The British High Commission, on Wednesday, in a statement said it will not suspend student, work and family visas for Nigerian applicants.
This is due to a misinterpretation of a previous communication from the mission announcing the temporary suspension of priority services in the visa application for students, work and family.
This is due to the UK’s decision to prioritize applications made under the Ukraine family scheme in response to the humanitarian crisis stemming from the invasion of Ukraine.
“This is not true. It is still possible to apply for any category of UK visa in the normal way on gov.uk and through our Visa Application Centers (VACs) in Nigeria,” the statement said.
Ukraine’s family plan allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK. They will also be able to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.
The High Commission added that Visa Application Centers (VACs) remain open and clients can apply for a standard visa of any category in the usual way, including student, family, work and visit visas.
However, due to a reprioritization of resources in response to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the invasion of Ukraine, the UK has temporarily suspended its priority visa service.
“As our statement on March 15 made clear, this temporary suspension only applies to UKVI’s ‘Priority’ and ‘Super Priority’ expedited and value-added visa services. This suspension is to allow the UK global visa operation to prioritize applications for the new Ukraine Family Scheme,” he added.
This decision to suspend priority visa services is also clearly stated on the UKVI guidance page, which sets out the latest decision waiting times for non-UK visa applicants.
The British High Commission in Nigeria will issue an updated statement when ‘Priority’ and ‘Super Priority’ visa services resume.
According to Tuesday’s release, “customers with standard applications in the study, work and family pathways may experience some delays in processing their application.”
“We are still unable to offer PV for visitor requests in Nigeria. Currently, standard visitor visa applications take an average of six weeks to process.
The statement advised applicants not to visit VACs until invited; ensuring that applicants will be contacted when their passport is ready for collection.
“Where extremely compassionate or compelling circumstances exist (for example, a medical emergency), UKVI may consider expediting specific cases. However, the bar for this is high and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
“If an application is exceptionally urgent, applicants can contact UK Visas and Immigration for assistance. Please note that this is a chargeable service for overseas customers.”
Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter for PREMIUM TIMES in collaboration with report to the worldthat unites local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on hidden topics around the world.