Conditions of Service

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner

This sets the principles and standards by which immigration professionals must comply.

The Student Immigration Service team are the only designated members of staff at the University of Edinburgh appropriately trained, regulated and designated as competent under the block exemption for educational institutions by the OISC, to provide students with immigration advice and services.  The team provides advice in good faith, based on information that you give us about your situation. We endeavour to ensure our advice is accurate.  Immigration legislation is subject to change, often at short or no notice. It is your responsibility to check the visa requirements which apply to you, before taking any action about your situation.

Please read our conditions of service thoroughly before engaging with the service.

Conditions of engagement with the Student Immigration Service

Nature of Service

The University of Edinburgh Student Immigration Service offers free, confidential, impartial immigration advice, information and services to prospective and current students for the duration of their studies. 

Professional Standards 

In order to ensure we work to the highest professional standards, our advisers engage in regular professional training.  It is the committed policy of the Student Immigration Service to ensure that our advisers exceed the minimum standard number of CPD hours required as by the OISC.

Limitations of Responsibility

The Home Office and associated agencies are responsible for the process and procedure of the visa application system in the UK. The University has no authority over these agencies in relation to immigration applications, decisions, process or regulations.

We therefore cannot accept responsibility for consequences arising from decisions made by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) or other agencies.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

We will use the personal data you provide us with in accordance with Data Protection Laws.  We will not pass on personal information about you to anyone outside the Student Immigration Service team, subject to the following exceptions:

• Where we have your explicit verbal or signed consent to disclose the information;
• Where we believe you or others are in danger;
• Where we are required to do so by licensing requirements;
• Where we consider we are required to do so by law and/or where failure to do so may lead to civil or criminal court procedures.

In addition, there may be occasion where information you disclose will be passed onto other relevant University departments if deemed necessary.

Breaches of Immigration Conditions

Where a client divulges a material breach of their immigration conditions, or discloses an intention to misrepresent the facts in an immigration application, we reserve the right to withdraw our services. We may also be required by law to pass this information on to relevant agencies.

Record Keeping and Case Notes

It is professional practice and a legitimate interest for our team to keep written case notes and hold them for a six-year period.

In person or virtual appointments:

All students and staff who come to see an adviser either in person or by Microsoft Teams will be provided with a written summary of the main points raised and the advice given.

Contact by email or phone:

Where we have been contacted by email, our reply will represent the advice given to you and will be the record retained on file. For this reason, any case-specific advice must be requested in writing.  

Comments, suggestions and complaints

For clarity, we prefer complaints to be raised in writing to the Head of Student Immigration Service at studentimmigration@ed.ac.uk.

Student complaints will be fully investigated in line with the process and timescale set out in the University Complaints Procedure, found on the Academic Services website.

Staff complaints will be processed and followed in relation to the staff grievance policy.