Home Office grants extra visas for UCL international students told to defer

Hundreds of international students will be able to take up their promised places after negotiations between the Home Office and University College London ended with the government granting extra visas. Hundreds of students, many from China, had been left in limbo after UCL underestimated the demand for places this year and exceeded its allocation of confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) electronic documents allowed by the Home Office. UCL issued an apology to those affected, telling them it was “extremely sorry for the disruption and uncertainty”, and offering to pay £1,000 costs for applications made through UK Visa and Immigration’s “super priority service”. The university said “an extraordinary surge in demand” was responsible for the over-recruitment, and had initially told students with confirmed places that they should defer until next year, leading many to complain they faced financial losses after pre-paying for travel and accommodation. After talks between UCL and the Home Office at the end of last week, students were told that they would receive visas after all. A spokesperson for UCL said: “We’re pleased to be able to assure our affected international students that they can now begin their studies at UCL. “We wholeheartedly apologise to all those who have been impacted by the recent uncertainty and we are incredibly grateful for their patience. Our teams are now working quickly to contact students directly with updates and support. “We also thank the Home Office for working swiftly to assist us in obtaining the additional confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) numbers we requested.” Some students who spoke to the Guardian said they had received emails from UCL within the last two days saying their CAS documents would be issued, a key requirement to be granted a student visa. A few said they had not yet received confirmation. One student said: “I am overjoyed to be able to study in the UK. We were told many different things since last month, it was very stressful. I was already committed to paying for accommodation in London, with no refund available, so I am very relieved.” About 200 students from China were affected, with some already in the UK at the end of last month for the start of the university term. Those on taught postgraduate courses were told they needed to be present by 10 October or lose their place. An email to the students from UCL’s recruitment and admissions department said: “We cannot thank you enough for your patience with this process and we are extremely sorry for the disruption and uncertainty which this will have caused you. We know that it will have been both frustrating and unsettling, and we are grateful to you for your patience as we worked to resolve the situation.”