Provide genuine documents for visa applications -UK HC

Accra, Jan. 13, GNA - Ghanaians who wish to apply for the United Kingdom Visa have been advised to provide all the necessary information on their forms and genuine documents to support all claims.

"The British High Commission now has all the needed machinery to detect the genuineness or otherwise of documents that are received," said Mr. Simon Peachey, Director of Visa Services, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) in charge of the West Africa Sub-region.


Briefing journalists during a media open day organized by the UKBA in Accra on Wednesday , Mr Peachey cited fake passports, stamps, visas, invitation letters and bank statements as some of the forged documents that some people usually submitted with their applications. He urged all visa applicants to desist from attaching false documents since their detection attracted a 10-year UK Visa ban ban on any applicant caught in the act.


Mr. Peachey said the UKBA was formed in April 2008 to improve the United Kingdom border security and also manage migration to the UK. It has employed 24,000 staff in 130 countries worldwide and also worked closely with other international organizations on UK migration related issues.

He said in order to avert international security threat, the UK was putting in place all the needed changes to improve border security as well as attract legitimate travelers and trade.


Mr. Peachey entreated persons who had been issued with UK visas to keep to the conditions attached to the visa since going contrary to those conditions could attract either a fine, deportation or a ban from returning to the UK for up to 10 years.


"Working with a visa which does not allow you to work will mean that you will not be protected by UK employment law and one could end up working in dangerous condition full of exploitations from employers," he added. Mr. Peachey advised people from non-European Union countries to desist from sending food items such as meats and all meat products, milk and all diary products, eggs and honey products since they would be seized and destroyed at the airport.