The UK is well-known as a popular tourist destination. You may wish to come to the UK to see the attractions or to visit close family and friends. You may have been invited for a particular occasion or wish to come for personal/business reasons.

If you are from a non-EEA country then you can apply for a visit visa, which will normally allow you to stay in the UK for up to 6 months. There are different visa requirements depending on the purpose of your visit.

1. General Visitor

Under this category the person is usually seeking to enter the UK as a visitor, family visitor or simply as a tourist. As a general visitor you need to show that you want to visit the UK for a period of no more than 6 months; that you intend to leave the UK when your visit ends; and, that you have substantial finances in order to pay for your accommodation and general holiday expenses. In addition, you must also be able to pay for the cost of your return or onward journey to another country.

As a general visitor you cannot run a business that charges the public in the UK, you cannot take paid or unpaid work, you can only study for up to 30 days, as long as it’s not the main reason for your visit, you are not allowed to marry or form a civil partnership with anyone in the UK, you cannot receive private medical treatment during your stay and cannot have recourse to public funds in the UK.

1. Family Visitor

You can apply for a Family Visitor visa if

  • you are visiting a family member in the UK
  • you are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)and Switzerland
  • you meet the other eligibility requirements

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
You can stay in the UK for 6 months on a Family Visitor visa. 

Long-term Family Visitor visa
You can also apply for a long-term visit visa if you can prove you need to make repeat visits over a longer period. 
You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit and your visa can last for 1, 2, 5 or 10 years.

As a family visitor you cannot run a business that charges the public in the UK, you cannot take paid or unpaid work, you cannot receive private medical treatment during your stay and cannot have recourse to public funds in the UK.

2. Student Visitor

As a student visitor you are required to demonstrate that you only intend to come to the UK for a short period of study, for no more than 6 months and that you intend to leave the UK after your visit. We as specialised UK Immigration advisers can assist you with your application. If you wish to study for more than 6 months in the UK, we can assist you in making an application as a Tier 4 General Migrant under the points based system.

3. Business Visitor

In order to come to the UK under this category you are required to demonstrate that you intend to be in the UK for no longer than 6 months and plan to leave the UK before the end of the 6 month period. You would have to show that you have sufficient funds available to pay for accommodation in the UK. Furthermore, as a business visitor you are permitted to engage in certain business related activities; such as, arranging board meetings, being a courier for a tour group, providing services for a computer software company by coming to install, debug or enhance their products etc.

4. Medical Visitor

As a medical visitor you are required to meet the requirements of a general visitor, demonstrate that you are suffering from a medical condition and that you need treatment in the UK. You also need to specify roughly how long your treatment is likely to take, how long you are required to stay in the UK and show that you can afford the treatment in the UK.

5. Visitors Undertaking Permitted Paid Engagements up to One Month

If you have been invited to the UK as an expert in your profession, you may be able to get a Permitted Paid Engagement visa. You can stay in the UK for up to 1 month. These visitors could be examiners, lecturers, overseas designated pilot examiners, qualified lawyers, professional artists, entertainers and sports-persons.

You can be invited by a UK-based organisation to:

  • Be a student examiner or assessor
  • Take part in selection panels as a highly qualified academic if you’re invited by an education, arts or research organisation
  • Give lectures at a higher education institution, as long as it is not a part-time or full-time role
  • Examine UK-based pilots so they meet the standards of the country you come from if you are invited by an approved UK training organisation regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority
  • Provide advocacy in a particular area of law
  • Take part in arts, entertainment or sporting activities including broadcasting
  • Take part in fashion modelling assignments

You can also carry out minor activities related to your work or business overseas, such as attend meetings. Although this category is attractive for a short period of employment, there are certain conditions attached to the activities which are not allowed and must be complied with.

Professional fees:

Normally, instructions in respect of all UK immigration matters are undertaken on the basis of an agreed fixed fee having consideration of the complexity of the matter and the level of expertise involved. All disbursements are additional such as the Home Office / Visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge fee. If we are unable to agree a fixed fee, our standard hourly rate will be £300 plus vat equating to £360 (if applicable).

Our agreed fixed fee usually includes meeting with one of our experienced solicitors to establish the details of your case, advice on your option(s) and merits in the matter, guidance in collating supporting and relevant documents; preparing and submitting the application/representations with the Home Office / British High Commission in your home country and advising you on the likely outcome(s) of your matter.

Time scale:

Upon receiving instructions, we will provide you with an initial list of documents. Thereafter, we shall provide a comprehensive list of documents tailored to your individual circumstances. If your matter is urgent it will be dealt with as a priority. As soon as we have received the requested information and supporting documents and we have reviewed your matter, we shall prepare and submit your application with the relevant Immigration department bearing in mind applicable deadlines. The timescale on when a decision will be received will depend on the type of application being made and backlog of the decision making body. On average it may take 2 to 6 weeks to get a decision from the visa office but may vary depending on which country you are applying from. We shall keep you informed of the progress of your matter throughout the entire application process.

UK Immigration Laws and Rules are not as straightforward as they once were, in order to apply for entry clearance to come to the UK.

Please contact us today for further advice and assistance on 020 3002 9147, 075 8293 2830 or email us at info@aschfordslaw.com.