UK launches simplified biz visa scheme for Chinese

LONDON - UK Visas & Immigration has launched a new visa scheme named "Select Business Scheme UK" (SBS UK) which can "greatly simplify" the process for inviting Chinese business partners to Britain.

According to China-Britain Business Council's (CBBC) announcement on Thursday, SBS UK dramatically simplifies the business visa application process by allowing representatives of Chinese businesses to provide just three documents when applying for a visa: an application form, an invitation letter and a letter of employment.

It is now available to members of CBBC, the British Chamber of Commerce in China (BCCC), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and companies referred by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), said CBBC.

James Meyer Sasson, chairman of CBBC, said "securing a visa can be a concern for Chinese companies. I wholeheartedly welcome the Select Business Scheme UK, which will streamline the process for those companies, and I very much hope that CBBC's members will take advantage of the service to strengthen links between Chinese and British companies."

Britain now receives more Chinese investment than any other European Union country and is also the fourth most popular destination for Chinese investment worldwide.