Immigration support for schools

BSA member immigration support

All BSA members benefit from specialist immigration legal guidance from our team at BSA Group Legal. This includes a free-of-charge 15-minute immigration consultation per term, per school. This offer is open to BSA members only and not agents/representatives of the school.

The BSA Group Legal team helps with all UK immigration matters relating to independent schools. It is led by immigration expert and solicitor Kate Hollyer who is Legal and Public Affairs Director, BSA Group and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd. Kate is a member of the Home Office Education Advisory Group and is the boarding sector representative for this group.

BSA Group Legal offers a full-spectrum immigration support service including:

CAS support: including full management of the service
Policy, record keeping and reporting support
BCA and CAS allocation guidance
Mock UKVI audits
Agent/guardian checks
Due diligence checks to assess financial and pupil eligibility
Bespoke immigration training and advice
Individual student and family visa application support
Home Office escalation support including replacement BRPs, delayed application decisions, ISI compliance issues, CAS reinstatement and visa refusals.

Crisis, employment and related immigration support can also be offered upon request.

BSA Group Legal Support Packages

Our commitment to supporting BSA member schools is reflected in our dedicated immigration support. We provide annual support packages tailored to meet the specific needs of your school. These packages guarantee that schools have continuous access to legal advice, with expert immigration guidance available throughout the year.

BSA Legal Lite Support Package

This hotline service offers schools unlimited ad hoc query support via phone and email. Ideal for those who already have a good level of knowledge and are seeking a buffer of support as and when needed.

BSA Legal Care Package

This part-managed service is particularly useful as an added buffer of support for experienced UKVI compliance teams. This includes an unlimited hotline service, annual compliance audit visits, annual ‘health-check’ report, full immigration ‘toolkit’ access, and BSA/BAISIS Visa & Immigration conference delegate place.

BSA Legal Pro Package

Our most comprehensive support package, this full ‘end-to-end’ service outsources your UKVI compliance as much as possible. We can manage your sponsor licence matters to ensure full compliance, as well as provide full support to families and students with the visa application itself. This includes an unlimited hotline service, SMS representation, annual compliance audit visits, annual ‘health-check’ report, staff training, management of record-keeping, BCA/CAS allocation management, full immigration ‘toolkit’ access, and BSA/BAISIS Visa & Immigration conference places (2 per year).

BSA Legal Consultancy Support

1 x 15-minute immigration guidance

BSA member schools benefit from 1 free-of-charge 15-minute immigration consultation (phone call or equivalent email guidance) per term.

Immigration Hub

BSA member schools benefit from access to our immigration Hub with helpful guidance on visa requirements for international students plus useful templates.

UKVI Sponsor Compliance audits (with or without report)

A one day on-site visit during which a detailed review is undertaken of all systems, processes and standards upheld by the school in line with UKVI requirements. This includes educational oversight, student record keeping and reporting, right to study checks and attendance monitoring/academic engagement.

Bespoke training and webinars

In-person or remote training sessions or webinars for school staff, e.g. inset for wider school staff on UKVI duties, or new starter training.

Visa application support

Advice and assistance with all applications for students and/or their family members. Including preparing applications to UKVI on the applicant’s behalf for entry clearance to the UK, leave to remain in the UK and British citizenship applications.

UKVI Policy support

Support in drafting a bespoke policy covering all UKVI duties and responsibilities. We can prepare this with the school to ensure UKVI compliance is fully integrated into school policy.

NEW Immigration Toolkit

Our Toolkit comprises key template documents designed specifically for schools holding sponsor licences. Whether used as a helpful starting point to your compliance journey or woven into your school’s existing systems, this collection of documents created by our experienced Legal team offers practical, sector-focused solutions to managing your sponsor duties. Toolkit documents include: checklists for induction and visa applications, pre-CAS questionnaire, timeline and reminders templates, masterlist table template, internal compliance audit workbook and more.

Our member schools can choose to maximise the effectiveness of their BSA Immigration Toolkit through an optional 1-hour virtual Toolkit support session with our Legal team.

BSA/Verisio Due Diligence Service

The BSA/Verisio Due Diligence Service ensures peace of mind and runs background and financial checks on source of fees for international pupils. Schools can obtain either a basic or detailed, full report to support an informed recruitment process.

BSA/Verisio full report includes

Executive summary
Global Sanction Checks (on two parents and claimed source of wealth to pay the school fees e.g. parents’ company or gifting grandparents)
Political Exposure Checks (on two parents and claimed source of wealth used to pay the school fees)
Global Adverse Media and Database Searches (on two parents and claimed source of wealth used to pay the school fees).
Source of Funds Commentary
High Risk Jurisdiction Check.

Get In Touch Today!

Our skilled and friendly team are ready to answer all your questions and to fully support you during your visa application process. Contact our team today for advice and support.

Contact BSA Group Legal

General immigration support: legal@bsagroup.org.uk
Due diligence checking services: diligence@bsagroup.org.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)207 798 1583

If you are a pupil or parent and require immigration support please click here.

Kate Hollyer

Kate is a qualified solicitor with extensive experience advising clients on UK immigration law. Before joining BSA Group Kate was Partner and Head of Department at a leading full-service UK law firm. Kate has a unique perspective of boarding life having lived in state, preparatory and senior school boarding houses since 2014 with her Housemaster husband.

BSA Group Legal

BSA Group Legal is the trading name of BSA Group Legal Services Ltd, a law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales (SRA No. 8003074). BSA Group Legal is a company registered in England and Wales: Company number: 13634894, Registered address: 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, England, W1W 5PS. BSA Group Legal is a subsidiary to the BSA Group Services Limited, a company registered in England and Wales: Company number: 4676107, Registered address: 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, England, W1W 5PS.

“BSA Group Legal helped us quickly and in real time as the situation unfolded and that was key in resolving things. I’m really grateful for that.”

“We would not have been able to do it without your knowledge and expertise. It has been a very steep learning curve for us all but a very much needed one.”

“We found the mock-UKVI audit incredibly useful. Mark was extremely knowledgeable and has a wealth of experience in assisting schools with all sponsor licence queries/issues. He was friendly and informative and I was left feeling reassured that we are on the right track, with any questions that I had about sponsoring students and staff answered in full.