How eVisa Share Codes are Changing International Admissions for UK Universities

International student admissions have always been a resource-intensive process for UK universities. With the recent addition of the Share Code requirement for eVisas, this process has now become even more complex.

As universities adjust to this new step in immigration verification, understanding its impact on admissions and HR teams is key to maintaining operational efficiency. In this article, we’ll explain what the Share Code is, how it affects your university, and how to manage this new requirement efficiently.

What is the new eVisa Share Code?

The Share Code is a new mechanism introduced by the UK government as part of its immigration status verification process. It allows universities and employers to verify an individual’s right to work or study in the UK electronically, rather than through traditional visa documents.

Students or employees must generate a Share Code through the UK government’s online system and provide it to their university or employer, who can then access their immigration status online. While this digitised process might seem straightforward, it’s adding an extra layer of complexity for university admissions teams, student services, and HR departments dealing with international hires.

Why are the new changes important for universities?

For universities with international students, this new requirement adds a significant administrative burden. Instead of relying on physical documentation, staff must now handle Share Codes for visa verification, cross-check immigration status online, and ensure compliance with UK government regulations.

The key challenges with this new process include:

• Increased admin workload
  Admissions and student services teams will need to request Share Codes from every international applicant, which can slow down the admissions process.
• Additional compliance checks
  Verifying Share Codes through the government system means universities must ensure they have the right processes in place to track, record, and manage these codes effectively.
• Impact on HR teams
  For universities hiring from overseas, HR departments will also need to incorporate this new process into their onboarding and compliance checks for new staff.

The broader impact on university operations

With the introduction of the Share Code, admissions teams must now incorporate an additional step in their verification process. This can lead to bottlenecks, particularly during peak application periods when universities receive a high volume of international student applications. If staff are not equipped with efficient systems to manage the influx of Share Codes, the result may be slower decision-making and delayed notifications for applicants.

The need to handle Share Codes will also translate into more administrative tasks for university staff, including data entry, tracking codes, and verifying information against government databases.

For universities hiring faculty members from overseas, the Share Code requirement adds another layer of complexity to the onboarding process. Any delays in this verification process could prolong hiring decisions and prevent universities from securing talent in a competitive academic job market. Delays in processing Share Codes may even hinder faculty members from arriving in the UK on time, potentially affecting course offerings and student learning experiences.

How Niico can support higher education with the new Share Code requirements

At Niico, we understand the challenges that come with the new Share Code requirement. Our automation solutions are designed to streamline your processes, easing the administrative burden on your teams. With Niico, you can:

• Automate Share Code requests
  Our platform can facilitate the automatic request and verification of Share Codes from students and staff, saving time and reducing manual errors.
• Enhance compliance tracking
  Niico’s system ensures that all necessary compliance checks are seamlessly integrated into your workflows, helping you meet UK government regulations with ease.
• Optimise HR processes
  For HR departments, our solution simplifies the onboarding of international hires by incorporating Share Code verification into your existing processes.

Don’t let the new Share Code requirement disrupt your admissions or hiring workflows. Book a consultation with Niico today to discover how our automation solutions can help your institution adapt to this change and streamline your operations.