Visitor Visa
The United Kingdom remains as one of the world’s best tourist destinations. So whether you wish to visit to see friends or attend a business meeting, it is more than likely there is visitor category available to you.
Types of Visitor Visas:
- Standard visitor/Tourist (6 months maximum stay) - designed for persons wishing to simply visit the UK for the purposes of vacation or to see family and friends.
- Business visitor (up to 6 months) - for those persons who wish to attend conferences, interviews, conduct site visits, arrange deals or sign contracts etc.
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A visitor who is coming to the UK for private medical treatment (up to 11 months) - should you wish to obtain specialist private medical
- An academic, who is employed by an overseas institution (up to 12 months);
- Marriage / civil partnership visitor (up to 6 months) - allows persons to enter the UK for the purposes of entering into marriage during their stay.
- Permitted Paid Engagements (PPE) (up to 1 month) - examples of permitted work includes work as a student examiner or assessor, conducting lectures, provide advocacy in a particular area of law, take part in arts, entertainment or sporting activities including broadcasting, take part in fashion modeling assignments etc.
- Transit visitor (up to 48 hours); and
- Student visitor (up to 11 months) - for those persons wishing to undertake short study courses in the UK.
Note: Long-term standard visitor visas are available for periods of 2, 5 and 10 years (maximum 6 months stay in each 12 month period).
What are the requirements for a visitor visa?
- You genuinely seek entry for a purpose that is permitted by the immigration rules.
- You will not spend excessive periods of time in the UK (i.e. exceed permitted time).
- You will not undertake any prohibited activities such as working, receiving benefits etc (unless your visa allows such activities)
- You have sufficient finances to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit to and from the UK and to maintain yourself while residing in the UK without access to public funds (benefits).
- You will leave the UK at the end of your visit.
If you are interested in visiting the UK in one of the above capacities, please contact me today for a free, informal discussion about your options.
What can I and can't I do while in the UK?
You can:
- take part in any of the various business-related activities mentioned in the visitor rules
- study for up to 30 days, but it should not be the main reason for your visit
- take part in an exchange programme or educational visit if you are under the age of 18
- convert your civil partnership into a marriage.
You cannot:
- do any paid or unpaid work
- reside in the UK for extended periods of time by making frequent visits
- receive any public funds (benefits)
- enter into marriage or give the notice to marry
Can I obtain a long-term visit visa?
If you need to travel to the UK regularly over a long period of time, you can apply for visas that last for 2, 5 or 10 years. However, you can still only spend a maximum of 6 months on each visit. As a rule of thumb, it is not advisable to spend more than 6 months in every 12 months period.
- You must prove that:
- you have a frequent and ongoing need to come to the UK
- the reason why you need to come to the UK is unlikely to change while your visitor visa is valid
- you plan to leave the UK at the end of each visit
I am applying as an academic, what do I need to know?
If you are applying as an academic visitor, you are permitted to stay in the UK for up to 12 months. You must also show that you are highly qualified within your field of expertise, on sabbatical leave from your home institution and visiting either:
- take part in a formal exchange with a UK counterpart
- carry out your own research
- take part in someone else’s research, teaching or clinical practice, however as long as this does not involve filling a full-time, permanent teaching post
I wish to obtain private medical treatment in the UK
If you wish to visit the UK so that you can receive a private consultation or treatment, you must prove that you:
- have a medical condition that needs private consultation or treatment in the UK
- have made or already paid for arrangements for consultations or treatment in the UK
- have enough funds to cover the treatment, residence in the UK during your visit and also the journey to and from the UK
- will leave the UK once your treatment is completed, or prior to the expiry of your visa
- are not a danger to public health, for example, you are not suffering from an infectious disease such as leprosy
I wish to travel to the UK to donate an organ to my friend or family
You are only permitted to visit the UK to donate organs to:
- a family member who you share a biological relation to
- a person you share a close personal relationship with (eg your spouse or friend)
- Furthermore, the person who you are donating to must be lawfully resident in the UK.
I wish to enter into marriage during my visit, is this possible?
If you wish to enter the UK for the purposes of giving the notice to marry and or enter into marriage in the UK, you should obtain a Marriage Visit Visa. As part of the application, you must prove that you:
- are over the age of 18
- are free to give notice of marriage, to marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of your arrival
- are in a genuine relationship with your partner
- are visiting the UK for less than 6 months and will leave prior to then
- are able to support yourself financially during your stay
- are able to pay for the costs of traveling to and from the UK
- Should you wish to pursue any of the above options, please contact me today or leave your details on contact form below and I will contact you
