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Visa advice terms of service

Points Based Immigration System: Student Route

The University of Bradford Visa Support Team offers a free immigration service to our applicants, students, and their dependants. Our service is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Everything declared to us will be treated confidentially. However, we do have a legal obligation to report any suspected breach of immigration conditions to UK Visas &Immigration (UKVI) as per the terms of our Student sponsor licence. Also, the OISC and UKVI reserve the right to audit our service so your information may be viewed as part of any audit. 

UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) 

We may need to contact UKVI to establish further information about your case. We are also legally obliged to report any suspected breach of immigration conditions to UKVI as per the terms of our Student sponsor licence.  

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) 

Our service is regulated by the OISC to ensure our advisers are fit and competent and act in the best interest of our clients. We may be audited to ensure we are complying with the OISC regulations.  

Data Protection Act 1998 

The Visa Support Team will need to record and store your information. Your case file will be stored for a period of 6 years and then destroyed/deleted confidentially.  

Consent required – by accessing our service you consent to the following: 

  1. I/we give my/our consent to the University of Bradford Visa Support Team to correspond on my/our behalf with third parties regarding my/our affairs.  
  2. I/we give my/our consent to the University of Bradford Visa Support Team to record personal information about myself/ourselves. 
  3. I am/we are aware of the Data Protection Act 1998. 
  4. I/we give my/our consent to OISC and UKVI auditors seeing my/our file as part of any quality checks.  

Complaints Policy 

A copy of the University of Bradford complaints policy is available at: http://www.bradford.ac.uk/legal-and-governance/breaches-appeals-complaints/complaints/ .  Alternatively, you can complain directly to the OISC, see www.oisc.gov.uk for more details. 

 

Office of Immigration Services Commissioner: Immigration Advice Requirements

1. Confidentiality Statement

The Visa Support Team uses a student’s personal information to provide the student, at their request, with visa advice relevant to their circumstances. 

The Visa Support Team will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any information regarding a student or any other person being advised remains confidential to the Visa Support Team. The only exceptions to this are: 

  1. Where the student has given their consent to disclose information or data;
  2. If the student or others are in immediate physical danger; and
  3. If the provision of such information is required by law. 

Students should be aware, however, that to fulfil the University’s obligations to the Home Office, it may be necessary for the Visa Support Team to share information with other members of staff and the Home Office. 

We are only able to discuss immigration issues with the student concerned. We cannot, for example, discuss a student’s situation with a parent, legal guardian, or friend, unless the student has given us their permission to do so in writing.  

2. Supervision/Consultation

The Visa Support Team recognises that information may need to be shared when advisers discuss cases to monitor quality and for purposes of training and supervision.  Staff in the Visa Support Team will ensure that any such discussions will take place in an appropriate environment and that anyone involved in the discussions is aware of and will follow this confidentiality policy. 

We may also consult a third party, for example, the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA). This will be with the student’s prior consent above, and we do not identify the student by their name in such instances. The purpose of doing this is so that we can offer the student clear, accurate and professional advice. 

3. Liaison and correspondence 

The consent above covers contact with a third party, for example the Home Office or a Lawyer.  

4. Conflict of Interest & Referrals (Codes 20 & 22) & Point 9 of the Code of Ethics

The Visa Support Team must not act where there is a real or potential conflict of interest between them and the student or between two or more students. 

A conflict of interest can arise where the immigration-related advice/information we need to give to a student conflict with the University’s sponsor licence duties. If we are unable to advise the student, we will explain why this is and advise them to get independent immigration advice. They will be given the OISC Adviser Finder page. 

5. Record Keeping

It is professional practice for advisers to keep records on students and their enquiries. All students who come to see the Visa Support Team for immigration advice should read this information and consent to the terms of service outlined here on this page. If a student feels unable to give permission for us to keep confidential case notes, we regret that we will be unable to offer them advice.  

Substantive student advice will be confirmed in writing via email. This should confirm the student enquiry, advice given by the adviser and actions agreed by the student and adviser.  

All individual case notes and correspondence, whether recorded on paper or in an electronic format, are kept confidential and will be held for a period of six years in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Standards and other guidance published by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. The data is also held and processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (fully implemented on 1 January 2005) and within the limits agreed with the University of Bradford requirements. 

6. Statistics

The Visa Support Team monitors the level of usage and quality of the advice and services provided through statistical records. Any statistical records published will be produced in an anonymous format so that individuals cannot be identified. 

7. The UKCISA Code of Ethics and its Commentary revised on 13 April 2016 & Commissioner’s Guidance Notes to accompany the Code of Standards April 2016

The Visa Support Team uses the UKCISA Code of Ethics and Commissioner’s Guidance Notes to accompany the Code of Standards principles to promote professionalism and adhere to the OISC requirements, whilst balancing the duty of care to the student with the UKVI (United Kingdom Visas and Immigration) compliance requirements.