With international flights resuming and most countries finally getting rid of the last Covid-19 restrictions, travel abroad for leisure, work and education has soared and embassies have been struggling to keep up with the surge in visa applications.
In an update for visa decision waiting times for applications outside the UK, the government has said that student visa applications are currently taking on average 5 weeks to process- up from the usual 3 weeks.
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In an conversation with Mint, British High Commission spokesperson apologised for the delays applicants are experiencing and confirmed, “We are working urgently to reduce the current processing time as quickly as possible.”
“There is always a significant number of student visa applications in July and August, therefore we encourage student visa applicants to apply for the visa as early as possible to avoid any delays. We are working with the education sector and our commercial partners to get this important message to students,” he added.
Most students travelling to the UK will need a Tier 4 (General) student visa.
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You can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:
- have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
- have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course – the amount will vary depending on your circumstances
- can speak, read, write and understand English
Short term study visas are available to students who want to join courses that are up to six months long or English language courses up to 11 months long.
UK isn’t the only country struggling to keep up with the sudden surge in visa applications. The United States, Canada and many other European countries have updated their visa wait times as well, asking travellers to apply sooner and prepare for a longer processing time.
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