THE U.K. visa application center in Shenzhen will issue biometric visas from tomorrow, officials from the British Consulate General in Guangzhou announced at a press conference in Shenzhen yesterday.
The introduction of biometric visas requires all people applying for a U.K. visa to go to the center and apply in person, unless they are under 5 years of age. Applicants aged under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Biometrics refers to technologies that use biological data to authenticate a person's identity.
In the case of the U.K. visas, the physical characteristics that are verified are the face, via a digital photograph, and fingerprints, via an ink-free and chemical-free scanning device.
The collection process takes only two minutes. Applicants simply place their hands on the finger scanner device and have a digital photo taken.
Applicants will only need to pay the standard visa fee; there is no additional charge for using the services of the visa application centers and no increase in the duration of the application process.
The new visas will also be introduced in all 12 U.K. visa application centers in major cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
The British Government is collecting biometric data from all visa applicants, regardless of nationality, as part of a worldwide biometric identification process.
The United Kingdom has introduced biometric visas in more than 100 countries.
In 2006, the British Embassy in China issued nearly 145,000 visas, an increase of 29 percent from the previous year.
The U.K. visa application center in Shenzhen, which was put into use in April 2005, is located in the International Chamber of Commerce Building in Futian District.
By logging on to the British Embassy Web site: www.uk.cn, or the visa application center Web site: www.ukvac.net.cn, applicants can get more information regarding the new visa system as well as assistance.