New Visa Requirements for the UK

On 9^th February the Home Secretary announced changes to the visa requirements for overseas nationals following a global review of its visa regimes.

The result of the review is that nationals of Bolivia, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Venezuela will in future require a visa to visit the UK.  An additional requirement was also placed on Jamaican transit passengers.  Specific details for each country are as follows:-

South Africa – from 3^rd March 2009 first time visitors have needed to obtain a visa to enter or transit the UK.  There is a temporary exemption for those who can show a satisfactory previous travel history evidenced by a UK entry stamp in their current passport.  This temporary exemption ends on 1^st July 2009 from which date all South African passport holders will require a visa to transit or enter the UK.

Venezuela – its nationals require visas to travel to or transit through the UK from 18 May 2009 but the requirement will be waived for those of its nationals who travel on biometric, machine readable passports issued since 2007 which contain an electronic chip.  This is because the UK government considers that old-style passports may be easily forged or fraudulently obtained but that the new-style passports are secure.

Bolivia – from 18 May 2009 all Bolivian passport holders travelling to or transiting the UK require a visa.

Lesotho and Swaziland – from 1 July 2009 anyone travelling to or transiting the UK on a passport issued by Lesotho or Swaziland will require a visa.

Jamaica – nationals of Jamaica already require a visa to visit the UK but as of 3^rd March 2009 the visa-free transit concession for its nationals was removed and all Jamaican nationals wishing to transit through the UK now require a transit visa.

Taiwan – the UK government has decided that Taiwan poses a low immigration risk and as of 3^rd March 2009 its nationals no longer require a visa to visit the UK.

This article was first published in Business Immigration eBulletin February 2009