Introduction of Visa Requirement For T&T Nationals Visiting The United Kingdom

The Government of the United Kingdom has announced today (Wednesday 12th March 2025) that with immediate effect, all nationals of Trinidad and Tobago will need a Visa before travelling to the UK, including on short visits. The announcement comes in response to what the UK Government described as a “significant increase” in T&T nationals arriving as visitors and then claiming asylum.

In a Media Release today, the British High Commission in Port-of-Spain said the decision to introduce a Visa requirement has been taken due to a “significant increase in the number of Trinidad and Tobago nationals coming to the UK as visitors only to claim asylum on arrival, constituting a misuse of the immigration system. The UK’s relationship with Trinidad and Tobago remains a strong and friendly one. This decision has not been taken lightly and the UK Government regularly reviews its Visa and immigration policies to ensure they remain effective.”

The changes, which come into effect immediately, will apply to all Trinidad and Tobago nationals travelling to the UK. A requirement for Transit Visas will also be introduced from 00:01 on 13th March, 2025.

However, there will be a six-week transition period until 15:00 on 23rd April, 2025, during which time visitors who booked their travel and obtained an ETA before the changes, can still enter the UK without a Visa. There is also a transition period for passengers who are transiting via the UK to an onward destination.

British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Jon Dean, said: “The changes announced today align Trinidad and Tobago with many other Visa national countries with which the UK shares close and friendly ties. We understand that travel is important for families, businesses, and cultural connections. The introduction of Visitor Visas is designed to support safe and secure travel while ensuring the UK’s borders remain protected. The British High Commission in Port-of-Spain has worked closely with the UK Government to put in place arrangements that allow Trinidad and Tobago nationals to apply for their Visitor Visas right here at home. We remain committed to welcoming visitors and look forward to continuing the strong ties between our people. As a valued Commonwealth partner, Trinidad and Tobago remains an important part of the UK’s global community.”

 

The Media Release from the British High Commission added, “The UK Government will work with our commercial partner, VFS Global, to ensure sufficient capacity at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Port-of-Spain, including opening five (5) days a week to accommodate the processing of Visitor Visa applications in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Important Things To Note:

• Visa applications are submitted and paid for online at www.gov.uk, after which applicants book an appointment at a VAC to provide their biometrics and hand over their Passport.
• The UK Government aims to process applications within fifteen (15) UK working days of receipt of the Passport and biometrics and applicants can apply up to three (3) months in advance.
• A six-month Multiple-Entry Visa for the UK currently costs £115. Longer validity Visas are also available.
• Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago who booked travel to the UK before 15:00 GMT on 12th March, 2025 will still be able to enter the UK without a Visa as long as they hold a valid ETA and are scheduled to arrive in the UK before 15:00 BST on 23rd April, 2025. Those already in the UK will not be affected by the new requirement for the remainder of their visit, but once they leave the UK, they will need a Visitor Visa in order to enter the UK again.
• Trinidad and Tobago passengers will be able to transit the UK airside (not leaving the Airport) without a Visa until 23rd April, 2025, if they booked tickets to their onward destination via the UK before the introduction of the Transit Visa requirement. Nationals from Trinidad and Tobago are already required to obtain a Visa for other (non-visit) purposes, such as to work or study. Those resident in the UK will be able to travel and return using their eVisa.
• To get access to your eVisa, you need to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. Once you have access to your eVisa, you can sign in to your UKVI account to view your eVisa and prove your immigration status.
• A Standard Visitor Visa can be used for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. Individuals can usually stay in the UK for up to six (6) months and might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.

However, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Dr. Amery Browne, said the Trinidad and Tobago Government has expressed its disappointment with this new Visa requirement for T&T nationals, and would continue engaging with UK Officials. “This move is within their rights as a sovereign nation,” Browne said, “but we do not see it as a proportionate response to what UK authorities conveyed to us, which was their observation that a relatively small number of T&T nationals were misusing the UK immigration system by being processed for an ETA in the normal existing process and then suddenly applying for asylum after arrival.”

He added, “We have noted that their decision to reintroduce Visa requirements will be kept under review. We have indicated our disappointment with the new Visa requirement and will continue our consistent engagement with our UK counterparts. We are not of the view that regular travellers to the UK should be negatively affected by a relatively small number of persons who have been trying to abuse the British immigration system.”

According to The Times, asylum claims from T&T nationals rose from an annual average of forty-nine (49) between 2015 and 2019 to 439 in the past year. A UK Government Spokesperson told the newspaper that the new requirement addresses the growing trend of people arriving as tourists and then claiming asylum. The Spokesperson added that the UK “will continue to warmly welcome visitors” and that the Visa requirement “will be kept under review.”

More on this as it becomes available. 

[Source: CNC3] 

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