About the booking system
The Student/Tier 4 Booking System is an online tool to help both managers and Student or Tier 4 visa students work in accordance with the terms of their visa.
The system uses information about the student's visa type, course status on SAMIS and the academic calendar to determine the maximum hours they are permitted to work in a particular week (Monday to Sunday).
The booking process
If you're a manager, you'll need to log into the system to book the maximum hours you would like a Student/Tier 4 visa student to work in a particular position in a particular week.
The hours you book will reduce the hours shown as available to other managers looking to book the same person. Students may have positions in other departments across the University, but the system will prevent other managers from booking anyone for more hours than permitted by their visa status.
Each booking generates an email to the student which includes their timesheet. This must be completed, signed and authorised in order for them to claim payment for the work they've done.
Please note, the information presented within the booking system is reliant on the data held on iTrent and SAMIS at that time.
Information displayed within the Student/Tier 4 booking system
The system shows the following information for each student:
Hours allowed
Hours are calculated using the visa type and course status for each student, in combination with the academic calendar. This shows the maximum hours the student is allowed to work in a particular week (Monday to Sunday).
Hours booked
These are the hours currently booked for the student and across all the positions held by the student on iTrent.
Hours available
These are the hours that are still available to be booked for the student in a particular week (Monday to Sunday).
Student and Tier 4 visa working restrictions have many variables and associated complexities. As such, the 'Hours allowed' shown on the system should only be used as a guide.
How to use the Student/Tier 4 booking system
The booking system only covers paid work completed at the University of Bath. Managers should follow this guide to using the system.
Before a student starts working for you, you must check whether they hold a Student or Tier 4 visa.
For hourly paid work, make sure the student is set up using the University's Hourly Paid Worker System. This will include a right to work check of the student’s immigration status. This must be completed before the student takes on any work. As a Student or Tier 4 visa holder, even though they have a right to study, this does not mean they automatically have the right to work in the UK. Please follow our Right to Work Check guidance for more information on how to carry out a check using the Home Office Online Right to Work Checking Service.
Once the student is set up on the system to take on hourly paid work, and have signed their contract online, you need to book the hours you'd like them to work in advance using our Student/Tier 4 booking system. The system will calculate whether they can work for the hours requested. The system uses information about their visa type, course status and the academic calendar to determine the maximum hours that they are allowed to work in a particular week. For Postgraduate (Research) students, it will also take account when vacation time is booked. Further guidance on how to use the booking system.
Once booked, the system will generate an email containing the number of hours booked and a timesheet for the student to complete and submit for approval after the work has been completed. The student must not start any work before receiving the email. The hours on this timesheet must never be changed (to do so may constitute fraud). If there's any change to a booking, the booking must be cancelled. When the cancellation has been confirmed, the new hours may be booked (provided they don't take the student above their maximum weekly limit).
If the student works in more than one department, each department will need to follow the same process, using the Hourly Paid Worker System and Student/Tier 4 Booking System.
Timesheets and approval process
Once the student has worked the hours they've been booked for, they will need to login to Employee Self Service (ESS) on iTrent and log and confirm their time using the eTimesheet. Once submitted, each timesheet will require two levels of approval − firstly by the line manager and secondly by the departmental authoriser − before progressing to payroll for payment.
Cancelling a booking
If you need to cancel a booking, you must do this on the Student/Tier 4 Booking System before the date the work is booked to start. When the cancellation is confirmed, the system will send emails to the Student/Tier 4 student, HR, Payroll and the manager. When the cancellation is actioned, it will remove the cancelled hours from the week. The system can then be used for another booking.
Unpaid and voluntary work
Although unpaid or voluntary work is not booked via the system, it's considered as work for the purposes of the student’s Student or Tier 4 Visa. Students must therefore make sure they do not do more than their permitted hours.
Employing graduates and non-Bath students
Student or Tier 4 visa students who have graduated will not appear on the booking system. They are entitled to work full-time (36.5 hours per week) until the end of their visa. Similarly, non-Bath students will not be able to use the booking system and it is advised that in these situations you contact your HR Operations Co-ordinator for further advice.