Citizens of the countries listed here need to apply for a UK visa before entering the United Kingdom.

Do US Citizens Need a Visa For UK?

US citizens do not need to apply for a visa to enter the UK if they travel for tourism or business purposes, for stays up to six months. However, they are required to apply for all other types of visas in order to travel or stay in the UK.

How to Apply for a UK Visa from USA?

To apply for a UK visa in USA, you must follow these steps:

1. Find out if you need a visa for UK.
2. Complete the Online UK visa application form.
3. Book an appointment to provide Biometrics.
4. Attend the visa interview.

Complete the Online Application form

After determining whether you need to apply for a UK visa from the US you can begin the application process. To begin the application process for a UK visa you need to fill the online application form, by submitting correct and honest information and then pay the visa application fees. If the information in the application form doesn’t comply with the information in the other required documents, your application will be rejected.

Compile the document file

To apply for a UK visa from USA, Green card holders must provide the following documents:

• Completed UK visa application form.
• Two UK visa photographs that are taken within the past six months.
• Your valid Passport. It must be valid for three more months beyond the date you plan to leave the UK after your trip. It must also have at least one blank page for the visa.
• A receipt that confirms you have paid the fees as required.
• Translations of documents that are not in English or Welsh.
• Proof of US status.  Which might be either an Original Alien Registration Card (Green Card) or an Original US Visa
• Proof that you have purchased round trip flight booking on your planned dates of travel from the US.
• Employment Letter. This is a confirmation that you are the employee of a company which has approved your dates of the leave.
• Proof of Accomodation in the UK:
  • Letter of Invitation for UK visa – if you are planning to stay over at friends or family members, then your host must write you a letter which includes the length of your stay, the address and also the contact information of your host among others.
  • Hotel Confirmation – if you plan to stay at a hotel instead, then a hotel booking confirmation must be submitted.
• Proof of means of subsistence. The applicant will have to submit proof that they are financially capable to maintain themselves during their whole stay in the UK. This includes bank statements not older than three days, pay slips, and other types of evidence for your income as rental income, etc. If you are coming to the UK under some program that will financially support you then you’ll have to submit evidence for that.
• Tuberculosis Test Results. Nationals of several world countries will need to submit the requests of a Tuberculosis Test in order to be eligible for a UK Visa. Check here if you need to provide the TB test results.
• Biometric information. If you are applying for a visa that lets you stay in the UK for more than 6 months, you will need to submit your biometric information. This includes giving your fingerprints and a digital photograph taken at the appropriate application center.

Book an appointment for Biometrics

Then you will have to schedule an appointment at one of 130+ Application Support Centers (ASCs) throughout the United States for Biometric testing. At this appointment, you will have your digital image taken and also a digital scan of all ten fingers. The earliest you can submit your visa application with all of the required documents is one or one and a half days after and the latest 2 weeks after biometric submission.

At the appointment you should have with you:

• your current passport.
• a print out of your application form.
• a copy of your biometric confirmation receipt.

Children under the age of 5 are exempt from having their fingerprints taken.

Attend the visa interview at the UK Embassy/Consulate in the United States

After gathering every required document, then you will have to send them to the British Consulate General in New York via mail or registered travel agent. Put your passport, application form, and the other documents in an envelope. Arrange them according to the checklist and do not staple any of them.

Non-settlement applications should be submitted to the British Consulate General in New York under the following address:

UK Visas and Immigration
British Consulate General
845 Third Avenue
New York
10022

Settlement applications

Settlement applications are done within the United Kingdom and should be submitted here:

International Operations and Visas
6 Millsands
Vulcan House
Sheffield
S3 8NH
United Kingdom

Whether your application gets approved or not, you will, however, have to provide a fully addressed prepaid electronic shipping label inside the package with your documents. Keep a copy of the way-bill for your records.

Types of UK Visa From USA for Green Card Holders

For Green Card holders the first step towards a successful visa application is to decide what kind of visa they need to enter the United Kingdom. Before scheduling an appointment and starting to gather the required documents, check out the list of UK visa types, and try to figure out which visa fits you.

A US applicant can enter the United Kingdom under one of the following visas:

UK Business visa from USA

The UK Business visa category has been established with the sole purpose of attracting successful business people to come and invest in the UK together with their families, ranging from investors, to entrepreneurs and more. To apply for these visas, the applicant must provide the following:

• Short CV.
• Letters of support from a UK based organization, institution or company.
• Letters of recommendation from recognized experts.
• Examples of recent significant media recognition.
• Proof of having won international awards for excellence.
• Proof of appearances, performances, publications or exhibitions in last 5 years.
• A UK-recognized bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD awarded before your date of endorsement.

UK Work visa from USA

The UK work visa is especially for high-end professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for shorter or longer periods. To apply for a UK work visa from USA you must have:

• A job offer in the UK that cannot be filled by the local or the EU workforce;
• A sponsorship letter (an employer, regional administrator, local authority who holds a valid Tier 2 Sponsorship License)

UK Visitor visa from USA

The UK visitor visa is a visa issued to US residents that wish to enter and stay in the UK for tourism or family visit for periods shorter than six months This visa is for travelers that are not citizens of a country that has a visa facilitation agreement with the UK. Visitors are prohibited from getting a job inside UK with this type of visa, just as with many other types.

UK Transit visa from USA

The UK transit visa is for foreigners who are not from the EEA or Switzerland, and are using the UK as a transit country to pass from another country to their destination. This visa offers the opportunity to apply for a long-term transit visa if the applicant has enough evidence that he needs to travel regularly through UK to arrive at their destination, but has no intention to stay or live there permanently. To apply for a UK transit visa in the US you must provide:

• Booked travel tickets confirmed.
• Confirmation from travel agent.
• Document to confirm being permitted to entry the other country.
• Visa for the other country (if required).
• Document to confirm being permitted to entry the other country.
• Documents to confirm the reason for traveling to the other country.

UK Family Visa from USA

The UK family visas type is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and want to join them for more than six months, as their dependents. The dependents can be husband or wife (spouse), partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, children, parents, other family members.

UK Student Visa from USA

The UK student visas are issued to prospective students that plan on enrolling in UK educational institutions, such as universities and schools. To apply for a student visa you must provide the following:

• Parents’ or legal guardian letters (if under 18)
• Criminal record certificate
• A valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Clearance Certificate issued by the Foreign and the Commonwealth Office, the Department of the Counter-Proliferation Department.
• Confirmation Letter From the Official Financial Sponsor

Temporary Visa for Refugees and Stateless persons in USA

Eligible for this visa are only the people who are about to enter in the UK and are at the borders because had to leave their country as their life was seriously threatened. The application for this visa is made from within the UK. To apply for such a visa, you must provide the following documents:

• Registration with the police – police registration certificate.
• Birth certificate.
• Marriage certificate.
• Education certificate.
• Medical documents – if suffering from any medical condition.
• Documents to confirm the home address in the UK.

UK Visas in the Points Based System

The Points Based System is the means of regulating immigration to the United Kingdom, which evaluates visa candidates based on the points they can gather by meeting visa requirements. Each visa requirement has its points, and there is an appointed number of points the candidate should gather in order to receive the visa.

There are 5 different of visas based in the Points-Based System:

• Tier 1 Visas – For highly-skilled professional foreigners.
• Tier 2 Visas – Skilled foreign workers with a job offer in a shortage area.
• Tier 3 Visas – For low-skilled foreign workers with a temporary job offer in a shortage area (This type of visa has never been implemented since it has been assessed that the UK has already enough low-skilled workers.)
• Tier 4 Visas – Foreign students and specialists.
• Tier 5 Visas – Youth mobility and temporary foreign workers.

Priority, Super Priority, and Premium UK Visa Services

These are optional visa services for which the applicant has to pay an extra fee in order to get an answer on their application within a shorter period of time.

These services can be used by applicants applying for one of the below-listed visa types:

• Tourist and short stay (visitor) visas
• Points-based system Tier 2 and Tier 5 applicants with authority to be living in the United States
• Point-based system Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) if you are currently in the US for a similar purpose to take up in the United Kingdom
• Points-based system Tier 5 (Temporary worker – Creative and Sporting) if currently in the USA for a similar purpose to take up in the UK
• Points-based system Tier 4 student visas – for applicants who are resident in the USA and are subject to different document requirements under Tier 4 of the Points-based system

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What this means is: If you are in Ireland with a valid Irish visa and want to travel from there to the United Kingdom, you will not have to apply for a separate UK visa – you can enter the UK with your Ireland visa. Reciprocally, UK visa holders can enter Ireland without having to get an Irish visa.

The British-Irish Visa Scheme is a follow up of the Irish Visa Waiver Programme (see below), which allows certain UK visa holders to enter Ireland without a separate Irish visa.

However, the British-Irish Visa Scheme and the Irish Visa Waiver Programme are not available to all visa-required foreign nationals.

Who is eligible for the British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS Visa)?

Only nationals of India and China, who are living in India and China respectively, are eligible for the BIVS Visa.

In addition:

• You can only utilize the British-Irish Visa Scheme if you hold a short stay visa for either country.
• Minors (under 18) can travel via the Scheme only if they are accompanied by an adult who is eligible.
• Your visa must have the coding “BIVS” for you to be allowed to use the Scheme.

UK visas eligible for the British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS Visa)

You are eligible for the British-Irish Visa Scheme if you have one of the following UK visas:

• Any UK short-stay visitor visa which is valid for a maximum of 6 months.
• Permitted Paid Engagement visa

If you have a UK visa which allows you to stay in the country for longer than six months, you will not be allowed to use the British-Irish Visa Scheme.

This means that if you are an Indian or Chinese national who has a long-stay visa for the UK, such as Student Visa or Work Visa, you still need a separate visa to travel to Ireland.

Ireland visas eligible for the British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS Visa)

You are eligible for the British-Irish Visa Scheme if you have one of the following Ireland visas:

• Any Irish short stay “C” visa (either single- or multiple-entry), with the purpose of:
  • Tourism
  • Visit (family/friends)
  • Business
  • Conference or event

How to apply for the BIVS Visa?

There is no specific BIVS visa application. You have to apply for the short-stay visa of the country in which you are travelling to first. Then, you can use your BIVS-endorsed visa to travel to the other country.

So, if you will travel to Ireland first and then the UK, you will need to apply for an Irish visa, and vice-versa.

As such, depending on the country you are travelling to first, follow the visa application process as described here:

• Ireland Visa application process
• UK Visa application process

Requirements for the BIVS Visa

Seeing as you have to apply for either an Ireland visa or a UK visa, the requirements for the visa differ depending on the country.

• See the requirements for an Ireland visa here.
• See the requirements for a UK visa here.

How long is the BIVS visa valid?

The validity of your BIVS-endorsed visa depends on the country who issued the visa and the country you are in.

For example, an Ireland short stay visa is only valid for a maximum of 90 days, whereas a UK short stay visa is valid for a maximum of 180 days.

Therefore, even if you have a UK visa valid for six months, once you enter Ireland, you cannot stay longer than 90 days.

Similarly, if you have an Ireland visa issued for 90 days and you spend half of those in Ireland before traveling to the UK, you can only stay in the UK for the number of days you have remaining on your Irish visa, no longer.

This means that regardless of how many valid days you have on your visa (either Irish or British), you will have to split them as you wish.

Additionally, you can travel between the countries without having to apply for a re-entry visa, provided that the visa you have is multiple-entry. If you have a single-entry visa, you cannot re-enter the country after you leave.

Irish Visa Waiver Programme

Through the Irish Visa Waiver Programme, nationals of certain countries (listed below) who are UK visa holders can enter Ireland without having to apply for a separate Irish visa.

The conditions of the Irish Visa Waiver Programme are:

• You must be a national and resident of one of the countries listed on the table below.
• You must have a valid UK short stay visa and Leave to Remain for up to 180 days.
• Your visit to Ireland must not be longer than the remaining days on your UK visa.
  • Additionally, a UK visa is valid for 180 days, whereas an Irish visa is valid for 90 days. You can only stay in Ireland for a maximum of 90 days, regardless of the validity of your UK visa. In any case, it is an Immigration Officer in the Ireland port of entry who decides how long you can stay.
• You can return home from either country, Ireland or the UK.

Keep in mind:

The Irish Visa Waiver Programme is not reciprocal, like the BIVS. You cannot travel to the UK with a valid Irish visa, even if you are from one of the eligible countries.

Who is eligible for the Irish Visa Waiver Programme?

You are only eligible to use the Irish Visa Waiver Programme if you are from one of the following countries:

You are not eligible for the Irish Visa Waiver Programme, even if you are from one of those countries, if:

• You are the holder of a UK long stay visa, such as a family reunification, student, or work visa.
• You have a UK Transit visa.
• You want to marry or enter a civil partnership.

How to apply for the Irish Visa Waiver Programme?

You cannot specifically apply for the Irish Visa Waiver Programme. You become eligible for the program if you are in one of the categories mentioned above and you obtain a short-stay UK visa.

Therefore, to be able to utilize the Irish Visa Waiver Programme, you will need to apply for a UK short stay visa, as described here.

Requirements of the Irish Visa Waiver Programme

As mentioned, there is no specific procedure through which you can apply for the Irish Visa Waiver Programme. To be able to use the program, you will have to apply for a UK short stay visa, therefore, you have to follow the UK visa requirements set by the British Government.

Using a UK visa to enter Ireland from a third country

You can only use the UK visa to enter Ireland from a third country (such as your home country) if:

• You have already entered the UK using the short stay visa at least once, before departing.
• Your UK leave to remain and short stay visa are still valid.

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Having been granted a UK visa simply means that your entry and your stay for a specific time in the UK are guaranteed. This also entails that your return into your home country should happen early enough before your existing entry visa period expires. In other cases than that, you must make an additional visa application, through which you will require remaining in the UK for a longer period, beyond that given by your current visa.

Typically the additional period of stay must come as a need for the same purpose you required to enter the country of the UK. Yet, there are exceptions since some UK entry visa types allow the holder to switch into other visa types – because the reason for requiring further leave (additional period of visa) might change from the reason you came to the UK. But yet, this entails additional requirements and procedures.

When you want to stay longer in the UK, beyond the existing entry visa period, you will be asked to make an application to get a temporary visa known as a leave to remain.

Yet again, being so lucky to get granted with a leave to remain, your permanent stay in the UK will not be decided, as even this visa can only offer a temporary period of stay for the holder.

With a leave to remain, as opposed to an entry visa, you are allowed to require an additional period of stay in the UK. This process is known as applying for further leave to remain or visa extension.

Which Visas Can be Extended?

Nearly all the UK visa types have an option for extension. However, the person has to make sure not to fail complying with specific conditions and of requirements.

The rule excludes Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa, as this visa type cannot be extended further. The greatest period one can stay in the UK with an entry visa in this category is 2 years, and if they wish to stay longer in the UK, they must return to their home country and reapply.

Also, a Turkish Worker period of visa cannot be extended further. The holders of this visa, therefore, must return home at the end of the visa period.

What are the requirements for extension of a Leave to Remain?

When you decide to apply for an extension you must make sure you comply with several situations:

• You must require extension in the same visa type you currently have
• You should apply for an extension at least 8 weeks before the existing visa period exceeds
• You must have not been part of any criminal activity or you must have not brake any UK law or Immigration law during the entire period of stay in the UK
• You have to provide the biometric information – such as the fingerprints and recent photographs for yourself and any depended when applying for the extension
• You must have not been in breach of immigration laws while having a valid UK visa

You can stay in the UK until the decision about extension is taken, but only if you have applied within the visa period.

Required documents to apply for a Leave to Remain

Required documents to apply for an extension are the following:

• A duly complete application form for the visa extension (of the particular visa you want to extend)
• Certificate of birth of the children (if a child is applying with you as your dependent)
• Certificate of marriage (if a family member applying with you as your dependent)
• Documents regarding your education
• Documents you have applied to get your leave to remain
• The existing passport
• Proof of having enough maintenance funds for yourself and any dependent
• The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate (if required)
• The Police Registration Certificate (If required)
• Tuberculosis test results (if required)
• Two recently made photographs (check for UK photographs specifics)
• Paid healthcare surcharge (if required)

How to Apply for a UK Visa Extension?

You can both apply from inside or out of the UK when requiring for your visa period to be extended.

When in the UK you can either:

• Apply online through standard, priority service
• Apply in person at the premium service Centre – to get the same-day decision on your application

When outside of the UK:

• Send the application dossier by post office to the address written in the application form

The Length of the Visa Extension

You will be allowed to get an extension of your leave to remain for staying longer in the UK based on your personal circumstances and your ability to cope with the application requirements.

Yet, there is a boundary as regards of the maximum period a visa extension can be offered.

This maximum period allowable for any visa type is presented as in the following:

• Tier 1 Entrepreneur – maximum 2 years
• Tier 1 Exceptional Talent – maximum 5 years
• Tier 2 Sportsperson – maximum 3 years and 14 days
• Tier 5 Temporary Worker – Charity Worker – maximum 1 year, or 2 weeks after the end of the period of the certificate of sponsorship (whichever is less)
• Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting)
  • Creative worker: maximum 1 year, or 2 weeks after the end of the period of the certificate of sponsorship, the time required to extend the stay up to 2 years (whichever is less)
  • Sportsperson: maximum 1 year, or 2 weeks after the end of the period of the certificate of sponsorship (whichever is less)
• Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Government Authorized Exchange)
• Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – International Agreement) – with some exceptions, this visa can be extended up to 6 years
• Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Religious Worker) – maximum 2 years, or 2 weeks following the end of period of the certificate of sponsorship (whichever is less)
• For a UK work visa
• For researching, for participating in a training or overseas government language program: 2 years the most, or, 2 weeks following the end of the certificate of sponsorship (whichever is less).
• A Turkish Businessperson Visa – maximum 3 years (if working in the same business) and if lacking to have the complete documents for extension up to 1 year, with a possibility to re-apply by the end of that year
• UK Ancestry Visa – maximum 5 other years

How Long Until the Application is Processed?

The decision on your visa extension application is usually announced within the following timetable:

• 8 weeks – for an application done from within the UK
• 3 weeks – for an application done from out of the UK
• On the application day – if applying through premium services

This period can be longer in some exceptional cases, such as: your application dossier needs for further verification; there is a case of applicant’s involvement in criminal; or the applicant is required to attend an interview regarding their application, and so on.

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Who Needs a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

This visa type is meant for citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zeeland, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea and Taiwan, or British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories citizen or a British national of ages 18 to 30, who want to come to the UK to work and live temporarily .

A person who can apply this category must be of the a citizen of the following countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• Monaco
• New Zeeland
• Hong Kong
• Republic of Korea
• Taiwan
• But also British nationals, British Overseas Citizens or British Overseas Territories Citizens.

A holder of a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa can enjoy benefits such as:

• Enroll in studies in the UK;
• Get almost any job;
• Be self-employed and launch a company (company premises must not be owned but rented, no employees, and the value of company equipment should be maximum £5,000)

The application for this visa category costs £235.

How to Apply For Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

You can apply for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa in one single way. That is the initial visa application for Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa. This application is done when the candidate is out of the UK and wants to enter the country. In such case, they need to apply for an EC or LE  in Tier 5 Temporary Worker.

Visa Requirements for Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme

A candidate applying for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa, either an EC, LE or LR must be able to meet the following general criteria:

• General requirements of application for the UK visa
• Passes general grounds for refusal

Yet, such candidate should fulfill particular criteria, as we will explain in the following parts.

Enter into the UK in Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

A foreign person of the aforementioned situations who wants to enter into the UK to work and live for a short period in the UK, he must hold an EC in Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme.

Visa Requirements for EC or LR in Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme

A foreign person who is ready to apply for an EC as a Tier 4 Child Student visa is of the following situations:

• General requirements of application for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Student visa
• 30 points for the right nationality as shown in the passport. The candidate must be a citizen or have a passport of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong – special administrative region, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Taiwan or South Korea or a British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen or British national (living out of the UK);
• 10 points for the required age (as shown in the passport). The candidate should be between the ages  18 and 30.
• 10 points for maintenance. The candidate should prove having at least £1,890 saved to cover costs of living and accommodation during his stay in the UK.
• Certificate of sponsorship from their home country – Only if coming from a country without a Deemed Sponsorship Status;
• Has no children living with them or financially dependent on them;
• Has never held a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa nor a Holiday-maker job;
• Has the Invitation to apply for the visa. If the candidate comes from a country which has a limited annual number of places to apply for this visa, then the candidate should have the invitation to apply and should make the application at the time displayed in such invitation.

How much can you stay in the UK with an EC Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

EC in this visa category is issued only for 2 years.

Candidates for an EC in Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme must also meet the following criteria:

• Does not receive public funds of any type;
• Is registered with the police;
• Does not get a job as a professional sportsperson or as a sport trainer;
• Does not get a job as a doctor or dentist in training – Not including the case when the candidate has a degree in Medicine or Dentistry at the Bachelor level or higher issued by the UK Higher Education or other Tier 4 sponsor;
• Does not get a job as a doctor or dentist in training;
• Does not become self-employed – Not including the case when the candidate is not the owner of the business buildings, and when the value of business equipment are not higher than £5,000 and when there are no other employees.
• Meets the Condition to hold an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate – For candidates aged 18-over when given a visa, or, who will become 18 before the end of the visa period;

Extending a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

There is no possibility to extend this visa, which means that no one can apply for a LR in this visa category to stay beyond the existing EC or LE of a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa period.

Switching into Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

There is no possibility to change any other visa into a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa.

Certificate of Sponsorship in Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

If the candidate comes from a country or has a passport of a country which has not the Deemed Sponsorship Status, he must have the certificate of sponsorship given by such country in support to his visa application. In this case, the candidate must make the visa application only in his home country.

Candidates coming or holding passports of other countries with a Deemed Sponsorship Status are not required to have sponsorship by their country and they can apply for the visa from any place in the world by post.

• The certificate should not be older than 3 months;
• Should not be cancelled meanwhile

The annual distribution for Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme 2017

Places offered for 2017 by countries with Deemed Sponsorship Status:

• Australia – 35,500 places
• New Zealand – 13,000 places
• Canada – 5,500 places
• Japan – 1,000 places
• Monaco – 1,000 places
• Taiwan – 1,000 places

Places offered for 2017 by countries that have a Deemed Sponsorship Status:

• South Korea – 1,000 places
• Hong Kong – 1,000 places

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Make sure the required documents for the UK visa you are applying for, comply with the criteria set by the UK Home Office.

What Are the Required Documents for a UK Visa?

You should submit the following documents to apply for a UK visa:

• UK visa application form. According to the UK visa type you are applying for, you may have to complete the form online at the website of the Visa4UK website, or the manual application form.
• Two photographs. These photos should be taken within the past six months and in color.
• Your Valid Passport. It must be valid for three more months beyond the date you plan to leave the UK after your trip. It must also have at least one blank page for the visa.
• Proof you have the financial means to cover the living costs while in the UK. This may be your bank statements for the last six months, or pay slips for the same period.
• Proof of accommodation. You will need to present a document that shows where you will be accommodated while in the UK. Note that you do not have to fully pay a hotel/hostel in UK before getting the visa, just to get such a document.
• Detailed travel itinerary. Submit a travel plan that gives all the information regarding how and what you are planning to do in the UK. Include the travel dates, places you will visit, meeting agenda, booked tour, festival agenda, etc. 
• Tuberculosis Test Results. Nationals of several world countries will need to submit the requests of a Tuberculosis Test in order to be eligible for a UK Visa. 
• Biometric information. If you are applying for a visa that lets you stay in UK for more than 6 months, you will need to submit your biometric information. This includes giving your fingerprints and a digital photograph taken at the appropriate application center.
• UK visa invitation letter. (If applicable). If you will be staying over at a friend or a family member, then you should submit a letter of invitation. Your host must be a UK national or a legal resident.
• Paid UK visa fees. You should submit the receipt that confirms you have paid the visa fee as required.
• Certified translations of any document that is not in either English or Welsh.

Additional Requirements According to Your Employment Status

You will need to submit extra documents according to your working status, as follows:

• If you are employed:
  • A letter from your employer. This letter should confirm your position at work, your salary and the length of employment.
• If you are self-employed:
  • Business registration documents. They should confirm the business owner’s name and the date the business started trading.
• If you are a student:
  • A letter from your education provider. The letter should be confirming your enrolment and leave of absence.

Additional Requirements for Applicants Under the age of 18

Applicants under the age of 18 shall submit some several additional documents. These documents are as following:

• Birth Certificate.
• Adoption papers (if applicable).
• If travelling unaccompanied or with someone other than a parent(s):
  • A signed letter from the parent(s) confirming details of anyone accompanying the minor.
  • A copy of the parent(s) or legal guardian’s biographical page of their passport.

Documents to Present at the UK Port of Entry

At the UK port of entry, you will need to show some documents to the border control police.

If you are an EU/EEA national, you can use the EU/EEA channel to get your documents checked. You only need your ID or passport. Adults must accompany children from the age of 17 and under.

Non- EU/EEA nationals need the following documents when they show at the UK port of entry:

• Valid Passport.
• Landing Card. You will get this from your carrier. You need to fill it in before your reach the border control.
• Visa (if applicable).

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• Tourism.
• To visit family members.
• Medical treatment.
• For professional reasons.

The Standard Visitor visa has replaced the following types of visas:

• Family Visitor visa.
• General Visitor visa.
• Child Visitor visa.
• Business Visitor visa, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists.
• Sports Visitor visa.
• Entertainer Visitor visa.
• Prospective Entrepreneur visa.
• Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa.
• Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa.

Do I Need To Apply for a Tourist Visa to Travel to the UK?

Whether you need to obtain a Tourist visa to be able to travel to the UK depends on your nationality.  You will need to obtain a UK tourist visa if you are a national of one of the countries listed here. To be eligible to apply for a tourist visa for the UK you must pass the general grounds for refusal.

How to Apply for a UK Visitor Visa?

The application for a UK visitor visa must be made from outside the UK. The earliest you can apply for this visa is 30 days prior to your planned travel to the UK.

To apply for a visa to visit the UK you will go through these simple steps:

1. Check if you are eligible for a tourist visa.
2. Complete the online application form.
3. Collect the required documents.
4. Schedule an appointment.
5. Attend the interview.

Find a detailed overview of the steps you need to go through to apply for a UK visa.

Documents required for a UK Tourist visa application

The documents required to apply for a UK tourist visa are as follows:

• UK tourist visa application form VAF1A. You should complete the form online.
• Two photographs in accordance with the UK guidelines. They should be taken within the past six months and be in color.
• Your valid passport with at least one blank page. It must be valid for three more months beyond the date you plan to leave the UK after your trip.
• Proof of financial means to cover living costs while you are in the UK. This may be your bank statements for the last six months or payslips for the same period.
• Specifics about your accommodation in the UK. You will need to present a document that shows where you will be accommodated while in the UK. Note that you do not have to fully pay a hotel/hostel in UK before getting the visa, just to get such a document. This could also be:
  • ID information and living address of a person covering your travel costs.
  • ID information and passport number of any relative living here.
• Detailed travel itinerary. It has to contain dates of your onward and backward travel. Submit a travel plan that gives all the information regarding how and what you are planning to do in the UK. Include the travel dates, places you will visit, meeting agenda, booked tour, festival agenda, etc.
• Previous travel history. This has to cover the period of the last 10 years. It can be proven through visas and entry/exit border stamps in current and older passports, or through separate residence titles.
• Specifics about your living address in the home country. Also, you’ve to show how long you’ve been living there.
• Biometric information. If you are applying for a visa that lets you stay in UK for more than 6 months, you will need to submit your biometric information. This includes giving your fingerprints and a digital photograph taken at the appropriate application center.
• Letter of invitation from the host.
• Paid UK visa fees. You should submit the receipt that confirms you have paid the visa fee as required.
• Certified translations of any document that is not in either English or Welsh.
• Recognized certificate of English language.
• Your criminal history.
• If you are a student: Academic and professional certificates.
• The names and birthdates of your natural/adoptive parents. This has to be supported by information about the number of their annual earnings.
• If you are employed in your home country: Contact and information of your existing employer.
• Tuberculosis Test Results. Nationals of several world countries will need to submit the requests of a Tuberculosis Test in order to be eligible for a UK Visa.

Additional documents to submit depending on your purpose of visit

If you’re an academic who is expecting to complete an exchange or research project in the UK:

• Formal letter of a home-country employer. It must show you’ve been given the authorization to leave the current job for an exchange or research project in the UK. It has to show dates of such approved leave.
• Formal letter of the host institution/organization in the UK. It must show in written they’ve made the needed arrangements for the specified exchange or research project.

If you’re expecting to take private medical treatment in the UK:

• Letter confirming your medical condition. Issued by a UK doctor/consultant, naming your disease and the need for the cure in the UK. It has to also show costs, place and the period of private cure.
• Proof of having paid the complete costs of medical care.
• Letter confirming you need further care. (If you’re applying for a visa extension). Issued by a UK doctor/consultant confirming you need further treatment of the disease. It must be accompanied with documents showing you have got the money to pay costs of such treatment.

If you’re expecting to give your organ to a person in need in the UK:

• Letter naming you as a donor match or the need for getting tested as a potential donor match. It must be issued by the main nurse/director of the UK’s NHS Trust’s Living Donor Kidney Transplant Team, or a registered doctor as an NHS consultant. It has to show details of when and where the tests or transplant will take place.
• Proof of residence in the UK of the organ recipient. Your organ recipient’s photocopied British passport, or UK valid residence permit.
• Proof that the organ recipient will be in the UK before transplantation date. (If the organ recipient is out of the UK). Details of their travel to the UK, their name, nationality and their date of birth.

If you’re visiting with the intention to become a UK Entrepreneur in the Future:

• Support letter from venture capital firms in the UK. The firm issuing it must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
• Letter of support from an endorsed UK entrepreneurial seed funding competitions.
• Supportive letter from UK departments.

If you’re expecting to attend a Professional Training/Assessment:

• Confirmation letter for an arranged PLAB or OSCE test. (If you’re expecting to sit a PLAB/OSCE test). It must be issued by a General Medical Council & Nursing and Midwifery Council, confirming that the test has been arranged.
• Formal job offer as a clinician/dental observer. (If applicable). It must not be a gainful job and you must not have worked before in the same job position.

What can you do with a UK Visitor Visa?

With the UK tourist visa, a holder must not use public medical services only private ones, must not use public funds, get married or enter a civil partnership and not announce any of them, and must not get a voluntary job.

Job-related activities allowed for a Standard Visitor Visa holder are:

• Participate in a conference, regular meeting, or training, or in a sport-related event;
• As an artist to perform in an artistic, entertaining, or music activity;
• As an academic to do a research study;
• As academic accompanying students who are about to enroll in Foreign Studies Programme;
• Engage in a clinical duty, or in a job as an observer, doctor or dentist;
• Undertake a test of the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB), or of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE);
• Undertake a test of the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB), or of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

How Long Does it Take for a UK Standard Visitor Visa Application to Process?

The decision on your UK visitor visa is taken in 8 weeks if you apply by post. However, the decision is made on the day you apply if you use the premium service.

A longer period may apply for taking a decision if further documentation is required.

Standard Visitor Visa Extension

There are some exceptional circumstances upon which you may extend your Standard visitor visa. Typically the complete period of extension together with the visa period doesn’t exceed 6 months, except for the following cases:

• If you’re on private medical treatment. You may get an additional 6 month period of visa extension to get medical care. You have to prove that you have paid your care costs, that you can pay additional costs and you haven’t broken immigration and visa rules.
• If you’re an academic completing a research project. The amount of extension and the initial visa period shouldn’t be more than 12 months.
• If you’re sitting the PLAB examination for the second time. You may get an additional 6 months through extension.
• If you want to engage in a clinical duty after having passed PLAB examination. The period through extension doesn’t exceed a year and a half.

UK Tourist Visa Fees

It costs £89 to apply for a UK Tourist Visa. However for private medical treatment given for 6 up to 11 months and for an academic to do research for up to 1 year the fee is £179. While for a long-term visa for 2 years is £337, £612 for 5 years and £767 for 10 years.

To apply for an extension it costs £993 for an application through the post and £1,583 for an application in person.

How Long Can I Stay in the UK With a Visitor Visa?

With a UK visitor visa you may stay in the UK for the following periods:

• At most 30 days. If you are a traveler under an ADS agreement.
• Up to 6 months. If you are traveling for a family visit or tourism.
• Up to 11 months. If you are traveling for private medical treatment.
• Up to 12 months. If you are an academic completing a research project in the UK.

What is the UK Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa?

This is a visitor visa with validity period 2, 5 up to 10 years, issued if you’re someone who needs to travel regularly to the UK for temporary visits.

To apply for a UK Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa you need to provide the following documents:

• Evidence of regular temporary visits to the UK.
• Proof of intention to leave the UK at the end of the visa period.
• Confirmation that you won’t change the reason for which you’re requiring this visa.

The post UK Visitor Visa appeared first on Visa Consulate - Visa Information For Any Country.

Do I Need to Meet the English Language Requirement?

You will need to meet the English language requirement if you at least 18 years old and you are applying for either an indefinite leave to remain or UK citizenship.

Yet, even if you meet the statement above, you may be exempt in the following occasions:

• You are aged 65 or over.
• You are unable to learn English due to a long-term physical or mental condition. Note that in such cases you need to submit a confirmation from your doctor about your physical or mental condition.
• You are a citizen of any of the following: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago or the USA.

In addition, when applying to settle in the United Kingdom, you will be exempt from the English language requirement, if any of the following statements apply to you:

• You are a victim of domestic violence and the partner or spouse of a British citizen or someone settled in the UK.
• You are the partner or spouse of a late British citizen or ILR holder.
• You are an adult-dependent relative between 18 and 64 of a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection in the UK.
• You are a refugee living in the UK.
• You are someone living in the UK with discretionary leave, or with humanitarian protection.
• You are someone who has permission to stay in the UK as a retired person of independent means.
• You are a Commonwealth citizen on discharge from HM Forces, including Gurkhas.
• You are a highly skilled migrant applying under the terms of the highly skilled migrant program (HSMP) judicial review and your dependents.
• You are someone in exceptional circumstances, i.e. an orphan, widow or over-age dependent.

What Are the Approved English Language Qualifications?

There are two ways to prove that you know the English language at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level, which levels are required as proof that you meet the English language requirement. These ways are:

• A recognized English test qualification from an approved test center.
• A degree taught or researched in English.

Recognized English Test Qualification

You will need to present a certificate issued by an approved test center, to prove that you meet the English language requirement.

Please note that there are specific tests that are recognized as proof of sufficient English language knowledge. Find here a list of the approved tests for this requirement.

Many of these recognized tests have a validity of two years. Yet, you will be able to use such a test even if it has expired, in two cases.

• When applying for UK citizenship, you can apply with a B1 certificate that has expired, but you had previously issued that one when you settled in the UK.
• When applying for an Indefinite Leave to Remain you can use an expired B1 level qualification, if it is on the current list of recognized tests, and you used the same for another UK immigration application, i.e. when you got the permission to enter the UK.

Degree Taught or Researched in English

If you own a degree that was taught or researched in English, then you can use that one as proof that you meet the English language requirement.

If your degree is from a UK university, you will need only your degree certificate. On the other hand, you will need to provide the following if your degree is from a non-UK university:

• A copy of your degree certificate.
• An Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK NARIC confirming the degree is equivalent to a UK qualification.
• An English Language Proficiency Statement from UK NARIC confirming the degree was taught in English, if your degree is from a non-majority English-speaking country.

In case you have lost your certificate or you have still not received it from the university, you will need to submit one of the two listed below:

• Official transcript issued by the university, containing the name of the university, your degree, and a confirmation of the award.
• A letter issued from the university, which confirms your degree and explains why you do not have it, and whether it will reissue you one or not.

Life in the UK Test

Please do not confuse the English language requirement with Life in the UK Test.  The latter is a test you have to take while in the UK if you are applying for indefinite leave to remain and you are between 18 and 64 years old.

The test is computer-based, and you need to answer at least 18 out of 24 questions correctly. If you pass the test once, you won’t need to take it again, if i.e. you apply for British citizenship.

The post English Language Proficiency and Life in the UK appeared first on Visa Consulate - Visa Information For Any Country.

If you are issued a visa, it means that you are eligible to enter the UK and that you meet the requirements of the particular visa that you have been given. There are different reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa, such as:

• To work and to do business
• To study
• For short stays and tourism
• To join family members who are already in the UK
• To transit through the UK to another country
• To live permanently
• As a refugee or as someone who needs humanitarian protection
• As a stateless person
• As someone who needs permission to stay

Who Needs a UK Visa?

Citizens of the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Commonwealth countries are not required to apply a UK visa prior to entering the UK. For a complete list of countries whose citizens need a visa for UK visit this page.

How to Apply for a UK Visa?

The UK visa application process depends a lot on the type of visa that you are applying for. Especially if your type of visa belongs to one of the Points-Based System category. Though most of the requirements are the same for each category, the way they are evaluated in the system differs. There are also additional requirements that vary from one to another category.

When Should I Apply for a UK Visa?

The earliest you can apply for a UK visa is three months before the date of your intended trip to here.   Yet, keep in mind that the processing of your visa application may take up to three weeks. Apply in advance, so you can give enough time to the consulate for the processing of your visa.

What are the Required Documents for UK Visa?

There are some standard UK visa requirements to apply for any that every applicant must fulfill. These requirements vary on the visa type and the nationality of the applicant.

What is the Points-Based System (PBS)?

The Point-Based System (PBS) of the United Kingdom Visa is the means of regulating immigration to the United Kingdom from outside the country, as a replacement of the old system one who was much more complex and hard to be covered.

The PBS system evaluates visa candidates based on the points they can gather by meeting visa requirements. Each visa requirement has its points, and there is an appointed number of points the candidate should gather in order to receive the visa.

UK Visa Types

There are different reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa. That is why the United Kingdom has an organized visa system based on the purpose of visitor under multiple visa types.

Here are the UK visa types:

• Work Visas.
• Business Visas.
• Study Visas.
• Visitor Visas.
• Family Visas.
• Settlement Visas.
• Transit Visas.

Work and Business Visas

Besides of its strict rules, not allowing to get a job many of the visa holders, the UK also offers Working Visas especially for high-end professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for shorter or longer periods.

Categories of work and business visas

• Highly qualified foreigners:
  • Global Talent Visa
• Skilled foreign workers with a job offer in a shortage area
  • Tier 2 (General) Visa
  • Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Visa
  • Tier 2 (Sportsperson) Visa
  • Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) Visa
• Youth mobility and temporary foreign workers
  • Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) Visa
  • Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) Visa
• Other:
  • Croatian National Registration Certificate
  • Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa
  • Exempt Vignette Visa
  • Turkish Worker Visa

The UK Business Visa types are the following:

• Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa
• Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa
• Tier 1 Investor Visa
• Turkish Businessperson Visa

Student Visas

These types of visas are issued to international students who want to study in the UK.

Categories of student visas

• Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa
• Tier 4 (General) Student Visa
• Short Term Study Visa

Tourist and Visiting visas

The UK is a very popular tourism destination, for shorter or even longer periods of visits. The UK Visitor Visas are issued for short stays, tourism visits and similar purposes. UK authorities rarely do issue a tourism visa for a longer period than six months. The foreign nationals are prohibited from getting a job inside UK with this type of visa, just as with many other types.

Short business trips are handled kind of the same way.

Categories tourist and visiting visas

• Marriage Visitor Visa
• Parent of a Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa
• Permitted Paid Engagement Visa
• Short-term Study Visa
• UK Visitor Visa
• Visa for a Chinese Tour Group

Family Visas

The UK Family Visa is issued to visit family members in the UK. This Visa type is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and want to join them for more than six months, as their dependents. The dependents can be husband or wife (spouse), partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, children, parents, other family members.

Categories of family visas

• UK Spouse visa
• UK Parent visa
• UK Child visa

Transit Visas

The UK Transit Visa is for foreigners who are not from the EEA (EU countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland, and are using the UK as a transit country to pass from another country to their destination. This visa offers the opportunity to apply for a long-term transit visa if the applicant has enough evidence that he needs to travel regularly through UK to arrive at his destination, but has no intention to stay or live there permanently. Such long-term transit visas can be given from 1 to 10 years long.

Categories of transit visas

• Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) – for those who have to change flights in the UK without leaving the airport
• Visitor in Transit Visa – for foreigners who have to leave the airport and take another means of travel, of making a part of their traveling through the land. This visa can be valid for up to 4 days.

Refugee Visa

Temporary Refugee Visa is for people who are about to enter in the UK and are at the borders because had to leave their country as their life was seriously threatened. The application for this visa is made from within the UK.

The visa is temporary, until the visa holder is not endangered anymore and can return back to their country. Visa for Stateless Persons is for foreigners living in the UK and are not nationals in any other country in the world. This visa is given for 2 to 6 years with a possibility of extension.

Also read: Alternatives to the UK retirement visa

UK Residence Permits

Indefinite Leave to Remain

The UK Settlement permit also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, is for those who have been living in the UK for a long period with a temporary visa, and now want to receive a permanent one. The visa applies to people who have lived out of the UK at least 2 years and now want to return, or their passport was lost.

Foreigners who already live in the UK with e refugee or humanitarian status and want to settle there permanently or for family reunion. Most of these visas condition the applicant to have lived minimum 5 years in the United Kingdom.

EEA Residence Permits

EEA Residence Permits:

• EEA Residence Card
• UK Registration Certificate – EEA (QP)
• UK Permanent Residence Card – EEA (PR)
• EEA family permit related to the derivative right of residence
• EEA family permit related to the Surinder Singh
• EEA family permit related to retained rights of residence
• Certificate of entitlement for right to abode in the UK

Other Residence Permits

UK Residence permits serve to gain temporary residence in the UK.

Categories

• Returning Resident Visa
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
• Residence Permit for Commonwealth Citizens
• Settlement visa as a Refugee or for Humanitarian Protection

Electronic Visa Waiver

The Electronic Visa Waiver is established for citizens of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates who want to come to the UK for maximum six months to do business, to sightsee, study or to get medical care.

Citizens of these countries must apply for other visa types if they seek to come to the UK for other reasons or for longer periods.

How to apply for Electronic Visa Waiver?

The application online must be done here.

The earliest you can apply for this visa is three months and the latest two days in advance the travel date. With this visa there is no possibility to include dependents, everyone must apply separately.

To apply for this visa is simple, and only the following information must be provided:

• Passport information;
• The place where the candidate will be living in the UK;
• Travel itinerary with planned dates of entry and leave

Note: The candidate must pay £15 to apply for this visa.

There is a possibility to have change information in this visa when needed, i.e. change as regards of airport, train station, bus station or similar, change as regards of the time of entering the UK and similar.

Upon the application, the visa will be received in one day in a form of a link, in the email address of the candidate for download. As such, it must be printed to be shown at the UK borders when entering.

What a UK Visa holder must know?

Despite the fact that a foreigner might be having a visa, they might be subject to Immigration Control (examination) anytime crossing the UK border. There can also be cases when the visa might be cancelled at the borders.

Any form of overstaying, or violating visa conditions, while being in the UK or out, is considered an act of offense.

Visas offer the needed answers on:

• Who to admit to enter into the UK and why,
• Who to allow living temporarily or permanently in the UK and why,
• Who meets the criteria and who to stop from entering into the UK,
• Who needs to exit the UK, when the visa expires or for other reasons

Visas sometimes can forbid the holder doing several activities such as:

• Getting a job of other professional activity in the UK,
• Using public funds;
• Staying in the UK without registering with the police (without getting police registration certificate);
• Study in the UK;
• Commanding holder to report to the specific Medical Officer of Environmental Health

Such restrictions can be made known to the holder in the following ways: 

• Attached in the passport/travel document;
• In a written notification;
• In the visa;
• In the visa application form;

Is Having a Booked Flight Required to Apply for a UK Visa?

Booking a flight for a UK visa application is not compulsory. The UK authorities permit you to apply without having one. You should still submit a travel itinerary, in which you include the intended entry and exit dates.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Visa for the UK?

It may take around three weeks for a UK visa to be processed. The current UK Visa processing time differs from one application to the other based on several factors. These are:

• the visa type you are applying for,
• the country from where you are applying,
• your specific situation,
• the number of applications the UK consulate/visa processing center is receiving at the time, etc.

Can I get my visa faster?

Depending on the visa type you are applying for, you may be eligible to use the ‘priority service’ or even the ‘super-priority service’ when filing your application.

The ‘priority service’ enables you to get a decision on your application within five working days for an additional fee of £500. Whereas, the ‘super priority service’ that will cost you £800 aside from the visa fee, and enables you to get a decision by the end of the next working day.

What is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

The Immigration Health Surcharge is an amount of money you have to pay when you apply for a visa to the UK. Once you are in the UK with a visa, you are entitled to use services of the NHS the same as other UK citizens. Please note that you will still need to pay for services as prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests and assisted conception.

The health surcharge costs £300 per year for a student or Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa, and £400 per year for all other visa and immigration applications.

What Are the Reasons for UK Visa Denial?

Some of the most common reasons why UK visas are refused are as follows:

• Missing documents. This is the most common reason why applications are rejected. One missing document and the embassy will be done with your application. You won’t even get a second chance to submit what is missing. You will need to start a brand new application.
• Incorrect and mismatching information in your documents.
• Insufficient financial means to support your stay in the UK.
• Not meeting the English language requirement.
• Incorrect organization of documents.

What Can I Do In Case of Visa Denial?

If your application for a UK visa is rejected, you can just give up, or:

• Reapply for the visa. If you reapply, make sure that you do not make the previous mistake, or you improve your situation in order to meet the requirements.
• Appeal on Human Rights ground. You should have a strong basis to appeal a visa rejection decision.
• Challenge the decision via judicial review. You can do this if you have a strong reason to believe that your application has been rejected illegally or irrationally or there has been procedural unfairness during the processing of your application file.

Will I get a refund?

No, it is not possible to have the fee you paid refunded. The fee for a UK visa is required in order to cover the expenses that come out of the processing of your application, thus refunding is not possible if your visa is denied or you decide to withdraw your application while it is being processed.

Moreover, when you reapply for a UK visa after your fist application has been rejected, you will need to pay the fee again.

Can I Get a UK Visa If I Have a Criminal Record?

If you have been involved in criminal activity in the past, the UK authorities will still receive and process your UK visa application. Yet, the Home Office will treat your application differently from the way it treats applications of people with no criminal past.

The length of your sentence and the time that has passed since then are very important in such cases. Your application will be automatically rejected if you have been imprisoned for:

• 4 years or more.
• Between one to 4 years, unless at least 10 years have passed since the end of the sentence.
• Less than 12 months, unless at least 5 years have passed since the end of the sentence.

Your application will also be rejected on the spot if within the period of 12 months before the application is decided, you have been convicted of or admitted an offense for which you received a non-custodial sentence or out of court disposal that is recorded on your criminal record,

Do I Need to Register With the Police?

If the visa sticker on your passport contains the words ‘Police registration’ or ‘Register with police in 7 days of entry’ then you will need to register with the police once you are in the UK with a valid visa.

You have seven days to go to the police for registration after you arrive in the UK. Note that if you do not register with the police, your visa validity will be shortened and you may need to leave the UK.

Can I Travel Abroad While I Am in the UK With a Valid Visa?

Holders of UK visas are allowed to travel abroad while in the UK. However, there may be extra requirements they must fulfill depending on their nationality and purpose of travel.

Travelling to Europe

To visit other European countries, you may have to apply for a Schengen visa from the UK which allows you to travel for tourism or business purposes for a maximum of 90 days.

You can apply for a visa from the UK even if you are not a British citizen. Although the procedures to apply it are almost the same for all applicants you must familiarize yourself with the specifics if you are applying from the UK.

If you need to obtain a Schengen visa from the UK, it is required that you purchase a Schengen visa health insurance plan that covers your entire period of stay in Europe.

Travelling to USA

To travel to the USA, you might be required to apply for a US visa in the UK, depending on your nationality. If you are a citizen of a country in the Visa Waiver Program, you are not required to apply for a visa, but you will have to apply for ESTA instead.

The post UK Visa – Types and Information appeared first on Visa Consulate - Visa Information For Any Country.

An Indefinite Leave to Remain is also known as the UK settlement visa, since it enables its holder to settle in the UK and remain without any time limit, and to take up employment or study without restrictions, as well. One can also enter and leave the UK at any time upon holding this status.

In order for an international to be eligible to get granted with the Indefinite Leave to Remain, he or she must apply from within the UK, proving that they have lived for a specific amount of time in Britain under one of the eligible types of UK visa.

Who Can Apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain?

The UK Home Office grants only specific categories of people with the Indefinite Leave to Remain. These categories must fulfill a number of criteria, including having legally lived within the UK for a certain period of time.

Based on the type of visa one has entered the UK and the period of time they have stayed, the following categories qualify to apply for an ILR:

Related: How to retire in the UK?

What is the Continuous Period of Stay in the UK?

The continuous period of stay in the UK is the time spent in the UK without travelling abroad within a year, calculated from the date you’ve arrived in the UK, or the day you’ve been granted a visa. This is known as the qualifying period and it’s counted to measure your eligibility to obtain an Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. There is an allowable period of absence from the UK during a qualifying period, which is commonly 180 days in a year.

In exceptional cases, you may settle in the UK regardless of the number of continuous years spent in the UK before that.

What Is Counted as a Compelling or Serious Reason of Absence During the Qualifying Period?

There’s not a sharp line between what’s and what’s not considered a compelling or serious reason of absence from the UK, of a visa holder applying for settlement permit.

The commonly recognized cases of such reasons are:

• Serious illness (including of a close family member).
• Birth/death of a close relative.
• Conflict.
• Natural disaster.

Documents to prove this:

• Medical certificates.
• Birth/death certificate.
• Proof of postponement of travel ticket arrangements due to natural disaster.

Individuals Ineligible for ILR

However, sometimes even if the ILR applicant belongs to one of the categories mentioned above, there are some factors that may exclude this person from being able to apply for and obtain an Indefinite Leave to Remain. Following, find the main reasons why one might become ineligible for settling in the UK:

• The applicant has spent a long period of time outside the UK during this 5 year period
• The applicant has failed to pay taxes (especially if the individual has been staying in the UK under a Tier 1 General Visa)
• The applicant has submitted his application earlier than allowed (without fulfilling the required period of time for application)
• The applicant has failed to submit the required documents by the Home Office
• The applicant has a Negative Immigration History (illegal immigration, etc).
• Criminal convictions can also cause delays for at least two years, depending on the severity of the crime, for one to be eligible get granted with an permanent residence permit.

When to Apply for ILR?

The qualifying candidates must apply for the ILR before the expiration of their visa / permitted stay in the UK. You should not apply more than 28 days before completing the qualifying period since if you apply earlier your application will probably be refused, your fee will not be reimbursed and you will have to pay it again when re-applying

Indefinite Leave to Remain Application Form

In order to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain you will have to fulfill one of the existing forms, SET(M) or SET O form  , depending on the type of visa under which you have been staying in the UK during the past years.

When completing any of the forms, you are strongly suggested to use a black pen, and write the names, addresses and other details all in capital letters. Complete all the required information, including Personal History section.

The reason why the type of application form you will use is so important, is because the required documents and a few other things depend on it.

Apply as the Partner of a Person Who is Settled in the UK

You will have to use the SET(M) form when applying for an ILR as the partner of a person who is settled in the United Kingdom. Children under 18 can be added to your application as dependents.

You must have lived in the UK under a spouse / civil partner visa for the past 5 years, in order to qualify. Aside from that, you must also fulfil some other requirements as listed below.

Financial requirements

You will have to show evidence that you meet the relevant financial requirement of £18,600. For this requirement the income you receive from the following will be calculated:

• Income from your sponsor
• Salary you receive in UK
• State or private pensions of you and your sponsor
• Cash savings over £16,000

Required documents

You will also have to submit some documents when applying for an ILR alongside the SET(M), as follows:

• Photographs – submit two identical passport size photographs with your full name written on the back of both; a photograph of your partner with their name written on its back; two identical passport-size photographs of any children applying as a dependant, with their full name written on their backs.
• Original documents – photocopies are not accepted.
• Translations – of every document that is not in either English or Welsh.
• Passport photocopies – of your first and last page with your details and also the pages that contain visas or immigration stamps.
• Knowledge of English Language
• Knowledge of life in UK

Apply to Settle in UK in Various Immigration Categories

You will have to use the SET(O) form when applying for an ILR, in one of the following immigration categories:

• work permit holder or dependant of work permit holder
• PBS dependant
• employment not requiring a work permit
• businessperson, innovator or investor
• highly skilled migrant
• self-employed lawyer
• writer, composer or artist
• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant
• Tier 1 (Investor) migrant
• Tier 2 migrant
• UK ancestry
• Bereaved partner
• Other purposes not covered by other application forms

Required documents

You will also have to submit some documents when applying for an ILR alongside the SET(O), as follows:

• Photographs – submit two identical passport size photographs with your full name written on the back of both; and two identical passport-size photographs of any children applying as a dependant, with their full name written on their backs.
• Passport or national ID – this is mandatory for all applicants except for PBS applicants. You will also have to include the passport or ID of any dependants applying with you.
• Original documents – photocopies are not accepted.
• Translations – of every document that is not in either English or Welsh.
• Passport photocopies – of your first and last page with your details and also the pages that contain visas or immigration stamps.
• Knowledge of English Language
• Knowledge of life in UK
• Some of the applicants in qualifying employment categories need to submit documentary evidence of all absences from the UK

Apply to Settle in UK Under Refugee or Humanitarian Protection

You can apply to settle in the UK also if you have been granted with residence permit as a:

• Refuge, or
• Person with humanitarian protection.

You are permitted to include your partner or children as dependents on your application, if they are already in the UK as dependents. There is no fee to pay when applying for the ILR as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection.

You will qualify to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 5 years of staying in the UK . You will have to use the application form SET(Protection Route), and you will be asked to provide your biometric information as well.

Apply to Settle in UK: Long Residence

You will qualify to apply for a permanent residence card in UK after 10 years of legal residence under any type of UK visa, including student visas. The 10-year-stay in the UK is also known as ‘long residence’, and gives the right to apply for an ILR to those that fulfill the general requirements for settling in the UK.

The applicant must also prove that he has been in the UK legally for ten years, and that he or she has kept to the terms of their UK visa.

Take notice that the 10-year qualifying period starts counting from either:

• the day you arrived in the UK with a visa, or
• the day you were given permission to stay in the UK

When filing an application for a permanent residence card in UK after 10 years, you will need to pay a fee of £2,389, in order for your application to be processed.

Returning Resident Visa

You will need to apply for a Returning Resident visa to come back to the UK if you have previously been granted with an Indefinite Leave to remain, but you either lost your documentation, or have been away for more than 2 years.
In order to be able to obtain this type of visa you will have to submit evidence that prove you:

• plan to return and permanently settle in the UK
• have been settled in the UK before leaving
• have not received any public funds to help leave the UK

Keep in mind that if you have been away for more than two years, you must provide extra evidence that will prove:

• you have strong ties to the UK
• you lived in the UK most of your life
• reasons why you lived outside the UK
• your current circumstances

The fee for this type of visa is £516. If your visa gets approved you can return to live permanently in the UK.

Required documents

When you apply to return to the UK you will have to provide the following documents:

• Valid passport
• A passport-sized color photograph
• Documents that prove your ties with the UK
• Application form completed online
• Biometric information – fingerprints and digital photo which will be taken at the visa application center
• Translation of any document that is not in either English or Welsh

Test of Knowledge of Life in the UK

Alongside the other requirements, most of ILR applicants will have to undergo a test called “Life in UK”. The test is mandatory and you will have to book it online at least three days in advance by paying a fee of £50. You will have to choose the closest test center to your home, to attend. If you don’t choose one of the 5 nearest centers, you will not be allowed to sit for the test, and you will not get a refund as well.

To book the test you will need:

• an email address
• debit or credit card
• ID

Exempt from taking the test are the following categories:

• people under 18
• people over 65
• people who have passed the exam before
• people with long term physical or mental condition

The test has 24 questions, which the applicants have 45 minutes to reply to. All questions are regarding British traditions and customs. You should study the official handbook for the Life in the UK Test.

Knowledge of English Language Requirement

The English language requirement is a very important requirement without the fulfillment of which you cannot obtain the ILR. When you submit your application, you will have to submit some documents as an evidence of your English knowledge.

You can prove your knowledge in English by:

• submitting a document or academic qualification that was taught or researched in English, which is recognized by UK NARIC as being equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher
• taking an approved English language test and passing it with at least a CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening.

The residents of English speaking countries are exempt from English knowledge requirement, as listed below:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• USA

Exempted from the English language requirement are also the individuals that belong to one of the categories listed below:

• Children (applicants under 16)
• Elders (applicants over 65)
• Applicants with a physical or medical condition that prevents them from meeting the requirement

Employment Rights of ILR Holders

Every individual with an Indefinite Leave to Remain has the right to work in the UK without restrictions with the same right as all British citizens. An employer living in the UK under ILR has the right of Maternity Leave, Maternity Allowance, Paternity Leave, right to health and safety protection at work, etc.

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If you are issued a visa, it means that you are eligible to enter the UK and that you meet the requirements of the particular visa that you have been given. There are different reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa, such as:

• To work and to do business
• To study
• For short stays and tourism
• To join family members who are already in the UK
• To transit through the UK to another country
• To live permanently
• As a refugee or as someone who needs humanitarian protection
• As a stateless person
• As someone who needs permission to stay

Citizens of the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Commonwealth countries are not required to apply a UK visa prior to entering the UK. For a complete list of countries whose citizens need a visa for UK visit this page.

How to Apply for a UK Visa?

The UK visa application process depends a lot on the type of visa that you are applying for. Especially if your type of visa belongs to one of the Points-Based System category. Though most of the requirements are the same for each category, the way they are evaluated in the system differs. There are also additional requirements that vary from one to another category.

When Should I Apply for a UK Visa?

The earliest you can apply for a UK visa is three months before the date of your intended trip to here.   Yet, keep in mind that the processing of your visa application may take up to three weeks. Apply in advance, so you can give enough time to the consulate for the processing of your visa.

What are the Required Documents for UK Visa?

There are some standard UK visa requirements to apply for any that every applicant must fulfill. These requirements vary on the visa type and the nationality of the applicant.

What is the Points-Based System (PBS)?

The Point-Based System (PBS) of the United Kingdom Visa is the means of regulating immigration to the United Kingdom from outside the country, as a replacement of the old system one who was much more complex and hard to be covered.

The PBS system evaluates visa candidates based on the points they can gather by meeting visa requirements. Each visa requirement has its points, and there is an appointed number of points the candidate should gather in order to receive the visa.

UK Visa Types

There are different reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa. That is why the United Kingdom has an organized visa system based on the purpose of visitor under multiple visa types.

Here are the UK visa types:

• Work Visas.
• Business Visas.
• Study Visas.
• Visitor Visas.
• Family Visas.
• Settlement Visas.
• Transit Visas.

Work and Business Visas

Besides of its strict rules, not allowing to get a job many of the visa holders, the UK also offers Working Visas especially for high-end professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for shorter or longer periods.

Categories of work and business visas

• Highly qualified foreigners:
  • Global Talent Visa
• Skilled foreign workers with a job offer in a shortage area
  • Tier 2 (General) Visa
  • Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Visa
  • Tier 2 (Sportsperson) Visa
  • Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) Visa
• Youth mobility and temporary foreign workers
  • Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) Visa
  • Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) Visa
• Other:
  • Croatian National Registration Certificate
  • Domestic Workers in a Private Household Visa
  • Exempt Vignette Visa
  • Turkish Worker Visa

The UK Business Visa types are the following:

• Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa
• Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa
• Tier 1 Investor Visa
• Turkish Businessperson Visa

Student Visas

These types of visas are issued to international students who want to study in the UK.

Categories of student visas

• Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa
• Tier 4 (General) Student Visa
• Short Term Study Visa

Tourist and Visiting visas

The UK is a very popular tourism destination, for shorter or even longer periods of visits. The UK Visitor Visas are issued for short stays, tourism visits and similar purposes. UK authorities rarely do issue a tourism visa for a longer period than six months. The foreign nationals are prohibited from getting a job inside UK with this type of visa, just as with many other types.

Short business trips are handled kind of the same way.

Categories tourist and visiting visas

• Marriage Visitor Visa
• Parent of a Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa
• Permitted Paid Engagement Visa
• Short-term Study Visa
• UK Visitor Visa
• Visa for a Chinese Tour Group

Family Visas

The UK Family Visa is issued to visit family members in the UK. This Visa type is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and want to join them for more than six months, as their dependents. The dependents can be husband or wife (spouse), partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, children, parents, other family members.

Categories of family visas

• UK Spouse visa
• UK Parent visa
• UK Child visa

Transit Visas

The UK Transit Visa is for foreigners who are not from the EEA (EU countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland, and are using the UK as a transit country to pass from another country to their destination. This visa offers the opportunity to apply for a long-term transit visa if the applicant has enough evidence that he needs to travel regularly through UK to arrive at his destination, but has no intention to stay or live there permanently. Such long-term transit visas can be given from 1 to 10 years long.

Categories of transit visas

• Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) – for those who have to change flights in the UK without leaving the airport
• Visitor in Transit Visa – for foreigners who have to leave the airport and take another means of travel, of making a part of their traveling through the land. This visa can be valid for up to 4 days.

Refugee Visa

Temporary Refugee Visa is for people who are about to enter in the UK and are at the borders because had to leave their country as their life was seriously threatened. The application for this visa is made from within the UK.

The visa is temporary, until the visa holder is not endangered anymore and can return back to their country. Visa for Stateless Persons is for foreigners living in the UK and are not nationals in any other country in the world. This visa is given for 2 to 6 years with a possibility of extension.

UK Residence Permits

Indefinite Leave to Remain

The UK Settlement permit also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, is for those who have been living in the UK for a long period with a temporary visa, and now want to receive a permanent one. The visa applies to people who have lived out of the UK at least 2 years and now want to return, or their passport was lost.

Foreigners who already live in the UK with e refugee or humanitarian status and want to settle there permanently or for family reunion. Most of these visas condition the applicant to have lived minimum 5 years in the United Kingdom.

EEA Residence Permits

EEA Residence Permits:

• EEA Residence Card
• UK Registration Certificate – EEA (QP)
• UK Permanent Residence Card – EEA (PR)
• EEA family permit related to the derivative right of residence
• EEA family permit related to the Surinder Singh
• EEA family permit related to retained rights of residence
• Certificate of entitlement for right to abode in the UK

Other Residence Permits

UK Residence permits serve to gain temporary residence in the UK.

Categories

• Returning Resident Visa
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
• Residence Permit for Commonwealth Citizens
• Settlement visa as a Refugee or for Humanitarian Protection

Electronic Visa Waiver

The Electronic Visa Waiver is established for citizens of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates who want to come to the UK for maximum six months to do business, to sightsee, study or to get medical care.

Citizens of these countries must apply for other visa types if they seek to come to the UK for other reasons or for longer periods.

How to apply for Electronic Visa Waiver?

The application online must be done here.

The earliest you can apply for this visa is three months and the latest two days in advance the travel date. With this visa there is no possibility to include dependents, everyone must apply separately.

To apply for this visa is simple, and only the following information must be provided:

• Passport information;
• The place where the candidate will be living in the UK;
• Travel itinerary with planned dates of entry and leave

Note: The candidate must pay £15 to apply for this visa.

There is a possibility to have change information in this visa when needed, i.e. change as regards of airport, train station, bus station or similar, change as regards of the time of entering the UK and similar.

Upon the application, the visa will be received in one day in a form of a link, in the email address of the candidate for download. As such, it must be printed to be shown at the UK borders when entering.

What a UK Visa holder must know?

Despite the fact that a foreigner might be having a visa, they might be subject to Immigration Control (examination) anytime crossing the UK border. There can also be cases when the visa might be cancelled at the borders.

Any form of overstaying, or violating visa conditions, while being in the UK or out, is considered an act of offense.

Visas offer the needed answers on:

• Who to admit to enter into the UK and why,
• Who to allow living temporarily or permanently in the UK and why,
• Who meets the criteria and who to stop from entering into the UK,
• Who needs to exit the UK, when the visa expires or for other reasons

Visas sometimes can forbid the holder doing several activities such as:

• Getting a job of other professional activity in the UK,
• Using public funds;
• Staying in the UK without registering with the police (without getting police registration certificate);
• Study in the UK;
• Commanding holder to report to the specific Medical Officer of Environmental Health

Such restrictions can be made known to the holder in the following ways: 

• Attached in the passport/travel document;
• In a written notification;
• In the visa;
• In the visa application form;

Is Having a Booked Flight Required to Apply for a UK Visa?

Booking a flight for a UK visa application is not compulsory. The UK authorities permit you to apply without having one. You should still submit a travel itinerary, in which you include the intended entry and exit dates.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Visa for the UK?

It may take around three weeks for a UK visa to be processed. The current UK Visa processing time differs from one application to the other based on several factors. These are:

• the visa type you are applying for,
• the country from where you are applying,
• your specific situation,
• the number of applications the UK consulate/visa processing center is receiving at the time, etc.

Can I get my visa faster?

Depending on the visa type you are applying for, you may be eligible to use the ‘priority service’ or even the ‘super-priority service’ when filing your application.

The ‘priority service’ enables you to get a decision on your application within five working days for an additional fee of £500. Whereas, the ‘super priority service’ that will cost you £800 aside from the visa fee, and enables you to get a decision by the end of the next working day.

What is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

The Immigration Health Surcharge is an amount of money you have to pay when you apply for a visa to the UK. Once you are in the UK with a visa, you are entitled to use services of the NHS the same as other UK citizens. Please note that you will still need to pay for services as prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests and assisted conception.

The health surcharge costs £300 per year for a student or Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa, and £400 per year for all other visa and immigration applications.

What Are the Reasons for UK Visa Denial?

Some of the most common reasons why UK visas are refused are as follows:

• Missing documents. This is the most common reason why applications are rejected. One missing document and the embassy will be done with your application. You won’t even get a second chance to submit what is missing. You will need to start a brand new application.
• Incorrect and mismatching information in your documents.
• Insufficient financial means to support your stay in the UK.
• Not meeting the English language requirement.
• Incorrect organization of documents.

What Can I Do In Case of Visa Denial?

If your application for a UK visa is rejected, you can just give up, or:

• Reapply for the visa. If you reapply, make sure that you do not make the previous mistake, or you improve your situation in order to meet the requirements.
• Appeal on Human Rights ground. You should have a strong basis to appeal a visa rejection decision.
• Challenge the decision via judicial review. You can do this if you have a strong reason to believe that your application has been rejected illegally or irrationally or there has been procedural unfairness during the processing of your application file.

Will I get a refund?

No, it is not possible to have the fee you paid refunded. The fee for a UK visa is required in order to cover the expenses that come out of the processing of your application, thus refunding is not possible if your visa is denied or you decide to withdraw your application while it is being processed.

Moreover, when you reapply for a UK visa after your fist application has been rejected, you will need to pay the fee again.

Can I Get a UK Visa If I Have a Criminal Record?

If you have been involved in criminal activity in the past, the UK authorities will still receive and process your UK visa application. Yet, the Home Office will treat your application differently from the way it treats applications of people with no criminal past.

The length of your sentence and the time that has passed since then are very important in such cases. Your application will be automatically rejected if you have been imprisoned for:

• 4 years or more.
• Between one to 4 years, unless at least 10 years have passed since the end of the sentence.
• Less than 12 months, unless at least 5 years have passed since the end of the sentence.

Your application will also be rejected on the spot if within the period of 12 months before the application is decided, you have been convicted of or admitted an offense for which you received a non-custodial sentence or out of court disposal that is recorded on your criminal record,

Do I Need to Register With the Police?

If the visa sticker on your passport contains the words ‘Police registration’ or ‘Register with police in 7 days of entry’ then you will need to register with the police once you are in the UK with a valid visa.

You have seven days to go to the police for registration after you arrive in the UK. Note that if you do not register with the police, your visa validity will be shortened and you may need to leave the UK.

Can I Travel Abroad While I Am in the UK With a Valid Visa?

Holders of UK visas are allowed to travel abroad while in the UK. However, there may be extra requirements they must fulfill depending on their nationality and purpose of travel.

Travelling to Europe

To visit other European countries, you may have to apply for a Schengen visa from the UK which allows you to travel for tourism or business purposes for a maximum of 90 days.

You can apply for a visa from the UK even if you are not a British citizen. Although the procedures to apply it are almost the same for all applicants you must familiarize yourself with the specifics if you are applying from the UK.

If you need to obtain a Schengen visa from the UK, it is required that you purchase a Schengen visa health insurance plan that covers your entire period of stay in Europe.

Travelling to USA

To travel to the USA, you might be required to apply for a US visa in the UK, depending on your nationality. If you are a citizen of a country in the Visa Waiver Program, you are not required to apply for a visa, but you will have to apply for ESTA instead.

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