KUWAIT CITY : UK Visa applicants will now be able to track the progress of their application online and receive updates via SMS with the introduction of further enhancements. Members of the local media were conducted on a walk-through tour Wednesday of the British Embassy's Visa Application Center (VAC) in Mubarakiya by Jonathan Layfield, Head of Press & Public Affairs at the British Embassy, for a first hand look of the various processes in applying for a UK Visa.
According to Layfield, from May 2008, anyone who has made an application for a UK Visa at the new Visa Application Center (VAC) will be able to track their application online and also receive updates via SMS on the progress of their application.
The online tracking system is available free via the VAC website at: www.vfs-uk-kw.com and only requires providing an application reference number and the applicant's date of birth, to know at what stage their applications has reached, up to a point when it is ready for collection from the VAC.
Applicants can also sign up for automatic SMS updates on their mobile phones at each key stage of the application, and need only to pay an additional charge of 400 fils payable at the time of application. It was also announced that the Visa Application Center (VAC) website is now available in Arabic at www.vfs-uk-kw.com/arabic, which contains translated versions of all the UK's visa guidance, instructions and checklists and is the first time that the complete website is available in both English and Arabic languages.
In a prepared statement introducing the new service enhancements, British Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Stuart Laing, said: "The services we offer visa applicants continue to grow and improve. Our Visa Application Center is proving very popular with our customers who appreciate the longer opening hours and easier access. The online application system Visa4uk is a quick and convenient way to apply with priority service at the VAC."
Ambassador Laing also added that the premium 5-year visas which they recommend to frequent travelers to the UK, offers unparalleled flexibility and value for money at only KD117. "The biometric data we are now taking is helping us secure the identity of those we know and trust, as well as identify fraud and secure the UK's borders. We have now taken over a million sets of fingerprints in 120 countries since our Biometrics Programme began in 2005," he said.
According to Layfield, the Visa Application Center receives over 400 applications per day and processing is quick, with tourist visas taking just 1-2 days maximum and even faster for straightforward applications such as those with complete requirements. He also said that visa applicants can avail of the services of the VAC staff to help them fill their applications up correctly to avoid any hassle. "I would also advice those wanting to apply for a visa to do so at the earliest time possible, to avoid delays due to long queues particularly during peak travel seasons like in summer, for example," says Layfield. The Visa Application Center is open six days a week from Saturday until Thursday from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
By Boie Conrad Dublin
© Arab Times 2008
