India in touch with UK mission on student visa issue

Updated on: Wednesday, February 03, 2010

New Delhi: Terming educational cooperation as an "important facet" of Indo-UK ties, government today said it was in touch with the diplomatic mission of Britain to
"better understand the reasons" for the temporary freeze on student visas by that country.

This was to ensure that bonafide students planning to go there for studies were not adversely impacted, it said.

Issuing a response on the move to temporarily stop accepting student visa applications at the UK Visa Application Centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Jalandhar from February 1, an official spokesman said, "Student exchanges form a vital component of this cooperation. We would remain in touch with the BHC (British High Commission) on this matter."

"The Ministry of External Affairs has been in touch with the British High Commission on this matter to better understand the reasons behind this decision and also to ensure that bonafide Indian students planning to go to the UK for studies are not adversely impacted," he said.

The ministry has also taken note of the fact that the UK Border Agency is also investigating a number of UK education providers and has, in the last week, suspended approximately 60 from the education sponsors' register, he said.

The UK Border Agency had on January 30 announced to temporarily stop accepting student visa applications under Tier 4 of the Point Based System at the three Visa
Application Centres fearing that an alarming increase in student visa applications may lead to system abuse.

India in touch with UK mission on student visa issue

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