About us

The UCA Immigration Compliance & Advice team (IC&A team) is based primarily at the Farnham campus with team members attending Epsom campus twice weekly. The team supports the UKVI compliance of all sponsored students at UCA, across all 3 campuses and ensures that UCA remains compliant with all UKVI sponsorship licence regulations.

We endeavour to support all International students at UCA by offering advice and guidance relating to their current visa status.  The  IC&A team also assist students with applications after they have completed their study with UCA; for a period of up to 6 months.  By offering a high level of support, UCA hope that students will achieve and be successful in their studies, whilst the university remains compliant with UKVI regulations. 

The Immigration Compliance & Advice team usually become involved at the end of a process. This could be to withdraw visa sponsorship because the student has outstanding fees, or a high level of absence from their studies at UCA, or perhaps they have not complied with student work conditions.  

We have a duty to ensure students are genuine and can comply with the conditions of their visa.

We support students and at UCA with any visa-related enquiries, and we are responsible for ensuring that all students have demonstrated their Right to Study and that they continue to comply with the conditions of their Student visa. 

We have a responsibility for sponsored students from the moment we assign a CAS until the Student leaves the UK, or they are granted permission by UKVI to stay in the UK with a different sponsor or in another immigration category. 

The Immigration Compliance team are required by UKVI to report on sponsored students throughout their journey at UCA.

If you are contacted by the Immigration Compliance & Advice team, there is normally very good reason.  Please make sure you respond to communication that you receive from the team.

Meet the team

A brief introduction to the Immigration Compliance & Advice team. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need help.

Iain Hunter - Immigration Compliance Manager

Iain has been the Immigration Compliance Manager at the UCA since July 2023. Primarily, Iain is responsible for overseeing all UCA immigration compliance processes and ensuring the university meets all regulatory requirements while supporting international students throughout their journey. Before joining UCA, Iain worked at Bath Spa University and gained valuable experience in higher education compliance. Additionally, Iain spent two years in Beijing working for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), contributing to his strong expertise in immigration processes. Iain is dedicated to maintaining compliance excellence and providing a welcoming environment for international students at UCA.

Alex Samios - Senior Immigration Advisor

Alex is the UCA Senior Immigration Advisor for all campuses and has been with UCA since April 2024 as part of the Immigration Compliance & Advice Team.  Previously.  Alex was a frontline Immigration Officer for 18 years based at Heathrow airport. If you need to speak to him, you can drop in for advice, make an appointment, or set up an online chat.

Sabrina Mitchell - Immigration Compliance Officer

Sabrina is UCA’s Immigration Compliance Officer for all campuses. She joined the Immigration Compliance & Advice team in 2021.  Sabrinas main duties and responsibilities relate to tracking and monitoring student route compliance as well as supporting staff and students with immigration related enquiries. 

Molly Ridgers - Team Administrator

Molly is the Team Administrator within Immigration Compliance & Advice Team. She has worked at UCA since 2022 and is involved with the administrative work that takes place for the Immigration Compliance & Advice team.  Molly is also responsible for assisting with administrating US Federal Aid.

Contact us

If you do need to contact the Immigration Compliance & Advice team in relation to any Immigration support, advice or concerns with your visa, please email:-

visaadvice@uca.ac.uk