UK launches same-day visa service in South India
The UK Home Office today announced that following the success of the Super Priority Visa service in Delhi and Mumbai, the service will now be available to customers in South India.
The same day service for Indian customers was promised by British Prime Minister Cameron during his recent visit to India and will be available in Chennai from 18 June 2013.
The Super Priority Visa Service is a first class service to facilitate urgent travel. It complements the UK’s Fast Track Service and Online Payment options.
The new service is available to customers applying for a 6-month to a 2-year multiple entry visit visa (excluding student visitors) who have previously travelled to the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or a Schengen country within the last 5 years. It is also available to visa applicants sponsored by companies who are members of our Business Express Programme.
Thomas Greig, Regional Director (South Asia), UK Visas and Immigration, said:
I am delighted to see the Super Priority Visa service being launched in Chennai. For the first time, visitors in this part of India will now have the option of a same-day visa to the UK. This underlines our strong commitment to make an already excellent visa service even better.
Further information:
The Super Priority Visa Service is an optional service and incurs an additional fee. The fee for the Super Priority Visa Service is £600 (Rs 57,000 at current rate), plus the standard fee for the type of visa being applied for. Applicants must complete an online form and submit their applications, by appointment, before 9.30am at the Visa Application Centre in Chennai; this applies to customers outside Chennai as well. Customers using this service will have their passport and decision returned by 5.30pm the same day. Further information about the fees, eligibility criteria and how to schedule an appointment.
The Super Priority Visa service has already seen over 100 applications in the first month of its introduction.
This is part of the Home Office’s initiative to launch additional services to ease the customers’ UK Visa Application journey.
The Home Office’s published processing time for visas (excluding settlement) is to process 90% within 15 working days. Further information about processing times and visa applications.
For media queries contact R Fernandez, Head (South India), Press & Public Affairs, British Deputy High Commission, Chennai. Mobile: +91-98403-40282