UK Flag LONDON: Britian on Monday announced a targeted interview system for student visa applicants from India and other non-EU countries to prevent abuse and to ensure that they are refused visas if immigration officials have doubts about their genuineness as students. The new measure follows a pilot scheme carried out in India, Pakistan and 11 other countries, which revealed that some applicants could not answer basic questions in English without an interpreter, but had claimed in forms that they had the ability to study at UK universities. During the pilot, over 2,300 interviews were conducted at application stage between December 2011 and February 2012.
It revealed that almost half (45%) of applicants from Myanmar would have been refused visas if they had been interviewed.
The figure for India was 29%, and 38% for Bangladesh , the home office said.
"Under the current system UK border agency officers are unable to refuse some applications even if they have serious concerns over the credibility of the student - we are toughening up the system," immigration minister Damian green said. The pilot analysis mentions case studies of three Indian applicants whose responses during interviews raised doubts about their credibility and genuineness.
Edited By Cen Fox Post Team
