Changes to the UKVI visa application services providers inside and outside the UK
25 October 2024
As our readers may know and remember, visa application centres are operated by commercial partners (also known as “suppliers”) on behalf of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
Applicants use such application centres in order to book their biometric submission appointments as well as for uploading relevant supporting documents for their submitted visa applications.
This means you may start your visa application with one commercial partner and finish it with another commercial partner.
Please see some further information on these matters and the related changes below.
1. Applications inside the UK
Please note that as of 23:59 on 14th October 2024, Sopra Steria is no longer the Home Office service provider for UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS).
The commercial partner for UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services changed from Sopra Steria to TLScontact on 15 October 2024.
Bear in mind that appointment availability may be limited for a short period of time due to such changes.
However, you do not need to do anything.
This change will not affect:
– the decision on your application
– how long it takes to get a decision
2. Applications outside the UK
Between September 2024 and January 2025, the commercial partner will change from TLScontact to VFS Global in some locations in:
- Africa
- Europe
- the Middle East
- Central Asia
Please note that other parts of the world are not affected.
A. What you need to do
If your application is affected, you will get emails from TLScontact and VFS Global.
Read all emails you receive from TLScontact and VFS Global. They may have actions you need to take to continue your application.
To confirm the email is genuine, check the sender’s email address ends in either:
@tlscontact.com
@vfsglobal.com
B. If you booked an appointment with TLScontact
Attend your appointment as normal. The address will be in your email confirmation.
C. If you paid a mandatory user pay (MUP) fee when booking an appointment with TLScontact
You will need to pay the MUP fee again if you:
- Change your appointment
- The new appointment is with VFS Global
If this happens, ask TLScontact to refund your MUP fee.
D. What will be affected
The address and opening hours of some visa application centres will change.
E. What will not be affected
These changes will not affect:
- The decision on your application
- How long it takes to get a decision
F. Locations changing commercial partner
From 5 November 2024, VFS Global will operate visa application centres in the following locations:
- Cyprus (North)
- France
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- South Africa
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories
- Tajikistan
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
And from 19 November 2024, VFS Global will operate visa application centres in the following locations:
- Angola
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Tanzania
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
For further advice and assistance with various visa applications and biometric appointments inside and outside the UK, or any other immigration matters, please contact our immigration team.
We are here to help.
