DHAKA: Bangladeshi visa applicants for UK can submit applications for visa to Visa Application Centres in Dhaka and Sylhet instead of traveling to India.

Moreover, the cost of the service will stay the same and the UK High Commission will continue to operate within its existing service standards of 15 working days for non settlement cases and 60 working days for settlement cases.

British High Commission to Dhaka made the disclosure through a press release on Monday.

The news release said, “As advised in our announcement dated 24 July, United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI), as part of its global strategy, is reducing the number of locations around the world where decisions are made on UK visa applications.”

This will be done through the implementation of an extended hub and spoke network. As part of this strategy, the UKVI Visa Section at the British High Commission in Dhaka will cease to be a decision making centre on 1 October 2014, with decisions on UK visa applications submitted in Bangladesh being taken in the regional hub at the Visa Section at the British High Commission in New Delhi, it added.

It also said: “This transition will be carried out in 3 phases.  Decisions on Settlement (phase 1) and Points Based System (PBS) (phase 2) applications are already being made in New Delhi. The third and final phase will see all other visa application categories submitted on or after 7 September being assessed in New Delhi from that date.  

Passports will remain in Bangladesh and decisions will continue to be made by British Crown Servants.  The cost of the service will stay the same and we will continue to operate within our existing service standards of 15 working days for non settlement cases and 60 working days for settlement cases.  

As usual, Bangladeshi applicants will submit their visa applications at Visa Application Centres in Dhaka and Sylhet.  There will be no need for applicants to travel to India.  Nor should they notice any difference to the quality or speed of our service.”

BDST: 1655 HRS, SEP 01, 2014