The recent IEP Stakeholders Conference revealed that the rush to meet the accreditation deadline of December 15 has meant significant workload for quality assurance agencies and IEPs themselves. The process has been largely positive, and SEVP is engaging with the sector on further regulatory reform.
English UK is calling for the reinstatement of Accreditation UK as an approved body for Tier 4 visa sponsors, claiming that the de jure metric, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), costs three times more yet is ineffective. The Home Office says it has no plans to change tac.
Until December 2010, it was not a legal requirement for English language schools in the USA to be accredited. Since then, IEPs have had to at least begin the process, leading to a surge in demand with hundreds of new applicants. Sara Custer finds out the impact and implications of the new legally-enshrined quality landscape in the US.
