The Hindu : Front Page : U.K. suspends student visa applications from north India

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Sunday, Jan 31, 2010
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U.K. suspends student visa applications from north India

Anita Joshua

Move follows manifold increase in applications and fears of foul play

NEW DELHI: Faced with a manifold increase in student visa applications from north India and fearing foul play, the United Kingdom on Saturday announced that no fresh application would be accepted at any of its three centres in the region from February 1.

This “temporary suspension” was announced here by Deputy High Commissioner Nigel Casey and Regional Director of the U.K. Border Agency Chris Dix.

According to Mr. Dix, this decision had to be taken in view of the “unexpectedly high number of student visa applications” at centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Jalandhar this time round.

As against 1,800 applications received there between October and December 2008, the corresponding months in 2009 saw as many 13,500 applicants.

“The suspension will allow the Border Agency to continue to scrutinise applications thoroughly and to manage the visa process efficiently,” Mr. Dix said.

Mr. Casey said there was a fear that some applicants were attempting to abuse the visa process as an easy entry route into the U.K.

“This measure is designed to protect genuine students, professional agents and good education providers from anyone who is not currently playing by the rules.”

To ensure that students in north India did not move south or westward to submit applications there to sidestep the suspension, Mr. Dix said the applicants would have to seek appointment by email first.

As for the applications received till this month-end, these would be scrutinised to see if the applicants were bona fide students and had the financial backing they claimed.

In 2008-09, India, with 4,70,645 applicants under various categories, accounted for 19 per cent of the global demand for entry into the U.K, topping the list and way above the first runner-up Nigeria with 2,00,220 applicants.

In the students’ category, India along with China accounts for the largest contingent of foreign entrants into U.K. universities.

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