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British High Commission
reviews visa processing times
Accra, July 23, Ghanadot/GNA – The British High Commission
announced on Wednesday that from August 1, 2008 the standard
processing time for visa applications would be 48 hours for
premium service and 12 working days for standard
applications.
A statement issued by the High Commission in Accra said
applications which were dealt with under the Premium Service
facility would be resolved within 48 hours of receipt of the
application from the Visa Application Centre.
It said applicants would need to meet the eligibility
criteria and original documents should be included with all
applications along with good quality photocopies of the
original documents.
It said premium service extended to applications for visit
visas only.
It asked applicants to visit its new website
www.ukvisas.gov.uk for more information.
The statement said the premium facility previously offered
resolution within 24 hours but due to the volume of
applications, and the importance of maintaining a high
quality of service, an extension to 48 hours was now
necessary.
It said an applicant who had travelled previously to the
United Kingdom and had evidence of this travel and had not
been refused a visa since the travel qualified for premium
service.
“Evidence can be a 1 or 2, 5 or 10 year visit visa, or two
or more six month visit visas.”
It said an applicant who had travelled and complied with the
terms of their visa on two separate occasions within the
last five years, in the same category as they are now
applying, to any of the following: USA, Canada, Australia, a
Schengen country or Switzerland and had evidence of this
travel and had not been refused a visa since their travel
also qualified.
Others are applicants aged 60 years or over who is visiting
mother, father, sister, brother, son/daughter or
grandson/daughter in the UK, a diplomat in the Ghanaian
Foreign Service or in a diplomatic mission in Ghana, in
which case an official note from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) or appropriate mission is required.
The rest are applicants travelling on official Government of
Ghana business (spouse and children may also apply), for
which a letter from the MFA or relevant Government
department is required, dependent children, under 18 years
of age, who are travelling with a parent who meets the fast
track criteria (or who already holds a long term multiple
entry visa for the United Kingdom), spouses who are
travelling with their partner when the partner meets the
Premium Service criteria, and employees of organisations
enrolled in the Business Express Scheme.
The statement said unaccompanied children were not eligible
for Premium Service.
GNA
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