UK entry denied as English ‘too good’

A pregnant Indian woman has been refused entry to live in Scotland with her Fife husband because her language qualification for entry to the UK is too advanced.

Alexandria Rintoul, 22, wants to join her husband, Bobby, in St Andrews but was “shocked” when her £2,000 visa was denied.

Mrs Rintoul passed an advanced English exam but the visa requires a different and much easier one to qualify.

Mr Rintoul, 33, told the BBC: “We were told the visa process is difficult so we should hire an immigration lawyer to help us. They told Alexandria to do the higher test and we submitted all the evidence requesteds. However, we have now received a rejection letter on the basis she has over qualified herself.”

Mrs Rintoul sat an International English Language Testing System exam. The Home Office requires an ILETS pass for immigration - but not the more advanced one Mrs Rintoul has.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Some applicants for visas to settle in the UK need to pass an English language test at an approved centre. Mrs Rintoul failed to do this and also failed to submit the necessary supporting evidence for her application.”