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Home Office refuses visa due to fluent English of graduate applicant
| Published: | 19 Dec at 6 PM |
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The UK Home Office is in the headlines yet again for a decision so illogical it’s almost amusing.
Indian would-be expat Alexandra Rintoul, the pregnant 22-year old wife of a Scot living in St Andrews, has been denied a visa to enter the UK due to her excellent command of the English language. Hoping to be allowed to live permanently with husband Bobby well before their baby was due, Alexandra duly forked out the £2,000 fee for her visa application and took an advanced English exam after consulting an immigration lawyer for advice on the best way to proceed.
The lawyer advised her to take the advanced examination just to make sure, and the couple submitted the reams of paperwork as required. Shockingly, rather than the expected visa, the couple received a refusal letter claiming Alexandra had over-qualified herself by taking her lawyer’s advice. It advised taking the lower test after applying again and paying another £2,000 for the privilege. Unsurprisingly, Bobby now believes it’s all about the money, as reasonable people would have used their discretion and granted her a visa.
Alexandra had opted to take the advanced International English Language Testing System examination as she already held a degree in the English language. Home Office rules require an IELTS pass for those wanting a visa, but use the basic test. When asked why the applicant had been denied a visa when her English language was more than acceptable, a Home Office spokesperson told reporters she hadn’t taken the approved test, nor had she submitted necessary paperwork for consideration. The spokesperson added she can reapply under the Priority Visa scheme.
Whilst her second application is being processed, Alexandra is staying in a Bangalore hotel some four hours away from her family home in a former hill station in India’s northern Meghalaya state. She met Bobby, an oil and gas professional, when he was working in India and moved with him to Dubai before he returned to the UK. It’s anyone’s guess how long her second application will take, but one thing’s certain – this won’t be the last media exposure of the Home Office’s incompetence and stupidity.
Indian would-be expat Alexandra Rintoul, the pregnant 22-year old wife of a Scot living in St Andrews, has been denied a visa to enter the UK due to her excellent command of the English language. Hoping to be allowed to live permanently with husband Bobby well before their baby was due, Alexandra duly forked out the £2,000 fee for her visa application and took an advanced English exam after consulting an immigration lawyer for advice on the best way to proceed.
The lawyer advised her to take the advanced examination just to make sure, and the couple submitted the reams of paperwork as required. Shockingly, rather than the expected visa, the couple received a refusal letter claiming Alexandra had over-qualified herself by taking her lawyer’s advice. It advised taking the lower test after applying again and paying another £2,000 for the privilege. Unsurprisingly, Bobby now believes it’s all about the money, as reasonable people would have used their discretion and granted her a visa.
Alexandra had opted to take the advanced International English Language Testing System examination as she already held a degree in the English language. Home Office rules require an IELTS pass for those wanting a visa, but use the basic test. When asked why the applicant had been denied a visa when her English language was more than acceptable, a Home Office spokesperson told reporters she hadn’t taken the approved test, nor had she submitted necessary paperwork for consideration. The spokesperson added she can reapply under the Priority Visa scheme.
Whilst her second application is being processed, Alexandra is staying in a Bangalore hotel some four hours away from her family home in a former hill station in India’s northern Meghalaya state. She met Bobby, an oil and gas professional, when he was working in India and moved with him to Dubai before he returned to the UK. It’s anyone’s guess how long her second application will take, but one thing’s certain – this won’t be the last media exposure of the Home Office’s incompetence and stupidity.
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