TheCable

The United Kingdom (UK) has temporarily suspended priority services for applications for work, study and family visas in Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the UK said it was prioritising applications made under the Ukraine family scheme and in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukraine family scheme allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK. They will also be able to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.

The statement said as a result of this decision, the UK visa and immigration (UKVI) has “temporarily suspended priority and super priority services for new study, work, and family applications”.

“Customers with standard applications in study, work, and family routes may experience some delays in the processing of their application,” the statement reads.

“We are still currently unable to offer PV for visitor applications in Nigeria. Standard visitor visa applications are currently taking an average of six weeks to process.

“Applicants will be contacted by the Visa Application Centre (VAC) when their passport is ready for collection. They should not attend the VAC until they have been invited to do so.

“Where there are extremely compassionate or compelling circumstances (for example, a medical emergency), UKVI may consider expediting specific cases. However, the bar for this is high and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

“If a request is exceptionally urgent, applicants can contact UK Visas and Immigration for help. Please note that this is a chargeable service for overseas customers.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”