Visit the UK for Chinese New Year

The UK has just welcomed the New Year, 2014, and we are now looking forward to the Chinese New Year and the year of the Horse. London has planned the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia (there were 500,000 spectators in London last year celebrating the year of the Snake), and as such the Home Office anticipate that there will be many who wish to visit the UK for this spectacular occasion and have given an update on all who wish to visit the UK for the Chinese New Year. 

To summarise, their update is as follows:

• Visa applications are made online where you will also pay and book your visa appointment;
• The Home Office aims to process 90 per cent of visit visa applications within 15 working days,  although they are currently processing visit visa applications within 7 days on average;
• The Home Office offer a priority service where they aim to  consider visit visa application within 3-5 days, for eligible customers;
• The Home Office also offer a passport back service that allows you to keep your passport whilst they process your application should you need to travel;
• In 2013, 96 per cent of visit visa applications from Chinese nationals were successful.

We are able to provide a full immigration service assisting you at every step in your visit visa application, therefore please contact us should you have any queries or if you wish to instruct us. 

To all we wish you a Happy New Year!

Please note: The visa application centre in Hong Kong will be closed from Friday 31 January 2014 to Monday 3 February 2014 for the Chinese New Year.