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| November 30, 2003 | Sunday | Shawwal 5, 1424 |
UK likely to restore visa service
ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: The British high commission would resume full visa services in the country as soon as the security situation allowed, a British diplomat has told PPI.
He said the visit visa applicants not covered by the limited services available in Pakistan might apply in a third country.
He said applications for other types of visa might be accepted at the discretion of the visa office in the third country.
He said the British high commission’s office in Lahore and visa section in Karachi remained closed and a limited visa service was operated here through a courier service only.
Answering a question, he said the processing time for an application for regular visit was two weeks while those applying for a student’s visa would have to wait for two months.
He said the processing of applications for a settlement visa took four to six months. He said settlement visas were issued to those persons who qualified under the immigration rules to enter the United Kingdom for an indefinite period. They are usually issued to the spouses and children of British nationals and foreign nationals legally resident in the UK.
Asked about the exceptional circumstances under which visa applications were entertained, he said applications under those criteria were likely to involve urgent medical treatment or serious illness or death of a close family member.—PPI
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