V O K

The British government is likely to partially lift the ban on student visas in Nepal, Bangladesh and North India, much to the respite of thousands of Nepali students who were feeling ripped off due to UK’s decision to suspend the visa application under the ‘Tier 4 Point Based System’.

Nepali students wishing to study in higher education courses in UK will possibly be able to apply for a student visa from March 1, 2010.

The British Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills Pat McFadden recently announced that the suspension will be lifted for all students wanting to study higher education courses, whether foundation degrees, undergraduate or postgraduate with effect from March 1.

He said that the temporary suspension [of Tier 4 visa application from Feb.1 for students from Nepal, Bangladesh and North India] was taken “in response to a huge surge in applications over a very short period of time.”

However, he said the ban will continue for the time being for student applicants who wish to enter the UK to study at a level lower than undergraduate level.

The British Embassy based in Kathmandu has also confirmed that the UK Agency is going to review the temporary suspension early March.

“The UK Border Agency, which is responsible for securing the borders and controlling migration in the UK, also would lift the suspension gradually ensuring a sustainable return to a normal visa operation for students who aspire to study in the UK in the next academic year,” the embassy said in a press statement Wednesday.

It however said no date has been announced for the lifting of the suspension in Nepal.

The unexpectedly high numbers of student visa applications from Nepal, according to the statement, would require the UK Border Agency to scrutinise applications thoroughly, look into the reasons for the increase in applications and to manage the visa process efficiently for all “customers in Nepal”.

Reports cited education consultancies that over 4,000 students from Nepal, who had paid tuition fees amounting to Rs 2 billion, have been left in lurch due to the temporary suspension on student visa application.

However, the British government recently made it clear that it was not its responsibility to help Nepali students get back the money they had transferred to ‘illegal’ universities and schools in the UK.

Spokesman for North India and Nepal visa section of the UK, Simon Dadd, recently told a leading national daily that the UK Border Agency “won’t intervene in the contract between individuals and the institutions”.

According to the UK Bordering Agency, 5,300 Nepali students had applied for UK student visas in 2009. nepalnews.com