Ukrainian student told to get a TB test for visa

Artur Nadiiev said he was relieved to be able to proceed with his application

A Ukrainian student was wrongly told he needed a tuberculosis (TB) test for a UK visa application.

Artur Nadiiev, PhD student at the University of Nottingham, was also told he needed to be tested at a government-approved facility.

This was a problem for Mr Nadiiev, who was in Munich at the time and Germany does not have any centres on the list.

After queries from the university and his MP, the Home Office confirmed the test requirement had been waived.

'Rather inhumane'

A requirement for Ukrainians to take a TB test has been waived for those who are coming to the UK on the family scheme visa, but Mr Nadiiev was not using this route.

After emailing the UK immigration authorities, he was told he would need an X-ray and potential further tests to get a visa.

As Germany does not have any approved testing centres, he was advised to go to a "neighbouring country" - the nearest being Belarus or Russia.

In an email taking up the matter on Mr Nadiiev's behalf, a staff member at the University of Nottingham called for the situation to be resolved.

"Given his situation (he is a refugee in Germany) this seems rather inhumane and very unreasonable," they said.

When Broxtowe MP Darren Henry contacted the Home Office Help Hub for Ukraine, it was found the TB requirement had been waived but the system "has not yet updated itself".

The MP's office advised Mr Nadiiev to submit his application, adding: "If there is any issue come back to us with his application number and we will pursue this through the Home Office as we have been assured it is okay to do this."

Mr Nadiiev said he was "very grateful" for the assistance from the university, Mr Henry and other organisations for helping him deal with an "extremely confusing" situation.

"I am sure there are other applicants in my situation without the same support," he said.

"After the new regulations were published I still was told that I had to take the test, so I had so many contradictory messages [and] I didn't know whether to proceed [with the application] or not."