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Published 13 Apr, 2012 08:32am

Pakistani students to face new visa tests for UK

The British Home Office pilot scheme has increased the number of applications being rejected because of the increasing number of bogus applications being approved for visas.

The UK immigration law had an assessment system where people applying for a student visa would be assessed on their English speaking skills solely based on their written application forms.

Because of the increasing number of visa application from Asian countries, specially from Pakistan has motivated the ministers to introduce the “credibility test” where the applicant will get a face-to-face interview with the British Immigration officials.

The student visa tests have been mainly paper-based, which has allowed candidates to fill out the application forms and not get any personal interaction with the officials.

Students who are suspected of poor English skills judged only by the application forms has increased to 20 per cent and makes up half of the 40 per cent rejection rate.

A British government source said: “Britain is open for business to the best and the brightest. But our message to bogus students is clear. You will be found out and you will be stopped from coming.”

The National Audit office is trying to curb this inflow of illegal pretend students by increasing checks on colleges and applicants, but statics reveal the lack of control authorities have over the issue as the number of bogus student applications has increased dramatically in previous years and about 40 to 50 thousand students have been allowed to enter the UK from mostly Asian countries just last year.

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