BENGALURU: City-based students aspiring to go to universities in the United States and the United Kingdom are a worried lot.
The Chennai consulates of these two countries, which processes the UK and US visas for people from South India, has been shut for the last five days on account of heavy rains. This means it is a stressful time for students with the winter intake slated for January, say city-based education consultancies. Now, the visa applications are being sent to Delhi.
“The first set of students to get a little worried was the ones heading to Chennai
by train for their visa interviews. As most trains could not enter Chennai Central (because of the flooded tracks), they panicked thinking they would be late,” said Lubra, zonal manager of Canam Consultants.
“They have been given alternate dates,” she added. Pooja Kishin, head of the Bengaluru branch of Study International-UK, said the delay in receiving their IELTS (the English language exam to enter UK universities) scores has left many aspirants anxious.
“It is not just the Deputy High Commission office; the British Council and the British Library have all been shut down. So the evaluation has been delayed,” she said.
With the applications sent to Delhi, the process may be delayed by two to three days. “It is not just city students who are worried. Students from all over South India share this fate,” she said.
Pooja Krishna, senior counsellor at Overseas Education Consultants, Basavanagudi, said those who are yet to get their admission letters (i20) from American universities will be worst hit. “Due to the sudden cancellations last week, consultancies have rushed and booked appointments for December and January. So these months are full now,” she said.