HOW TO APPLY FOR A UNITED KINGDOM VISA IN NIGERIA

A lot of Nigerians are in daily search for a way to get visas to the United Kingdom for several reasons like
study, work, tourism, holidays or just residency. A large number of theses Nigerians have no idea about
how to get visas to this country, my guess is if you are reading this article, you are probably also seeking
for information on how to get your visa here in Nigeria. Well, you need not worry any longer, this article
aims at providing you the necessary detailed information on how to process and get your visa right here
in Nigeria.

To apply for a United Kingdom visa there are several requirements you must satisfy, the major ones will
be discussed in this article. The first condition you should satisfy is being in possession of a valid Nigerian
Immigration Passport which should be valid for a minimum of thirty days after the prospective
applicant’s intended stay in the United Kingdom expires. To apply for the Nigerian Immigration Passport
you just need to visit the immigrations office in your state of residence. You can also make the passport
application online, this process is usually faster and less cumbersome.

As with other visas, to apply for the United Kingdom visa you have a variety of choices at your disposal.
For immigrants who have a plan to stay in the United Kingdom for a long period of time, it is advised
that they apply for a Long Term Visa. To do this you will be required to provide genuine reasons why you
should be afforded the opportunity to stay in the United Kingdom for that long. The most common type
of visa applied is the visitor’s or tourist visa. This visa is usually issued on the condition that the applicant
is planning to stay in the United Kingdom for a very short period of time. The major purpose for this visa
lies among any of these, visitation of family and friends, going on holidays or vacation, trainings,
conferences, business transactions, medical reasons, etc. A transit visa is issued to an applicant basically
to cover the person because he or she is passing through the United Kingdom. Official or diplomatic
visas are issued to government officials or individuals who are representing the government of a country
or representatives of world renowned Non-Governmental Organizations. The Students’ visa is issued to
students who are planning to study in the United Kingdom for long periods of time, probably between
one and three years or more.

Visa requirements

The next question to answer is, what requirements do you need to meet to be offered a visa to the
United Kingdom? This section of the article seeks to answer this question, below are the requirements
for getting approved for a visa to the UK:

- A valid travel passport (it should be the ECOWAS approved passport)

- The United Kingdom visa application form which has to be filled and submitted online.
- A single passport sized color photograph, which was taken with a white background. The
passport photograph should be recent, maximum of six months old and it should be of this size,
45mmx35mm wide.
- Payment of the visa fee.
- An evidence of approved permission to be in the United Kingdom, if you are not an indigene of
Nigeria. An example of this is green card, residence permit, visa, etc.
- A photocopy of your passport data page.
 - A letter of invitation, probably from your school or the individual or group you are going to visit.
This letter should state in clear terms why you should be permitted into the UK and what aim
you are traveling to achieve.
- Original bank statement which should be recent, at most six months. This is to prove that you
will be able to fend for yourself when in the United Kingdom and not become a liability.
- Original birth certificate for children traveling with their parents.
- Applicants traveling for business purposes, conferences or trainings should ensure to attach a
letter of invitation or confirmation of the event they are going for. This should also contain the
details of the company’s authorized representative, their physical address and phone numbers.
- A copy of utility bills.
- Details of flight and hotel bookings.
- Marriage certificate, if applicable.

You can visit the United Kingdom Immigration visa requirements webpage to be more enlightened
about the requirements.

How to apply for a United Kingdom Visa

Below is a guide to help you through the application process:

Step 1: you can apply for the United Kingdom visa at Teleperformance, which has its application centers
in both Lagos and Abuja. Teleperformance works in partnership with the government of the United
Kingdom, helping to issue visas and handle immigration issues on their behalf in Nigeria. This helps to
make the visa application process easier and faster, provided all the necessary documents are made
available.

Step 2: You can visit the United Kingdom Immigration and visa website to make inquiries about the
exact kind of visa you should be applying for with respect to the trip you are planning. The UK visa fees
vary depend on the category of visa you are applying for. If you are applying for a regular visitor’s visa on
a short term basis, the standard application fee is $141. From the UK Immigration and visa website you
will be able to fill out the application form, find out the application fees and also book an appointment
with the UK visa application center.

Step 3: After you have completed the online form and submitted it, you will be provided with a number
known as the GWF number. You should take note of this number and save it somewhere for easy
remembrance as it will required of you later in the visa application process. You will also receive an
email to confirm your form submission, it will also confirm the visa appointment date at the United
Kingdom visa application center, the location of the center and the documents you will be required to
produce at the center.

Step 4: You will also be required to submit your personal details and any other relevant information on
the Teleperformance website once you have booked your appointment with the visa application center.
A failure to register may result you being prevented from attending your appointment with the visa
application center. Registration on the Teleperformance website also affords you the opportunity to
track your application process via the website.
Step 5: When going to attend your appointment at the United Kingdom visa application center you will
be required to produce some documents before proceeding for your interview. The major documents
required include:

- A hardcopy print out of your online registration form.

- A hardcopy print out of the appointment confirmation.
- Your international passport.
- Other documents which you received in the email sent along with the appointment
confirmation.

After the payment of your visa fees at the UK visa application center, your photograph will be taken and
your fingerprints as well. Once you have undergone the biometrics process your visa fees can no longer
be refunded. When going to attend your visa appointment, ensure you are right on time. Arrive on the
stipulated date and before the time scheduled for your appointment, to be on the safe side. A default in
the date may result in the delay of your visa application process as a new date will have to be scheduled.

A statement on the Teleperformance website states that, resulting from the global changes in the
manner which visa applications are processed, children who are under the age of five will now be
required to visit the visa application center to complete their visa application process. It is now
compulsory that their photo and other biometric information be taken at the visa application center.
This does not however affect those who have already submitted their applications.

Submission of visa application

The submission of the application requirements along with the ECOWAS passport can be submitted at
any of the United Kingdom Visa Application Centers located in Abuja or Lagos. The submission can be
done on any of the working days of the week that is between Monday and Friday, between the hours of
8.30am and 4.30pm. This does not include public holidays as the offices will not be open for operation.

How much time it takes to process the visa application

Normally, the processing of the visa application should take between four to six days, all things being
equal. In some cases however, especially those relating to people with a history of crime or visa
application rejection, the processing period might take a while longer. There is a premium service which
will ensure that the processing of the visa application is completed within a day, this service however
comes at a very high price.

The collection process

The collection time for all documents is on working days between the hours of 10.00am and 4.00pm,
this excludes all public holidays. You will be receiving a text message on your registered mobile number
to inform you that your application has been forwarded to the UK embassy for approval, this is done
immediately your application gets submitted at their office. As soon as your passport is returned to the
visa application center, you will be notified by another text message informing you to come and pick up
your documents. On the collection day, you are advised to resume at the visa application center with
the following documents, your application checklist, a photocopy of the biodata page of your
international passport and an original photographic identification. You should note at this point that a
third party is not allowed to collect documents on behalf of the applicants except in special cases like
any of the below mentioned:

- Parents collecting for their children.

- Government representatives
- Or in the case that a family applied together and one of them is asked to collect the documents
on their behalf.

You can also track your application online via the Teleperformance website.

Reasons why visa applications are rejected

In the event that the visa application is refused or rejected, the applicant will receive a letter of refusal
which will state the exact reasons for the application rejection. You should know that a visa application
can be rejected for several reasons. Major issues relating to visa application are stated in the United
Kingdom immigration management system, this is known as the points-based system. The reasons
according to the system are stated below:

- Submission of fraudulent documents.

- If the applicant has previously been deported from the United Kingdom.
- If the applicant has served a jail term of four years or more.
- If the applicant is withholding information regarding previous crime convictions.
- If it is noticed that the applicant lacks the necessary funds.
- Submission of falsified documents on previous visits to the United Kingdom or overstaying
previous visits.
- If the applicant does not comply with the application requirements.
- If the applicant is found wanting in any of the application documents.
- If the reason tendered for the visit seems flimsy and not worthy of approval.

What can you do when your application is rejected?

Usually the letter of refusal states the reason for the visa rejection. If the visa was rejected due to any
reasons stated in the points-based system, the applicant can apply for an administrative review. The
rejection letter will carry information on whether the rejection can be appealed or not. If no specific
reason is stated, then the applicant will have to reapply. Note that the appeal process is likely to take up
to twelve weeks, beginning from the submission of the appeal to the hearing and final decision.