Smooth Sailing For UK Student Visas: Ip Kin-yuen

British authorities have pledged to improve their procedures for issuing visas to Hong Kong students after more than 1,000 local pupils failed to get their student visa on time last year.

Education sector lawmaker Ip Kin Yuen says he met with British immigration officials over the matter, and was told that technical issues and lack of manpower were to blame for the problem last year.

Ip says the British government officials have ensured him that the operations for this year’s visa applications have been smooth.

He said they have also promised to simplify the way people can submit application documents online.

The problems last year left hundreds of Hong Kong students in limbo and a special hotline was set up to help them with their applications. The British Consul General also had to write to tertiary institutions to explain the situation.