A video explaining the UK visa application process was launched last week as a collaboration between UK universities, the British Council in Delhi and the UK Home Office. It aims to boost the number of Indian student enrolments in the UK, which fell by 24% in 2011/12 compared with the previous year, contributing to negligible growth in international student numbers.
“We hope this film will reassure Indian students that the UK welcomes all genuine applications”
The video follows two students as they apply for visas, sharing common concerns about the process. Arshi Aggarwal, a Masters student from New Delhi, says during the video: “I believe if everything is in order, your visa is not going to be denied… I’ve made sure everything is in perfect order, but what if something goes wrong? I’m really nervous about it.”
Both students are now studying in the UK.
The video is available on YouTube and will be used by the British Council at education fairs and events across India. It has been shared by universities including SOAS, Cardiff University and the University of Leeds, all of which have longstanding relationships with India, and it is hoped that students will share the video using social media.
Richard Everitt, British Council Director of Education in India, said that Indian students “make a huge academic and cultural contribution to the UK, and we hope this film will let Indian students see a different view of the UK visa application process – and reassure them that the UK welcomes all genuine applications.”
Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “Prospective international students, and their parents, hear a lot of myths about the application process and the UK’s student visa system. Through these real-life examples, they get a first-hand account of how the process actually works.”
Dr Jo Beall, British Council director of education and society, said in January that statistics charting a decline in visa issuance from India were “real evidence that the changes to UK visa regulations may have dissuaded many students from applying to the UK”.
The British Council announced on Monday that it is launching 370 scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK. The £1 million programme will include 260 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in 36 participating institutions and is the British Council’s largest ever scholarship programme for India.
