University of Glasgow International Student Support
Immigration Advice
Description and Conditions of Service
The International Advisers provide free and confidential immigration advice to current and prospective students, recent graduates and their families and are the only designated officers for immigration advice at the University of Glasgow. Common immigration enquiries include extensions of student leave to remain, regulations related to work during and after study, invitations for relatives to visit, entry clearance and switching immigration status.
The Service is open throughout the year, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. To make an appointment to discuss an immigration matter please go to the Student Services desk in the Fraser Building.
The Advisers are Avril MacGregor, Jill Moore and Lisa Milne. They are experienced and qualified to provide immigration advice and services and are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). The OISC is an independent organisation which sets standards with which the Advisers must comply. More information on OISC can be found at www.oisc.gov.uk.
The University of Glasgow is a member of UKCISA: The Council for International Student Affairs and as such, the Advisers obtain support in the form of training, regular briefings and access to the UKCISA telephone advice line.
The Advisers will offer advice in good faith, based on the information provided to them by you. They will make every effort to ensure that the advice offered is accurate but as immigration regulations, procedures and contact information frequently change, it is important that you also refer to the UK Borders Agency and UKCISA websites for up to date information. The University of Glasgow cannot accept responsibility for applications which are returned as invalid or are refused.
When you come for your appointment you will be advised of our conditions of service and you will be asked to sign a consent form which allows the Advisers to act on your behalf and consult with other agencies as appropriate. During an appointment the advisers will make written notes on the nature of your enquiry as well as the information and advice they give you. This record will be kept in a file with any documentation and will be secured at the end of each working day. We will also keep an electronic copy.
The Advisers reserve the right not to offer advice or accept visa extension applications if they believe that they have been given false or incomplete information or if the level of advice requested goes beyond their competency. In this circumstance the Advisers will refer you to other specialist agencies or practitioners.
Data Protection and Confidentiality
We are committed to providing a confidential advice service. All users of the service have the right to confidentiality to protect their interests and assuring confidentiality is necessary to maintain the credibility of the service. The OISC’s Code of Standards also requires that advisers keep their clients’ affairs confidential.
No information regarding a student or his/her family member will be given directly or indirectly to any third party who is not a member of the International Student Support team, without that student/family member’s consent to the disclosure of such information. No information will be given to any external agency without the student/family member’s consent unless the provision of such information is required by law. The Senior International Student Adviser may, however, decide that information should be disclosed without consent if, in the Adviser’s judgment, there is risk of immediate physical danger to the client or others. In circumstances where information has to be shared, the Advisers will ensure that such discussions take place in an appropriate environment - and not normally outside the University, except when seeking additional advice from an external adviser.
The University is committed to the statistical recording of advice service use to enable it to monitor the demand for the service and to identify any practical or policy issues related to the advice services. It is the responsibility of the advice service staff to ensure that all statistical records given to third parties are produced in an anonymous form, so that individuals cannot be recognised.
Advice service staff will ensure that all individual case records are locked securely at the end of each working day and that all computer records are held securely and are appropriately protected. The University ensures that all advice is given in an office which has private space at least large enough for a student/family member with an interpreter or child in a pushchair or for a person using a wheelchair to be comfortably accommodated with the door closed.
If advice staff wish to contact or correspond with you, they are responsible for confirming that it is acceptable to call or write to them at home or work in relation to their case. All staff must ensure they make no reference to the purpose of the call when making telephone contact through third parties. All details of expressed consent must be recorded on the case file.
Comments, Suggestions and Complaints
We welcome your feedback on the service you receive from us and suggestions for how we might improve and develop the service we provide. Feedback forms for you to complete are available on our reception desk and we are also happy to receive comments by email, in writing or in person.
If you have a complaint regarding our service please let us know and we will do our best to resolve the matter swiftly and informally. If you are still unhappy, you may put your complaint in writing to the Director of Student Services who will provide an initial response and offer you the opportunity to meet to discuss your complaint within five working days of receipt. Should the matter still not have been resolved to your satisfaction, you may write to the University Secretary. For information on the University’s Complaints Procedure please refer to
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/senateoffice/academic/studentpolicies/studentcomplaintsprocedure/
Finally, if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Details of how to do this can be downloaded from www.oisc.org.uk.
Useful Contacts for Immigration Advice and Information
UKCISA: The UK Council for International Student Affairs is the national organisation which gives advice to international students studying in the UK. They have information sheets which can be downloaded from their website. They also operate a free student advice line.
Tel: 0207 107 9922 between 1pm and 4pm Mon-Fri
www.ukcisa.org.uk
Immigration Advisory Service: IAS in Glasgow consists of a team of solicitors and support staff. Open to the public Monday to Friday 09.00 – 17.00. Clients are seen by appointment only, however, there is a drop in service on a Thursday morning between 10.00 and 12.00 - registration for drop in is at 9.45am where people are seen on a first come fist served basis. Initial appointments can be made by telephone or in person at any time during office hours. There is also a telephone advice line every Wednesday between the hours of 10.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 16.00.
IAS, 115 Bath Street Glasgow G2 2SZ
Tel: 0141 248 2956
Scottish Refugee Council is an independent charity dedicated to providing advice, information and assistance to asylum seekers and refugees living in Scotland.
SRC, 5 Cadogan Square (170 Blythswood Court), Glasgow, G2 7PH.
Tel: 0141 248 9799