240+ UKVI audits supported
Practical experience helping education providers prepare for and navigate UKVI scrutiny.
2,000+ mock compliance audits conducted
Helping institutions identify weaknesses before they become regulatory concerns.
30+ years of immigration expertise
Decades of experience navigating UK immigration and sponsorship requirements.
IAA-regulated immigration expertise
UK immigration advice provided by specialists regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority.
Student sponsor compliance changed in June 2026
UKVI introduced a new Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) framework on 1 June 2026, including tighter compliance thresholds and a Red-Amber-Green rating system.
For BCAs submitted from 1 June 2026, Student sponsors must achieve:
- A visa refusal rate below 5%
- An enrolment rate of at least 95%
- A course completion rate of at least 85%
The course completion threshold increases to 90% for assessments submitted from 1 June 2027.
During the transitional period from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027, sponsors must still meet the 85% course completion requirement, although course completion does not form part of the sponsor’s first RAG rating under the new framework.
For schools sponsoring international pupils, accurate records, careful CAS management and consistent oversight are more important than ever.
Compliance should be managed throughout the year – not simply when your BCA or a UKVI visit approaches.
How we help schools manage their sponsorship duties
Our support can be tailored to your school's needs, from an independent compliance review to ongoing assistance with day-to-day sponsorship responsibilities.
Student sponsor licence and BCA support
We can support your school with:
- Student sponsor licence applications and renewals
- Basic Compliance Assessment preparation
- Compliance reviews
- Internal policies and procedures
- Staff guidance and training
- UKVI correspondence and queries
- Ongoing sponsor compliance
We help you understand where compliance risk sits and the practical steps that can be taken to address it.
Sponsor Management System and CAS support
The Sponsor Management System sits at the centre of many of your sponsorship responsibilities.
Where appropriate, our specialists can assist with Level 1 SMS functions, including:
- CAS allocations and administration
- Sponsored student records
- Reporting duties
- Sponsor licence administration
- Changes in student circumstances
- UKVI communications
We can also review relevant documentation before a CAS is issued, helping identify potential immigration issues earlier in the process.
Sponsored student compliance
Your sponsorship responsibilities continue after a CAS has been assigned.
We help schools strengthen processes around:
- Attendance and engagement monitoring
- Student records and contact information
- Reporting obligations
- Record keeping and evidence
- Compliance documentation
- Audit and inspection readiness
Clear processes make it easier for admissions, compliance and leadership teams to understand what needs to happen, who is responsible and when action is required.
Recruitment agents and the Agent Quality Framework
If your school uses overseas recruitment agents, those relationships also form part of your compliance responsibilities.
Student sponsors using recruitment agents must commit to the principles of the Agent Quality Framework (AQF), provide relevant agent information where required and retain evidence of how those relationships are being managed.
We can help your school consider agent oversight as part of its wider compliance framework, including responsibilities, processes and record keeping.
Prepare for UKVI scrutiny with a Compliance Health Check
You should not have to wait for a UKVI visit to discover weaknesses in your compliance systems.
Our Compliance Health Check gives you an independent view of your current sponsorship arrangements and helps identify areas that may need attention.
We can review:
Student files and records
Attendance and engagement monitoring
CAS processes
Reporting procedures
SMS administration
Sponsor licence responsibilities
Recruitment agent oversight
Internal policies and controls
Staff responsibilities
Audit and inspection readiness
Following the review, we provide practical recommendations to help strengthen your processes and address identified gaps.
Not sure where the risks are?
Speak to a Compliance SpecialistWhy proactive sponsor compliance matters
Student sponsor compliance directly affects your school's ability to recruit and sponsor international pupils.
Where UKVI identifies concerns, the consequences can extend beyond additional administration.
Increased UKVI scrutiny
Compliance concerns can result in further enquiries, evidence requests or investigation.
Restrictions on sponsorship
Depending on the circumstances, compliance action can affect a school's ability to assign new CAS while issues are being addressed.
Sponsor licence risk
Serious or unresolved breaches of sponsorship duties can ultimately put a Student sponsor licence at risk.
Operational pressure
Responding to compliance concerns can place significant pressure on admissions, compliance and senior leadership teams.
The strongest approach is proactive.
Child Student and Student visa support for international families
Your relationship with an international pupil often begins well before they arrive at school.
Parents and students can find UK immigration requirements complex, while admissions teams need confidence that potential issues are identified early.
Sable International provides specialist assistance with:
- Child Student visa applications
- Student visa applications
- Application forms and supporting documents
- Application reviews
- CAS-related immigration guidance
- Immigration queries from parents and guardians
Where appropriate, we can review relevant documentation before a CAS is issued, helping potential issues to be identified earlier.
This gives families access to specialist immigration support while reducing the administrative burden on your admissions team.
Guardianship support
Where educational guardianship is required, families can also access dedicated support through Sable Guardians.
Our guardianship team can support international pupils and their families with appropriate care and support arrangements while studying in the UK.
Find out about Sable GuardiansImmigration support for overseas teachers and staff
Schools recruiting teachers or other staff from overseas may need to consider both immigration sponsorship and the professional requirements attached to the role.
Where a teacher requires Skilled Worker sponsorship, the school will need to hold the appropriate Home Office sponsor licence and assign a Certificate of Sponsorship. The role must also meet the relevant Skilled Worker eligibility, English-language and salary requirements.
For eligible teaching and education roles, salary requirements are linked to the relevant national pay scales and apply to both public and private-sector employers.
For overseas-trained teachers, qualified teacher status (QTS) may also be relevant. QTS is legally required for many teaching roles in England, although different rules apply to certain schools and overseas-trained teachers may be able to teach without QTS in some circumstances. Having QTS can nevertheless make it easier for overseas teachers to secure employment in England.
Our Business Immigration specialists can assist schools with:
- Skilled Worker sponsor licence support
- Certificates of Sponsorship
- Skilled Worker visa applications
- Salary and role eligibility
- Right to Work requirements
- Employer sponsor compliance
- Immigration support for HR teams
Why schools work with Sable International
Managing international pupils successfully requires more than completing visa applications. Immigration, sponsorship duties, admissions processes and student support all interact.
Our role is to make that complexity easier for your team to manage.
Specialists in UK education
We understand the practical pressures facing admissions, compliance and leadership teams responsible for international pupils.
Practical, proactive compliance support
Our focus is not simply on identifying problems. We help your team understand what needs to change and how to strengthen its processes.
Support for schools and families
We can support your institution with its sponsorship duties while giving international pupils and their families access to specialist immigration assistance.
Wider international mobility expertise
Where relevant, schools and families can also access specialist support through Sable Guardians and our Business Immigration team.
Testimonials
Compliance Lead, Independent School
Another fabulous year of service – professional, knowledgeable and the immigration version of a security blanket for Admissions staff!
Director of Marketing and Admissions
Without exception, every member of the Sable team is amazing. They are a huge support to me, always helpful and efficient (and patient!) and always a delight to work with. The advice provided by Sable, whether through their regular seminars and updates, or from individuals, is invaluable. Steve and the whole team – just brilliant.
Director of Admissions
Invaluable expertise and help, and always at the end of a phone – and with a team approach where other staff can help if nominated staff not available – I have found Sable's service essential to my own role through this last year.
Who do we support?
We work with independent and boarding schools, sixth form colleges, admissions and compliance teams, registrars, senior leadership teams and education agents involved in recruiting and supporting international pupils.
Whether you sponsor a small number of international pupils or manage a significant overseas intake, support can be tailored to your institution and existing internal resources.
How does our compliance support work?
Understand your position
We start by understanding your Student sponsor licence, how you recruit and onboard international pupils, the processes you have in place to meet your sponsor duties, and any immediate compliance concerns.
Identify and address risk
Where a review is needed, we assess relevant systems and records, identify potential gaps and provide practical recommendations.
Support you going forward
From SMS and CAS administration to staff training, compliance reviews, student immigration and UKVI engagement, ongoing support can be shaped around your school's needs.
Frequently asked questions
01What is a Basic Compliance Assessment?
The Basic Compliance Assessment, or BCA, is UKVI's annual assessment of a Student sponsor's performance against specified visa refusal, enrolment and course completion requirements.
For assessments submitted from 1 June 2026, the BCA operates under a Red-Amber-Green rating framework.
02What happens if our school receives an amber BCA rating?
An amber rating means your school is at risk of failing one or more BCA metrics, but it is not automatically a breach of your sponsor duties.
UKVI may limit CAS allocations, require engagement meetings and, where wider compliance concerns exist, impose an action plan. Independent schools may also be considered for a Discretionary Assessment on a case-by-case basis.
03Can you help our school apply for or renew a Student sponsor licence?
Yes. We can support schools with Student sponsor licence applications and renewals, as well as the ongoing compliance responsibilities that come with holding a licence.
04Can you help us prepare for a UKVI compliance visit?
Yes. We can review your processes and records, identify potential compliance gaps and help your team prepare for UKVI scrutiny.
A Compliance Health Check can also be used proactively before a visit has been announced.
05Do you provide Sponsor Management System support?
Yes. Depending on your school's requirements and agreed service, our specialists can assist with appropriate Level 1 and Level 2 SMS functions.
06Can you support our international pupils with their visas?
Yes. We provide Child Student and Student visa support, including assistance with applications and supporting documentation.
This allows your school to offer families access to specialist immigration assistance without placing the full administrative burden on your admissions team.
07Can you help with recruitment agents and AQF compliance?
Yes. We can help schools consider recruitment-agent relationships within their wider sponsor compliance framework, including the processes, records and evidence used to demonstrate effective oversight.
Strengthen your school's Student sponsor compliance
International recruitment creates valuable opportunities for schools and pupils. It also brings responsibilities that need careful, consistent management.
Whether you need an independent review of your current processes, ongoing sponsorship support or specialist assistance with a particular compliance issue, our UK Education Corporate Services team can help.
Speak to us about your Student sponsor licence, SMS processes, BCA preparation or international pupil visa support.
Speak to an Education Compliance SpecialistMeet your UK education corporate services team
Talk to our experienced consultants, IAA-registered advisers to see how we can help with your education immigration needs
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