You can want to visit UK for a lot of things. To see your family, friends and most importantly, to TRAVEL. UK visit visa is a very tricky customer and the refusal rate is very high, which can easily dampen all the mood and preparation for travelling to this beautiful country. Even if you are well versed in UK English, it is still quite difficult for most people to workout the labyrinth, which is UK immigration! So my suggestion will be to seek the help of a professional, whether it is a solicitor, barrister, or immigration adviser. Because if a visa is refused, it is another hassle to apply for a new one, and a visa refusal is always flagged when you apply for a new visa again. That’s my own opinion, so my view is always to go with an immigration lawyer or caseworkers.
There are lots of documents needed for a standard visitor visa, and getting them right is key to successful visa applications. The standard visitor visa replaced a number visas (details that I will write about in the subsequent blog).
The best thing to do is first look at the UKVI website and the UK Home Office website to have the clarity about the recent changes in law, if any. In this blog I will try to summarise and write about some of the key issues that arise when applying for a Standard Visitor Visa.
THINGS YOU CAN DO ON THIS VISA
You can enter the UK for various reasons, such as tourism, visiting family or friends, volunteering with a registered charity for up to 30 days, transiting through the UK to another country, engaging in specific business activities like attending meetings or interviews, participating in permitted paid engagements related to your profession, joining a school exchange program, attending a recreational course for up to 30 days (like a dance course), pursuing studies, placements, or exams, serving as an academic, senior doctor, or dentist, or for medical purposes.
Most of you who are travel junkies like me, will probably visit the UK to see its historic beauty, so my suggestion will be to keep an eye on my website because I am making short blogs on travelling on a budget around the UK, so do visit the website frequently, folks.
THINGS YOU CANNOT DO ON THIS VISA
You cannot engage in any form of work, whether paid or unpaid, for a UK company or as a self-employed individual unless it falls under a permitted paid engagement or event. Additionally, you are not eligible to receive public funds or benefits. Moreover, you cannot reside in the UK for extended durations through frequent or successive visits. Lastly, if you intend to marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice for such, you must apply for a Marriage Visitor visa.
The rules surrounding the UK Standard Visitor Visa are quite simple. All the UK government wants to ensure is that the main purpose of the visit should be travel and not to make a home in the country-which is a fair ask from any developed country-specially UK, when they are tackling with high net migration!
SOME OF THE CONDITIONS FOR A STANDARD VISITOR VISA
- Have a valid passport or travel document for the entire stay in the UK.
- Show intent to leave the UK after the visit.
- Demonstrate ability to support oneself and dependents during the trip, or have financial backing.
- Cover the costs of return or onward journey, or have financial support.
- Avoid residing in the UK for prolonged periods or making it the primary residence through frequent visits. (Too costly to leave in this country anyway, so my suggestion will be don’t visit it often unless it is some kind of emergency depending on the circumstances of each person 😂)
In terms of the funds, the Home Office does not state a fixed amount that you need to show for the visa, but they will definitely assess the cost of the stay with the funds that you will show on the visa application. The usual norm is that you must have enough to cover your stay in UK and then an extra to travel back from the UK. Make sure you don’t blow it up during the travel! 😂
DOCUMENTS USUALLY NEEDED FOR THE VISA
When it comes to the documents my opinion is to provide as much as you can, definitely relevant documents that shows the tie you have with your home country both financially and socially. All the UK Home Office wants to see is that you have no inclination of staying back in the country illegally. The key documents that are mostly needed are-
- Your travel itinerary including dates of arrival and departure from the UK
- Your temporary address in the UK
- Estimated expenses breakdown for your trip
- Your permanent home address
- Duration of residency at your current address
- Parents’ names and dates of birth
- Annual income details
- Disclosure of any criminal, civil, or immigration history
- Travel history spanning the past decade
- Employer’s contact information
- Partner’s personal details, including name, date of birth, and passport number
- Information about any relatives residing in the UK
- For stays exceeding 6 months, a Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate may be required, depending on your country of origin.
Even though it looks like the requirements are quite straight forward, this is one of the sectors where Home Office rejects the visa. So get the help of an expert when applying, trust me on this, it will save a lot of headaches.
Happy travels my fellow travellers 😀
