Visit Visas
VISIT VISAS
Visit visas are governed by types, they are:
Tourism | Child | Family | Business | Marriage / Civil Partnership | Private Medical | Other Types
Visit visas can be assigned from 1 month to 10 years, it all depends on the type you apply under
DID YOU KNOW THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF VISIT VISAS ARE REFUSED?
This is because the Home Office do not always believe you will leave the UK once your initial visit visa has expired and,
unless you can demonstrate you can afford your UK trip and have valid reasons to return to your home country, the application
is at high risk of being refused
Request an email response or book your free 30 minute telephone consultation and see if we can help you
ASK OUR LAWYER A QUESTION
Standard Visitor Visa
What is this visa type and if I apply for it, can I get this visa so I can enter the UK?
On the 24 April 2015 the Home Office introduced a new set of rules for visitor visas which means if you wanted to apply for one of the visas listed below, they would now fall under 'Standard Visit Visa'.
- Family Visitor visa
- General Visitor visa
- Child Visitor visa
- Business Visitor visa
- Sports Visitor visa
- Entertainer Visitor visa
- Prospective Entrepreneur visa
- Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa
- Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa
The new visitor visa rules are set out in the new Appendix V to the Immigration Rules.
When you submit the visa application, you must satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that your visit is genuine, you can afford your UK trip and you will leave the UK when your visit ends. Note: You cannot appeal this visa type if it were refused.
What are my options now?
Standard visitor visa covers a number of sub-categories which are:
- Tourism (visiting family and friends)
- Business (visiting for Sports & Entertainment)
- Transit through the UK
- Academic visit, including teaching and exchange
- Other
Tourism (Family & Friends)
If you decide to apply under this visa sub-category route, you are advising the Home Office you are visiting a family member. Family members are permitted to provide evidence of supporting your UK trip and provide evidence where you will live. You will also be expected to demonstrate that you will leave the UK before your visa expires.
This visa type can be issued up to 6 months, 2, 5 and 10 years. Children aged under 18 are limited to a date six months after their 18th birthday. For example, a 10 year visa for a 14 year old child will only be valid until 6 months after their 18th birthday - i.e. 4 years and 6 months maximum.
Business Visitor
This covers a number of business types. You will need to see if your business type is permitted. The following are covered by this visa route:
- Business Academic Visit (maximum 6 and 12 months visas and for family members)
- Business Creative Visit (issued up to 6 months, 2, 5 and 10 years)
- Business (Prospective Entrepreneur) (maximum 6 months visa)
- Business Religion Visit (issued up to 6 months, 2, 5 and 10 years)
- Business Sport Visit (issued up to 6 months, 2, 5 and 10 years)
- Clinical attachments, dental observations and PLAB/OSCE test
Transit through the UK
If you need to pass through the UK whilst on route to another country, you can apply for this visa type. You would be expected to provide evidence you are going to another country, have permission to enter that country if you need immigration permission and the sole purpose of going through the UK is the route to get to your destination country.
You do not need this visa if any of these apply to you:
- you are from the European Economic area (EEA) or Switzerland, or
- you been issued a EEA family permit or
- hold a valid Home Office travel document, for example you’re a refugee or stateless person or
- been issued already a Standard Visitor visa or
- been issued a Marriage Visitor visa.
What if I do not to leave the UK airport?
If you do not plan to leave the UK airport, you should apply for a
Direct Airside Transit visa
(DATV) if you will be changing flights in the UK and will not be going through UK border control.
You should apply for a
Visitor in Transit visa
if you are going through UK border control, but leaving the UK within 48 hours. You will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you need to stay longer in the UK or you can prove you need to frequently pass through the UK over a longer period.
Academic visit, including teaching and exchange
This visa type covers a number of entry types, you could be applying to enter the UK as an Academic visitor or Sponsored Researcher, basically a visit visa for up to 12 months to undertake certain academic activities. To meet the entry clearance, the individual must be very qualified within their own field of expertise.
When submitting your visa evidence, you should be able to provide original or certified evidence that you have been working as an academic in an institution of higher education overseas, or in the field of your academic expertise. Note: If you are a recent graduate from within the UK that obtained a UK degree, you are unlikely to qualify under this visa route.
If you are a Postgraduate researcher needing an entry visa to study for an credited UK academic qualification (not for the purpose of academic research work that does not lead to a UK academic qualification), you should enter as a student, but this is subject to meeting the immigration rules. If you do not qualify then you need to apply do as a Sponsored Researcher.
Visitor visas are
generally processed in 3 working weeks.
Note: If you plan to settle in the UK, this is the wrong visa type for you as you cannot switch into another visa route such as work permit or the family route.
Short-Term Study Visa
What is this visa type and if I apply for it, can I get this visa so I can enter the UK?
This visa type allows you to enter under a 6 month or 11 month rule.
This visa type does not permit employment or any type of work, it is only approved for UK studies.
You can apply for this visa if you are going to do a short-term course of studies. If you plan to study English, your visa will be granted up to 11 months, but this does depend on the training institute that approves you for English. They will assess you and advise you if you are deemed suitable. The UK training institute must be UK regulated, they do not have to hold a Tier 4 sponsor licence, but they must issue you an original letter of acceptance.
The other criteria is demonstrating that you can:
- afford your UK studies and
- afford your UK living costs and
- travel costs back to your home country
- if a child, have permission to travel and study in the UK
Where can I study
For visas issued for up to 6 months, they must be one of these:
- Accreditation Body for Language Services
- Accreditation Service for International Colleges
- Accreditation UK
- Bridge Schools Inspectorate
- British Accreditation Council
- Education and Training Inspectorate (in Northern Ireland)
- Estyn (in Wales)
- Higher Education Funding Council for England
- HM Inspectorate of Education (in Scotland)
- Independent Schools Inspectorate
- Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
- Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
- Schools Inspection Service
For visa issued for up to 11 months, you must:
- be at least 16 years old and accepted on a course to learn English as a foreign language if you’re applying for an 11 month Short-term study visa.
- A mixed course, some of which is spent studying English, does not count.
Can and cannot do whilst
in the UK
You can:
- do a short course of study in the UK, such as an English language course or a training course
- do a short period of research as part of a degree course if you are studying abroad.
You cannot:
- study at a state-funded school
- work (including on a work placement or work experience) or carry out any business
- extend this visa
- bring family members (‘dependants’) with you - they must apply separately
- get public funds.
Permitted Paid Engagement Visa
What is this visa type and if I apply for it, can I get this visa so I can enter the UK?
To obtain this visa type, you have to be invited to the UK as an expert in your profession.
If you are invited by a UK-based organisation or client, you want to come to the UK to do specific paid work without having to be sponsored under the points-based visa system or you are from a country that’s not in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland and you must be aged 18 and over and
meet the other eligibility requirements.
You may be exempt from having to apply for this visa, to check your status click here.
If your visa is approved, the maximum UK stay permitted is up to 1 month.
What you can do if the visa is approved:
The UK-based organisation or client invites you to:
- be a student examiner or assessor;
- take part in selection panels as a highly qualified academic if you’re invited by an education, arts or research organisation
- give lectures at a higher education institution, as long as it’s not a part-time or full-time role
- examine UK-based pilots so they meet the standards of the country you come from if you’re invited by an approved UK training organisation regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority
- provide advocacy in a particular area of law
- take part in arts, entertainment or sporting activities including broadcasting
- take part in fashion modelling assignments
You cannot do the following;
- do specific paid work unrelated to your main job or area of expertise at home or sell merchandise, other than what’s allowed by your visa
- extend this visa or switch to another visa
- live in the UK for extended periods
- study for more than 30 days - studying can’t be the main reason for your visit
- marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership
- bring family members (‘dependants’) with you on your application. Family members must apply separately.
- attempt or obtain UK public fund
Visas are generally processed in 3 working weeks.
Parent (Tier 4 Child Visa)
What is this visa type and if I apply for it, can I get this visa so I can enter the UK?
You can apply for this visa if your child attends an independent fee-paying day school in the UK and you want to stay with them.
To be able to apply under this visa route, you will need to
- have enough money to support yourself and any dependants whilst in the UK and
- maintain a second home outside the UK and
- plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit and
- be able to meet the cost of the return or onward journey
Child Guideline
The child you plan to stay with in the UK is aged under 12, must be studying at or about to start studying at an independent fee-paying day school in the UK plus, have a Tier 4 (Child) visa or be in the category ‘students in the UK under the immigration rules in place before 31 March 2009’.
Marriage Visitor Visa
What is this visa type and if I apply for it, can I get this visa so I can enter the UK?
This visa type allows you (non-EEA national) to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK, even if you don’t usually need a visa to visit the UK. Check everything you need to do to get married in the UK.
If you or your partner are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and subject to immigration control, you or your partner will need a visa to come to the UK to:
- give notice
- get married or form a civil partnership
If you’re from outside the EEA or Switzerland and subject to immigration control, you and your partner must give at least 28 days’ notice at a designated register office.
The process is different in Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
Note: There will be no change to the rights and status of EU citizens living in the UK until 2021. You and your family can apply for ‘settled status’ to continue living in the UK after June 2021. The scheme will open fully by March 2019.
If your partner is from the UK or settled in the UK
You should apply for a family of a settled person visa as either fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner if you intend to stay in the UK for more than 6 months. If you opt for the visit visa, you have to leave the UK to enter under the family partner route. If you are unsure call us today and we will guide you for free.
Apply for a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visitor visa
for a stay of less than 6 months.
If your partner is from the EEA (excluding UK) or Switzerland
If your partner is a permanent UK resident holding a ‘document certifying permanent residence’, you can apply for a family of a settled person visa.
If your partner is not a permanent UK resident, you can apply for an EEA family permit to either join them in the UK or accompany them. In most cases you will have to prove that you and your partner have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years. Note: If you lived apart such as long distance relationship, this is still possible but much more complex to prove.
What if my partner is not from the UK, Switzerland or EEA, and not UK settled?
You must apply for a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visitor visa. You’ll have to leave the UK within 6 months.
What is Giving notice?
It is where you and your partner give at least 28 days’ notice to a designated registrar office in England and Wales. Scotland and Ireland have different rules.
You can only give notice if you’ve both lived in England and Wales for at least 7 days.
Can the notice period be extended?
Your notice period can be extended to 70 days if you or your partner:
- are from outside the EEA or Switzerland
- have limited or no immigration status in the UK
- do not give the registrar enough evidence to show you’re settled in the UK.
You’ll be told within 28 days if your notice period will be extended.
The Registrar
The registrar will inform you if this needs to be referred to the Home Office regarding your proposed marriage or civil partnership. The Home Office may decide to investigate to make sure your marriage or civil partnership is genuine, not a scam marriage or they might just accept it. If they decide to investigate, you are likely to be interviewed or, simply to provide additional information which is part of their investigation before they make a decision. If you fail to comply fully with the Home Office investigation, your application is very likely to be refused. Very important, if you move address during your application, you must inform the Home Office.
What documents must I provide?
You will need to take proof of who you are so ideally a passport that shows your name, date of birth and nationality plus, recent official document showing your address and present it to the designated registrar's office. If one of you are in the UK and need approval from the Home Office to be in the UK, you need to provide that original piece of evidence.
To learn more click here.
Visas are generally processed in 3 working weeks.
Visit the UK in a Chinese tour group
What is this visa type and if I apply for it, can I get this visa so I can enter the UK?
Visit the UK in a Chinese tour group
Apply for this visa if you’re a Chinese citizen that’s coming to the UK as part of a tour group through the approved destination status agreement (ADS).
This visa type is for 30 days as part of a tour group through the approved destination status agreement (ADS) if you’re a Chinese citizen.
To qualify for this visa route you must enter the country as part of your tour group (minimum 5 people) and stay with the group for the whole of your visit. Your tour must be organised by an ADS licensed Chinese tour operator. Learn more.
