Nationals of five countries added to U.K.'s biometric visa requirement
The U.K. has added South Africa, Bolivia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Venezuela to the list of countries the nationals of which need biometric visa to enter the United Kingdom; these five countries failed a test of the threat posed by their citizens in terms of security, immigration and crime; the list already covers three quarters of the world’s population
Visits to the United Kingdom will be just a bit more difficult for citizens of five countries — South Africa, Bolivia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Venezuela. These five countries failed a test of the threat posed by their citizens in terms of security, immigration and crime, and as a result nationals from the five countries will now need to provide fingerprints and pay a fee to obtain a visa before traveling to the United Kingdom.
The BBC reports that in 2007, 419,000 people legally visited the United Kingdom from South Africa, including 168,000 tourists and 46,200 business visitors, while nearly 3,000 were given work permits. They are the fifth largest group of non-EU visitors to Britain behind citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, and Japan.
A U.K. government review of visas has resulted in the five countries being added to a list that already covers three quarters of the world’s population, all of whom must apply for visas before traveling. “The government said it would get tough and we meant it,” said immigration minister Phil Woolas. “Fingerprint visas make up one part of Britain’s triple ring of security, alongside high-tech watch-list checks at the border and ID cards for foreign nationals.”
First-time visitors to the United Kingdom from South Africa will need to apply for visas from 3 March 2009, with the full visa regime coming into effect by mid-2009, the government said. Visitor visas lasting up to six months will cost £65, and work visas £205.
Six months ago South Africa and ten other countries were warned to improve their passport security systems or face tougher visa requirements. Six of these — Botswana, Brazil, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, and Trinidad and Tobago — were adjudged to have improved sufficiently to escape the new rules.
