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Step 4 of 5 - Wait
In this age of "instant information", we take manual processes for granted. We are used to having information passed so quickly that the thought that visas take more than 24 hours is hard to accept.
The reality is that the UK government follows one of the toughest security procedures internationally (up there with Australia and USA) - their security screening is undoubtedly the most secure process in the whole of Europe. What makes their security so strong you might ask? Contributing factors include international relations and an open platform of police and terrorist records shared freely between countries.
With the above "shared access", unlike the rest of European Union countries, the UK runs thorough security scans through all databases and any red flags are automatically attached to applicants files. Entry Clearance officials then research those records and weigh up the applicants intent and supplied information (looking for any conflicting information).
Hopefully this gives you the insight to understand why visas take so long to award. The good news is that the UK are currently testing 24 hour electonic visa system with China. One of these days it will pass through to us.
How long does it take to award a visa?
A standard visitor visa takes 10 to 15 working days to award (based on May 2014's performance). Priority Service clients (those who pay the additional R1900 or GBP100 for the fast track service) can experience a 3 to 5 working day turn-around time.
For an update and slightly more accurate processing time, please take a look at the GOV.UK's visa processing time link here.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I track the status of my application?
Teleperformance initially setup a tracking link on their tpcontact.co.uk website. Teleperformance has since taken this link down. Meaning their initial intended tracking facility didnt quite work out.
Further to this, Teleperformance are not notifying South Africans of the availability of their applications (June 2014). South Africans are not receiving sms or email notifications.
Teleperformance do not have enough staff members to handle calls or a call centre function in SA to track applications telephonically. The conclusion is simply that tracking of UK visa applications in SA is currently not possible.
South Africans have to go into their local application centre (where they submitted) to see if their application is ready for collection.
Q: Can I send someone to collect on my behalf?
Fortunately south Africans can give written consent for others to collect on their behalf. Applicants just have to supply their third party collector with a photocopy of their ID and receipt (that was issued upon submission).
Q: What is the Teleperformance phone number?
This question is specifically for those who have read and understood the above context and still request Teleperformance phone number. Teleperformance have made the follow phone numbers available to the public: 021 300 3758 and 00 44 1243 218 173.
Please note that their UK phone number is a paid service and there is a cost of £1.37 UK Sterling per minute in addition to your standard network charges. Please have a valid credit or debit card ready to process your payment. We can accept Mastercard Credit and Debit cards, and Visa Credit and Debit cards. You will not be charged until you are connected to an advisor. Calls may be recorded for training purposes. We are able to handle your calls in English.
Next step: >>Step 5 >> Collection of the application
