The British High Commission has announced that with effect from February 1, it will temporarily stop accepting visa applications from three centres in the north under Tier 4 of the points-based system. The visa application centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Jalandhar will supend applications on instruction from the UK Border Agency.
The reason for the move is the 'unprecedented spurt in the number of applications and the quality of some of the applications', said Chris Dix, regional director, UK Border Agency. While the number hovered at around 1,000 to 1,800 in October-December 2007 and 2008, applications went up to 13,500 in the same period in 2009.
While the move may not come as a surprise, since the region is known for a high number of fradulent applications, it does beg the question: what happens to genuine students?
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Do you think the move will ultimately help genuine students get their UK student visa? Or will genuine students lose out?
Have you applied for a UK visa and been rejected? Or were you planning to apply for a UK visa this year and find you are unable to because of this development?
Share your opinions and experiences with us by writing to us at getahead@rediff.co.in with the subject 'UK student visa issue' and we'll publish the responses right here!
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