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Welcome to Visa For UK

A visa is a travel document that allows you to enter a foreign country for a specific period of time. In most cases, you need to apply for a visa before you travel, either at an embassy, consulate or online. Sometimes it is also possible to obtain a visa on arrival. Visas are usually placed in your passport and indicate how long you can stay.

UK visa

A UK visa is the authorization document that gives citizens of the world the right to enter, stay temporarily or live forever in the territory of the United Kingdom. A visa is usually a stamp you receive in your passport or a document issued by a UK consulate or embassy in your country of residence.

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

• Working and doing business
• 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 a person in need of humanitarian protection
• As a stateless person
• Like someone who needs a residence permit

Types of UK Visa

There are several reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa. This is why the UK has an organized visa system based on the purpose of the visitor with multiple visa types.

Here are the types of UK visas:

• Work visas.
• Business visas.
• Study visas.
• Visitor visas.
• Family visas.
• Transit visas.
• Residence visas.

Work and business visas

In addition to its strict rules, which do not allow many visa holders to get a job, the UK also offers work visas, especially for high-level professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for more or less periods.

Categories of work and business visas

Highly qualified foreigners:

• Global Talent Visa

Skilled foreign workers with a job offer in a shortage area

• Senior Skilled Worker Visa in the UK
• International Sportsman Visa in the UK
• Visa from the UK Minister for Religion

Youth mobility and temporary foreign workers

• Government-authorized exchange visa
• UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

Other:

• Domestic worker visa
• Visa-exempt from vignette
• Business visas for the United Kingdom

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UK Charity Worker Visa |Skilled Worker Visa |Global Talent Visa UK

Student visas

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

Student visa categories

• Tier 4 Student Visa (Children).
• Tier 4 (General) Student Visa.
• Short-term study visa

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UK English language course visa|UK Children Student Visa|UK Study Visa

Tourist and visit visas

The United Kingdom is a very popular tourist destination, for shorter or even longer periods of visit. UK visitor visas are issued for short stays, sightseeing, and similar purposes. UK authorities rarely issue a tourist visa for longer than six months. Foreign nationals are not allowed to get a job in the UK on this type of visa, just like with many other types.

Short business trips are handled the same way.

Tourist and visit visa categories

• Wedding visitor visa
• Parent of a Tier 4 student visa (child).
• Parent of a Tier 4 student visa (child).
• A paid engagement visa permitted
• Short-term study visa
• UK Tourist Visa
• Visa for a Chinese tour group

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UK start-up visa|Standard visitor visa for medical reasons UK|UK Permitted Paid Engagement Visa

Family visas

The UK family visa is issued for visiting family members in the UK. This type of visa is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and wish to join them for more than six months, as their dependents. Dependent persons can be the husband or wife (spouse), partner, boyfriend, girlfriend or proposed cohabitation, children, parents, or other family members.

Categories of family visas

• UK Spouse Visa
• UK parent visa
• UK Child Visa

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UK spouse visa|EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit|UK Parental 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 who are using the UK as a transit country to pass through another country to their destination. This visa offers the opportunity to apply for a long-term transit visa if the applicant has sufficient evidence of the need to travel regularly through the UK to get to the destination but has no intention of staying or living there permanently. Such long-term transit visas can be granted for 1 to 10 years.

Categories of transit visas

Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) – for those who need to change flights in the UK without leaving the airport

Transit visitor visa – for foreigners who need to leave the airport and take another means of travel, to make part of their journey through the territory. This visa can be valid for up to 4 days.

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What documents are required for a UK visa?

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

• UK Visa Application Form. Depending on the type of UK visa you are applying for, you may need to complete the online form on the Visa4UK website or the manual application form.
• Two photographs. These photos must be taken within the last six months and in color.
• Your valid passport. It must be valid for a further three months beyond the date you plan to leave the UK after your trip. It must also have at least one blank visa page. If your passport has expired, you may not be able to travel.
• Proof that you have the financial means to cover the cost of living while in the UK. This could be bank statements from the last six months or pay slips from the same period.
• Proof of accommodation. You will need to submit proof of where you will be staying in the UK. Please note that you do not have to pay for the entire hotel/hostel in the UK before obtaining the visa, but only to obtain this document.
• Detailed travel itinerary. Submit a travel plan that gives you all the information on how and what you plan to do in the UK. Include travel dates, places you will visit, meeting agenda, booked tour, festival agenda, etc. Click here to learn how to book fictitious flight tickets for a UK visa.
• Tuberculosis test results. Citizens of several countries around the world will need to submit applications for a tuberculosis test to be eligible for a UK visa. Check here if you need to provide tuberculosis test results.
• Biometric information. If you are applying for a visa to allow you to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, you will need to submit your biometric information. This includes the submission of fingerprints and a digital photograph taken at the relevant application center.
• UK Visa Invitation Letter. (If applicable). If you are staying with a friend or family member, you will need to send a letter of invitation. Your host must be a UK citizen or legal resident.
• UK cover letter. (If applicable). The personalized letter accompanying the visa application provides a detailed explanation of the purpose of the visit and the applicant’s background. It serves as an essential supporting document to convey the authentic intentions of the applicant and increase his or her chances of obtaining the desired visa.
• I paid the UK visa fees. You should present the receipt confirming that you have paid the visa fee as required.
• Certified translations of any document other than English or Welsh.

How long does it take to get a UK visa?

It may take around three weeks for your UK visa to be processed. The current UK visa processing time varies from application to application based on several factors. These are:

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

Can I get the visa faster?

Depending on the type of visa you are applying for, you may be eligible to use the “priority service” or even the “super priority service” when you apply.

The ‘priority service’ allows you to make a decision on your application within five working days for an additional cost of £500. Instead, the ‘super priority service’ will cost you £800 apart from visa fees and will allow you to make a decision by the end of the next business day.

What is the immigration health supplement?

The Immigration Health Surcharge is a sum of money you have to pay when applying for a visa to the United Kingdom. Once you are in the UK on a visa, you are entitled to use NHS services like other UK citizens. Keep in mind that you will still have to pay for services such as prescriptions, dental care, eye exams, and assisted conception.

The health supplement 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 refusal?

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 process your request. You won’t even get a second chance to send what’s missing. You will need to start a new application.
• Incorrect and mismatched information in your documents.
• Insufficient financial means to support your stay in the UK.
• Not meeting the English language requirements.
• Incorrect organization of documents.

What can I do in case of visa refusal?

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

Reapply for the visa. If you apply again, make sure you don’t make the previous mistake or improve your situation to meet the requirements.

Appeal on human rights grounds. You should have a solid basis for appealing a visa refusal decision.
Challenge the decision through judicial review. You can do this if you have a strong reason to believe that your application has been unlawfully or irrationally rejected or that a procedural unfairness has occurred in the processing of your application file.

Will I receive a refund?

No, it is not possible to have a refund of the amount paid. The fee for a UK visa is required to cover the costs of processing your application, so a refund is not possible if your visa is denied or if you decide to withdraw your application while it is being processed.

Additionally, when you reapply for a UK visa after your first application was rejected, you will have 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 continue to receive and process your UK visa application. However, the Home Office will treat your application differently from the way they treat applications from people without a criminal record.

In these cases, the length of the sentence and the time that has passed since then are very important. Your request will be automatically rejected if you have been incarcerated for:

4 years or more.

From 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 if, within the 12-month period prior to the decision on your application, you have been convicted of or admitted an offense for which you received a non-custodial sentence or extrajudicial disposition recorded on your criminal record,

Do I have to register with the police?

If the visa sticker in your passport contains the words ‘Register with Police‘ or ‘Register with Police within 7 days of entry’, you will need to register with the Police once you arrive in the UK with a valid visa.

You have seven days to go to the police for registration after you arrive in the UK. Keep in mind that if you don’t register with the police, the validity of your visa will be reduced and you may have to leave the UK.