INQUIRER Global Nation

MANILA, Philippines?The United Kingdom?s visa hub here is now the largest in Asia Pacific, and is projected to take in 89,000 applications this year from six different places, including the Philippines, UK?s border and immigration official said.

In a press conference Friday, Barbara Woodward, director of UK?s Border Agency International Group, said the Philippines was chosen as a regional visa hub because Filipino staffers tended to be more flexible, able to speak English, are good communicators. She said competitive salaries and a strong underlying business culture were other plus points for the Philippines.

At the same time, she said the number of visa applications from the Philippines has been high over the years?47,000 in 2008, more than 45,000 in 2009, and already around 7,500 for the first two months of 2010.

And comparable to its global approval rate of 81 percent, the approval rate for visa applications from the Philippines has been around 80 percent.

Woodward said the bulk (around 70 to 75 percent) of the applications have been from students, seamen, and people who want to visit their relatives in UK or who just want to visit UK.

And Mark Date, another UK border official, said most rejections are due to the applicants? inability to show that they would be able to support and maintain themselves once in the UK. ?London is not cheap and applicants must show financial means of support,? he said.

Another common mistake, especially for student visa applicants, is applying for this type of visa with the intention of finding work there.

?This distorts the labor market and puts applicants at risk of not getting paid good wages or getting health and safety provisions,? Woodward said.

The solution, she said, would be to apply under the so-called Tier 2 category, or employment as nurse, engineer, seaman, or even fisherman.

At the same time, Woodward warned visa applicants against people promising UK visas that won?t require the applicant to go to their office. She said anyone making that offer is a fraud, as UK visa applications require that the applicant?s biometrics (10 fingers and digital photo) are taken at the UK visa office.