March 02, 2007	Friday	Safar 12, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, March 1: Pakistanis seeking British visa for stays longer than six months will have to undergo Tuberculosis (TB) screening from March 5.

An official of the British High Commission here said that such applicants would need to provide with their visa application a certificate confirming that they were free from TB infectious.

Visitors and those staying for six months or less would however not need a medical certificate.

In the last 18 months the British government had implemented a programme to screen people from certain countries for tuberculosis. The initiative was part of the government’s Five Year Strategy for Asylum and Immigration.

“This programme is part of our firm, but fair, policy on immigration and will benefit the UK’s public health by preventing the entry into the UK of infectious tuberculosis sufferers until they have been successfully treated. It will also support the Department of Health’s Tuberculosis Action Plan.”

The official said screening would generate information about infectious tuberculosis among travellers to the UK and would help better understand the effects of migration on tuberculosis in the UK.

“The British government will also be looking at ways to share data about tuberculosis rates with host countries to inform their own public health programmes. A further benefit of the programme is that successful applicants will no longer need to undergo medical inspection on arrival in the UK, before being allowed to enter the country.

This can be a time consuming process but can be avoided if those coming to the UK carry their screening certificate in their hand luggage to present to an immigration officer,” the official added.

Diplomatic passport holders and others exempt from UK immigration control, children aged under 11 years, Certificate of Entitlement holders and returning residents would be exempted from TB testing requirement.

Those whose application were accepted before the start date did not need to show a certificate before a decision on their applications was made, but might have to be tested on arrival in the UK.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) would arrange to have a chest X-ray of the applicants at an accredited clinic or hospital. If the x-ray shows signs of infections, the clinic will do other tests.

The IOM office would give a certificate to those free from infectious TB that would be submitted with the visa application form and other documents.

Pregnant women would be offered a chest X-ray with abdominal shielding to protect the foetus. If they decline, other tests may be carried out or delays may occur.