According to eTNW, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled plans to roll out a 24-hour visa service in a number of countries, including South Africa, by April 2015. He made this announcement at the G20 Summit in Australia last week.
The Super Priority Visa Service is currently already available in China and India, and ensures a decision on a visa application within 24 hours.
The service fee costs $1,000 over and above normal visa fee charges, and does not guarantee a visa application will be successful – applicants will still need to meet the strict requirements of UK immigration rules.
The aim of the priority service is to remove lengthy bureaucratic hurdles, which could currently be putting off business travellers, investors and wealthy tourists, pushing them towards countries with a simpler service.