The Courier Assisted Visa Application (CAVA) System
What is CAVA?
CAVA is a more efficient way of making a visa application, designed for people who meet our pre-set criteria. It means that you do not have to come to the British Embassy unless you are invited for an interview. If a Visa Officer needs to interview you, the Embassy will contact you directly to offer you an appointment. Please note that using this service is not a guarantee that you will qualify for a visa.
How does it work?
The visa call centre will arrange to send the CAVA courier to collect from you your passport, application form & supporting documents. The CAVA courier will take your papers to the CAVA centre, where they will be checked to verify that you meet the criteria and that all documents have been enclosed. If you do not meet the criteria or your application is incomplete, CAVA will return the package directly to you with a letter explaining why it has been returned. If the application meets the criteria and is complete, CAVA will lodge it at the Embassy, where a Visa Officer will assess it. If the visa is approved, your passport will be returned to you via our courier.
Is there a charge?
The CAVA approved courier, Aboitiz, will charge you a fee of 280 pesos, which covers the round-trip courier, and the administrative work undertaken at the CAVA centre. This fee must be paid at the time of pick up in cash. This is in addition to the visa fee, which must be paid as a manager’s draft. Please note that either the CAVA courier charges or the visa fee are non-refundable.
How long does it take?
We aim to process your application within 4 working days of it arriving at the Embassy. The CAVA centre will be able to advise you of the likely time lapse between collecting your papers from you and lodging them at the Embassy. The whole process should take between 7 and 10 working days, if you are applying from outside of Metro Manila these times may vary by up to 6 working days.
Can anyone use the facility?
Only those who meet our criteria are eligible to use the full CAVA service. Other customers who do not meet the criteria will be given an interview date by the Visa Call Centre so they can lodge their application in person at the Embassy.
What do I need to apply?
¨ A valid passport with at least 6 months validity remaining, and enough space to insert a visa;
¨ A fully completed and signed application form;
¨ 1 recent passport sized colour photograph;
¨ Applications must be accompanied by the correct fee in the form of a manager’s cheque made payable to the ‘British Embassy, Manila’. Cash will not be accepted.
¨ You must include full supporting documentation with your application. It may cause some delay, or affect the outcome of your application, if you do not. Please see our visa requirements information sheets for further details. They are available from either the call centre or the Embassy.
¨ The documentation may include up-to-date bank statements, business letters from reputable companies explaining the reasons for the visit and its duration and who is funding the trip. You should also include any invitations from UK companies or from UK sponsors.
¨ For private visits, you may wish to provide a letter of invitation from your sponsor in the UK, which should explain who is paying for the visit; a leave letter and salary slips from your employer and evidence of funds (e.g. up to date bankbooks (not bank certificates), financial deposits, pensions, etc.);
¨ If you are a student, and wish to apply for a visit visa to the UK, you should include a letter from your school or college giving details of your course, vacation dates and the date you expect to return to your studies.
¨ If you are a work permit holder, please include your original work permit with your application. If you are applying as the spouse dependant of a work permit holder, please include a copy of their work permit and a copy of their passport pages showing their permission to be in the UK. If you are applying as the child dependant of a work permit holder, please include a copy of both your parents’ passport pages’ showing their permission to be in the UK.
How do I contact the visa call centre?
In order to lodge an application for a UK visa please call our Visa Call Centre using one of the following numbers:
*PLDT Touch Tone users 1-909-UKVISAS (8584727)
*Globe Touch Tone users 1-900-UKVISAS (8584727)
*Bayantel Touch Tone users 1-903-UKVISAS (8584727)
*DIGITEL Touch Tone users 1-909-UKVISAS (858-4727)
*All landline calls are charged a toll call charge costing 18 Pesos per minute, plus applicable NDD charges for calls made outside Metro Manila. Pre-paid PLDT Touch Cards are charged 22 Pesos per minute. Calls from Globe payphones are charged at 25 Pesos per minute. Globe Handyphone and Touch Mobile subscribers will be charge a rate of 24 pesos a minute. Customer service representatives are available from 8 am to 10 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 6 pm Saturday; recorded information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. None of the Visa Call Centre numbers are available to callers from outside of the Philippines.
If you do not meet the CAVA criteria, the Visa Call Centre will arrange an interview date for you to lodge your application in person at the Embassy. You need to call the Visa Call Centre before making an application in person at the British Embassy.
A Visa Call Centre customer service representative will confirm which service you qualify for. When calling the centre, please have your passport(s) ready.
Free leaflets with more detailed information are available from the UK VISAS WEBSITE and at the British Embassy or can be ordered from the Visa Call Centre**.
**Please note that the call centre will charge a one-way courier fee of 140 pesos if you order an application pack from them.
Notes.
You cannot get a visa by calling in person any more at the Embassy, unless the application form has a Cava reference number so it is better to call the visa call centre, and you will be given a reference number, it is unlikely that you will meet the CAVA criteria so you will be given an appointment date to lodge your application in person, at same time you will then be interviewed by an ECO to look at your application and then make a decision whether to grant a visa.
It has been noted recently that calls can cost as much as a 1000 pesos by the time you have got through to the Customer services representative.
Please be patient, and take your time, dont loose your appointment reference and be on time, dont be late, excuses will fall on deaf ears, due to the sheer weight of appointments anyone who does not turnp up on time will loose their appointment slot.
