Visa Services

At about this time in 2006 Gherson reported the Home Office’s changes to the qualifying criteria (and to the relevant immigration rules) for leave to enter under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).  The changes increased the quota of points applicants needed to score in order to obtain leave to enter.   Points which had been awarded under the previous tariff for work experience obtained in an applicant’s country of origin were no longer available.  

UK visas announced on 15 August 2007 that it now accepts all Iraqi passports for entry clearance applications to travel to the UK.  All previous advice on Iraqi passports  has now been withdrawn.

The Consular Fees (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2007 came into force on 16 August 2007.  It reduces the fees payable by those applying for entry clearance to come to the United Kingdom as entertainers, sportspeople or voluntary workers (all of which are "permit-free") from £200 to £99.  Following this amendment the current visa fees are as follows:

UKvisas, the joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office service dealing with applications for visas to come to the UK, has published the Report of the Independent Investigation: Breach of Data Security in the VFS Online UK Visa Application Facility, Operated Through VFS Websites in India, Nigeria and Russia. Linda Costelloe Baker, the Independent Monitor for entry clearance cases without right of appeal, was the Independent Investigator. 

Certain nationalities require a visa even to transit the UK.  These people are known as Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) nationals.

On 19 June 2007, Ukvisas, the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Home Office department dealing with applications for entry clearance (visas) at British posts abroad, published the 14th Report of Ms Linda Costelloe Baker, the Independent Monitor for entry clearance applications without right of appeal except on grounds of human rights and race discrimination.

UKvisas, the joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office department dealing with applications for entry clearance (visas) at UK posts abroad and the British Embassy in Harare, has given advanced warning of changes to the visa service.

The British High Commission in Pretoria ceased accepting visa applications on 31 May 2007.

As of Thursday 7 June 2007, all UK visa applications made in South Africa will have to be lodged at one of the Visa Application Centres (VACs) operated by VFS Global (www.vfs-uk-za.com). The centres are located in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.

UKvisas, the Joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) department announced on 17 May 2007 that because of technical problems there is currently no on-line application system for vis

UKvisas, the joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) department dealing with UK consular services, has announced that from 2 May 2007 until further notice there will be a restricted service at the British Embassy in Damascus.