Accreditation Service for International Colleges

English language tests for applications under Tiers 1, 2 and 4 of the points-based system.UKBA have made some amendments to the list of approved English language tests for applications made under Tiers 1, 2 and 4 of the points-based system and for spouse or partner applications.
Posted: Jan 26 2012 3:22PM

Update for Tier 4 sponsors: educational oversight and other changesAll current Tier 4 sponsors, if they are not already subject to inspection or review by 1 of the designated educational oversight bodies, must apply to the appropriate body by the relevant deadline as detailed in the current sponsor guidance.
Posted: Jan 10 2012 5:55PM

Changes to appeals against immigration and asylum decisions from 19 December 2011The Ministry of Justice will be introducing appeal fee charges for some asylum and immigration appeals from 19 December 2011. For more information please click the above title.
Posted: Dec 12 2011 4:21PM

Arrangements for Tier 4 sponsors allocated zero CAS under the interim limitThe UK Border Agency has announced new arrangements for Tier 4 sponsors who were granted their sponsor licence between 16 December 2010 and 28 February 2011, and were allocated zero confirmations of acceptance for studies (CAS) under the Tier 4 interim limit.
Posted: Oct 26 2011 7:10PM

List of financial institutions for Tier 4 is publishedUK Border Agency maintains a list of financial institutions in some countries that do not satisfactorily verify financial statements. A list of these can be found by clicking the above title.
Posted: Oct 25 2011 8:44AM

Response to feedback on policy for Tier 4 highly trusted sponsorsOn 5 September 2011 UKBA announced thier new criteria for highly trusted sponsors under Tier 4 of the points-based system. For more information and to download thier FAQ, please click on the above title.
Posted: Sep 15 2011 1:09PM

Highly Trusted Sponsorship for Tier 4 sponsors – new guidance publishedOn 18 July UKBA published proposed criteria to become a Highly Trusted Sponsor under Tier 4 and invited comments. Following feedback from the education sector, UKBA today have published their new guidance. For more information click the title.
Posted: Sep 5 2011 2:52PM

Educational Oversight: ISI or QAA? Further guidance now availableISI and QAA have today published a joint statement to aid those colleges and institutions looking for further clarification as to which organisation they should apply to for Educational Oversight Inspection.
Posted: Sep 1 2011 9:40AM

Older News...

Information for International Students Affected by Closure of InstitutionsThis information sheet has been compiled to provide you with information about what to do if the institution where you are studying has recently closed.

Clarification of English language requirement for Tier 4 sponsors and studentsFollowing the recent announcement of changes to the English language requirements for students under Tier 4 of the points-based system, the UK Border Agency has produced a document clarifying the requirements for students and sponsors.

Tier 4 of the Points Based System - Policy GuidanceThe above is a link to the Tier 4 Sponsor Guidance notes published by UK Border Agency

Tier 4 Sponsors Register ListClick the link above to see the current Register of Sponsors list.

ASIC Seminar - Alternative Student Recruitment Strategies

ASIC are running a seminar on Wednesday 8th February 2012 which will be titled Alternative Student Recruitment Strategies.

Following the latest developments with TIER 4 in regard to visa regulations and Education Oversight, ASIC have been giving advice to several colleges regarding looking at alternative sources of students and at the request of many of our colleges have decided to provide a seminar on this subject.

For more information and to book onto the morning seminar click here, and for information and to book on the afternoon session click here.

Accreditation Service for International Colleges - ASIC

International migration of international students is now at an unprecedented level. No longer is this the domain of countries such as UK, Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand but students are now looking at study options in Malaysia, Singapore, China, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Cyprus and most of the EU countries.
This is giving the student a wider choice in relation to a range of subjects, entrance criteria, cost, types of institution and cultural experience.

The market is growing, but so to is the number of educational institutions seeking to recruit these students.

Unfortunately, the unethical behaviour of some international colleges is causing major problems for students, parents and sponsors.

It is very difficult for students to get a realistic and honest picture of what an institution is really like in terms of quality, resources, student support and ethics.

Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC), has been formed to bring this independent information to the student population through its accreditation service with well defined and objective benchmarking.

Accreditation through ASIC will help the student and parent make a more informed choice and will also help a college/university demonstrate to the marketplace that they are a high quality institution. More >>

Information for Colleges A major element of accreditation will be to ensure that the colleges have efficient and transparent methods of tracking international students’ performance and attendance and that they have systems in place to inform the Border and Immigration Agency (Home Office) of non-compliance. More >>

ASIC Handbook & Application Form To download the ASIC Accreditation Handbook and/or Application Form, please click on either of the links below.

ASIC Accreditation Handbook	ASIC Accreditation Handbook (PDF Format)		ASIC Application Form	ASIC Application Form (Word Format)
ASIC Areas of Operation	ASIC Areas of Operation (PDF Format)