The United Kingdom government announced on Monday that it had changed visa application processes for foreigners, including Kenyans, who had previously applied for visas to visit the countries under her jurisdiction.
According to the UK High Commissioner in Nairobi, the changes would also affect people who were planning to apply for a visa to travel to the UK from Kenya or elsewhere.
The foreign government announced that it had switched its visa printing commercial partner from the current TLS contact to VFS Global.
“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, and Central Asia,” the UK High Commission shared.
According to the Embassy, visa applicants in Kenya will have to start their visa applications with one commercial partner and finish them with another.
The communication was intended to reassure applicants that if they noticed a change in the process, it was due to security considerations.
The Embassy informed affected Kenyans that they would be able to receive emails from both the former partner, TLScontact, and VFS Global.
It went on to say that if this happens, applicants must complete all of the steps outlined in both emails in order to continue with the application process.
“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,” the Embassy advised.
It also advised applicants to check all of their email folders to avoid missing any important updates that may be flagged.
“Check your junk folders to make sure you have not missed anything. To confirm the email is genuine, check if the sender’s email address ends in either: @tlscontact.com @vfsglobal.com,” it added.
Kenyans who had already been assigned appointments for visa interviews were encouraged to attend.
Those who wish to change their appointment dates were advised that they would have to pay the mandatory user pay (MUP) fee again and request a refund from TLScontact for previously paid fees.
“Attend your appointment as normal. Check your email confirmation for the address of your appointment,” it highlighted.
“If you change your appointment, you may need to pay the mandatory user pay (MUP) fee again. If this happens, ask TLScontact to refund your MUP fee.”
Meanwhile, the Embassy announced that the changes will have no effect on the length of time it takes for the application to take effect.
However, the new commercial partner plans to change the application venues in Kenya beginning October 22nd of this year.
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