VISA privacy notice

Purpose of the processing and legal basis

This privacy notice sets out how our VISA Team at Glasgow Caledonian University (“GCU”), collects and processes personal data about you. This notice is supplemental to the main student data protection privacy notice.

The VISA Team is required to collect, use, share and retain certain information (including personal data) relating to you to enable your future and/or continued immigration application and sponsorship as an international student at GCU. This includes information about your dependents and spouse for the purposes of the immigration application and continued sponsorship.

Our legal basis for processing your personal data in this way is that it is necessary for the performance of your student contract with GCU or in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into your student contract with GCU. Where we collect any special category data such as health data, our legal basis is that you consent to this processing.

Personal data being processed

The personal data GCU collects about you and processed for the above purpose includes:

  • Information concerning your qualifications, skills, immigration, immigration history, residence, and visa-related information; and personal statements, including applications made via a third party such as agents
  • Your contact and next-of-kin details and National Insurance number
  • Financial and fees information from you (including payment information held on University systems where appropriate), and from funding organisations, parents or sponsors
  • Health information relevant to your continued sponsorship which could be requested so as to justify continued sponsorship outwith the Tier 4/Student Visa restrictions and Tier 4/Student Sponsor duties.

Sources of personal data

The personal information GCU holds about you is obtained from a number of sources including information you provide directly to us including the following:

  • Information you have provided when you made an enquiry in person, by telephone or by email
  • Personal data provided by previous educational establishments; employer/s; referee/s; financial sponsors and banks; parents or guardians
  • Information you have provided on your application form (including applications made via a third party such as UCAS, partner organisations or recruitment agencies)
  • Previous educational establishment/s
  • UKVI and other related Home Office and/or government departments/services
  • Information you provide us with during the course of your or after your period of study
  • Information built up about you during your studies such as grades
  • Funding organisations such as SAAS or sponsors
  • Partner organisations such as professional bodies, employers, and other educational establishments for the purposes of external study or exchange
  • Solicitors and/or other legal representatives.

Sharing your personal data

GCU will be required to share information about your visa application including background checks; passport details; visa/biometric residence permit (BRP) details; digital immigration status; country of origin; and date of birth; progression on your chosen course and attendance percentages with specific Home Office Departments specially UKVI and Border Control.

For specific reasons, we will request a signed mandate from you authorising GCU to share your details with the Home Office departments and to request further details from them and/or Solicitor/MP or other recognised nominated personnel. This includes the sharing of dependent/spouse details as relevant to the visa application and continued sponsorship.

GCU may at times need to share your personal information with third parties, only for the benefit of your continuation of a GCU course or to enhance your immigration status such as; airport immigration control; airlines; your recruiting agent (if applicable); your lawyers/representatives. This is covered for the most part by your Student Terms and Conditions that you have signed as a part of the online registration process.

GCU’s obligations

GCU has a legal obligation to provide certain information, relating to your application, right to study, progress on your course, including attendance and engagement - to Home Office departments due to our duties and obligations as a Home Office Points Based System Student Sponsor licence holder.

If you do not provide us with the necessary information, we may not be able to complete our necessary checks for immigration and visa purposes which means GCU may not be able to enter into a student contract with you or allow you to continue to study with GCU.

Transfers outside the EEA

When information is transferred outside the EEA the University will ensure that appropriate safeguards are taken.

Retention of your personal information

GCU will retain your personal data only as long as necessary for its purposes as described. Please note, however, that even after termination of your student relationship with GCU, GCU may still need to retain your personal data to satisfy its obligations to keep certain records for particular periods under applicable law. Details of our records retention schedule are available here.

Profiling/automated decisions

We do not make any automated decisions, including profiling, about you.

Identity of Controller and the Data Protection Officer

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is a Data Controller in terms of Data Protection Legislation.

If you have any questions about how your personal information is being processed please contact the University’s Data Protection Officer.

Data Protection Officer,
Department of Governance,
Glasgow Caledonian University,
Cowcaddens Road,
Glasgow,
G4 0BA

Email: dataprotection@gcu.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)141 331 8392

Your rights

You have the right to request access to, copies of and rectification or erasure of personal data held by the University and to object to processing. In addition, you have rights to restrict the processing of your personal data and to data portability. Further information is available in the Data Protection Policy.

If the University needs to ask for your consent to use your personal information this will be made clear to you and you will be able to withdraw your consent at any time. We will explain the consequences of doing so in any particular case if you contact us to withdraw consent.

For further information please contact the Data Protection Officer as detailed below.

Right to complain to supervisory authority

If you are not happy with your personal information being processed as described above please contact the University’s Data Protection Officer.

Data Protection Officer,
Department of Governance,
Glasgow Caledonian University,
Cowcaddens Road,
Glasgow,
G4 0BA

Email: dataprotection@gcu.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)141 331 8392

If you have any issues about this statement or the way the University has handled your personal information please contact the University Data Protection Officer in the first instance. If you are dissatisfied with the response from the University you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Information Commissioner’s Office,  
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF

Email: casework@ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

You can find further information on how the University manages personal data of students, applicants and enquirers.