Glyndwr ‘Proactively Working’ To Overcome Suspended Sponsorship Challenges

NUS Wales (National Union of Students) have announced they are ‘working closely’ with Glyndwr Students’ Guild following this week’s news the university have had their license to recruit non EU international students suspended.

On Tuesday we reported that Glyndwr University had their ‘Highly Trusted’ status suspended after it was revealed 230 students had invalid English language certificates. This could rise to more than 350 if the scores counted as questionable are added.

The suspension is currently in place until the 22nd of July and at present no new visas can be issued to students, event if they are already studying at the university.

Speaking at the House of Commons on Tuesday,James Brokenshire, Immigration Minister said: “The suspension applies to Glyndwr as a whole. It is a suspension, not a revocation, but its ability to take on new foreign students is stopped. There is the potential to move to revocation if it is unable to demonstrate that it has put in place systems and processes to guard the immigration system as a whole.

“We have had discussions with Glyndwr for some time about the investigations and the audit of its records. We will continue to do so, and we will engage with other relevant partners, including the Welsh Government, as necessary.”

Current non EU international students at Glyndwr are not affected by this. However, they could be in future if the license is revoked. NUS Wales is working with the Guild to make sure students are kept informed and supported.

Glyndwr Students’ Guild President Penny Anderson said: “I was worried and concerned as soon as I found out that Glyndwr University had its license suspended. We have a lot of international students from outside the EU, including a whole campus in London. I know them, and I know that they are as concerned as I am.

“Thankfully, the university has until 22 July to fix the problems the Home Office has outlined. I don’t yet know what all those specific issues are. But as Guild President, I’m eager to help solve those problems.

“Current students at Glyndwr University who are studying on a visa should carry on with their studies. They are not affected. But we know that if the license is revoked, they could be. We also know that students who may need to change their course, extend their studies, or move onto to a new course would be affected. The Guild is working closely with NUS and NUS Wales to make sure that students are at the centre of this matter.”

A Glyndwr University spokesperson said: “Following the suspension of the University’s sponsor licence a task force made up of senior staff has been put in place to explore and implement solutions to the issues raised by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

“The group is proactively working to overcome these challenges and is cooperating and engaging fully with the UKVI. The University’s first priority is to meet its obligations as a highly trusted sponsor in order to ensure that our international students are not adversely affected by this situation. We are committed to addressing any concerns raised by the Home Office and eliminating any abuse of the student visa route.”

International students with concerns can email: [email protected].