The UK government has introduced critical changes to its visa application process, affecting over 27 countries and their citizens. These changes majorly involve the submission process of the commercial partner visa application.

Visa application centres are operated by commercial partners (also known as suppliers) in the UK and overseas on behalf of the UK Visas and Immigration. TLScontact currently operates these centres. However, the UK government has announced that between September 2024 and January 2025, VFS Global will take over in selected areas in Africa, Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, while countries outside these regions remain unaffected by the change.

This means applicants may start a visa application with one commercial partner and finish it with another. The UK government has provided applicants with more information on the changes in visa application services to reduce tension among applicants, as these changes will not affect the decision on an application or visa processing time. The only thing that will be affected is that some visa application centres’ addresses and opening hours may change.

The UK reveals that it will affect current and future visa applicants while imploring everyone to remain calm and follow the information issued by both TLScontact and VFS Global via email. They advised that applicants should always check their junk and spam folders to ensure they get all essential details highlighting the necessary steps to the visa process.

Those who have already booked an appointment with TLScontact should attend as usual. The address will be provided in your email confirmation. If you paid a mandatory user pay (MUP) fee when booking an appointment with TLScontact, you will only need to pay the MUP again if you change your appointment date or start a new application with VFS Global. In cases where rescheduling is required, applicants must pay the MUP again and then request a refund for the initial fee from TLScontact.

The UK government emphasised that this change is a more significant strategy to increase the system’s effectiveness and security for visa applications, noting the switch to VFS Global is expected to bring several benefits. VFS Global is equipped to handle the additional visa demand because of its vast expertise in running visa centres worldwide.

Following the change in commercial partners, mixed public reactions have been generated. While some applaud the new development regarding the fairness and cost-friendliness of VFS Global to TLScontant and the improvement in visa applications for applicants, some are expressing concerns about possible delays in appointment dates and delivery times. Nonetheless, the UK has committed to ensuring a smooth transition and seamless visa application experience.

More countries and dates will be added, including Nigeria, and VFS Global will be fully operational on November 19, 2024. TLScontact will still be in operation until VFS Global takes over.

If you have any questions about these changes or require support with a UK visa application, contact Anfani Travels.