The British High Commission has introduced a Biometrics Programme as a prerequisite to processing visa applications which are now to be submitted online.
The form will be available at www.visa4uk.gov.uk for the pro-cess which the British High Com-mission said is simple and has a number of advantages.
Applicants will no longer have to download large forms and hand-write applications, the High Com-mission said in a press release yesterday.
The process in the biometrics programme, the release stated, is “quick, discreet and straightforward, taking on average no more than two minutes to record finger scans.” It will not lead to delays in issuing visas and is an entirely electronic process, so no ink or other chemicals are involved.
The fingerprints of all applicants will be scanned and transferred to the United Kingdom for verification. By fixing a person’s identity, the biometrics programme will both secure that identity to assist in preventing identity fraud and help strengthen control of UK borders, the High Commission said.
Meanwhile, the online visa application system will lead applicants through the application process step-by-step, ensuring that each section of the form is completed before allowing the applicant to proceed. This in itself, the release said, will speed up the process as visa staff will no longer have to chase up missing or incorrect information.
Once all the steps are completed and the form is submitted there will be an immediate e-mail acknowledgement of the application and a visa reference number will be generated.
According to the release, the steps are clearly set out and easy to follow. A visa applicant just has to complete, save, print off and submit the online application form, as well as make an appointment online. Applicants are requir-ed to make an online appointment which can be done using the form available on the same website.
Subsequently, the applicant has to go to the visa section of the British High Commission at the appointed time with a signed, completed printout of the online application form, the printout of the confirmation of the appointment and any supporting documents.
Only persons with an online appointment and with a copy of their online application will be admitted to the Consular and Visa Section for interviews.
And all visa applicants are advised that firearms, knives, sharp objects, and all electrical devices, including laptops, mobile phones and cameras are strictly prohibited inside the High Commission and there is no storage facility for such items.
