UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has issued a same-day update to its ‘Tuberculosis Testing in India’ guidance, removing Lucknow’s National X-Ray Clinic and revising operating hours for the remaining Lucknow Medical Clinic. All Indians applying for UK visas longer than six months must obtain a TB clearance certificate from an approved panel clinic. The 21 September notice is the second Lucknow-related change in as many months and follows fee hikes and address modifications at several diagnostic centres earlier this year. Applicants who had already booked at the delisted clinic will have to reschedule, potentially affecting biometric appointments and travel plans. The change comes as UKVI transitions to digital e-Visas and prepares for a fee increase in October. For Indian corporates sending staff on Tier 2 (Skilled Worker) or Intra-company routes, mobility teams should reconfirm clinic availability before issuing Certificates of Sponsorship to avoid cascading delays. HR departments are advised to: 1) review pending cases in Lucknow, Kolkata and Hyderabad, where recent fee or schedule changes have caused backlogs; 2) update employee communication templates with the new clinic list; and 3) build in extra lead time—currently four to six weeks—for mandatory medicals. Failure to present a valid TB certificate at the visa appointment will result in refusal, with no refund of application fees. The episode highlights the importance of monitoring UKVI guidance updates, which can appear without prior notice but have immediate effect on Indian travellers.
Source: UK Government – GOV.UK
