How To Apply For UK Visa

A UK visa is an authorized document that grants international residents the ability to enter, remain temporarily, or live in the United Kingdom permanently. A visa is usually a stamp in your passport or a document issued by a UK consulate or embassy in your country of residence.

If you are granted a visa, it indicates that you are qualified to visit the UK and that you meet the requirements of the specific visa that you have been granted. There are several reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa, including:

• 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 obtain a UK visa before entering the country.

How to Apply for a UK Visa?

• UK Visa Application Process

The process and service you must use to apply for a UK visa are primarily determined by the type of visa you require. If you are applying for a UK tourist or short-term visa, you can start your application here.

All other types of visas, including study and work visas, must be obtained using the Visa4UK online service. If you are applying for the first time, you will need to create an account. If you already have an account, simply sign in and fill out the fields with the necessary information.

To apply for a UK visa, follow these simple steps:

• Find out if you need a UK visa.
• Chose the right UK visa type.
• Complete the online application form.
• Collect the required documents for a UK visa application.
• Schedule a UK visa appointment.
• Attend the UK visa interview.

Find out if you need a UK visa

Depending on your nationality, you may not be required to obtain a UK visa. You are not required to apply for a UK visa ahead to your journey to England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland if you are:

• An EEA citizen.
• A Swiss citizen.
• A Commonwealth citizen.

If you realize that you need a visa, then you can proceed with the other steps!

• Choose the right UK visa type

The majority of the application process for a British visa, including visa criteria, is determined by your purpose for visiting the UK. Your purpose of travel to the UK dictates the type of visa you require, which can be one of the following:

• UK Tourist Visa: for all those who wish to enter the UK to visit friends or family members, for holidays, business, private medical treatment, to get married, etc.
• UK Transit Visa: for those who need to pass through the UK in transit to another country.
• UK Work Visa:  for all those who wish to engage in paid activity in the UK.
• UK Study Visa: for all those who wish to travel to the UK to enroll at a study course/university. If your study is short-term you ought to apply for a UK short-term study visa. Whereas, if you need long-term permission to stay in the UK, you have to apply for a Student Visa (also called Student Route), which has replaced the previous Tier 4.

Complete the online application form

Typically, the UK visa online application form includes inquiries about personal information such as:

• Your name & surname.
• Nationality.
• Country of residence.
• Marital status.
• Personal number.
• Passport number.
• Reason for wishing to enter the UK.
• Other information about your application.

If the information in the UK application form does not match the information in the other needed documents, your application will be refused.

• Collect the required documents

As part of your UK visa application, you must provide some mandatory documents to support your case.

• Schedule a UK visa appointment

After scheduling an appointment online, print the email confirming the specifics of your appointment and bring it with you to the UK visa application center you have chosen, together with the necessary papers.

The relevant documents must be submitted in their original form. Make certain that the documents are correct, as even a minor error might lead to serious consequences. Please keep in mind that the appointment must be scheduled in your name rather than someone else’s.

• Attend the UK visa interview

When you visit the UK visa application facility, you must supply your biometric information, which includes a photograph and a digital scan of your fingerprints.

Every applicant, including children, must visit the visa application facility in person. Applicants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

• UK Visa Application Denial

Pay close attention to the entire application procedure, since even minor errors can lead to your application being rejected by the UK Home Office. Some of the most common grounds for visa rejection are:

• Missing Documents.
• Applying for the wrong type of visa.
• Failure to prove you have the financial means to support your stay in the UK.
• Fraudulent documents.
• You have overstayed on a previous trip.
• Criminal history.

How to Appeal Against the UK Visa Denial?

If your UK visa application is rejected, when you receive the answer on your application you will also be notified on the reasons behind it. If you think that this decision has not been taken justly, then you can appeal it.

• Fill in Form IAFT-2, which is an appeal form
• Submit it to the UK Immigration and Asylum Chamber
• This body will send the documents will be forwarded to the relevant authorities
• A new decision will be taken and communicated to the applicant in writing

If the decision is not changed, you can file a new application by correcting the previous mistakes.

• Can I Extend my UK Visa?

While in the UK, you can extend your UK visa. However, the process varies based on your visa type. If you are in the UK on a standard visiting visa, you can apply for a visa extension if your stay is less than six months.

• Applicants from the USA

To apply for a UK visa from the United States, you must follow some special processes. Although US nationals are not required to apply for a UK guest visa, they must apply for visas under the Points Based System.

When Should I Apply for a UK Visa?

You can apply for a UK visa up to three months before your scheduled trip. However, please keep in mind that the processing of your visa application could take up to three weeks. Apply in advance so that the consulate has enough time to complete your visa.

What are the Required Documents for UK Visa?

There are some standard UK visa requirements that all applicants must meet. The requirements differ depending on the type of visa and the applicant’s nationality.

What is the Points-Based System (PBS)?

The Point-Based System (PBS) in the United Kingdom Visa is a means of regulating immigration to the United Kingdom from outside the country, replacing the previous system, which was much more complex and difficult to cover.

The PBS system evaluates visa aspirants based on the number of points they can earn by meeting visa requirements. Each visa requirement has points, and the candidate must collect a certain number of points in order to acquire the visa.

UK Visa Types

There are a variety of reasons why people choose to apply for UK visas. That is why the United Kingdom has a well-organized visa system based on the visitor’s purpose, with several visa kinds.

Here are the UK visa types:

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

Work and Business Visas

Aside from its tight requirements, which prevent many visa holders from finding work, the UK also offers Working Visas, which are designed specifically for high-level professionals from other countries who want to work and reside 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
• UK Senior Specialist Worker Visa
• UK International Sportsperson Visa
• UK Minister of Religion Visa
• Youth mobility and temporary foreign workers
• Government Authorized Exchange Visa
• UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa
  Other:
• Domestic Worker Visa
• Exempt Vignette Visa
• UK Business Visas

Student Visas

These types of student 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 United Kingdom is a popular tourist destination, both for short and long stays. UK Visitor Visas are provided for short-term stays, tourist visits, and other similar purposes. UK officials seldom award a tourist visa for more than six months. This form of visa, like many others, prohibits foreign nationals from working in the United Kingdom. Short business travels are handled in a similar 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 allows you to visit your family members in the UK. This Visa type is intended for persons who have family members who work and live in the UK and wish to accompany them for longer than six months as dependents. Dependents may include the husband or wife (spouse), partner, fiancé, fiancée, or planned civil partner, children, parents, and 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 nations including Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) or Switzerland who are using the UK as a transit country to travel from one country to another. This visa allows the applicant to apply for a long-term transit visa if he has sufficient evidence that he needs to travel often through the UK to reach his destination but has no intention of staying or living there permanently. Such long-term transit visas might last from one to ten years.

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 Visas are for those who are intending to enter the UK who have been forced to flee their home country due to serious threats to their lives. The application for this visa is submitted from within the UK.

The visa is only valid until the visa holder is no longer in danger and is able to return home. Visa for Stateless Persons is for foreigners living in the UK who are not citizens of any other country in the world. This visa is valid for two to six years, with the potential of renewal.

UK Residence Permits

Indefinite Leave to Remain

The UK Settlement Permit, commonly known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, is for those who have been living in the UK for a long time on a temporary visa and now wish to obtain a permanent one. The visa is for persons who have been living outside of the UK for at least two years and want to return, or whose passport has been lost.

Foreigners who are already in the UK as refugees or humanitarians and wish to reside permanently or for family reunification. Most of these visas require the applicant to have spent at least five 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 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 designed for people of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates who desire to visit the UK for up to six months to conduct business, sightsee, study, or receive medical treatment.

Citizens of these countries must apply for different types of visas if they wish to visit the UK for other reasons or for a longer period of time.

How to apply for Electronic Visa Waiver?

The online application must be submitted here.

The earliest you can apply for this visa is three months, and the latest is two days before your travel date. Dependents cannot be included on this visa; everyone must apply separately.

To apply for this visa, simply supply the following information:

• 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 the option to update the information on this visa as needed, such as the airport, train station, bus station, or similar, as well as the time of entry into the UK.

Following the application, the visa will be delivered in one day in the form of a link to the candidate’s email address for download. As a result, it must be printed and shown at the UK border before entering.

What a UK Visa holder must know?

Despite obtaining a visa, a foreigner may be subject to Immigration Control (examination) when entering the UK border. There may also be occasions where the visa is cancelled at the border.

Overstaying or breaking visa terms, whether in the UK or elsewhere, is considered an infraction.

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 required. The UK authorities allow you to apply without one. You should still submit a travel itinerary that includes your planned 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 looking for, you may be able to use the ‘priority service’ or even the’super-priority service’ when submitting your application.

For an extra £500, you can use the ‘priority service’ to receive a decision on your application within five working days. In contrast, the’super priority service’, which costs £800 in addition to the visa price, allows you to receive a judgment by the end of the next working day.

What is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

The Immigration Health Surcharge is a fee you must pay when applying for a visa to the UK. Once in the UK with a visa, you have the same access to NHS services as other UK citizens. Please keep in mind that you will still be required to pay for treatments such as medicines, dental care, eye exams, and assisted conception.

The health fee is £300 per year for students and Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visas, and £400 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, you cannot have the fee refunded. The price for a UK visa is necessary to cover the expenditures incurred during the processing of your application; thus, refunds are not possible if your visa is denied or you decide to withdraw your application while it is being processed.

Furthermore, if you reapply for a UK visa after your first application is rejected, you will be required to pay the amount again.

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

Even if you have a history of criminal conduct, the UK authorities will accept and process your visa application. However, the Home Office will treat your application differently than it does applications from people with no criminal history.

In such circumstances, the duration of your sentence and the amount of time since then are extremely crucial. If you have been imprisoned, your application will be immediately refused.

• 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 got a non-custodial sentence or out-of-court disposition that is recorded on your criminal record.

Do I Need to Register With the Police?

If the visa sticker on your passport says ‘Police registration’ or ‘Register with police in 7 days of entry’, you must register with the police once you arrive in the UK with a valid visa.

Following your arrival in the UK, you have seven days to register with the police. It is important to note that if you do not register with the police, your visa validity may be reduced and you may be forced to leave the United Kingdom.

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

Holders of UK visas are permitted to go abroad while in the UK. Depending on their nationality and the purpose of their trip, they may be required to meet additional requirements.

Travelling to Europe

To visit other European countries, you may need to apply for a Schengen visa in the UK, which permits you to travel for tourist or business purposes for up to 90 days.

You can apply for a visa in the UK even if you are not a British citizen. Although the application procedures are nearly identical for all candidates, if you are applying from the United Kingdom, you should be aware of the nuances.

If you need to secure a Schengen visa from the UK, you must purchase a Schengen visa health insurance coverage that covers your entire stay in Europe.

Travelling to USA

Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a US visa in the UK before traveling to the United States. If you are a citizen of a nation in the Visa Waiver Program, you do not need to apply for a visa, but you must apply for ESTA instead.