If you’re looking to make a short term stay in the UK, then the standard visitor visa (UK) is likely the visa you’ll need to apply for. Visitor visas in the UK allow you to travel for short term stays of up to six months and can be used for leisure and business, among other reasons.
The visitor visa can act as a short term business visa, a tourist visa for UK holidays, an academic visit visa, a marriage visitor visa to get married or enter into civil partnership, and much more. If you’re coming to the UK for travel, tourism, leisure, short term business needs, or private medical treatment, then the standard visit visa (UK) will give you permission to come to the UK to do so.
If you need support with your visitor visa, you can contact our offices on +443301 222 991
If you’re not a citizen of either an EEA country or Switzerland, you may well need to go through the online application form process on the gov.uk website in order to get a standard visa. UK visa eligibility can be confusing , however, and there are exceptions.
If you’re not sure whether you need the visitor visa for UK travel, we always recommend using the Home Office website to check.
To prove your eligibility for the UK visitor visa, it’s important to provide the Home Office with evidence of the general requirements for eligibility as part of your UK visit visa requirements and application. As a non-EEA visa national, you’ll need to prove that:
It’s one thing knowing what you need to prove, but it’s another thing understanding how to do so. Immigration rules are strict and the Home Office refuses a lot of visas on the basis of a lack of supporting evidence. Here at Visa Immigration Services & Appeals  it’s our job to support you in understanding what you need to do to submit a successful application and how to go about it. Visit visa requirements for UK travel can be confusing, but we’re always on hand to provide guidance and assistance when you need it.
To have your visa approved, you’ll need to give details about your current and previous passport numbers or an alternative valid travel identification. Remember, however, that any documentation needs to be accompanied with a certified translation if it isn’t in English or Welsh. Additional documents you might need to provide includes:
The list continues, and the truth is that there’s no limit to the amount of supporting evidence that can help prove your eligibility and support your case. If you feel a little overwhelmed and want some support in putting your application together, contact us on 03301 222 991. Our immigration lawyers are well-experienced and fully-qualified – no one is better placed to help guide you to visa approval.
When planning a trip, it’s important to know what kind of timeframe you can work from. Whether you’re travelling to the UK for business or tourism from somewhere like North America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East or Africa, you want to know that your plans aren’t going to be held up while you wait for permission to travel.
You can submit your visa application to the Home Office between three months and 48 hours before you plan to travel.
However, the visa processing time can take often take up to three weeks for applicants outside the EEA and Switzerland. You can take steps to track the application processing period and view your UK visa processing status as it changes. It can be a huge relief to be able to frequently check your visa status. UK processing times are generally quick, but it’s good to keep on top of the ways things progress.
Whether you’re applying from a local visa centre or embassy, or applying via the online forms, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to have your visa approved as soon as possible.
If you’re travelling to the UK for an urgent appointment that you can’t afford to miss, you might want to choose one of the Home Office’s priority services: the Priority Service and the Super Priority Service. These ensure that your application is processed within five working days and 24 hours respectively.
These services come at an extra cost but are fantastic for making sure you get your visa decision delivered within a shorter timeframe. Not all countries offer these services, however, so it’s worth checking at a local visa application centre first.
If you need to visit the UK for business or tourism as soon as possible and you’re struggling to put together your business or tourist visa UK application, the team here at Visa Immigration Services & Appeals are here to help out.
Our qualified immigration lawyers can offer you a fantastic fast track application package with which they will make sure that your application gets submitted and processed as soon as possible with the best chance of success. This includes booking a Home Office Same-Day Premium slot for you, checking your required documentation, writing a Letter of Representation to the Home Office, and more. Just get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help.
As a general rule, all Standard UK visitor visas are short term visas limiting the holder to a maximum stay of six months. Immigration rules also prevent you from bypassing this restriction by using the visitor visa or frequent or successive visits, but you are free to enter and leave the UK at will during the time that your visa is valid.
For visitors from the United States, China, Pakistan, India, and other non-EEA countries can, however, apply for a long-term visit visa for UK travel. These are available at an extra cost and can be held for a duration of two years, five years or ten years.
Beware that these visas still restrict you to a maximum single visit of six months or less. However, you can enter and leave the UK multiple times within the allotted time period. A long term visitor visa UK is a great route to take if you know that you’ll need to return to the UK multiple times within a certain period of time.
Non-EEA academic visitors and those receiving private medical treatment in the UK do have access to another solution for a longer-term stay. This is called the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). This will mean having to submit biometric information about yourself such as your personal details, fingerprints, a photo, your immigration status and more, but will allow you to stay in the UK for longer than six months. This process is known as biometric enrolment and still requires you to prove evidence of sufficient financial support for your stay.
Before beginning a visa application, you want to know how much it’s going to cost for your visitor visa. To UK travellers from non-EEA countries, visa fees can vary. But the standard UK visitor visa costs are the same – £100. However, if you’re planning on staying for longer than 6 months, it might be that you’re applying for a long-term standard visa, in which case there are different costs involved:
International travelling can be costly as it is – you don’t want to overlook planning for the correct visa fees and finding yourself caught out when it comes time to submit your application.
Here at the Visa Immigration Services & Appeals, we often see applicants frustrated by visa costs – if you’re visiting the UK for a family wedding, holiday, or other short term stays, then costs can begin to pile up.
The gov.uk website has a fantastic tool with which you can check the correct visa fees for your journey before applying, and we always recommend that applicants make use of this.
There are a number of available options when it comes to a Visitor Visa refusal. These options are outlined in detail below:
The advantages of each option is explained in this table:
Type of remedy | Advantage | Disadvantage |
Re-apply | A fresh application gives the opportunity for correcting reasons for error, e.g., documents not submitted | Additional cost of having to pay for a new application |
Appeal on human rights grounds | Not expensive, not likely to have to pay legal costs of the other party, can be a quicker option, sometimes can submit new evidence | The judge makes factual findings and makes a decision about the case |
Judicial review | Can be expensive, risk of having to pay legal fees of the other party, entire process can be lengthy | No new evidence can be submitted, costs of the other party can be recovered if successful, other party may reverse their decision |
Every immigration case is different, and it is recommended that you work with an immigration adviser to ensure that your case is given the appropriate attention, and all your circumstances considered.
For expert support and advice with your UK Visitor Visa refusal case, contact our specialist advisers today.
The visitor visa allows foreign nationals subject to UK immigration laws to enter the country for a short period for a range of different reasons. This is because the standard UK visit visa covers a range of other types of visas for UK travel and various sub-categories of visas, including:
It’s also the case that UK family visit visas are difficult to obtain compared to other types of UK visa. For foreign nationals subject to UK immigration laws, family visas have very strict requirements and a challenging application process. You’ll need to prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself throughout the duration of your stay, as well as provide proof that you fully intend on returning home at the end of your maximum six months stay. The family visitor visa (UK) requirements are difficult to meet, but our OISC-regulated immigration lawyers can help you to make sense of the process.
Whether the application is being made by the child or the parent, it’s necessary to prove that the under-18 will have the necessary suitable accommodation and care during their stay. This might include proving they have sufficient funds and travel plans as part of the application. You also need to prove that the minor has a recognised parent or guardian who is responsible for their care in their home country.
For example, with a business visitor visa, you can attend conferences and training, complete academic work, participate in some sporting events, negotiate and sign deals and contracts, and carry out inspections, among other functions. However, you can’t do any paid work or access public funds while in the UK. You’re eligible for the business visitor visa regardless of whether you are working for an employer or self-employed.
This isn’t to be confused with the student visa, which allows foreign nationals to study in the UK for periods of more than six months but is instead measured on a points-based system.
Essentially, if you or the applicant plans to travel and study at a UK institution for an undergraduate degree or other long term course, the student visitor visa won’t cover your needs.
If, however, you’re an international student planning on studying for a maximum period of six months for a short term qualification, then this is the visa you need to apply for.
If you’re stopping off in the UK and plan to leave the airport while waiting for your next flight, there’s a good chance that you’ll need a visitor in transit visa.
If you’re stopping in the UK for up to 48 hours before flying somewhere else, you’ll need to prove to immigration authorities both your right to stay in the UK for this time and your intention to leave. For this type of visa, UK immigration laws require you to provide travel documents and proof of your journey plans.
This kind of travel is known as ‘transiting land-side’, and falls under the UK transit visa category of the standard visitor visa. You’ll need this visa if you’re planning on passing through immigration control before leaving the UK within 48 hours.
When it comes to transit visas, UK immigration laws take into account a range of different factors.
Depending on your nationality, your airline, and the nature of your stay (whether airside or landside transit), your UK visa requirements can vary.
If you arrive in the UK for transit without permission, you risk being denied entry by an immigration officer.
Need some help to decide how to proceed with your visa application? UK’s immigration control is strict, and understanding which visa is right for you and how to apply can be a confusing process. Here at Immigration Advice Service, our qualified and experienced immigration lawyers can provide you with the information and advice you need to add clarity to your decision. We’ll support you in making an informed decision about your visa and help you to better understand your immigration status.
When you choose our advice package, you’ll be invited for a one-on-one Advice Session. This can take place either via Skype, phone or in person – we have immigration law offices across the nation. Our immigration lawyers are fully qualified, so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands when you choose Visa Immigration Services & Appeals . During your Advice Session, your assigned immigration lawyer will listen in detail to all the different aspects of your situation. They’ll ask plenty of questions until they have a comprehensive picture of your immigration matter. Then, they’ll be in a position to offer you the advice you need.
Our immigration lawyers will help you to understand the various specific visa categories and can provide you with a path of further steps to take in your visa application. It may be that for your UK visitor visa application to be successful, you need to provide supporting documents such as travel documents, birth certificates, employment contracts, and even bank statements. Applications are often about being able to prove your intent and ability to abide by UK immigration laws. Our lawyers will advise you on which additional documents can help increase your application’s chances of success.
You’ll benefit from an untimed Advice Session that addresses all of your visa needs. Want a chance to talk in detail about your case and receive detailed information in return about how to proceed? Our advice package is the service for you:
Having a visa successfully approved is rarely as easy as just filling in a short online application form or even visiting a local visa application centre. Applying to the UK Home Office can be a long and complicated process. You don’t want to spend a lot of time putting together an application, only to find that you’ve been unsuccessful – especially if it could have been easily avoided. That’s why so many people end up having to seek professional advice and help when attempting to travel to the UK from a non-EEA nation.
If you want to relieve some of the burden of the extensive process that a UK visitor visa application entails, we offer a package that’s specially tailored to offer you the assistance you need. We can help you to complete and strengthen your application by making sure that you’ve got all the supporting documents and evidence that you might need. For foreign nationality citizens travelling to the UK for tourism and business, it can be easy to overlook something and find yourself refused entry.
When you choose our application package, you’ll benefit from comprehensive assistance in completing your visitor visa application. We’ll assign you a dedicated caseworker for advice and assistance throughout the process.
You’ll benefit from a thorough consultation and further guidance regarding visa application fees, eligibility requirements, evidence collation, and more. Your caseworker will then assist you in preparing and submitting your application. They’ll support you throughout the entire process, monitoring and keeping you informed as things progress.
Our expert immigration lawyers will help to:
You might be applying for a UK visitor visa for a number of different reasons. You may be travelling to the UK to attend a family wedding, a graduation ceremony, an important business conference, a private medical appointment, or something else that you can’t afford to miss. The fact is that visa applications can sometimes take a long time to put together and submit, only for you to have to wait even longer for a decision after the visa processing time. Here at the Immigration Advice Service, we understand that you might not have that time to spare.
That’s why our immigration lawyers are here to help you get your application submitted and approved as quickly as possible. If you can’t afford to spend months waiting for your visa because of a deadline or important fixed appointment in the UK, you might be understandably anxious about getting things done as quickly as possible. That’s what our premium fast track application package service is for – we’ll work tirelessly to make sure urgent applications get over the line so that you can have one less thing to worry about. We’re here to help you meet your deadline.
Using our fast track application package means you can rest easy knowing that your visa application is at the top of our immigration lawyers’ priorities. We have a fantastic track record of processing and pushing through applications – sometimes in as little as 24 hours when people use the service. Visa processing time can be lengthy, but we’ll make sure that you get fast and effective service. We’ll get any general visitor visa UK applications submitted in as few working days as possible.
When you choose our fast track package, we’ll work to get things moving for you as quickly as possible. One of our expert immigration lawyers will get in touch and arrange a one-on-one untimed advice session as soon as is convenient to you. We’ll also help to:
As frustrating as it may be, the fact is that rejections for UK general visitor visas are very common. UK immigration laws are strict and getting stricter, and the Home Office will often deny travel to the UK for weak applications that lack the right supporting documents and evidence. UK visitor visa applications require a lot of evidence, and it’s easy to slip up and leave important information either absent or incorrect. However, if you’re intending on travelling to the UK either for business, leisure, or anything else, the Immigration Advice Service team can help you to appeal a visa rejection.
The key to successfully appealing a denied visitor visa application is to act quickly. When the Home Office sends you your refusal letter, it will state your eligibility for appeal and advise you on the required timeframe. If you subsequently choose to appeal and want the best chance of success possible, you’ll need to work in this timeframe and be able to comprehensively amend your application to meet the standards necessary. Fortunately, our immigration lawyers are well experienced in dealing with appeals.
When you choose to appeal your rejected visa application with the Immigration Advice Service, our dedicated experts can draw from a wealth of experience, insight, and knowledge to assess what may have been the reason for your denial of an entry visa. Then, they’ll set about resolving any issues, help you to strengthen your case and assist with your appeal. Our appeal package allows you to benefit from the support of our experts in UK immigration laws. There’s the possibility that may have to go to a hearing or tribunal – we know that this can be intimidating and overwhelming, which is why our lawyers will offer to represent you and your case if necessary.
Receiving a visa refusal letter from the Home Office doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your hopes for travel to the UK. Visa appeals are commonplace, and our immigration lawyers have a fantastic track record of successfully reversing visa decisions – they’ll offer you thorough guidance throughout the appeal process. With our appeal package, we’ll help to: