English test helped UK visa applications swell

Agent trouble
Coupled with agents who after setting shops in every nook and cranny of Punjab and Delhi, foreign universities started admitting students indiscriminately. Between October-December 2009, the number of student visa applications from northern India jumped to 13,500, compared to 1,800 in 2008 and 1000 in 2007 for the same period.

Welcoming the UK High Commission's decision to suspend new visas to students from north Indian cities like Delhi, Chandigarh and Jalandhar, leading education consultants said the move would help to separate wheat from the chaff. They said that it would help to keep a watch on the growing number of fake agents and facilitate only genuine students to study in the UK.

"According to the new visa rules, if the institute accepts the students, the visa commissioner will not interrogate much to find out if the student is eligible or not. Just like in India, there are hundreds of private institutes who have been given the authority to admit international students. The new visa criterion led to increase in the small time agents in Punjab. Those agents tied up with the small private institutes leading to a steep rise in the demand for student visas to the UK," said Piyush Agrawal, Director, AEC Abroad Education Consultant.

Bank balance
"The new rule also says that the students need to show the bank account balance of last 28 days only. People started taking loan from the bank and repaid, once they get the visa. Delhi also reported similar cases," he said.u00a0

Suresh Sundaram, Director, India operations of Infozee, also agreed that the move would indeed help the genuine aspirants. "I think this is a very good initiative taken by the High Commission. I hope they will come up with fresh guidelines soon and frame them such that it will help genuine students. July and October is the peak season for students, seeking admissions abroad, so we are not much affected by the move," he said. Infozee, an education consultancy, is actively involved in sending students to the UK.

However, the move will not affect those applicants who have already got appointments before February 1. But, all the appointments given after Feb 1 will be kept suspended for now.
In the students' category, India along with China accounts for the largest contingent of foreign entrants into UK universities. A similar temporary suspension was done last year in China when there was a sharp rise in applications from a certain province.

Wait and watch
The students seeking admission in the UK believe that the step will only help to curb the increasing menace of fake agents and migrants. Kundan Kumar, who is planning to go abroad for higher studies, said: "The new visa rules should be implemented soon so that the genuine students doesn't get affected."
"We can only wait and watch. Let the new rules come, then only a decision can be taken," said another aspirant, Ajit Kumar.

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