Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 28999, how many (a) credibility interviews were conducted and (b) students did not undergo such interviews in each year from 2009-10 to 2015-16.

The number of point of application credibility interviews of Tier 4 applicants conducted by UK Visas and Immigration during the time periods requested can be found in the table below.

All of these interviews were conducted via video conference by staff based in the UK. Additional interviews may be conducted overseas as part of the application process.

The difference in the number of interviews conducted can primarily be explained by a shift towards more in-depth interviewing of higher risk cases. This more selective approach to interviewing follows a number of reforms we have introduced to the student migration system to clamp down on abuse while continuing to attract the brightest and best to our world-class institutions. These reforms have had an impact both on the volume and genuineness of the student visa applications we now receive.

The Home Office does not hold the specific data requested in a format that would allow us to state how many students did not undergo such interviews. To obtain this information would involve reviewing individual case records, incurring disproportionate cost.