UK halves period of long-term visa issue to Russians - embassy
MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - The United Kingdom nearly halved the period for issuing long-term visas to Russian citizens, Brian Redford, regional director for visa matters at the British Embassy in Moscow, told a Wednesday press conference.
He said applications for 2.5-year and 10-year visas would be processed within 15 working days instead of 28.
The embassy also plans to offer priority processing of visa applications lodged with visa centers across Russia, he said.
In that case, applicants who need an urgent trip to the UK will have their visa applications processed within three to five working days.
The possibility of a passport expiring for a long-term visa applicant will have no effect on the decision of visa authorities, Redford said.
If the passport expires, its holder will be able to travel to the UK with the new passport and the old passport, which contains the British visa, he said.
The British Embassy issued about 180,000 visas to Russians in 2012. Some 96% of visa applications were approved, the diplomat said.