Who can sponsor students
An institution needs a Student sponsor licence to enrol international students on the Student route, and a Child Student licence to enrol children under 18. Universities and colleges registered with the Office for Students, further education colleges, and independent schools can all apply, but each has to show the right regulatory standing: for example, that a school is accredited or inspected by a body the Home Office accepts, and that a college has been through educational oversight.
The Basic Compliance Assessment
A licensed sponsor is tested against measures of how its students behave. The Basic Compliance Assessment, or BCA, looks at three things, and since 1 June 2026 the standards have been tightened:
| Measure | Standard |
|---|---|
| Visa refusals | Fewer than 5% of applications refused (previously 10%) |
| Enrolment | More than 95% of those granted visas enrol (previously 90%) |
| Course completion | At least 85%, rising to more than 90% from 1 June 2027 |
A sponsor is now given a red, amber or green rating based on its weakest measure. A sponsor that fails can lose its licence or be stopped from recruiting new students until it improves. The institution should know its own figures at all times, not just on the day of the assessment, and should check the current guidance, because the thresholds have moved more than once.
The application
The sponsor applies online, names its key personnel, and sends evidence of its legal status, finances, premises, systems and regulatory standing. The Home Office fee is set annually and changes each April, so it should be confirmed at the start of an application. The application is assessed on the sponsor’s capacity to meet its duties, and the Home Office may inspect.
The duties of a Student sponsor
A Student sponsor must issue confirmations of acceptance for studies only to genuine students who meet the course requirements, and must monitor and report on their attendance and progress. It must tell the Home Office about students who stop attending or withdraw, keep up-to-date records, and report changes in its own circumstances. For students under 18, it has additional duties to ensure their welfare. See sponsor duties.
Why compliance matters most
For a sponsor of students, the licence is the business. If it is downgraded or revoked, it can no longer recruit international students, and its existing students may have their permission cut short. We advise institutions on applying for a licence, on the BCA, on audits and on responding to the Home Office when problems arise.
