Post
by thecomptroller » Fri Jun 12, 2020 6:12 pm
I just got this email and was able to book Birmingham and there appeared to be lots of slots: not my nearest but it'll do. I've been constantly checking all locations for appointments and, I may be wrong, but I reckon you can only see appointments when you get this email (I had an appointment booked before lock down occurred):
If you have received this message on behalf of the lead applicant, please ensure that they are informed immediately.
Following government guidelines on COVID-19, UK Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS), in conjunction with UKVI began a controlled, phased re-opening of Service Points from 1 June 2020, including some Service Points in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
You are receiving this email because you had an existing appointment with UKVCAS that you have not being able to attend due to the COVID-19 service suspension. We are pleased to let you know that, with the agreement of UKVI, you have been identified as a customer that will be given early access to the booking system from today until 20 June, for the first phase of service resumption in the devolved administrations.
Until the 20 June, the appointment booking system will offer you the choice of available appointments from 22 June up to 26 July 2020.
For any appointment booked by 20 June 2020, UKVCAS will honour any existing payment made for your previous appointment and services. You will not be charged again, and no appointment prices will be displayed when you rebook your new appointment at any available Service Point. Your previously postponed appointment will no longer show on your account, to allow you to rebook for a new date and time at one of our open Service Points.
From 22 June 2020, UKVCAS will revert to offering a mix of free and chargeable appointments to allow the next phase of customers to book an appointment. As a result:
• On Sunday 21 June you will be unable to view or book an appointment on the UKVCAS website. This is only temporary whilst we make changes to the system.
• From 22 June, if you have not booked an appointment and accessed the appointment booking system, you will notice the reintroduction of a mix of free and chargeable appointments.
• If you had previously paid for an appointment or extra services then:
o If you have not booked any appointment by 20 June, we will arrange a refund for you from 22 June.
o From 22 June if you cancel an appointment, including one you booked by 20 June, the cancellation will trigger a refund, as the mix of free and chargeable appointments will apply to any new booking.
o These refunds will be without prejudice, in light of the current exceptional circumstances.
Our priority remains the safety of customers and staff to ensure we deliver an effective service that meets public health guidelines. This means that initially we can only offer our service at a reduced number of locations, and at a lower capacity than usual. We understand that this may affect your booking and it may not be possible for you to attend an appointment at one of the re-opened sites. We appreciate your continued patience during these unprecedented times.
Please be assured that every customer is important to UKVCAS and we will be reviewing the new approach regularly to assess when we are able to open more appointments, additional sites and bookings for all customers.
How does this affect me?
From today, you will be able to book an appointment at one of the Devolved Administration Service Points that will be reopening on 22 June.
