The lure of the original vilayat continues for desis. Indians now account for almost a third of all visas issued by the United Kingdom, making them the highest visa getters for "dear Old Blighty" with the Chinese a very distant second at 13%. Given the demand for travel, VFS Global says it is going to open temporary centres only for the UK in several tier-II cities like Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad), Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Dehradun, Indore and Thane.
A popular destination for travellers from across the globe, the UK granted over 18 lakh visitor visas in the year ending June 2023 - almost double the number (96% more) than the year ending June 2022, according to UK government data.
In the year ending June 2023, Indian nationals accounted for the highest proportion (30%) of visitor visas granted, followed by Chinese nationals (13%), Nigerian nationals (6%) and Turkish nationals (6%).
"Given the surge in demand and in line with VFS Global's vision to enhance visa accessibility, we are planning to open temporary centres (based on demand) in smaller Indian cities such as Allahabad (Prayagraj), Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Dehradun, Indore and Thane among others," VFS Global COO (South Asia) Prabuddha Sen said.
The outreach from India to Bharat will mean applicants are saved travelling to metros to apply for the UK visas, which have among the priciest application fees. A standard visitor visa costs Rs 12,615 for a six-month visa; Rs 43,879 for two-year validity; Rs 84,577 for upto five years and Rs 1,05,639 for 10 years, according to data on UK government website. The visa fees were hiked this October.
The UK, along with Canada (before the recent straining of Delhi-Ottawa ties), was among the first major destinations for Indians that cut visa processing times here post-Covid, say travel agents. The UK had returned to the 2019 processing time of under-15 working days for a visit visa last December thanks to high commissioner Alex Ellis ensuring the same.
Post-Covid Indians emerged as the biggest visitors to several countries as China was slow in opening up. Last August, Alex Ellis had said "Indian nationals were issued the largest number of UK study, work and visitor visas in the year ending June 2022."
"The move (opening centres in Tier II cities) is a part of the new global contract for overseas UK visa and Citizenship services awarded to VFS Global recently. As part of that, we will deploy 240 Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) Centres for the UK in 142 countries across Africa, Middle East, Americas, Australasia, Europe, China, Taiwan, Asia and Asia Pacific regions in 2024," Sen added.
by Saurabh Sinha
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indians-get-1/3rd-of-all-uk-visas-china-2nd-with-13/articleshow/105884198.cms?from=mdr
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