If you are looking to travel to the United Kingdom for whatever reason, you should know how to get working and holiday visas. A visa is an essential document to have before you travel almost anywhere beyond the borders of the country of which you are a resident. It is always a good idea to know exactly which visa you are looking for, what you will need to apply for a visa successfully and how far in advance you need to apply for your visa to ensure that you have it in time.
Where to apply for a visa
VFS Global is a commercial company that works alongside the UK Border Agency at the British High Commission in South Africa. They have several centres throughout the country where you can make your application for either a working or holiday visa. The Johannesburg visa application centre can be found on the corner of Rivona Road and Sandton Drive in Sandton City. The Durban visa application centre is in Morningside on Crescent Street. The Pretoria visa application centre is in Brooklyn on 337 Veale Street. The Cape Town visa application centre can be found on 2 Riebeck Street. The Port Elizabeth visa application centre is in Walmer on the corner of William Moffet Road and Main Road.
The Harare visa application centre is on 7 Natal Road in Belgravia. The Mozambique visa application centre is at July Avenue in Maputo. The Malawi visa application centre is in Teveta House in the city centre of Lilongwe. The Namibia visa application centre can be found at Kasino Street in Windhoek.
Applying for a working or holiday visa
Whichever visa you are applying for, whether it is a working or holiday, you should apply up to three months before the date that you want to travel on. It is definitely advisable not to book your flights or confirm your travel arrangements before you have received confirmation of your visa.
Before you visit your closest visa application centre to make your application, you must ensure that you have all of the relevant documents that you will need. You will also have to fill out your visa application form online. This can only be done online and must be done before you visit the visa application centre.
When you are filling out your application form online you will also be able to make an appointment to visit the visa application centre
on the website. Once you have completed your form, you must print it out and sign it. You will then receive a confirmation email with your application number. You must remember this application number.
You will then visit the application centre and submit your signed visa application form as well as your other supporting documents. You will also have to supply the visa application centre with your biometric information. This information includes enrolling your fingerprints and a photograph. You will also have to pay the visa application fee.
You can provide any sort of information or documents that may help the visa application officials make a decision about whether to approve your visa or not. For every document that you provide, you must bring both the original and a copy of each one. One of these documents must be your passport and must include a copy of the photograph page of your passport. The copies of your documents must all be very good quality, perfectly clear and easy to read. If you do not submit copies of all of the required documents, the visa application centre may not give you back the original documents.
To find out more information about how to get working or holiday UK visas, you can visit the website of the UK Border Agency at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk.
Again, it is essential to be thoroughly prepared before you make your application. Remember all of your documents, make clear copies and make sure you have the right amount of money for your application fee on you.