The UK Border Agency, which looks into applications from foreign nationals to enter or stay in the UK, has announced not to accept new student visa applications from parts of South Asia citing a sharp and unexpected rise in the number of students. The declaration is applicable to only students from Nepal, Bangladesh and north India. [break]
According to a press statement released Sunday by the British Embassy in Kathmandu, the UK Border Agency has notified that even those students who have already got appointments to submit their visa applications need to wait until further notice. However, applications for other visas have not been suspended, the statement reads.
The agency has said that it will resume accepting student visa applications from Nepal only after thorough scrutiny. The announcement comes following complaints of a huge inflow of fake students aspiring to work than study in the UK.
In a bid to control a rapid and steady inflow of unqualified students mainly from South Asia into Britain, the UK Border Agency had also suspended registrations of more than 100 colleges in England, leaving thousands of students in the lurch.
The recent announcement has left those students who have already got visa appointments high and dry. “I am tense ever since BBC broke out the news,” said Himalaya Sunuwar, 21, who had an appointment at the UK Visa Application Center on February 2.
Himalaya has already deposited £4,060 in the bank account of the University of East London (UEL). “The university will deduct 10 per cent of amount if I fail to make it to London by February 17,” he says.
Around 15 Nepali students have already got appointments at the UK Visa Application Center in Kathmandu. In addition, more than 3,000 students are in the process to apply for visas. As of now, over 10,000 Nepali students have already made it to different UK colleges for study.
Suspension decried
Education consultants have decried the suspension visa applications terming it an outcome of the UK´s own flawed policy.
In April, 2008, the UK had introduced a new policy, relaxing criteria for foreign students to study in British colleges. “In the wake of the new policy, number of Nepali students steadfastly shot up,” says Arun Lamichhane, president of Nepal Education Consultancy Association (NECA). “Instead of reviewing its own flawed policy, the UK has created trouble to genuine students.”
Uttam Panta, president of Education Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN), terms the decision a hasty move. “We would have been happy had the UK prevented unqualified students than punishing all,” he says. “You can not block all roads if some one causes accidents.”
Students´ number rockets
In the fiscal year 2065/66 BS, a total of 24,824 students had taken No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Education (MoE). Of them, only 6,627 students had taken NOC to apply for study in British colleges.
As a result of the UK´s new policy, numbers of students taking NOC to study in Britain have increased. “After the UK´s new policy, number of Nepali students taking NOC in one month is always as high as that of the entire previous year,” says Narayan Krishna Shreshtha, chief of scholarship department at MoE. Though the number of students taking NOC does not suggest the exact number of students aspiring to go to the UK, it showcases the trend.
According to MoE statistics, in mid July-August, 5,121 students took NOC. Of which, as many as 4,242 students took it to study in British colleges. Number of students taking NOC to go to the UK remained 4,878 (Of the total 5,577) in mid August-September, 2,091 (of the total 2,663) in mid September-October, 2,493 (of the total 2,991) in mid October-November, 3,551 (of the total 4,254) in mid November-December and 1,319 (of the total 1,897) in mid December-January.
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