Manila becomes biggest UK visa hub in Asia-Pacific

Manila, 24th March: The British embassy in Manila has become the largest visa hub in Asia-Pacific, stated Barbara Woodward, International Group Director of UK Border Agency (UKBA).

The UK government has plans to target nearly 80,000 UK visa applications in its embassy in Manila this year, added Woodward. 

Speaking in a press conference organized in Manila, Philippines, Woodward stated that since Filipino staff members hold good communication skills and are far more flexible and customer-friendly in their approach towards the people, hence Philippines came out to be a chosen regional visa hub by the UKBA and has become Asia-Pacific’s largest UK visa hub. 

The UK government has received majority of immigration applications from people of Philippines including students, fishermen and those who want to get UK visa to meet their relatives living there or just want visitor UK visa. 

In a short span of just two months of 2010, the number of UK visa applications from the Philippines has already reached 7,500. the number of UK visa applications in the year 2008 and 2009 was 47,000 and 45,000 respectively, Woodward informed. 

She expressed hope that more than 80,000 UK visa applications will be processed in Manila in the year 2010. Among these visa applications will be UK student visa applications, UK visitor visa applications and other UK visas, she added. 

Woodward looks after the work of UKBA in 135 different locations globally and is the senior-most UK immigration official visiting Philippines in the recent times. 

The UK visa office in Manila accepts applications for visa from Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan apart from the Philippines.

At present, there are nearly 300,000 people from the Philippines in the UK and majority of them are working in the health sector in the UK.

Although, the British embassy had started functioning its new center for visa application at Makati City, however, all new applications for UK passport from the Philippines are being processed in Hong Kong by the UK Consulate to ensure improved security and efficiency in the entire process. 

The UK embassy has clearly stated that any applicant found to be submitting fake or fraudulent documents will face ban from submitting any UK visa applications for a time period of 10 years.