administrative review application can be made and where from.
• Consider how to support students making administrative reviews and how their immigration status is impacted throughout the stages of an administrative review.

The course will be delivered in two parts. Delegates must attend both sessions:  

• Session 1: Tuesday 23 July 10.00am – 12.30pm 
• Session 2: Thursday 25 July 10.00am – 12.30pm 

Who should attend? 

This course is for UKCISA members who have a good understanding of the Student route, and would like to further understand the rules and guidance relating to refusals and administrative reviews. We recommend that those who are unfamiliar with Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 attend our training course on 5 March 2024.