UKvisas is a joint Directorate of the Home Office and Foreign & Commonwealth Office. We manage the UK’s entry clearance (visa) operation from our visa offices at UK Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates abroad, collectively known as UK missions. Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) based in our visa offices overseas decide visa or entry clearance applications. We work closely with the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) of the Home Office, the government department responsible for immigration policy.
We deliver a world class visa operation by balancing effective control of UK borders with a quality service to our customers. We use biometrics, an intelligence-led risk assessment process and enhanced training and supervision to improve the quality of decisions made by ECOs.
UKvisas reports to a joint management board of senior Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) and Home Office officials and to Ministers in both departments.
Cogent is a global biometric identification solutions provider to governments, law enforcement agencies, and commercial enterprises. Cogent provides the highest quality identification systems, products and services with leading technology, accuracy and speed. Cogent's Automated Fingerprint/Palmprint Identification Systems, or AFIS, enable customers to capture fingerprint and palm print images electronically, encode prints into searchable files, and accurately compare a set of fingerprints/palm prints to a database containing potentially millions of prints in seconds. Cogent is the provider of biometric software for the UKvisas Biometrics Program. The software solution will support the capture of both fingerprint and facial images. The software will support the recording and verification of 10-print records, fingerprint verification matching of applicants as well as enable the recording of facial images per ICAO standards. Cogent will also provide software consulting as well as help desk and incident management services.
As an end-to-end IT services provider, Steria offers its customers (European companies and public authorities) services that combine functional and technological expertise in a bid to align information systems with strategic objectives and run the associated services.
Steria act as a supplier for Biometric recording equipment and other associated hardware. As a member of the framework agreement you will get access to the hardware catalogue with its highly competitive pricing. The framework catalogue is dynamic and new products can be added on request. You will also have access to the Steria order desk, who will manage quotes / orders and any warranty claims. |
UKvisas | 
