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Written Question
Higher Education: English Language
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that applicants have English language skills at the level of proficiency required for courses when higher education providers have discretion to assess English language ability other than by reference to the result of a Secure English Language Test.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

An application for entry clearance to the UK or permission to stay as a student must show the student meets the English language requirement as specified in Appendix English Language of the Immigration Rules.

There is a degree of flexibility for sponsors that are Higher Education Providers (HEP) with a track record of compliance to self-assess the English proficiency of their students studying at degree level or above. The HEP choose their own method to assess the English ability of such students. Where they do so, they must state on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) the method which they have used, including, where relevant, the applicant’s English language test scores in all four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening).

Additional discretion is available to such sponsors via their ability to waive the English language requirement if the student is studying at degree level and the sponsor considers the student to be gifted. This must only be done if English language proficiency is not integral to the course of study and a pre-sessional course would be inappropriate. If a sponsor wants to waive the English language requirement for a gifted student, their academic registrar, or the institution’s equivalent, must approve this waiver. The CAS must state that the student is gifted, as well as including an explanation of why this is the case and the name and contact details of the academic registrar or equivalent.


Written Question
Visas: English Language
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discretion higher education institutions have to accept evidence of English language ability other than by reference to the result of an approved Secure English Language Test, for the purpose of Student Route visa applications.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

An application for entry clearance to the UK or permission to stay as a student must show the student meets the English language requirement as specified in Appendix English Language of the Immigration Rules.

There is a degree of flexibility for sponsors that are Higher Education Providers (HEP) with a track record of compliance to self-assess the English proficiency of their students studying at degree level or above. The HEP choose their own method to assess the English ability of such students. Where they do so, they must state on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) the method which they have used, including, where relevant, the applicant’s English language test scores in all four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening).

Additional discretion is available to such sponsors via their ability to waive the English language requirement if the student is studying at degree level and the sponsor considers the student to be gifted. This must only be done if English language proficiency is not integral to the course of study and a pre-sessional course would be inappropriate. If a sponsor wants to waive the English language requirement for a gifted student, their academic registrar, or the institution’s equivalent, must approve this waiver. The CAS must state that the student is gifted, as well as including an explanation of why this is the case and the name and contact details of the academic registrar or equivalent.


Written Question
Visas: English Language
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the applicants for the Student Route visa in the last three years have taken a Secure English Language Test to prove that their English language skills are at the level required for courses at National Qualifications Framework level 6 or above; and how many applicants did so with (1) IELTS SELT Consortium, (2) LanguageCert, (3) Pearson, (4) Trinity College London, and (5) PSI Services (UK) Ltd.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

The Home Office does not routinely publish data on the number of applicants for the Student Route visa who have used a Secure English Language Test to evidence their English language skills.


Written Question
Visas: English Language
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the applicants from non-English speaking countries for the Student Route visa in the last three years have taken a Secure English Language Test to prove that their English language skills are at the level required for higher education courses considered below degree level; and how many applicants did so with (1) IELTS SELT Consortium, (2) LanguageCert, (3) Pearson, (4) Trinity College London, and (5) PSI Services (UK) Ltd.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

The Home Office does not routinely publish data on the number of applicants for the Student Route visa who have used a Secure English Language Test to evidence their English language skills.


Written Question
Visas: Overseas Students
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of international student visas are being processed within the service standard for decision-making.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Home Office Migration Statistics do not publish service standard information by nationality of applicant. Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data and can be found at: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2022. (Annex A)

Information on our current processing times can be found on Gov.uk.


Written Question
Visas: Overseas Students
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how long is the current average international student visa processing time by nationality of applicant.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Home Office Migration Statistics do not publish service standard information by nationality of applicant. Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data and can be found at: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2022. (Annex A)

Information on our current processing times can be found on Gov.uk.


Written Question
Overseas Students: Sponsorship
Monday 11th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what their planned allocation of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will be for (1) the next year they can be sought, and (2) each of the next five years.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office continues to welcome international students and we place no limit on their numbers.

In February 2021, the UK Government published an update to the International Education Strategy, recommitting to the ambitions to sustainably increase international students in the UK to 600,000 per year by 2030.

New sponsors can apply for an allocation of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) of up to 50 percent of their current student body. Subsequent annual requests can be made for up to a 50 percent increase on a CAS allocation for sponsors who have assigned more than 50 CAS in the previous year.

There is no upper limit on the number of CAS which can be allocated across the system, or the number of providers able to gain a sponsor licence. Sponsors are able to submit additional in-year requests on an exceptional basis and there are no limits on the total number of CAS to be allocated in any given year. These requirements are set out in the published Student Sponsor guidance.

In the case of R (on the application of New London College Limited) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) the Supreme Court found the general principle of mandatory requirements for sponsors and actions they must take to maintain a licence were ruled to be lawful and derived from the authority of the Immigration Act 1971, which would include requirements on the numbers of CAS allocated to sponsors.

Data on CAS allocations for specific institutions is not currently published. However, we do produce data at detailed sponsorship dataset which breaks down the numbers of CAS used by types of educational institution.


Written Question
Overseas Students: Sponsorship
Monday 11th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sponsoring institutions have unsuccessfully requested increases to their Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) allocations.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office continues to welcome international students and we place no limit on their numbers.

In February 2021, the UK Government published an update to the International Education Strategy, recommitting to the ambitions to sustainably increase international students in the UK to 600,000 per year by 2030.

New sponsors can apply for an allocation of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) of up to 50 percent of their current student body. Subsequent annual requests can be made for up to a 50 percent increase on a CAS allocation for sponsors who have assigned more than 50 CAS in the previous year.

There is no upper limit on the number of CAS which can be allocated across the system, or the number of providers able to gain a sponsor licence. Sponsors are able to submit additional in-year requests on an exceptional basis and there are no limits on the total number of CAS to be allocated in any given year. These requirements are set out in the published Student Sponsor guidance.

In the case of R (on the application of New London College Limited) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) the Supreme Court found the general principle of mandatory requirements for sponsors and actions they must take to maintain a licence were ruled to be lawful and derived from the authority of the Immigration Act 1971, which would include requirements on the numbers of CAS allocated to sponsors.

Data on CAS allocations for specific institutions is not currently published. However, we do produce data at detailed sponsorship dataset which breaks down the numbers of CAS used by types of educational institution.


Written Question
Overseas Students: Sponsorship
Monday 11th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies issued were unassigned (1) by institution, and (2) in total, in each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office continues to welcome international students and we place no limit on their numbers.

In February 2021, the UK Government published an update to the International Education Strategy, recommitting to the ambitions to sustainably increase international students in the UK to 600,000 per year by 2030.

New sponsors can apply for an allocation of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) of up to 50 percent of their current student body. Subsequent annual requests can be made for up to a 50 percent increase on a CAS allocation for sponsors who have assigned more than 50 CAS in the previous year.

There is no upper limit on the number of CAS which can be allocated across the system, or the number of providers able to gain a sponsor licence. Sponsors are able to submit additional in-year requests on an exceptional basis and there are no limits on the total number of CAS to be allocated in any given year. These requirements are set out in the published Student Sponsor guidance.

In the case of R (on the application of New London College Limited) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) the Supreme Court found the general principle of mandatory requirements for sponsors and actions they must take to maintain a licence were ruled to be lawful and derived from the authority of the Immigration Act 1971, which would include requirements on the numbers of CAS allocated to sponsors.

Data on CAS allocations for specific institutions is not currently published. However, we do produce data at detailed sponsorship dataset which breaks down the numbers of CAS used by types of educational institution.


Written Question
Overseas Students: Sponsorship
Monday 11th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) allocations were given to holders of student sponsor licences (1) by institution, and (2) in total, in each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office continues to welcome international students and we place no limit on their numbers.

In February 2021, the UK Government published an update to the International Education Strategy, recommitting to the ambitions to sustainably increase international students in the UK to 600,000 per year by 2030.

New sponsors can apply for an allocation of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) of up to 50 percent of their current student body. Subsequent annual requests can be made for up to a 50 percent increase on a CAS allocation for sponsors who have assigned more than 50 CAS in the previous year.

There is no upper limit on the number of CAS which can be allocated across the system, or the number of providers able to gain a sponsor licence. Sponsors are able to submit additional in-year requests on an exceptional basis and there are no limits on the total number of CAS to be allocated in any given year. These requirements are set out in the published Student Sponsor guidance.

In the case of R (on the application of New London College Limited) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) the Supreme Court found the general principle of mandatory requirements for sponsors and actions they must take to maintain a licence were ruled to be lawful and derived from the authority of the Immigration Act 1971, which would include requirements on the numbers of CAS allocated to sponsors.

Data on CAS allocations for specific institutions is not currently published. However, we do produce data at detailed sponsorship dataset which breaks down the numbers of CAS used by types of educational institution.