Picture this: You need to go abroad, and you find out that the flight is in a month. However, you forgot to book for your visa, and it expires soon. Now, you’re biting your nails because you don’t know what to do. You probably think that there’s no hope and you will miss the plane.
Well, while you may not think that you can get a visa in such a short amount of time, same day appointments are the light in the darkness. You are able to book them and get your visa sooner than you thought. However, what happens if they are all booked up? Here is what you can do.
What are premium same day appointments?
The Same Day Visa Service exists so that migrants can have their visa approved in one day. Basically, you don’t have to bother with the process, as the visa consultants are doing all the hard work for you.
This service is ideal for students, business persons and people who like to travel a lot. Basically, it allows you to take advantage of it to the fullest. You can keep your passport without restrictions while you are waiting for your application to be decided via mail.
The Super Premium Service exists in case you don’t want to go to any public government building. This means that you can stay at home while a courier will bring the documents for you. A mobile caseworker unit will visit you to take your photo and fingerprints, and then your decision and documents will be returned within 24 hours.
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
The service has its own set of pros and cons. Let’s start with the good aspects:
- Your application is approved in one day, which means that you won’t have to wait an eternity to get your paperwork’s procession.
- You won’t have to wait months without having a passport, as you get it back the same day.
- You don’t have to put a lot of effort. Basically, everything can be handled via online communication, so you can be comfy at home.
- The courier brings your paperwork to your caseworker and he’s the one who returns it within 24 hours.
- Caseworkers come to your home to take your biometrics.
- If you know a family that applies around the same time, the fee per applicant will be £590.
Now, let’s turn to the disadvantages:
- You may not find free spots to book for your premium same day appointment
- It costs £10,500 (plus application fees) for the Home Office to visit.
- The service is not ideal if you travel for work, because premium appointments are booked up for 45 days in advance. This means that if you want your visa approved in 1 day, you have to mail your application and wait several months.
- If you don’t have all the necessary documents, the application may be refused. This is why you should get a document check by personal immigration advisers.
What is the Document Checking Service and how can it help you?
There is the possibility that you forget about a document that is necessary for the visa requirements. This is where the Document Checking Service comes in handy. If you’re not sure whether you have all the documents or not, this service will help you avoid any costly mistake. As a result, you will have no difficulty applying for your visa.
The service can be combined with the Same Day Visa Service, so you can have your visa easily processed in one day. What is great is the fact that the fee is cheaper than the regular tax.
They will review all your documents to make sure that they meet the Home Office criteria. They will also check your completed form to ensure there is no mistake. If there are weak areas, they will advise you on how to improve the application.
What can you do if the premium same day appointments are all booked up?
As mentioned, you need to apply for a premium same-day appointment 45 days prior. Sometimes, you try to apply, but the service is not available, as every appointment is booked up and there are no slots left.
Usually, consulates can get very busy at certain times during the year. It is very hard to find any available appointment at these times.
You may become desperate and not know what to do next. However, you shouldn’t freak out. There is certainly something that you can do so you don’t miss your appointment.
- First of all, make sure you didn’t try to apply too early. If you apply more than 45 days in advance, it’s not going to work, as it’s not available. Ensure you apply within 45 days.
- Make sure you apply at the right time. Sometimes, the applications are not available until a certain hour, at midnight for example. The applications can be submitted for a specific amount of time, depending on the available slots.
- If there are no slots, you could wait for some to be added. The consulates can supply the slots in some days, so look out for them.
- You could also wait for someone else to cancel their visa appointment, but you shouldn’t only rely on this. You could end up waiting forever. However, you could try this when there are no other options. All you have to do is be patient and check the availability constantly.
Conclusion
The same day visa service is amazing and could be really helpful if you need a visa in a short amount of time. However, it could be a problem if they are all booked up. Thankfully, it’s not the end of the world, as you can either wait for available slots to be added or someone else may cancel their own appointment. Therefore, with some patience, you could still be able to book an appointment.