The Spanish government has eased the visa process for Maldivian students studying in Spain, the Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed has revealed.
Responding to concerns over the difficulties faced by Maldivian students studying in Spain, Minister Dr Haidar told the Parliamentary Petition Committee that the government led by the Ministry had initiated efforts to address the concerns of students.
According to the Minister, Ministry officials had met the students online in a bid to ease the present difficulties in the delay in receiving student loan disbursements.
After consultations with the central bank, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and the Ministry of Finance and Planning, he said the Ministry had been advised to find solutions through the present student policies to ensure fairness for all local students studying abroad.
He revealed that through Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government has managed to ease the visa application process for Maldivian studying in Spain.
One major benefit the government is now able to offer students, according to the Minister, is to facilitate the submission of visa applications for students who have had their biometric data collected through the High Commission of Maldives in New Delhi via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Students are advised to make an appointment in advance through the website of BLS International, a visa service provider, to apply for a Spanish visa. Under the agreement with the Spanish government and BLS, the Embassy does not have the option to make visa appointments outside the online appointment system,” he explained.
The Minister also said a dedicated WhatsApp number has been introduced to communicate with students studying in Spain.
Currently, 127 Maldivian students are undergoing pilot training in Spain. The Ministry said 72 of these students applied for the top-up loan scheme, out of which 52 eligible students have been allocated USD 45,385 in additional funds.