Skip to main content

rosinaread
12th October 2023

International student check-in changes for the new academic year

International students now have to check-in in person as well as in taught sessions
Categories:
TLDR
International student check-in changes for the new academic year
Credit: https://www.citysuites.com/en

International students on a student or tier 4 visa will have to check-in on campus twice a week as of this semester.

The twice weekly check-ins, done at several locations across campus, occur alongside check-ins at in-person taught sessions. Questions have been raised at the Students’ Union about whether this constitutes “overcompliance” with new government regulations.

In addition, some schools will ask students to check-in at specific times, with others stating students must drop in at two times on different days between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The check-ins must occur every week “during term time.” The Students’ Union have raised further questions on what this means for student travel and have asked the University for a timeframe for such measures.

In a recent email to SoSS students, the measures were described as “temporary.”

The student support website cites UK Visas and Immigration restrictions alongside the impact of the recent cyber incident as reasons for the regular, and in-person, check-ins.

Olivia, a third-year international student, said that she was “very disappointed by the new attendance system” as she would have to go “out of [her] way” amidst a busy timetable.

She went on to say that the changes were “incredibly frustrating and inconvenient for the University’s large population of international students.”

Robbie Beale, Activities & Culture Officer at the Students’ Union, said:

This is an issue that we have been in communication on every day this week. I was due to have a meeting with relevant University staff this morning [October 6] in order to focus in on visa and immigration restraints in particular, to try to get to the bottom of why these measures have manifested in this way. The meeting was cancelled so I am currently trying to re-arrange for the beginning of next week, whilst exploring other avenues.

The University of Manchester has been contacted for comment.


More Coverage

Support for gender diverse students: Gender Expression Fund and option to add pronouns on Microsoft 365

Students can access a Gender Expression Fund, and add their pronouns on Microsoft 365, in two separate announcements which both aim to support gender diverse students

King’s Speech: Government axes ‘low-quality degrees’

In his first address as monarch, King Charles III announces drastic changes to the education sector

Cost of living pressures mount for students as average rent increases nationally

Cost of living pressures have pushed the average student rent to £7,566, with the average maintenance loan being around £7,590

Manchester Christmas markets found to be the best in Europe

Recent stats suggest that the Manchester Christmas markets have gained 13.2 million TikTok views and a Tripadvisor rating of 4.5