UK Visitor Visa
UK visitor visa is also known as a UK tourist visa, which allows foreign nationals to visit the UK for a short period of up to 6 months.
The UK Visitor Visa—also referred to as the Standard Visitor Visa or UK Tourist Visa—permits foreign nationals to travel to the UK for tourism, business, short-term study, or other approved activities for up to six months.
Before applying, it’s important to check whether you need a visa to visit the UK. This can be done on the UK Home Office website. Depending on your nationality, you may be allowed to enter the UK for up to six months without a visa.
To obtain a UK Visitor Visa, you must meet specific eligibility criteria. For instance, you must demonstrate a genuine intention to leave the UK at the end of your visit and show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay.
There are various categories of the UK Visitor Visa to suit different purposes, including the Business Visitor Visa, Family Visitor Visa, Marriage Visitor Visa, General Visitor Visa, Permitted Paid Engagement Visa, and the Chinese Tour Group Visa.
What can and cannot do with a visitor visa
As a UK Visitor Visa holder, you are allowed to stay in the UK for up to 6 months and engage in the following activities:
- Tourism – such as holidays or vacations
- Getting married, provided you intend to live abroad after the ceremony
- Visiting family or friends
- Volunteering with a registered UK charity (up to 30 days)
- Transiting through the UK en route to another country
- Business-related activities, like attending meetings or interviews
- Participating in a school exchange program
- Recreational courses lasting no more than 30 days (e.g., art or cooking classes)
- Studying short courses lasting up to 6 months
- Completing a placement or sitting an exam
- Working as an academic, senior doctor, or dentist under specific guidelines
- Receiving private medical treatment
While in the UK on a Visitor Visa, you are not permitted to:
- Work, whether paid or unpaid
- Access public funds or benefits
- Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
- Get married or enter into a civil partnership, or give notice of either (unless you hold a Marriage Visitor Visa)
UK visitor visa requirements
To make a successful UK Visitor Visa application, applicants must meet the following general eligibility requirements:
- You must genuinely intend to depart the UK at the end of your visit
- You must have sufficient funds to support yourself while in the UK
- You can fund your onward journey, and
- You will not live in the UK by making successive visits using a Visitor Visa.
If you’re coming to the UK to study, complete a placement, sit an exam, work as an academic, senior doctor, or dentist, or receive medical treatment, you may need to meet additional eligibility criteria.
For guidance on your application, feel free to contact our immigration lawyers for a free consultation regarding your UK Visitor Visa.
Genuine intention to leave the UK
The Home Office will assess your genuine intentions to visit, including your reasons for coming, your prior immigration history, the number and duration of previous visits, your personal and economic ties to your home country, and other factors.
Sufficient support funds
The Home Office does not specify a set amount of money you must have as a visitor to the UK. They will assess the likely cost of your stay (e.g., accommodation, food, travel) and compare this to the amount of funds you have available. They will also consider your existing financial commitments to determine if you are likely to have sufficient funds for your stay here.
Intention not to live in the UK
The Home Office will want to be assured that you are not using the Visitor Visa route as a way of living in the UK by making successive visits. They will check your travel history, the reason for your visit, the length of your intended stay, the number of visits to the UK over the past 12 months (including the length of stay on each occasion), and the time since your last visit, and whether you have spent more time in the UK than in your home country.
Documents required for UK visitor visa
The required documents will depend on the reasons for coming to the UK. You might be asked to provide the below documents:
- Your travel dates to and from the UK
- Your address while in the UK
- A breakdown of the estimated cost of your visit
- Your home address
- How live you have lived at your current address
- The name and dates of birth of your parents
- Your annual income
- Details of any criminal, civil, or immigration offenses
- Your travel history for the past 10 years
- Your employer’s address and telephone number
- Your partner’s name, date of birth, and passport number
- The details of family members you have in the UK
- Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if you’re visiting for more than 6 months (depending on the country you are traveling from).
How to apply for a visitor visa for UK
To apply for a UK Visitor Visa, you will need to complete the following key steps:
- Check if you need a Visitor visa before proceeding
- Complete and submit a visitor visa application UK online (note: If you are coming to the UK with your family members, each family member will need to submit their own application and pay the required fee)
- Pay the application fee
- Book an appointment at a local Visa Application Centre (VAC)
- Attend your VAC appointment to provide any documents required by the Home Office and have your photo taken and fingerprints scanned (biometrics)
In most cases, you can expect to receive a decision on your Visitor Visa application within 3 weeks.
Can you extend your visitor visa?
The UK Visitor visa is only intended to allow a short stay, however, it may be possible to extend your Visitor visa if it was issued for less than 6 months up to the maximum of 6 months. It will only be possible to extend your Visitor visa beyond 6 months if you are here for medical reasons, as an academic, or if you are a graduate who needs to retake a Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or complete a clinical attachment. The fee to extend a Visitor visa is currently £1,100.
If your visitor visa is refused
Visitor visas may be refused for many reasons, including if the Home Office believes:
- You are using the Visitor Visa scheme to live in the UK
- You pose a threat to national security
- You have breached the immigration rules in the past
- You have unspent criminal convictions
- You don’t appear to be a genuine visitor
- You don’t have sufficient funds to support yourself in the UK
You will not normally have the right to appeal a refusal of a Visitor Visa. In most cases, we recommend preparing a fresh application that addresses the reason for your refusal. Our immigration lawyers can assist with your new application and ensure it meets the criteria for a successful outcome.
Talk to our immigration lawyers now!
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