Monday 13 June 2022
The Guernsey Border Agency has been notified that UK Visa & Immigration services (UKVI) is currently experiencing delays in processing UK standard entry visas, for study, work and family routes.
This affects global visa applications processed by the UK Government to enable anyone from outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Republic of Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man) to enter the UK and islands.
The UK has confirmed that it is currently seeing unprecedented demand for visas as a result of the invasion of Ukraine and the need for UKVI to prioritise applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme, and the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, to help meet the needs of those most at risk in this situation.
Consequently, customers with standard visa applications may experience delays in processing of visa applications. UKVI is currently unable to escalate individual cases except for urgent reasons, such as a medical emergency or to provide processing timelines.
Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs, said:
'While the current issues are at the UK end of the visa application process, and therefore outside our control, they nevertheless potentially impact businesses locally if they are seeking UK entry visas for new staff. We have been working closely with UKVI and are grateful for the updates it has provided us. Unfortunately, at this stage UKVI is not able to provide a timescale as to when this situation will change, but we know it is working as quickly as possible to process visa applications amid the understandable need to prioritise Ukraine applications.'
