Its not that we have a problem with standing in queue or waiting for a few days to get any sort of visa on our “green passports” since we are used to being humiliated for a short while anyways. That much is to be expected from our old Masters.
However even we the great brown slaves cannot take the prospect of having our traveling documents being taken away from us for months at a time, as we also have other plans to make. I do understand that it comes as a great shock that we would desire to go anywhere else after applying for the exalted visa for heaven informally known as the u.k but alas such is the temperament of slaves, fickle at best.
Suffice to say we have kicked out enough of our toys from the pram that the British home secretary had to fly all the way down here in this heat and talk to our leaders. Still 200,000 passports lie in some emissaries desk in the new “border security agency” processing Pakistani paperwork based in Abu Dhabi. The paragons of efficiency that the shaikhs are they are trusted to act as an electronic fence to keep the rabble out of the U.K.
The rabble I speak of are mostly students or business travelers, as the prohibitive exchange rate of the rupee to the pound acts as a fence in itself. Many students are going through missing their orientations in spite of having admissions and resources to travel as well as classes. A business traveler friend just received his passport back after 8 months. It does not end here but goes a step further in the lieu of new student lines at British airports where their paperwork is screened again, even though it was the basis for the visa granted in the first place. Missing paperwork or suspicion leads to deportation which is immediate. No consideration is given for the long flight, or the fact that these are students and can get careless.
Why should we get any consideration anyways? Its not like our students are paying full brutal international fees, which these universities practically run on or will choose to stay in british society and work till the bone when graduated and hired. Not to mention the fact that the very purpose we are being screened is because we are all terrorists to someone in some way, no matter how many brave Pakistani men we lose fighting the war against terror.
Forget allied nation status, these people still think we are their gardeners folks, all they do is give us lip service. When it is time to put their cards on the table one hears that familiar “step aside please”
I commend our government for speaking up for its citizens, now it should take one step further and link the renewal of all British diplomat’s Pakistani visas with the same process we ordinary Pakistanis have to go through.
Lets see how our allies feel then shall we? Are you listening Ma’m?
Ever since the UK government merged the Home office and Borders agency into the UK Border Agency we have been facing problems. They increased the visa fees for extensions by a whopping amount and changed the rules to make it tough for everyone. Students are being hit the hardest over here as the maintenance funds rule is quite absurd as you have to keep a whopping amount of money in your bank account plus the university fees just so that you can get your visa. This is not faring well for the universities who have seen a lot of disgruntled students go back to Pakistan. They just want to make money through the visa applications. I feel that the rule change is not fair as it makes it difficult for genuine students who want to get an education. Not everyone can afford to pay the fees in full or arrange for an x amount of money in their maintenance funds. The delay in the visas has affected a lot of people. My friend is on the Post Study Work visa. He applied for a dependent visa for his wife in July. She has not gotten her visa as yet thanks to the backlog. I thought applying for a US visa was tough but the UK is slowly overtaking it.
well there is an old Punjabi saying “GHARIBAN NE ROZEY RAKHY TE DIN LAMBY HOO GAY” (when poor started to observe fast days become longer). same is happening to me as i decided to go to UK for my Masters but before applying for the visa such news are coming and making “days long for this poor”
is it really worth it is the question one should ask…If the answer is yes then thats what is there in front of you…
Its easier to get a visa if you work in UAE itself…
I think it will not be fair if just talk about UK. Its fact they want more screening , instead of completing banning Pakistanis they are taking strict measures and we know for what. I request you guys to apply for visa to our Brotherly gulf countries , then you will praise UK visa staff.