Student visas

One of the tutors wanted my advice on Monday about the possibility of extending a student visa for a foreign student. My heart sank. We keep clear of advice on things like visas because of the legal complexity of this area, and we are guidance specialists, not legal experts. I explained that it was sometimes possible to enrol on a course and try to extend your visa, and in many cases this happens, but it is up to each college to be satisfied the student is genuine. I gave her details of where the student could do and English Language course, but recommended she return to her own country to apply to university in the UK from there. So imagine my shock when in the Guardian today was a huge article about how easy it is to pay to get your student visa extended, when you have no intention of studying and then vanishing into the black economy. 17,000 students disappeared from British universities last year apparently.
Getting a visa without the graft

Radhieka Pandeya had heard rumours that foreign students could extend their stay in the UK by pretending to attend a course of study. She decided to investigate