In the past few years, Pakistan has seen an unprecedented surge in brain drain due to domestic economic and political instability. As per reports, the country experienced a 26.6 percent increase in the emigration of highly skilled labor in the year 2022-23. The ratio of emigration of Pakistan’s skilled youth is growing each year and costing the country’s economy around $4.2 billion per annum. Persistent economic, governance, and political issues have led to an unprecedented rise in Pakistan’s continuous brain drain.
However, the increasing interest of the country’s youth in studying abroad has also exposed them to numerous scams. In many instances, many consultants have scammed the youth for millions of rupees by giving them false hope of getting instant visas for Western countries. This primarily happens due to the lack of public access to information about the visa acceptance ratio of different countries for Pakistani students. This article provides the aspiring youth with an idea of the visa success ratio of some popular countries among Pakistani students.
United Kingdom: A Top Destination with High Visa Success Rates
The United Kingdom has been one of the favorite choices among Pakistani students. The remarkable increase in the emigration of Pakistani youth to the United Kingdom has made it the third largest source country for the UK. According to sources, the visas issued by the United Kingdom to Pakistani students have increased from less than 5,000 in 2019 to 35,501 in 2024, showing a 550 percent increase. This high ratio of Pakistani emigration to the UK is due to the high visa success ratio.
Moreover, the Pakistani youth finds it comparatively easier to apply to the UK, leading to an ever-increasing number of Pakistani emigrants to the country. Furthermore, students in the UK can generally find part-time jobs to meet their expenses, though opportunities may differ depending on the city. However, over the past few years, the government of the UK has tightened its rules and regulations, making it difficult for immigrants to stay in the country after completion of their studies.
Georgia: A Popular but Risky Choice
Another pertinent destination for the Pakistani youth aspiring to study abroad is Georgia, as it is comparatively cheaper than other European countries. However, this country is only recommended for the youth interested in gaining an MBBS degree. Georgia is an Eastern European country. The visa success ratio for Pakistani students is high. Nonetheless, Georgia does not have a diplomatic consulate in Pakistan, and aspirants apply for their visas through Iran, a reason why this destination is not very popular among the Pakistani youth.
Due to several incidents of South Asian students slipping into Europe through Georgia, students applying to programs other than MBBS often get deported from the country, even after having all legal documents and university enrollments. Therefore, only students aspiring to become doctors are recommended to apply to Georgia.
Germany: High Visa Success but Increasing Competition
Germany is also one of the countries that has a high visa success ratio for Pakistani students. Over the past few years, the popularity of Germany has increased significantly among the Pakistani youth due to robust STEM programs and affordable tuition fees. According to reports, the popularity of Germany among Pakistani students has increased by 70% over the past five years.
However, due to the growing interest of Pakistani youth, the competition for gaining admission to a German university has increased, making the merit higher for the aspiring students. Although Germany has a high visa success ratio and has affordable tuition fees, some students might find it difficult to adapt to the German culture and learn the German language.
China: A Trusted Partner with Expanding Educational Opportunities
China, an all-weather friend of Pakistan, is also among the most famous destinations for Pakistani students. Due to its cordial relations with Pakistan, China offers significantly more educational visas to Pakistani youth. Many Pakistani students chose China for their education, especially MBBS, due to lower merit and affordable tuition fees. However, it is difficult for the Pakistani youth to settle permanently in China due to the strict policies of the Chinese government.
The Need for Caution: Avoiding Visa Scams
Many other European and Western countries have high visa success ratios for Pakistani students. However, it is difficult to analyze the visa acceptance ratio of each European nation. Nonetheless, every student aspiring to move abroad for higher studies must take proper guidance from reliable sources before entrusting their money to consultants. It has been widely observed that many consultants take huge sums of money from youth by making fake promises of providing visas.
Italy is one of the popular destinations that consultants use to scam aspiring students. Gaining offer letters from Italian universities is a piece of cake. However, the Italian embassy does not grant visas easily. This results in wasted time and significant financial loss for the youth. Therefore, all the youngsters applying to any European country must do proper research beforehand.
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Mr Abdullah Nisar holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from International Islamic University Islamabad. He is currently working as a freelance journalist.