PRETORIA – The British High Commission in Pretoria says there is no truth in media reports that the UK has endorsed a visa-free entry for 18 African Commonwealth countries, as claimed in various posts being shared on social media. Several unscrupulous media outlets have published a fake story claiming that all Commonwealth citizens, including those in 18 African […]
Several unscrupulous media outlets have published a fake story claiming that all Commonwealth citizens, including those in 18 African countries, are poised to benefit from “the recent UK free-visa endorsement”.
These outlets claim that the announcement was made since Theresa May became the new British Prime Minister… and that the UK will now allow South African passport holders to enter the United Kingdom for a period of 6 months without requiring a visa.
Several people sent the articles to SAPeople, including Tara O’Brien who asked “is this for real?”
We checked with the British High Commission, and spokesperson Isabel Potgieter confirmed that “the rumours going round are just that”.
She said: “We can confirm that no changes have been made to the UK’s visa regime for citizens of Commonwealth countries.”
If you would like to find the correct information on UK visas and immigration for your particular circumstances, please visit: www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
These type of articles – like those claiming that Chad le Clos and Michelle Weber each won Gold at the Olympics – are pure link bait to attract unsuspecting South African readers, and increase the outlet’s advertising revenue.
If a story sounds too good to be true, it’s always best to do a search of the topic on a reputable news site to verify the facts, or feel free to contact SAPeople as Tara did.