If you are a foreign national and you wish to spend some time in the UK as a tourist or to visit your family and your friends, you can apply for a Visitor Visa.
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’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 WMYV, 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, get in touch with the team here at WMYV. 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 WMYV are on 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 WMYV, 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 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 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.
Reach out to us for more information or to see how we can help you?
For international students choosing to study abroad in the UK, the question of who can travel under a visit visa to UK areas often comes up. Whether it’s for parents attending a graduation, friends and family members visiting for a short holiday, or something else, it’s important to understand who can visit you and which visa rules apply.
Study visa rules can vary so it’s a good idea to get a handle on how your own current visa affects the situation. If you’ve travelled from outside the European Union and the EEA, there’s a good chance that your visitor will have to apply for the standard UK visitor visa. International students from the United States, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and other non-EEA regions may have individual circumstances when trying to set up visiting arrangements, so we always recommend using professional advice if you’re unsure about the application. However, there are a few important distinctions you can make straight away:
If You’re: Travelling On A Student Visitor Visa
If you have chosen to study abroad in the UK on a student visa, falling under the standard visitor visa category, you may be wondering who can and cannot visit you while you’re studying for the six-month period of your stay. Both family and friends can, in fact, visit you during your undergraduate degree or postgraduate qualification. However, they are likely to require a visa and will need to submit a visa application.
If You’re: Travelling On A Student Visa
If you’re studying abroad in the UK on a student visa for a period over six months, you’re able to bring a partner or child with you to the UK during your stay. This visa allows you to stay for the duration of your degree or qualification, and this extends to your child or partner. However, other family and friends will still have to apply for a UK visitor visa to travel to the UK.
If you are an international student in the UK and you’re not sure whether your family and friends will need a visa to visit you, the gov.uk website has an interactive tool that you can use to check eligibility.
If one of your visitors is under the age of 18, you will need to submit a more specific visa application. The child visitor visa is needed for any under-18 non-EEA national visiting the UK.
Your visitor will essentially be applying for a UK tourism visa and will, therefore, need to be able to prove several things in order to qualify for the visitor visa while you’re studying in the UK:
When putting together a visa application for a visitor, you’ll need to supply several letters with your application. It’s important for the applicant to provide as much information as possible, part of which includes:
If you’re planning on travelling to the UK and you aren’t a British citizen or an EU or EEA citizen, the likelihood is that you will need a visitor visa. UK law means that you’ll need to acquire one before travelling here, and immigration laws are quite tough in the UK so it’s important to make sure that you’ve got all the necessary travel documents. Otherwise, you might be denied entry by the immigration authorities when you get here. We always recommend using the Home Office website to check whether you need a visa to visit the UK.
The gov.uk website has a fantastic online interactive tool that you can use to check your visa requirements before travelling. The tool asks you a number of questions, including where you’re travelling from, and then offers a number of potential solutions.
European Single Market Visitors
Members of the European single market do not currently require permission to enter the UK for tourism, work or travel. This includes the 28 countries of the European Union (EU), and additional European Economic Area (EEA) members such as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Switzerland, while neither an EU or EEA member, is still part of the European single market and therefore benefits from the same right to live and work in the UK as other single market members.
Foreign nationals from EU nations, EEA nationals and Switzerland can visit the UK for a short term stay such as holidays and business events without needing to apply for the UK visitor visa.
The Visa Waiver Programme
Most foreign nationals visiting the UK from a non-EEA country will need to apply for a visa before travelling, but there are exceptions to this. One of these is the visa waiver scheme. Rather than apply for permission to enter the UK, nationals from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait can instead opt to get an electronic visa waiver (EVW), which allows you a short term stay in the UK (no longer than six months) so long as you are travelling for tourism, business, medical reasons or for study.
The visa waiver programme allows nationals from these four countries to opt-out of visa applications in favour of paying a premium and receiving permission to enter the UK. To apply, you’ll need:
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