Good news has hit Nigeria this morning and very soon many would be
packing their luggages heading to the United Kingdom.
This is
because the new government of Theresa May in the United Kingdom has written a
new visa regulation which ruled out visa requirements for commonwealth
citizens.
As per this
revision of the visa regulations, all citizens of commonwealth countries of which
Nigeria is among no longer require visas when traveling to the UK for a period
of six (6) months.
However,
people wishing to stay for longer than six months are still required to obtain
visas. People traveling to take up courses longer than six months, people
settling with their families are required to obtain visas.
Business
visitors are also eligible to travel without visas. The following persons need
a visa for the United Kingdom:
Since 1 July
2009, nationals of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland need a visa to enter or
transit through the UK.
Also since 18
May 2009, nationals of Bolivia and Venezuela need a visa to enter or transit
through the UK. Venezuelan nationals holding valid biometric passports
containing an electronic chip issued since 2007 will be exempt from the visa
requirement.
Nationals of
Jamaica need a visa to enter or transit through the UK since 3 March 2009.
What documents will be required?
You should
have the following documents when coming to the United Kingdom as a visitor:
A letter from
your employer granting leave of absence from your job for a specified period.
The letter should also say how long you have been employed by that employer, in
what job(s) and should indicate when you are expected back at work;
If you are self-employed,
evidence of your business activities and financial standing;
-evidence of
any property you own in your home country;
If you are a student, a letter from your
school or college stating which course you are on, its start and finish dates
and the dates of the holiday period during which you intend to visit the United
Kingdom;
It will also
help if you can show that you have family or social ties and responsibilities
to return to;
– evidence of
any firm travel plans you have made;
– bank statements
going back over a period of several months; and
– evidence of
savings available to you.
You should
check before you travel to see if you need a visa. If you regularly visit the
United Kingdom for business you can apply for a multiple-entry visa as a visitor
that is valid for two, five or 10 years. For more information on visas contact
your nearest embassy or consulate.
How do I apply?
You can apply
in a number of ways, for example, by post, by courier, in person and online.
Staff at the visa application centers will tell you about the ways in which you
can apply.
Some visa
sections will only accept applications made online. To find out if you can
apply for your visa online please contact your nearest consulate.
If you cannot
apply online you will need to fill in a visa application form. You can get a
form, free of charge from the visa section of your nearest visa application
centre.
You can apply
for a visit visa or EEA family permit at any visa application centre overseas.
If you are applying from within the EEA, you will need to show that you are
living legally in an EEA member state. Living legally includes having a visit
visa for the member state. For all other types of visa, you should apply in the
country of which you are a national or where you legally live.
In some
countries, if you are applying for a visa to stay in the UK for more than six
months, you may need to be tested for active tuberculosis before they will
accept your application.
SOURCE: nigeriana.org