The Challenge
The University of Manchester has to verify UKVI share codes for international students as part of visa compliance checks. Every code has to be checked manually against the Home Office system.
At around 16,000 checks a year that is slow at the best of times. During high enrolment it becomes a bottleneck, at exactly the point when checks need completing quickly and accurately.
Around 16,000 checks a year:: Every UKVI share code verified by hand against the Home Office system, at roughly ten minutes each. | How it showed up:: A bottleneck during peak enrolment, when visa checks need to be completed quickly and accurately and there is no slack in the calendar. | Why it mattered:: A student cannot enrol until their visa status is confirmed, so the check sits directly on the path between offer and arrival.
The Outcome
The agent verifies share codes against UKVI records automatically and updates the student record system with the result.
Staff get instant confirmation of a visa status without a manual lookup. Handling time fell from ten minutes to one, a 90 percent reduction, across around 16,000 checks a year. The team now spends its time on the cases that need closer attention rather than on the ones that do not.
Benefits
Faster visa compliance checks:: Ten minutes down to one, on a check that sits between an offer and a student arriving. | Manual workload removed:: Compliance and admissions teams no longer run 16,000 lookups a year by hand. | Records kept current automatically:: The student record system is updated as part of the check rather than afterwards. | Peak intake supported:: The process runs at the same speed whether it is a quiet week or the busiest of the international intake.
The Numbers
# Delivered | Handling time per check:: 10 minutes to 1 minute | Reduction in handling time:: 90% | Checks handled annually:: Around 16,000 | Systems replaced:: None
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