Interview bid to boost visa refusal

All Pakistanis wanting to study in Britain will be interviewed face to face as part of measures being trialled to crack down on bogus applications.

A new "credibility test" is expected to boost the rate of refusals from 20% to more than 40%, according to a Government source.

The move follows a UK Border Agency pilot scheme conducted in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Egypt, Pakistan and the United States.

The findings apparently suggested that a large proportion of candidates could not speak English well enough to qualify.

The source said using face-to-face interviews had been particularly effective in Pakistan, uncovering reasons for rejection in 43% of applications. The rate under the existing, largely paper-based, system is said to be 20%.

The new checks will be piloted initially to gain further evidence about their effectiveness.