Training providers have accused the Department for Education of discriminating against people on visas following a change to apprenticeship funding rules.
For several years the rules have stated that individuals must “be able to complete the apprenticeship within the time they have available” to be funded.
Version one of the 2023/24 rules changed this section to include the examples “because their visa will expire or because they have a fixed term contract which is shorter than the duration of the apprenticeship”.
Visa extensions can be a lengthy process and are generally only extended in the six months before expiry. Experts told FE Week that before the DfE’s rule change was made, it had been understood that checking the learner had every intention of reapplying for their visa when they could was deemed to be sufficient to start the visa holder on an apprenticeship.
