Diplomacyindia.com

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UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has today announced an extension of the Super Priority Visa service (SPV) to Pune and Bengaluru, meaning that more Indians can get a visa decision in 24 hours or less.

SPV is an optional service for customers in India who need to travel to the UK urgently. Pune and Bengaluru add to the three locations this service is already offered – Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

SPV applications are assessed to exactly the same high standard as all other applications but are handled by UKVI at the highest priority, with dedicated staff members processing cases at the front of the queue and an express courier service ensuring quick return to the customer. This means that the 24-hour turnaround is achievable and secure.

Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes said: 

“I am pleased that the Super Priority Visa service is being extended to even more Indian cities, giving many more UK visa customers the opportunity to receive a visa decision in 24 hours or less if needed.

“India was the first country in the world to receive this service in 2013 – and is once again leading the way as two more cities – Pune and Bengaluru – receive this first class visa service.

“This is further proof of the strength of the UK-India relationship and of the focus by UKVI on providing a convenient, world-class experience for Indian visa applicants.”

The extension of this service aims to support the UK-India Technology Partnership, which will include establishing ‘tech clusters’ in these strategically important cities. This brings the total number of locations Indian nationals can use the SPV service to five, supporting the ‘Living Bridge’ between our two countries and facilitating the movement of talent in key sectors.

This announcement is part of a wider package of measures from UKVI as it seeks to transform and improve the visa service, including greater use of digital technology and additional optional services for customers to tailor and improve their experience.

Notes:

• The SPV service in India costs INR 91,733. This fee reflects the high level of management, logistics handling and staff resource required to receive, assess and return the decision on the visa application in 24 hours.
• Customers in Pune and Bengaluru can apply for SPV from 1 May 2018.
• Further information on the SPV service can be found here: https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/india/user_pay_services.html#application-and-document-checks
• During 2017, over 525,000 Indian nationals were granted a UK visa – a 10% increase on 2016.
• Year ending 2017, UKVI granted 52,500 Tier 2 skilled work visas – more than all other countries combined.
• The UK welcomes Indian students who want to study at its world-leading educational institutions. Year ending 2017, 14,500 Tier 4 student visas were granted – a 27% increase on the previous 12 months.