Lahore: UK visa application processing duration announced

The British High Commission (BHC) on Thursday said the processing time for all visa applications was 15 working days. “The exceptions to this are settlement cases, which currently take up to 60 days to be processed”, the BHC said. The visa applications can be submitted online by visiting www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk or submitted at one of the four UK Visa Application Centres in Lahore, Karachi, Mirpur and Islamabad.
The UK Government today announced the go-live date for the student tier of its new points-based system for migration.
From 31st March, students looking to study in the UK can apply for their visa through the new points-based system which will streamline the Student visa application process.
Under the new transparent system, students will need to prove that they have been accepted onto a course run by a UK Border Agency (UKBA) licensed education institution, prove that they have the means to support themselves and supply their biometric details at their local visa application centre.
If granted a visa, the new regulations allow international students to undertake part-time work of up to 20 hours per week during term time, full time work during the holidays as well as any course related work placements.
A UKBA spokesperson commented: “Thousands of international students choose to study in the UK every year. These changes to the visa application system will allow students to check whether they are eligible for a visa before they even apply, making the whole system more straightforward. We would urge anyone considering studying in the UK to visit the UKBA website now to familiarise themselves with the new regulations and ensure their application can be processed as quickly as possible.”
For the first time, all independent fee-paying schools, colleges and universities that want to accept international students to study with them now need a licence to do so. This will help the UK Government crack down on bogus colleges, something which will be welcome news to many international students, who can now be sure the language school, college or university they intend to study at is an approved educational institution. So far over a thousand UK institutions have signed up to sponsor international students.