Visa delays: UK High Commissioner apologizes to Indian applicants

The UK High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis earlier this week apologised to Indian citizens for the visa delays and advised people to buy airline tickets only after they get their visas.

Ellis said that Indians who are planning to visit the UK should not book their airline tickets before getting the visas citing the delays in visa processing across the UK, Schengen States, Canada and the US.

A lot of you have been in touch about visa delays; many apologies, as I know this is causing a lot of problems.

Here’s what we’re doing, and what you can do. pic.twitter.com/QJm7HceDq6

— Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis) August 12, 2022

He said that the UK is expecting a large number of Indian students who intend to join their colleges later this year and the High Commission is taking all steps to ensure timely issuance of visas.

I'm sorry; I know this is causing a lot of issues. Ellis added, "I want to apologise to everyone who has been impacted by this and the sorrow it causes you.

He also explained the causes of the delays. Ellis claimed that as Covid relaxations are loosened, there is a "unprecedented" spike in demand for UK visas. Delays have also been caused by international events like the war in Ukraine.

The UK High Commission will invest more money in finding solutions. Additionally, it will train more staff to solve the delays, according to Ellis.

It was also mentioned that everyone can still use the priority visa service. Ellis asked anyone applying for visas to double-check their documentation.

This year, we hope to welcome an unprecedented number of Indian students to the UK, and we will do all in our power to ensure that you receive your visa in a timely manner. But once more, adhere to the instructions exactly," Ellis stated in a video shared on Twitter.

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Good news, Priority and Super Priority visas are available for Student visas. We anticipate high demand over the next few weeks so recommend that you apply for your visa as soon as possible. Remember, it can take time to prepare your supporting documents so start this now. pic.twitter.com/xSePrWM2D9

— UK in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinIndia) August 12, 2022

On Friday, the UK High Commission in Delhi tweeted: “Priority and Super Priority visas are available for student visas. We expect high demand in the next few weeks and therefore recommend applying for your visa as soon as possible. Remember, preparing your supporting documents takes time, so start now.

Many Indian travelers are at a loss as they book their tickets and hotel accommodation before getting their visas. They also pay huge amount as cancellation fee due to delay in processing visa applications.