France Cannot Relax Visa Rules for Pakistani Students

French Ambassador Phillipe Theubaud has said he cannot do much to facilitate the Pakistanis to obtain visa to enter France at the annual dinner of Pak-France Alumni Network.

Pak-France Alumni Network is founded by the students returning to Pakistan after graduating from a French educational institutes. During the past few years, a substantial number of Pakistani students were awarded scholarship for higher studies by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC).

Pakistani students attending the annual dinner requested the French Ambassador to relax the visa rules for Pakistani students and their spouses.

The French Ambassador empathized with students, however, he made it clear that there will be no change in the rules for Pakistani students and their spouses seeking to enter France to pursue their higher studies.

The Ambassador told the students that Schengen visa is required for entry into France.  The Schengen visa rules are set by the member states of Schengen area and France has to abide by those rules.

Pakistani students complain the difficulties in securing a visa for their spouses and believe they are being deliberately denied the entry visa for their spouses. It creates hardships for married female students to live alone without the support of the spouses.

However, French Ambassador Phillipe Theubaud is rightly stating that it is not in his or his government’s hands to change or relax the visa rules for Pakistani students as it involves the other member states which are signatory to the Schengen area agreement for visa free movement of residents within the Schengen area. Currently there are 26 member states which have signed the Schengen area agreement.

 

Tags: France, French study visa, Pak-France Alumani Network, Pakistani Student in France, Study in France, Study visa