UK High Commissioner in Nigeria, Catriona Laing
UK suspends visa applications from Nigeria, prioritises Ukraine Family Scheme
United Kingdom (UK) High Commission in Nigeria has announced a temporary suspension of processing of the study, work, and family visa applications, as the country places priority on applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme.
A statement issued on Tuesday, March 15, on the social media handles of the UK Embassy confirmed the development.
According to the UK Embassy, the Ukraine Family Scheme was launched in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine.
The statement further noted that Nigerians, whose passports were ready for collection, would be contacted by the Visa Application Centre.
“UK Visas and Immigration is currently prioritising applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme, following its launch and in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine.
“As a result, UKVI has temporarily suspended priority and super-priority services for new study, work, and family applications. Customers with standard applications in study, work, and family routes may experience some delays in the processing of their application.
“We are still currently unable to offer PV for visitor applications in Nigeria. Standard visitor visa applications are currently taking an average of six weeks to process.
“Applicants will be contacted by the Visa Application Centre (VAC) when their passport is ready for collection. They should not attend the VAC until they have been invited to do so.
“Where there are extremely compassionate or compelling circumstances (for example, a medical emergency), UKVI may consider expediting specific cases. However, the bar for this is high and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If a request is exceptionally urgent, applicants can contact UK Visas and Immigration for help. Please note that this is a chargeable service for overseas customers.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” the statement read.
The UK government only recently lifted the suspension it placed on visa processing from its mission in Nigeria suspended in the wake of the rising Covid-19 outbreak and the Omicron variant.
