A new UK visa service that will allow applicants to get hold of their immigration paperwork in just 24 hours has been launched in the Philippines.
The new Super Priority Visa Service (SPVS) will be open to anyone who needs to travel at very short notice. The service will provide a convenient addition to the existing three-to-five-day turnaround already on offer in the region.
In a statement, the UK embassy explained that the fee for the one-day turnaround will be £600, or P45,000. This fee is to be paid on top of the standard cost of a visa application. Even those applying for a three-to-five-day visa will find themselves with a hefty additional cost of close to £100 (P8,000).
Asif Ahmad, British Ambassador, commented on the new services: “The extension of our 3 to 5 day priority service to include all visitors without exception will also be welcome to those wanting to take advantage of any last minute holiday deals.”
He added that the new service is also expected to be “particularly useful for business” as opportunities can arise at very short notice. “We want entrepreneurs and businessmen to be able to seize these,” he added in an interview with KBK, GMA News.
The British Embassy figures from 2014 suggested that the vast majority (over 90 per cent) of UK visa applications from the Philippines are approved. In fact, in the year from March 2013 to March 2014, some 49,000 tourist and business visit visas were issued, making it clear that there is a healthy interest in travel between the two countries.
At the time of announcing the high approval rate, Mr Ahmad confirmed that several improvements were in the pipeline to welcome even more Filipino visitors in the coming 12 months.