Why are UK visa biometrics appointments suspended at USCIS Application Support Centers?

4/16/2019 11:52:19 AM

More information about this:

  • Article in the Guardian, 16 April 2019 says the problem arose because the UK missed a payment to USCIS. Specifically, it says that a UK payment didn’t clear before its deadline. It doesn’t explain how it is possible that such a problem could happen by mistake. It says that the alternative, applying at VFS premium application centers, can cost nearly $2,000 “for a fast-track service”.

  • Post from BAL (law firm), 10 April 2019 explains that applicants can either wait for the problem to be resolved, or go to VFS premium application centers.

4/2/2019 7:37:41 PM

There are 4 solutions –

  1. If there’s still a lot of time for travel, then wait for services to
    go back up.
  2. If you have time, then Create a new visa application,
    and use VFS premium ASC centre, and bronze service right away.
    Create a refund request for older application. Link for this would
    be on payment confirmation email.
  3. If short on time and in hurry,
    create new application and purchase silver package VFS for faster
    processing.
  4. If have 3-4 weeks before travelling, wait little longer for the service at ASC to go backup. Once it does, then buy the premium processing service ($289). Note this is not at premium location so do this ONLY if ASC service is back up. This will take 5-7 days for processing so you can make up for the lost time.

Hope this helps.

4/2/2019 8:10:51 PM

According to the VFS Global website:

Biometric enrolment services provided for UK visa customers at US
Dept. of Homeland Security Application Support Centers (ASCs) are
temporarily suspended. Work is ongoing to restore service as soon as
possible – please monitor this page for updates.

Customers with ASC appointments this week are advised to monitor this
page for updates to confirm that service has been restored, before
travelling to their chosen ASC location.

If you are an affected customer and have missed your appointment due
to this service interruption, you may present at your chosen ASC
location on a ‘walk-in’ basis, as soon as you see the message on this
page that service has been restored.

Normal service is in place across all 10 US VFS Premium Application
Centres and available to all UK visa customers. Please note that
services at these locations attract additional charges. Click ‘Premium
Application Centres’ from the choices above for more information.

4/2/2019 2:35:31 PM

IF you visit the link given in the letter you posted, you will see a link to a message about the disruption, which says in part:

Normal service is in place across all 10 US VFS Premium Application Centres and available to all UK visa customers. Please note that services at these locations attract additional charges. Click ‘Premium Application Centres’ from the choices above for more information.

This answers your second question.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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