Visa hold-up

With less than a month before the new term begins, the UK Border Agency says its regulations forbid the university to apply for a student visa for Arjun Singh until he is 16.

"We're trying to contact the British consulate. We hope they can help with Arjun's situation," said his mother, Anita Singh. "The situation is very confusing; we don't know which visa to apply for."

If he finally gets one, Arjun, 14, will be the youngest international student ever to attend the university. He scored straight As, including one A*, in his international A-level exams for physics and maths.

In 2009, Arjun, who was in the fifth grade at an international school, withdrew because he was not allowed to skip grades. Since then, he has been home-schooled.

"Studying is a big pleasure," said Arjun, who wants to study high-particle physics "to try to contribute something to the physics community so we can progress further".

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