Seeing off the group of young Jordanians who are going to the United Kingdom on scholarships is a time to celebrate the close links between Jordan and the UK when it comes to education. Britain is a place where many people want to study because of the high quality of its schools, colleges and universities. And welcoming international students is a high priority for those universities because they bring a depth of cultural and intellectual diversity that enhances the quality and value of their courses.
The large number of students heading in Britain’s direction every September puts a increased pressure on Britain’s diplomatic network. The British Council offers a service to advise students on courses and how to apply. And the UK Border Agency network, such as the team based in the Embassy in Amman, then offer a service to issue the student with a visa. This is not an easy task. As immigration has become an increasingly sensitive issue in Europe, making sure that students are genuine is not necessarily straightforward. There have been plenty of cases of fake colleges and fraudulent applications, people using education as an excuse for illegal entry to the UK.
So we have strict legislation which dictates what our visa officers have to look for to ensure that each and every applicant is genuine. Of course, in the vast majority of cases they are. But the legal requirements do not give us a lot of flexibility. So if the documentation is not right, eg to demonstrate that the place is confirmed in a genuine place of education and to show that the student has the funds to support him or herself, we cannot issue the visa.
I know that a lot of Jordanians dislike the fact that they don’t get to see a face or have an interview during the visa process. But at the same time, we are under pressure to ensure that we issue visas quickly. Our system is designed to simplify and accelerate the way we work. That means applying at a specialised visa application centre rather than the Embassy and a behind-the-scenes process for assessing the documents and taking the decision. Interviews would mean delays.
I am aware that there have been some problems this year. We have worked hard to speed up the visa process and have succeeded in eliminating the backlog and delays. Our UKBA team is committed to giving a good service and work hard to do so. Inevitably, we have lessons to learn from reviewing the feedback from applicants. We are in constant touch with the UK Border Agency system to ensure that our service is even better next year. And the message to people who want to visit, study or do business is: you are welcome. Please apply early and follow very precisely the instructions and guidance on the website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/
Most important of all, we want people to feel that the process of issuing a visa is the first step in their visit to Britain. They will certainly feel welcome in Britain, so we want them to feel that the visa process in Amman is efficient and fair. That will be our aim next year in particular when we hope to encourage many more Jordanians of all ages to participate and enjoy the Olympics in London.