Work, Study, others affected as UK updates visa processing times for Nigerians, others

• The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) section has published updated visa processing times successful 2025
• These changes person resulted successful much close dates for overseas applicants seeking family, work, study, and tourism visas
• The updated visa processing timelines springiness travellers captious accusation intended to assistance applicants

Legit.ng writer Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

Updated visa processing times for 2025 person been released by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) department.

Travellers applying from extracurricular the UK for family, work, study, and tourism visas present person much precise deadlines acknowledgment to these reforms.

Expedited solutions are disposable for individuals who necessitate speedier processing successful the caller update from the UK visa office. Photo Credit: Contributor
Source: Getty Images

The revised visa processing timelines supply passengers with important information, arsenic they are designed to assistance applicants successful amended organizing their question and visa applications, the UK bureau announced.

Travelers are urged to clasp disconnected connected making abrogation plans oregon purchasing flights until they person received their visa decisions.

The UK has besides mentioned that visa exertion payments are not refundable aft processing has started, however, they can beryllium refunded if processing has not started.

At an further expense, expedited solutions are disposable for individuals that necessitate speedier processing.

Processing visa application

Visa exertion begins erstwhile the applicant has verified their individuality and submitted the required documents. If eligible, this tin beryllium done via the UK Immigration: ID Check app.

Alternatively, applicants indispensable be a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to supply biometric information. The timepiece starts erstwhile UKVI receives these materials.

The modular processing clip for astir visa categories is 3 weeks. However, family visas and British National (Overseas) visas instrumentality 12 weeks.

Applicants are advised to instrumentality attraction to guarantee their documentation and debar unnecessary delays. Those who request urgent processing tin research precedence services wherever available.

Processing times for assorted visa categories

• Visit visas: 3 weeks for Standard Visitor, Marriage Visitor, Chinese Tour Group, and Transit visas.
• Study visas: 3 weeks for Student, Child Student, and Short-term English Language visas.
• Work visas: Processing times are mostly 3 weeks for Skilled Workers, Health and Care Workers, Temporary workers, and Work Visas without a occupation offer.
• Family visas: Partner, Parent, Child, and Adult Dependent visas typically instrumentality 12 weeks.
• Other circumstantial visas: British National (Overseas) visas instrumentality up to 12 weeks, portion astir different specialized visas, specified arsenic International Sportsperson oregon Minister of Religion, are processed successful 3 weeks.

The modular processing clip for astir visa categories is 3 weeks. Photo Credit: Contributor
Source: Getty Images

Travel cause cautions against DIY bookings

The updated UK visa processing times person been released, and question agents are advising applicants to workout caution erstwhile making question arrangements, particularly those who are doing it for the archetypal time.

A question agent, Grace Oluwaleye, warned that the changes whitethorn pb to accrued disorder among travelers, peculiarly those who effort to navigate the process connected their own.

"This happens a batch particularly to archetypal clip travelers who determine to marque formation bookings online connected their ain without the adjunct of a question agent," Oluwaleye told Legit.ng.

She attributed the contented to a "penny wise, lb foolish" approach, emphasising the value of seeking nonrecreational assistance erstwhile making question arrangements.

According to Oluwaleye, adjacent immoderate question agents whitethorn not beryllium up-to-date connected question requirements, exacerbating the problem.

"It is truthful indispensable to cheque the rules of the hose for your destination erstwhile making a booking to debar this benignant of embarrassing situation," she advised.

Nigerians wage N68 cardinal to UK bureau for visa application

Legit.ng reported that betwixt June 2023 and June 2024, the British authorities processed much than 225,000 Nigerians' applications for UK visas.

Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status, and Information Services astatine UK Visas and Immigration, the British High Commission successful Lagos made this announcement during the opening of Africa's largest UK visa exertion centre.

There was nary elaborate investigation of the antithetic kinds of visas and the associated costs. But a short-term visa (up to six months, azygous oregon aggregate entry) costs $150, portion longer-term visas (valid for up to 2 years) outgo $565.

Editorial adjunct Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a question cause for this report.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, writer and copyeditor astatine Legit.ng

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