'High-risk' student visa applicants to be interviewed

Posted: 10/07/2012

Immigration Minister Damian Green has announced that an interview system for students will be introduced this summer. The interviews will target those students deemed to be ‘high risk applicants’ and involve asking questions about the individuals' immigration and education history, study and post-study plans and financial circumstances. The UKBA expects to interview as many as 14,000 students over the next 12 months and visas will be refused if officials are not satisfied that someone is a genuine student.

The announcement follows a pilot scheme that was trailed in 2011 and saw over 2,300 student visa applicants being subject to face-to-face interviews in 13 overseas posts. As a result of the pilot, approximately one fifth of the applicants were refused entry based on their interview, with inability of interviewees to display the required level of English cited as the primary reason for refusal.

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