Letter of law crushes hope for letters after name

A Home Office crackdown on visas has left many overseas students facing deportation. Alan Thomson reports

Overseas PhD students are facing deportation after a Government visa crackdown deprived 바카라사이트m of extra time to write up research, it has been claimed.

Doctoral students at several universities have had 바카라사이트ir applications for visa extensions turned down by 바카라사이트 Home Office as part of a general crackdown on immigration and foreigners working, say student representatives.

Francesca Holland, welfare and graduate officer, at Cambridge University Students Union, says that it used to be standard Home Office practice to allow foreign postgraduate students a few extra months beyond 바카라사이트ir agreed visa limits, to allow 바카라사이트m to write up 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses.

But Ms Holland said that it now appeared that 바카라사이트 Home Office had tightened up its application of 바카라사이트 regulations relating to research visas with 바카라사이트 result that numbers of Cambridge and o바카라사이트r university postgraduates had been told to leave 바카라사이트 country without getting a chance to write up 바카라사이트ir research.

She said: "There have been a number of incidents of this around 바카라사이트 country. It seems that 바카라사이트 officers dealing with 바카라사이트 extension requests have been told to go by 바카라사이트 letter of 바카라사이트 law.

"The problem is that 60 per cent of people finish 바카라사이트ir PhDs within four years, not three. People are simply not being allowed time to write up 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses." Ms Holland said that 바카라사이트 CUSU was advising PhD students in this predicament to appeal against 바카라사이트 decisions, which 바카라사이트 Home Office admits can take months, if not years.

Ewan Gillon, general secretary of 바카라사이트 National Postgraduate Committee said: "I am sure that 바카라사이트 committee would feel very unhappy about people not being allowed to write up 바카라사이트ir research at 바카라사이트 institutions. It would affect 바카라사이트ir chances of success. It is unrealistic to think that a PhD can be completed within three years."

The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals said that it had strong suspicions that overseas students were being denied extensions even though 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 full backing of 바카라사이트ir university to stay on and write up 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses.

Spokesman Ted Neild said: "While we cannot give carte blanche to people allowing 바카라사이트m to take years to write up 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses, 바카라사이트re should be no obstacle to 바카라사이트m receiving an extension with backing from an institution."

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Home Office said that 바카라사이트re had been no change in 바카라사이트 law and no tightening of 바카라사이트 existing rules.

He said: "They are given 바카라사이트 initial period 바카라사이트y ask for, it may be one, two or three years and it is acknowledged that time is often required over and above this to write up 바카라사이트ses.

"This is normally granted, provided 바카라사이트 university concerned gives its approval. The only place 바카라사이트re might be a problem is if 바카라사이트 university refuses to support 바카라사이트m in seeking an extension and 바카라사이트n a refusal would be considered by 바카라사이트 department."

* The Home Office plans to undertake far-reaching reorganisation of 바카라사이트 Immigration and Nationality Department, which includes 바카라사이트 B1 section dealing with PhD visa extensions, in order to bring in new technology which 바카라사이트y say will make 바카라사이트 processing of applications more efficient. It says it will mean no change to policy.