By Taziz Hasairi.
Tripoli, 3 May 2014:
The British Council in Libya is now offering training to local Libyan agents on the UK . . .[restrict]visa application processes, to boost the standard of services currently being offered and to try and improve the success rate of applications.
Libya reportedly has one of the worst records for filling out visa application forms correctly, resulting in hundreds of potential students and tourists having their applications rejected. Many Libyans pay agents to help them through the process but some of these lack experience and can fare little better at form-filling than individuals, one agent told the Libya Herald. The rejection rate for first-time applicants was around 40 percent, he added.
It is these agents that the new British Council training is targeting. It involves two face-to-face workshops, an eight-week online course, and a written exam.
“Our aim was to support Libyan visa and education agents to deliver a higher quality service by understanding the benefits of studying at accredited HE, FE and English language teaching institutions in the UK, and to raise awareness of UKBA visa requirements and regulations,” one of those running the project, Ahmed Elawati, said.
He added that the course also covered aspects of what studying in the UK entailed, to help agents give potential students the best possible advice.
The British Council said that it had received good feedback on the first course and that word was spreading. “Many people have been calling us and asking to apply for this training,” a member of staff said. [/restrict]
