MANILA – In order to reassure first time visitors to the UK that the visa process is straightforward, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) has launched a new video to explain each step of the process – from filling out the form online, giving finger prints at the visa application centre, to receiving the visa.
The number of Filipino visitors coming to the UK continues to grow and in the year ending June 2015 UKVI issued 34,381 visit visas to Filipino nationals – a 15% increase on the previous 12 months.
British Ambassador Asif Ahmad said, “Our visa system is designed to make it as straightforward as possible for visitors to apply for their visas. The launch of this video is a further example of the improvements we are making to the visa service to make it quicker and easier for Filipino visitors to apply for a UK visa.”
“We already get around 34,000 Filipino visitors to the UK every year. And we want to see even more. Heritage and modern attractions, great shopping and food, all add up good memories of the UK to take back to the Philippines. Many use the opportunity to visit family and make new friends,” he added.
The UK has two Visa Application Centres in the Philippines and continues to make improvements to make the service more user-friendly. In February, UKVI introduced an optional 24 hour super priority visa service for customers who want a decision within a single working day. (Eagle News Service/British Embassy Manila)
Fast facts:
- In the year ending June 2015, the UK issued 57,275 visas to Filipino nationals, a 14% increase on the previous year. 90% of applicants were successful. During the same period the average processing time for a non-settlement visa was seven days.
- We are continuously improving the service we provide to our Filipino customers. We offer a number of other optional services for customers:
- An optional priority visa service which places an application to the front of the queue. We aim to process priority applications within three to five working days.
- A prime time service in Manila for customers who require an appointment outside of usual business hours.
- A passport pass-back service which enables customers to retain their passport while their visa is being processed.
- The Visa Application Centres in the Philippines are in Manila (Makati City) and Cebu.
- We strongly advise customers to leave 15 working days – our service standard – for a decision to be made. Our current visa processing times can be viewed online at:https://visa-processingtimes.
homeoffice.gov.uk - Applicants should always check what visa they need before applying at –www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
