UK Embassy: Seafarers, entrepreneurs may now avail of priority visa services

Business travelers and seafarers headed to the United Kingdom may now avail of the Priority Visa Service (PVS) of the British Embassy in Manila. In an announcement on Thursday, the embassy said originally, seafarers could avail of the priority service only if they have traveled to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or a country in Schengen in the last three years. General and family visitors are also eligible for this service as long as they have traveled to the countries listed above in the last five years. The priority service cuts down the processing time of visa applications to three days instead of two weeks. The PVS fee costs P4,200 on top of the visa application fee. The embassy noted that 1,300 applicants have availed of the priority service since it was launched in May 2012. Aside from the VPS, the British Embassy also set up a prime time appointment service, allowing applicants to file their visa applications online and provide biometrics on Saturdays for a fee of P2,100. This allows applicants to submit application forms beyond the working hours of the embassy. Long-term visa Meanwhile, the embassy also urged regular business visitors to avail of a long-term visa which has a longer expiry date compared to a regular visa. Long-term visas are available in one, two, five, and 10 year classes and have the same benefits and conditions as the regular six-month visa. The British Embassy said the new visa enhancements aim to provide visa applicants with greater choices and flexibility. British Ambassador Stephen Lillie said, “We’re committed to providing an excellent visa service in the Philippines and will continue to look for ways to make the process as fast, fair and efficient as possible. The UK Embassy is open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Applicants who have documents ready for pick up may do so on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon. To learn more, please visit the British Embassy's official website.  — LBG/VVP, GMA News