Residents in Shenzhen will be able to submit applications for British visas in April, instead of traveling to Guangzhou, according to a statement issued by the British Consulate-General in Guangzhou.

The British Embassy has introduced a network of visa application centers across the country. The first center will open in Beijing on Feb. 23 and others will follow in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Jinan, Nanjing and Fuzhou.

Centers in Shenzhen and Fuzhou will open in early April. The visa application center in Guangzhou will open March 22.

Under the expanded system, applicants will no longer have to submit their applications directly to the embassy or consulates. They will be able to go to their nearest visa application center to lodge visa applications.

The application centers will courier applications to the British Embassy or nearest consulate-general for rapid assessment. The vast majority of decisions will be made without the need for an interview, the statement says. In addition to the visa fee, the application center service provider will levy a charge of around 220 yuan (US$26.7) for the visa administration service, the statement says.

Advice on applications and visa forms can be found on the embassy Web site: http://www.uk.cn/.

(Shenzhen Daily February 17, 2005)