A British High Commission spokesman said in Dhaka on Sunday, The United Kingdom has temporarily suspended student visa applications from three South Asian countries - Bangladesh, Nepal and North India - because of unexpectedly high number of visa applications from these areas, as the number of applications during the last three months of 2009 was 9,500. The British High Commission spokesman also mentioned, The Border Agency has announced that it would temporarily stop accepting student visas under Tier 4 of the Points Based System at visa application centers in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet from Monday. Those with scheduled appointments to submit Tier 4 visa applications at visa application centers from 1 February will be given priority once the suspension is lifted. But he assured that students who had applied on the last day of January would be exempted of this suspension.

The UK Border Agency's Regional Director, Chris Dix, said, "The visa operation will continue to work hard to process the student applications that we have received so far and to ensure they all meet the required standard." He added, "The UK Border Agency remains committed to providing an efficient visa operation for all our customers. We aim to process applications fairly, thoroughly and as quickly as possible. We will also take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the visa operation works effectively."

Director of a student counseling agency, also an approved partner of the British high commission in Dhaka, providing counseling services for prospective UK students, said he was not surprised with the suspension at all. The student counselor said, "The UK Border Agency had relaxed its previously stringent rules for student visas last year around April or May." According to the new rules prospective applicants only had to provide a proof of funds, sufficient to cover the first year's tuition and fees, and an acceptance letter from any one of the licenses educational institutions in the UK. The problem is that many of these licensed parties are actually what they call 'visa colleges', which readily issue acceptance letters for nominal fees. The counselor, refusing to be named in what he said was a UK government decision, also said the UKBA has cancelled licenses of about 50 such visa colleges, which would surely bring down the number of applications from Bangladesh.

According to BBC reports, student visa applications from Bangladesh, Nepal and northern India, have been put on hold for at least a month for now. BBC report says, The UK Border Agency has taken the decision in response to unexpectedly high number of student visa applications in these areas at the time of year in parts of South Asia, and will therefore stop accepting any new applications under the Tier 4 student’s route in the affected areas, including Bangladesh, Nepal and North India.

Applications under other visa categories will not be affected by the suspension.

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Source: Associated Press
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