Pakistani nationals applying for student visas in the United Kingdom are bearing financial losses and are missing out on classes owing to months-long delays in the visa processing time, VisaGuide reported.

Syed Shujaat Ali Shah, the managing director of Karachi-based FES Consultants said that there was a common perception among Pakistani students that visas were being delayed on purpose as the UK is aiming to bring down its immigration numbers.

In some cases, the interviewers asked candidates two or three questions and did not inform them the interview was finished once they left, he added.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistani nationals represent the fourth-largest community of international students in the UK.

THE PIE, an organization working in the international education sector said that Pakistani students’ visa processing time saw a month-long delay despite paying larger sums for priority visa processing.

The delay has and continues to affect thousands of Pakistani students while UK universities are also withdrawing their confirmation for accepted students for January. It is estimated that 10,000 to 12,000 students from Pakistan applied for the January intake in 2024.

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Meanwhile, Pakistani students were also losing money as the visa application fees and additional fees for paying priority visas were not refundable.

Additionally, transferring tuition fees including conversion fees and currency fluctuation is also among the expenses Pakistani students incur resulting in further financial losses.

Consequently, the Pakistani students are not provided the service they are paying for.

Reports said that the processing times for their visa applications are getting longer as some have to wait up to 45 days for a decision, while the upper limit is set at 30 days.