The Australian High Commission in New Delhi stopped processing visas of almost 2,000 prospective Nepali students and even wrote to Australian universities to cancel applications.
Students are suggested to get loans from Nabil Bank or SBI Bank for visa applications. But according to a source, Nepali education consultancies convinced prospective students to take loans from Kumari Bank, Prime Bank, NIC Bank, NIB Bank and Sanima Bank and that is where the applications violated visa requirements.
Now the embassy is investigating all 2,000 cases and suspects some of these banks of issuing loans without properly evaluating property details.
“The Australian High Commission informed us, universities, and even parents through email that it would stop issuing visas for the time being because of mistakes in visa applications,” says Kumar Karki of Landmark Education Consultancy.
The 2,000 Nepali students may lose the Rs 100,000 each of them paid as ‘processing fees’. Education consultancies charge Rs 10,000 for initiating applications and Rs 75,000 for visa and other processes.
But Rajendra Baral, chairman of Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal, says Nepali banks have fulfilled all requirements before issuing loans. “These are accusations, not facts,” says Baral. “Students can get a full refund if banks are found to have made mistakes.”
Ishwar Raj Dhakal, Nepal Samacharpatra, 25 March
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