Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 11 January 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 19 January 2005. It was answered by Chris Mullin (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 January 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which UK embassies use procedures for granting student visas which deviate from the usual procedures; and what the reasons are for these exceptions. - Inc ref to Diplomatic Service Procedures Volume 1 Chapter 12.

Answer: Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UK embassies use procedures for granting student visas which deviate from the usual procedures; and what the reasons are for these exceptions. [208637] Mr. Mullin: All Entry Clearance Officers at the UK's visa-issuing posts assess each visa application on its own merits in accordance with the relevant paragraphs of the Immigration Act 1971. When assessing student visa applications, Entry Clearance Officers use the guidance in the Diplomatic Service Procedures volume 1 chapter 12, available on the UKvisas website at www.ukvisas.gov.uk. This ensures that all UK posts use the same procedure for issuing visas. While some large posts have special sections dedicated to dealing with student applications, they still follow the same procedures when assessing visa applications.

Secondary information