Fast-tracking UK visitor visa

United Kingdom, 17th November: South African nationals who need to visit the UK can have their UK visitor visa applications fast-tracked now.

This is keeping in view the decision by the UKBA(UK Border Agency) to bring forth a new UK priority visa service for expediting processing of UK visa applications.

As such, all applications for UK visitor visas will be processed by the UK immigration department prior to other applications for routine UK visas.

Special Priority UK visitor visa—This special service of offering priority fast-track UK visitor visas to South Africans will cost R675 apart from regular fee for UK visa application. The applicants for priority UK visitor visas can pay the fee through Credit card or Debit Card at the Visa Application Center.

Processing time for UK visit visa applicants is normally around 15 days while South African nationals get their UK visit visas processed within five days.

However, thanks to the introduction of this new fast-track UK visa processing service, processing time for UK visit visas for applicants from South Africa will get further reduced although the exact processing time is not known.

It may be worth noted that the UK will be selling only a limited number of UK visit visas each day and these will be on first-come-first-served basis.

Such a UK visa service will be a step further in increasing the quality of UK visa services to South African applicants, said Dame Nicola Brewer, the British High Commissioner in South Africa. All applicants for priority UK visitor visa must be eligible under the UK immigration norms.

Some exceptions to fast-track processing of priority UK visitor visas—In any of the following cases, there might be some delay in the processing of priority UK visitor visa applications—

• Any applicant who has been earlier refused a UK visa;

• Any applicant who has previously been disallowed leave to come to the UK;

• Any applicant who has either been removed, deported or in any other circumstance ordered to move out of the UK;

• Any applicant who has overstayed his UK visa;

• An applicant who has refused any leave to stay in the UK by the UK Home Office;

• An applicant who has been found guilty of his involvement in any criminal offense in any nation;

• An applicant refused a visa for Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand or the Schengen nations previously.