UK visas: to be exclusively processed through VFS Global

VFS GLOBAL GETS NEW CONTRACT

If you’re planning a trip to the United Kingdom this year, applying for a UK visa might look a little different.

According to Travel News, VFS Global recently announced that it had been granted the global contract for all UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) centres worldwide, including in Africa, Australasia, Asia, Asia Pacific, the Americas, China, Europe, the Middle East, and Taiwan.

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Hariprasad Viswanathan, the Head of sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, revealed that they would be setting up centres in 142 countries in total this year.

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The visa outsourcing and tech services company will open UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service centres in 87 new countries in addition to the 58 countries in which it’s already providing services. These new countries will include 31 in Africa, in:

• Algeria,
• Angola,
• Botswana,
• Cameroon,
• Democratic Republic of Congo,
• Côte d’Ivoire,
• Egypt,
• Ethiopia,
• Gabon,
• Gambia,
• Ghana,
• Kenya,
• Madagascar,
• Malawi,
• Mauritius,
• Morocco,
• Mozambique,
• Namibia,
• Nigeria,
• Rwanda, 
• Senegal,
• Seychelles,
• Sierra Leone,
• South Africa,
• St Helena,
• Sudan,
• Tanzania,
• Tunisia,
• Uganda,
• Zambia, and
• Zimbabwe.

While no exact date has been announced, between Q3 and Q4 in 2024, applications in Africa for UK visas will be exclusively processed via VFS Global, Travel News says.

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VISA FEES ON THE RISE

In other UK visa news, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced back in July last year, that visa fees for the UK would soon go up significantly for applicants from all over the world.

This increase took place on 4 October, to help finance public sector wage increases, following recent strikes.

These changes affected a wide range of visa categories, including work visas, family routes, student routes as well as visitor visas, all said to increase by 15 to 20 percent.

HOW MUCH ARE VISAS NOW?

As per reports, the new visa fee structure accounts for increases as follows:

• A short stay will increase from £100 to £115 (R2 645)
• A two-year visa will increase from £376 to £400 (R9 200)
• A five-year visa will increase from £670 to £771 (R17 733)
• A 10-year visa will increase from £837 to £963 (R22 149)

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