Britain has released a list of almost 2,000 banking institutions in India whose financial statements will not considered valid for the purpose of issuing students visas

Britain has released a list of almost 2,000 banking institutions in India whose financial statements will not considered valid for the purpose of issuing students visas.“The UK Border Agency maintains a list of financial institutions from which we will not accept financial statements submitted in support of applications under Tier 4 of the points based system,” the home office said.

The 1,940 banks, which include cooperative and rural ones, will not be considered for purpose of granting students’ visas from November 24, the home office said. The list has been subdivided into cooperative banks: scheduled urban cooperative banks, cooperative banks: non-scheduled urban cooperative banks and rural banks.“We will use the list when verifying maintenance funds under Tier 4 of the points-based system.“An applicant will receive no points for maintenance if they submit documents showing that the funds are held in a financial institution on the list,” the home office warned. It said these financial institutions do not satisfactorily verify financial statements submitted by the student visa applicants. “When a bank frequently provides unsatisfactory responses to verification requests, it is proportionate to include it on a list from which we will not accept documents, rather than verifying applications individually,” the home office added.

To help potential students from India, the home office also has issued a list of 85 banks, whose financial statements will be accepted by the UK Border Agency for the purpose of issuing students’ visas. Britain has released a list of almost 2,000 banking institutions in India whose financial statements will not considered valid for the purpose of issuing students visas.

To help potential students from India, the UK Home Office has issued a list of 85 banks, whose financial statements will be accepted by the UK Border Agency for the purpose of issuing students' visas.

The following is the list of 85 banks and financial institutions approved by the UK Home Office:
¦ Bank of Maharashtra
¦ Canara Bank
¦ Central Bank of India
¦ Calyon Bank
¦ Citibank N.A.
¦ Cho Hung Bank
¦ Chinatrust Commercial Bank Ltd.
¦ Indian Bank
¦ Indian Overseas Bank
¦ Industrial Development Bank of India
¦ ING Vysya Bank
¦ J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, National Association
¦ Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited
¦ Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited
¦ Karnataka Bank
¦ Karur Vysya Bank
¦ Lord Krishna Bank Ltd.
¦ Mashreqbank psc
¦ Mizuho Corporate Bank
¦ Oman International Bank SAOG
¦ Oriental Bank of Commerce
¦ Punjab & Sind Bank
¦ Punjab National Bank
¦ Societe Generale
¦ Sonali Bank
¦ Standard Chartered Bank
¦ State Bank of Mauritius
¦ SBI Commercial and International Bank Ltd.
¦ State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur
¦ State Bank of Hyderabad
¦ State Bank of India
¦ State Bank of Indore
¦ State Bank of Mysore
¦ State Bank of Patiala
¦ State Bank of Saurashtra
¦ State Bank of Travancore
¦ Syndicate Bank
¦ The Bank of Nova Scotia
¦ The Bank of TokyoMitsubishi, Ltd.
¦ Development Bank of Singapore Ltd. (DBS Bank)
¦ The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.
¦ Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd.
¦ The Bank of Rajasthan
¦ The Dhanalakshmi Bank
¦ The Federal Bank Ltd.
¦ The HDFC Bank Ltd.
¦ Jammu & Kashmir Bank
¦ The Nainital Bank
¦ The Sangli Bank
¦ The South Indian Bank
¦ The Ratnakar Bank Ltd.
¦ The Royal Bank of Scotland N.V.
¦ The Lakshmi Vilas Bank
¦ UCO Bank
¦ Union Bank of India
¦ United Bank Of India
¦ Vijaya Bank
¦ Yes Bank

Tri-Valley gave its students a 20% cut to lure buddies

Students in Tri-Valley University apparently got a 20% cut from the sham varsity for every admission they facilitated: The commission was lucrative as it was calculated on the tuition fee (approx Rs 8 lakh) of the fresher. Moreover, many from Andhra Pradesh had taken a circuitous route to Tri-Valley — first joining another varsity and then landing up at the fake varsity, lured probably by its offer of instant employment.

These findings figure in the detailed report submitted by the NRI cell (at the Secretariat) to chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. As per the report, a majority of the Indian students had moved to Tri-Valley from other universities. It also states that only a little more than 100 students who had obtained visas from US Consulates in India were Tri-Valley bound, indicating that most with F-1 visas were going to other universities.

The students needed a crooked route to Tri-Valley as it was not approved by the US to provide I-20 forms, which every applicant for student visa (F-1), needs to submit. Using illegal I-20 forms issued by Tri-Valley raised the risk of being caught during a thorough check. Consequently, students preferred to take admissions in other universities with valid I-20 forms and then used it to enter Tri-Valley.

The university, however, claims on its website that it was “authorised’’ by the US government to issue I-20 forms. But only 140 of its 5,500 students had this form from Tri-Valley. Parents have also accused Tri-Valley of running a scam even in issuing these “fake” I-20 forms.

“While most universities issue I-20 forms without much hassle, Tri-Valley University management or agents charged Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000,” said a parent from the city.

Some students from Hyderabad even received an I-20 directly from the university and it is reliably learnt that both Hyderabad US Consulate and the one at Chennai failed to detect the fraud and processed these F-1 visa forms.

In some cases it appeared that students had not really intended to move to the sham Tri-Valley unversity. For instance, a local student who went for her MBA to Schiller International University, Florida, eventually moved to Tri-Valley along with a bunch of 20 other students after her course was over. The reason? While most joined it lured by the prospect of being legally allowed to work (Tri-Valley gives Curricular Practical Training enabling students to work from Day 1 for 20 to 40 hours a week), others simply joined the bandwagon.

Now with several students being radio-tagged and interrogated for long hours, the CM on Wednesday said that the state had written to the ministry of external affairs and the Indian consulate in California to protect students and provide them with legal aid.

Australia announces review of student visa programme

The student visa programme in Australia is to be reviewed to make it more competitive with the views of the education sector being sought, it has been announced.

It comes as concerns grow about a steep fall in the number of overseas students arriving in Australia to study, many because of high costs.

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Chris Evans, have also announced a package of measures geared towards the international education sector.

There are concerns that as a result of the rising value of the Australian dollar, the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis in some countries, and growing competition from the United States, New Zealand and Canada for international students, that Australia is lagging behind in attracting overseas students.

The strategic review of the Australia student visa programme aims to give education providers and stakeholders an important opportunity to share their vision of the sector’s future.

‘The review is tasked with enhancing the continued competitiveness of the international education sector as well as strengthening the integrity of the student visa programme,’ Evans said.

The government has appointed the Hon Michael Knight AO to undertake the review, and to report to Bowen and Evans by the middle of 2011.

The government is also introducing a package of measures to streamline the visa application process for lower risk applicants. This includes reducing the student visa assessment levels from April 2011 as indicated in the recent assessment level review conducted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
As part of this decision, the higher education visa assessment levels for applicants from China and India will also be reduced. Rules will be refined to allow pre-paid boarding fees to be counted toward students’ cost of living requirements in their visa application.

It is also hoped that improved information exchanges between the Australia government and the international education sector will allow the sector to track emerging student visa trends.

The changes come as figures show that the number of new international students coming to Australia is falling. The numbers fell by more than 32,000 students, some 9.5%, as of the end of October, according to the latest available figures.