UK Visa Services: Changes in Visa Service Providers in Africa, Europe, and Other Regions!

Changes in visa application services, including a shift in commercial partners in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, have been announced by the UK government. Find out how this affects appointments, fees, and visa applications while having no bearing on decision timeframes.

Travelers looking for visas to the UK, take note! The commercial partners that oversee visa application centers across the globe have undergone substantial changes, as revealed by the UK government. There will be a change in the UK Visa service providers in several countries between September 2024 and January 2025.

This will affect those applying for visas in different parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Although the change is meant to simplify services, it might have an impact on applicants’ current procedures. Everything you need to know will be explained in detail in this post, ensuring a seamless application procedure.

Key Changes to Visa Application Centres

On behalf of UK Visas and Immigration, commercial partners run visa application centers. This agreement will switch from TLScontact to VFS Global in a few regions, allowing applicants to start and finish their visa application with different providers.

Affected Regions:

• Europe
• Africa
• Central Asia
• Middle East

Not Affected:

Other regions of the world (confirmation can be obtained by visiting the official UK Visas and Immigration website)

What Candidates Should Understand

TLScontact and VFS Global will send you critical emails if the transition has an impact on your visa application. Make sure you:

• Check Your Emails: You will receive emails from TLScontact (the previous supplier) and VFS Global (the new provider) if your application is inside the impacted timeframe and territories. These emails may contain instructions that you need to follow in order to proceed with processing your application, so carefully read them. Remember to look in your spam folder.
• Check the Authenticity of Email: To verify the email’s credibility, make sure the sender’s address ends in “@tlscontact.com” or “@vfsglobal.com.”
• To continue with your application, adhere to any guidelines that may have been sent to you.

Appointments and Fees

Attend your appointment with TLScontact on time if you have previously made one. If you choose to reschedule, be advised that you might be required to pay the Mandatory User Pay (MUP) fee once more. In these circumstances, you can ask TLScontact for reimbursement of the initial MUP charge.

For Questions About The TLScontact Service: Go to the support page on the TLScontact website after selecting your country and visa application center.

Locations Converting to VFS Global

The UK will switch from TLScontact to VFS Global in its visa application centers across several locations beginning in October 2024. The list of nations impacted by these adjustments, together with the corresponding changeover dates, is provided below.

Already Switched

It is important to note that the UK government has already moved the visa application center, which is now run by VFS Global, to Belgium. In the upcoming months, more locations will transform; as additional centers are added, updates will be disseminated.

Applications Inside the UK

TLScontact will replace Sopra Steria as the commercial partner for UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services on October 15, 2024. Scheduled appointments will occur at TLS contact service locations on or after this date. There is no need for applicants to take any action, even though there might not be many appointments available at first.

Similar to global apps, the following won’t be impacted by this change:

• The outcome of your application
• Time spent processing

Important Information

• Keep yourself updated by regularly reviewing your emails for announcements from VFS Global and TLScontact.
• Check the legitimacy of the email before replying.
• This isn’t the actual visa application procedure; it’s just a switch in service providers.

Conclusion

To sum up, although applicants in impacted areas may need to pay more attention to emails and appointments due to the change in commercial partners for UK visa application centers, application decisions, and processing timeframes won’t be impacted, guaranteeing a seamless transition.