UK Visitor Visa

UK Visitor Visa

This route is for foreign nationals who want to visit the UK temporarily for tourism, to visit friends or family, to carry out a business activity, or to undertake a short course of study.

Categories - UK Visitor Visa

There are four main categories of a UK Visit Visa, some of which have subcategories with periods of leave:

• ★ Standard:
  • ★ Normal Visitor - up to 6 months;
  • ★ Child Visitor - up to 12 months:
  • ★ Private medical Visitor - up to 11 months;
  • ★ ADS Agreement - up to 30 days;
  • ★ Academic 12 months visa.
• ★ Marriage or Civil Partnership - up to 6 months;
• ★ Permitted Paid Engagement - up to 1 month;
• ★ Transit - up to 48 hours:
  • ★ Normal Transit;
  • ★ Direct Airside.

Requirements - UK Visitor Visa

Genuine requirements for a UK Visitors Visa:

• ★ Proof that you are going to leave the UK at the end of your visit;
• ★ Able to support yourself and pay for your journey, return or onward travel;
• ★ No intention to reside for an extended period or make the UK your main home;
• ★ That they have sufficient funds to maintain and accommodate themselves in the UK;
• ★ They should be allowed under the grounds for refusal for visitors.

Additional Requirements

UK Child Visa:

• ★ Demonstration of adequate arrangements for their travel, reception and care in the UK;
• ★ Have a parent or guardian in their home country who is responsible for their care;
• ★ Consent from parent or guardian with confirmation arrangements for the child’s travel and care in the UK.

UK Medical Treatment Visa :

• ★ Letter from their doctor detailing the medical condition with estimated costs, duration of the treatment and place of treatment;
• ★ Proof from their medical practitioner in the UK about exceeding proposed treatment but not more than 11 months;
• ★ TB test certificate (if required).

UK ADS Agreement Visa:

• ★ Chinese Citizenship;
• ★ intention to enter, leave and travel within the UK as a member of a tourist group (under the ADS agreement).

UK Academic Visa:

• ★ Carrying out one of the permitted activities for up to 12 months;
• ★ Be highly qualified within their field of expertise;
• ★ Currently working in that field at an academic institution or higher education overseas;
• ★ TB test certificate (if required).

UK Marriage Visa:

• ★ Intention to marry or a civil partnership;
• ★ No intention for a sham civil partnership or sham marriage within the validity period of the Visa.

Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) Visa:

Intention to do one or more of the permitted paid engagements, arranged before travel and declared as part of the application evidenced by a formal invitation and related to their area of expertise and occupation overseas.

Permitted activities - UK Visitors

• ★ Tourism;
• ★ Family or friends meetings;
• ★ Volunteer activity (with a registered charity for up to 30 days);
• ★ Transit through the UK to another country;
• ★ Attending a meeting or interview;
• ★ School exchange programme;
• ★ A recreational course (up to 30 days);
• ★ Medical reasons.

Unpermitted activities - UK Visitors

• ★ Self-employed, any paid or unpaid work for a UK company;
• ★ Claim public funds (benefits);
• ★ To Live in the UK for extended periods;
• ★ To marry or register a civil partnership if not a Marriage and civil partnership visitor visa type.

Documents - UK Visitor Visa

You will need to provide certain information as part of the application process:

• ★ Passports;
• ★ Financial proof of sufficient funds to travel within the UK;
• ★ Confirmation of legal residence if you are applying from a country in which you are not a national;
• ★ Sufficient details of your employment or studies;
• ★ Documents for potential business activities (e.g. a letter from any inviting organisations).

Additional Documents:

• ★ Travel documents with exact dates of your travel;
• ★ History of international travel;
• ★ Proof of sufficient funds;
• ★ Overseas contact details and address;
• ★ Details of any overseas employer company for which you travel to the UK.

Application procedure - UK Visitors

It is required to complete the following steps for a UK Visitor Visa application:

• ★ Find out if you need this type of Visa before proceeding;
  • ★ Complete and submit the online application form;
• ★ Collect the required documents;
• ★ Schedule an appointment at a local Visa Application Centre;
  • ★ Attend the UK visa interview and have fingerprints scanned
• ★ Pay the application fee.

In most cases, you can receive a decision on your Visitor Visa application within three weeks.

Risk factors for refusal

Visitor Visa may be rejected for many reasons, including the following:

• ★ Young or old age;
• ★ Absence of close family in their own country;
• ★ Use this type of Visa as a scheme to live in the UK;
• ★ A threat to national security;
• ★ Breach the immigration rules in the past;
• ★ Unspent criminal convictions;
• ★ No one appears to be a genuine visitor;
• ★ Insufficient funds to support yourself in the UK;
• ★ A recent payment of money into the account or large unexplained bank statement transactions.

Fees - UK Visitor Visa

• ★ 6 months - £115
• ★ 2-year - 6 months per visit - £432
• ★ 5-year - 6 months per visit - £771
• ★ 10-year - 6 months per visit - £963

Extension - UK Visitor Visa

You can extend your Visa for longer than six months due to:

• ★ Medical treatment;
• ★ Eligibility requirements which still in force;
• ★ Clinical attachment or graduate retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB).