Skilled Worker Visa - Skills Bootcamps

Yes, under 25/26 they'd be considered "sponsored" so wouldn't be eligible.

I hadn't realised Bootcamps were still using the 24/25 Rules though, where does it say that? Anyway, presuming it is the case, they'd be Other Non-UK Nationals:

Adult skills fund: funding and performance management rules 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

and, therefore fundable if they've been here three years.

Hi Steve,

Thank you, I will advise our supplier.

Regarding the 3 year residency, it was something several of us local authorities (I work for Kent County Council) had queried, as the Skills Bootcamps guidance points to the ASF rules for residency eligibility, but we have been advised that we would not adapt the new rules until April as "we can't change the rules mid-year" (the Skills Bootcamps year runs 1 April to 31 March).

This is the message from our Regional Delivery - Grants Lead:

I’m sure you’re aware that the ASF Residency Eligibility criteria requirement for a learner to be ‘ordinarily resident for at least the previous 3 years prior to the first day of learning’ will be removed from academic year 2025/26. This means all learners ordinarily resident in England (regardless of the time frame) will be eligible. There will be two groups with exceptions to this rule removal: i) those on student visas and (ii) asylum seekers. Those on student visas are only temporarily resident in the UK for the purpose of undertaking a specific qualification. Their visa conditions also prevent them from further study. Asylum seekers will continue to become eligible for ASF provision only 6 months after they submit their claim for refugee status.

Impact on Skills Bootcamps

• This change will apply to Skills Bootcamps from April 2026. Those on existing contracts/grant agreements will continue to follow the AY 2024/25 ASF residency rules until the end of their contract/grant agreement.
• From FY 2026/27
• For grant-funded areas – residency eligibility criteria will be removed as in line with ASF AY 25/26 rules. We will retain in grant guidance the requirement that learners have a ‘Right to Work in the UK’ to ensure learners are eligible to stay and work in the UK upon completion of a skills bootcamp.
• MSAs with integrated settlements/un-ringfenced funding will be given the option of retaining the existing residency eligibility criteria or not, given the concerns of Strategic Authorities that they won’t be able to meet the additional demand for ASF provision. This gives them time to decide how they can effectively prioritise their funds.

I hope this clarifies the position.

Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be an online resource we can point our suppliers to for this, only the email we received from the DfE. 

Thanks Helle, that's really useful (if, as far as I can recall, unprecedented...).