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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent research he has commissioned on consistency among UK embassies in applying the requirements for granting student visas; and if he will make a statement. [208338] Mr. Mullin: No formal research has been conducted on consistency among UK embassies in applying the requirements for granting student visas. However, Entry Clearance Officers at the UK's visa-issuing posts assess each visa application on its own merits according to the requirements of the UK Immigration Rules. To ensure that Entry Clearance Officers apply the Immigration Rules correctly and consistently, they receive thorough training and are given extensive and detailed guidelines as well as being managed by an experienced Entry Clearance Manager. Most student visa refusals (those for studies of more than six months) attract an automatic right of appeal. If the applicant decides to appeal the decision to refuse, the Entry Clearance Officer will review the application. If the decision to refuse is upheld, the appeal proceeds to the Immigration Appellate Authority where it is assessed. If the adjudicator determines that the refusal decision was not made in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration Rules then the appeal will be allowed. In this way, the appeals process is an additional safeguard against any inconsistent decision making. In addition, the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance annually reviews a random sample of entry clearance refusals that do not attract a right of appeal, including those relating to student applications for visits of less than six months, and reports to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

208338; 429 c1021-2W;429 c1021W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Applications Overseas students Visas

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk