The British High Commission says from January 18, 2008 all visa applications will be processed by the British Consulate in New York (NY), in an effort to further modernise the visa service offered to customers applying at its Georgetown mission.

In a press release the high commission said the applications will be processed under a new “Hub and Spoke” arrangement and candidates will continue to apply online and arrange an appointment at the mission’s local office.

On their appointment day, applicants will deposit the paper copy of their application form, their passport and supporting documents, together with English translations where appropriate, and their payment in the form of a banker’s draft. The applicant will then have finger scans taken and the documents will be forwarded to “a new dedicated regional visa centre” at the NY office where the application will be processed and a decision taken.

Once the decision has been made the applicant’s passport and documents will be returned to the high commission for the applicant to retrieve it. A US$20 fee will be charged, and must be paid at the time of applying, to applicants who opt to have the documents returned directly to them. The mission also said the expected processing time between an applicant depositing the documents at its office and retrieving same is 15-20 working days.

The mission encourages applicants to continue making their applications well in advance of any planned journey to the UK. Applications are accepted three months in advance of the proposed date of travel. The Georgetown office accepts applications from persons of any nationality holding a current, valid Guyanese residence permit. Applications can also be made directly to the NY consulate.

The commission said the changes made to the processing of visas in Georgetown are part of a worldwide programme including other regional posts, designed to meet the increasing demand for UK visas. “UKVisas, the organisation responsible for maintaining the British Government’s Entry Clearance (VISA) operation outside the United Kingdom, is committed to looking at more efficient ways of working to keep visa fees down without compromising decision quality,” the release said.

The high commission said travellers must submit all applications for visas via the internet using the visa4uk online application service. At the same time, applicants will need to pre-book an appointment online to present their application. The Georgetown mission no longer accepts callers who have not pre-booked an appointment.

The high commission also said travellers who require a visa for a Commonwealth country or a UK Overseas Territory will continue to submit their applications directly to the Georgetown office.