Additional Countries Added to List for Required Tuberculosis Testing

IMPACT – Low

What is the change? Starting 31 October, residents of 10 more countries will be required to undergo tuberculosis (TB) screening before applying to visit the U.K. for stays longer than six months.

What does the change mean? The new requirement adds a step to the pre-application process for residents of these countries.

• Implementation timeframe: 31 October 2013.
• Visas/permits affected: Stays longer than six months, and six-month fiancé(e) visit visas.
• Who is affected: Residents of 10 countries.
• Impact on processing times: This adds an additional step to the pre-application process.
• Business impact: Minimal.
• Next steps: Obtain TB screening for residents of specified countries before applying for visas valid for longer than six months.

Background: In the past year, the U.K. has begun mandating TB screening for residents of several dozen countries for visas lasting longer than six months. For applications submitted on or after 31 October, TB screenings will be required for residents of:

• Bolivia
• Cameroon
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru

Applications submitted before 31 October will not require TB screening certificates. The new requirement does not apply to stays of six months or less. However, six-month fiancé(e) visa applications must present TB screening certificates.

BAL analysis: Clients are advised to acquire TB screening certificates in advance for affected employees.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com.

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