Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to improve the student visa application process for students from British Overseas Territories.

For students residing in the following British Overseas Territories local biometric enrolment services are available to enable customers to complete a UK visa application: the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and St Helena. Customers in the sovereign base areas of Akrotiri or Dhekelia are able to submit applications at the Visa Application Centre in Nicosia.

In view of the small volumes of customers in other British Overseas Territories it is not viable to operate a Visa Application Centre or temporary biometric enrolment service. Customers in these locations are advised to submit their application at the nearest or most convenient location where such a service if offered. Full details are set on our website: https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre

UKVI encourages all customers to apply in good time ahead of intended travel dates. Customers can also opt for one of our priority visa services, for an additional fee, where available in that location, which includes Cayman Islands and Nicosia South.

UKVI considers applications in line with published service standards, and this includes factors relating to logistics timescales for the customer receiving the vignette and their returned passport.