United Kingdom (UK) has launched a new visa application centre in Kenya which will now take 15 working days to get visas down from six weeks.
Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner to Kenya, announced that United Kingdom visa printing will now take place in Nairobi to alleviate delays.
For a long time the visas were printed in Pretoria and that would sometimes cause a delay in getting those visas particularly dependent on flights or some couriers but we can now print in Kenya.
Jane Marriott – British High Commissioner to Kenya
According to the High Commissioner, approximately 40,000 Kenyans travel to the UK every year, and the enhancements made to the application centre will have a positive impact not only on Kenyans visiting the United Kingdom but also on the entire East Africa region.
Nairobi is also a regional centre for printing visas for the whole of East Africa. Kenya is living up to its reputation as being a hub, and a leader within the region. Those applying from Tanzania, Somali, Uganda, and Ethiopia [will have] the visas printed in Nairobi.
Jane Marriott – British High Commissioner to Kenya
Marriott reported that Kenya received 191,000 visitors from the UK before the Covid-19 pandemic, and this number reduced to 152,000 in 2021. It is noteworthy that around 162,000 Kenyans reside in the UK, including a large number of students and nurses.
During the launch of the Super Priority Visa service in Nairobi, Marriott and Dominique Hardy, Head of Visit Visas and International Network at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), announced that customers purchasing this service could receive a decision on their application within 24 hours.
Hardy stated that this would be especially beneficial for individuals who frequently travel between the UK and Kenya for business purposes or who may face emergency travel situations.
Additionally, the centre also offers a Priority Visa Service that takes up to five working days to process. Hardy advised customers to apply early in preparation for the British Summer Peak period.
This represents a huge new opportunity to see more people linked between the UK and Kenya. We expect a very busy year so we are encouraging the timely application of UK visas possibly three months in advance of travel.
Dominique Hardy – Head of Visit Visas and International Network at UK Visas and Immigration
The expansion of the application center was praised by Ambassador Josphat Maikara of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who highlighted that it would decrease the duration of the waiting period.
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