NEWS: UK OPENS AFRICA'S LARGEST VISA APPLICATION CENTRE IN LAGOS

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On Wednesday, the UK announced that, through its new business partner, VFS Global, a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) had opened in Ikeja.

It was the biggest in Africa, according to a statement released by the British Deputy High Commission.

Additionally, it mentioned that VFS Global opened United Kingdom VACs in Victoria Island, Lagos State, and Abuja.

According to the mission, Nigerians visiting the UK might schedule appointments to apply for visas at the new VAC centre.

Nigeria is still one of the UK’s most significant partners, according to British Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Jonny Baxter, who spoke at the opening of the new application facility in Ikeja.

“We hope that VFS delivers ever improving services for those applying for visas to the UK.”

Mr Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), said that the new VAC marked an exciting milestone for UKVI and VFS Global in the provision of a world-class UK visa service in Nigeria.

“In the year to June 2024, we processed more than 225,000 UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories.

“This new partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all applicants,” Owen said.

Additionally, VFS Global’s Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Alok Singhal, stated that the company has had a long-standing connection with UKVI since 2003 and was eager to offer top-notch services to Nigerian passengers.

According to the Deputy High Commission, VFS Global will supply VACs for the UK in 31 African nations.

The commission claims that in order to improve comfort and convenience, UK visa applicants can now select among optional services provided by VFS Global.

According to the mission, these would include prime time for application submission outside of work hours and help with document uploads.

The others include SMS notifications, document checking service and courier return of the passport once a decision has been made.

“Customers in Abuja can also submit their UK visa applications from the comfort and safety of their homes, offices or any other preferred locations with our on-demand mobile visa service.”

According to the mission, the services are optional and have no bearing on the processing timeline and outcomes of visa applications.