4 replies to this topic

[ArchiveLena]

Hello to everyone,

I just registered, I am hoping that someone will help me as I am seriously freaking out... My Nationality is Russian. Have lived and studied all my life in Greece. I am 24.
I am already in the UK through the ERASMUS STUDIES programme, studying for one term in UCL. Got a Tier 4 visa, everything was fine! Visa expires 2/2/2013.

I have applied and undergone stuff to stay in London as an intern again through Erasmus. The Erasmus programme, which is a EU Lifelong Learning Programme also provides funds for Internships!!

You choose a place, get the paperwork, signatures etc, work in a country in EU, get money from Erasmus and that's pretty much it....

For the Erasmus Studies UCL was my sponsor.

I have contacted the Erasmus offices etc. I have found a small indipendent company for which I actually really wanna work for. I have sent everything, I am pretty much done... My internship is starting 15/12/2012 and will end 15/5/2013...

I was fully aware that I will have to renew my visa. I have no document problems. I new it will require money etc. I new its hard. I new I should leave enough time before I apply etc. I new all of that. I also new that my employer would have to register as a sponsor. None of that was a problem...

What I didn't knew is that the TIER 5 Goverment Exchange Thing.. which as far as I understand, since noone is helping me with the whole visa thing, is the form for my case... requires particular sponsors!! Which means that this individual and his company are not qualified to sponsor me under this category....

More specifically: Individual employers and organisations will not be allowed to sponsor anyone under this category, even if they are licensed as sponsors under other tiers or categories of Tier 5, to prevent potential abuse of this category and the formation of small individual schemes.

I am seriously freakin out, since this came as a complete shock to me... I knew they were strict but this makes no sense at all... Where should I have applied than??? In any case it does not matter... Even if I were to find another company, I do not believe I have the time, since the Erasmus applications are long due... It's done...

Please can someone advise me? First of all is this the right form for me? Second have I misunderstood? This is extremely important to me... it basically ruins everything I have worked for for a very long time... and given my economic state it is practically impossible to reschedule this for next year. I would never make it financially...

Sorry if that's too much. Please share some wisedom

[Gentleman of Leisure]

With Tier 5 (Govt. Auth) the sponsor is the overarching body which, in this case, is the British Council (Erasmus).  It's not clear from what you have written if Erasmus are sponsoring you in this new venture, although you have said they sponsored your current Tier 4 visa. This is an entry clearance application.

[ArchiveLena]

Hello,

Thank you for your response. University College London is my Sponsor. Once I was accepted to study for the term they emailed and informed me that they had provided a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance) number to the UK Border Agency and also included theis sponsor number. I needed both in order to apply online.

The internship I have applied to is under the Erasmus Placement Programme and the Erasmus will provide financial sponsorship. The place I ll work is irrelevant to Erasmus, they just make sure that it is beneficial for my education and of course close to my field of studies. What you say made sense so I cheched it out. The thing is that when I asked the Erasmus office at my home institution, well they had no idea and explained that I handle visa-procedures on my own.

In any case, all I found was this http://www.britishco...tions-apply.htm and they state something about visa applications. I have already send them an email. This is still confusing as to how it works. If you know or understand it better than I do at this point, could you please explain it to me? Wouldn't the British Council only bother about UK Students?

[Summertime]

http://www.ukba.home...rised-exchange/

http://www.ukba.home...uk/gae-list.pdf

[ArchiveLena]

Thank you! Now I am starting to understand. Given the fact that UCL was my Sponsor the first time I assumed that the Erasmus Programme is just an additional information within the visa application. I had no idea that the British Council is the Sponsor for every Erasmus Work Placement within the UK. Once again, thank you for your immediate response!