The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) now offer the "on-demand mobile visa" service in India that brings the visa application center to the applicant's doorstep. Instead of having to go to an application centre, the applicant can have all the visa processes completed at his or her place of choice and convenience such as home or office. VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology company to whom several countries delegate visa issuance, and an official partner of the UKVI, will now send the equipment for collecting biometric information along with a visa submission officer to the applicant's home for a fee.
The average cost for this service, in the initial phase is £750 (in addition to the regular visa fees) for a group of 10 visitors, with £75 (INR 7,050) additionally for any incremental visitor. The UKVI's fee for standard visitors is INR 8,700 for a 6-month visa; INR 33,000 for a visa of up to 2 years; INR 60,000 for up to 5 years, and INR 75,200 for a 10-year visa.
According to VFS Global's representative, the firm could provide the visa-on-demand service for individuals too but the price structure for this has not yet been finalized. This facility will be very beneficial for those who live in towns that do not have a centre and who have to travel to the nearest centre- a time consuming process which can take up a day.
Some Schengen countries like Hungary and Denmark have also given the go-ahead to VFS to implement this service for their respective visa processes.
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