German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said Indian students attending German universities are unlikely to attend classes on time due to delays in visas. However, the situation is likely to improve by the end of this year. Visa delay issues are hampering travel plans to the US for most European states and Indian nationals, including thousands of students. These countries have received a lot of visa applications since the international opening earlier this year, leading to a backlog in processing.
Acknowledging the difficulty, Ackerman said, as reported Hindustan Times“It’s a big concern for us because we want Indian citizens to get visas quickly and we know we can’t deliver in the way we want to do now.”
“Some students enrolled in German universities are not expected to get visas in time for the opening of the semester this year,” he added. Presently, there are more than 30,000 Indian students studying in German universities and this number is increasing.
Is there any solution?
Ackerman advised that students should contact universities directly. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s very hard for the students but my advice to them is – go to German universities and say you won’t be on time and it’s not your fault. It’s the German embassy’s fault.”
Meanwhile, the German embassy and consulate are working together to smooth things out. “I think we are getting there. I think we should be back to normalcy by the end of this year.”
German authorities are also contacting universities to alert them of visa problems facing foreign students. “This is a shortcoming that we are well aware of and we want to fix that process as quickly as possible,” he said.
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