After you have applied for a British visa, you need to track its status in order to pick up the documents on time. Visa application centers in Russia provide for notification of applicants about the readiness of a visa, but sometimes it is more convenient to keep track of your passport yourself.
New Visa Application Centers
Until the spring of 2014, UK visa applications were processed by VFS visa centers, but Teleperformance is currently doing this. In this regard, the process of checking the readiness of a visa has changed somewhat. The list of documents for a visa has also changed slightly - be careful. Teleperformance Visa Application Centers operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don.
After you complete the application on the Visa Application Center website at www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk, you will need to go to the Teleperformance website at www.tpcontact.co.uk and register there too. This is important as online tracking of UK visa status is now done through this website.
As soon as the consideration of your application is completed, the passport is transferred to the visa center, after which the status of the application on the Internet changes. Currently, you can check the status of the visa in two ways: online or by calling the help desk.
Online Visa Status Check
Only applicants who know the GWF number can check UK visa status online. Unfortunately, as of the summer of 2014, only applicants who submitted documents in Moscow receive this number.
Go to www.tpcontact.co.uk, then log in using your GWF number. On the left you will see Passport returned on dd / mm / yyyy link. This is a list of all passports returned to the Visa Application Center. Open it. Press Ctrl + F keys, enter your GWF number to search for your passport automatically. If the application number is on the list, you can come and pick up the documents.
You can also write an email to the visa application center: [email protected]. In the letter, indicate your last name, first name and patronymic, passport number and GWF.
Checking UK Visa Status by Phone
Applicants who applied outside of Moscow do not receive a GWF number. They can check the status of their application by calling the UKVI or Visa Application Center (UKVI) at one of the following numbers:
8 800 707 2948
00 44 1243 218 151
This call is paid, one minute will cost 1, 37 pounds. Help desk working hours: 11:00 - 19:00 Moscow time. The Helpdesk may be closed on holidays and weekends.
Inconvenience due to the change of the visa center
When applying for a UK visa, you provide the Visa Application Center with your email address, which will notify you of the readiness of the visa. You can also order an SMS notification, this service is paid. However, due to the fact that the work of the new visa center has not yet reached a stable level, there are failures in the work of notification services, letters about the readiness of passports do not come, although visas may have already been issued. Until the situation stabilizes, it is recommended to apply for a visa no later than 2 months before the trip.
