UK defends its visa move while India awaits more details

The British government Monday had said that its Home Office is planning to run a year-long pilot plan from November which will require financial bonds from select visitors. The aim is to test the effectiveness of bonds as a deterrent against visa abuse. This pilot scheme will cover India,Bangladesh,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Nigeria and Ghana.

“The pilot will be highly selective and focused on the highest risk applicants. We will not require all visitors from the select pilot nations to pay a bond. The number of bonds issued during the pilot will be limited. The level of the bond will be set at £3000 per adult; children under 18 years will be exempt. The bond payment will be returned if the visitor returns home after their visit visa has expired and within the time period specified by their visa,” the British High Commission in New Delhi said.

Senior politicians in the UK and the Indian industry have termed the scheme “unfair and discriminatory”. But the British High Commission defended the move and pointed out that Australia and New Zealand apply similar amounts between 5,000 and 15,000 Australian dollars (£3,000-£9,000) and 5,000 and 10,000 NZ dollars (£2,500 – £5,000).

“We will,retain some flexibility to raise or lower the fee depending on how the pilot works. The power to require a financial security from a visa national is set out in Section 16 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 1999,” the British High Commission said.