Ghanaians To Use VFS Global For UK Visa Applications From October 22
- Ghanaians have been directed to apply for UK visas using VFS Global starting from October 22, 2024
- The UK government said it had changed its service provider from TLScontact to improve client services
- The change was necessitated by the need to improve services and shorten times for visa applications
Ghanaians planning to apply for visas to the United Kingdom have been directed to use a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) starting from October 22, 2024.
The change follows the replacement of the UK’s previous third-party VAC provider, TLScontact, with VFS Global.
Source: Getty Images
Ghanaian applicants who began the process with TLScontact have been advised to complete their applications with VFS Global.
This was contained in a communiqué posted on the UK.gov website.
It noted that affected applicants would be contacted concerning the changes and assured them that the change would not affect visa application decisions, processing times, or prices.
The statement noted that the change was necessitated by the need to improve services, particularly in shortening the submission times for biometric and application documents at the VAC.
The new VAC would be located on the Mezzanine floor, Frand Oyeeman Building, South Liberation Link, Accra.
Applicants are advised to visit the relevant page on the UK government website, www.gov.uk, for more information.
Applicants can also find their nearest VAC by visiting the visa application centre webpage on the same website.
Outbound visa applications from Ghana double
Meanwhile, the number of visa applications processed in 2023 from Ghana has nearly doubled compared to 2022.
According to Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, applications processed at the Ghana Passport Premium Application Centres run by VFS Global saw a 30% increase in 2023.
It said this reflects a growing desire among Ghanaians to travel abroad.
Ghana filed over 42,000 Schengen visa applications in 2022, with Germany receiving the highest number of applications, followed by France.
Germany also had the highest approval rate for Ghanaian visa applications at 75.4%, while Malta had the lowest approval rate at 26%.
There was also a significant rise in global outbound travel in 2023 in Ghana.
Tourism, family visits, educational trips, and business travel were factors contributing to the increased demand for visas.
US Embassy changes visa service provider
YEN.com.gh reported that the US Embassy in Accra has moved to a new visa services provider after an earlier announcement to applicants.
Access to the previous provider’s website and application services were discontinued on August 16, 2024, with users required to set up new accounts.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!
Source: YEN.com.gh
