Are you planning on visiting the UK for study, leisure, or business for up to six months? Then it sounds like you need a UK visitor visa. As an immigration agency, we are extremely experienced in managing this form of immigration application, with our main goal of making the process as stress-free as possible for the applicant. As you will need proof of where you are staying or who you are seeing for the duration of your visit, we are also well experienced in dealing with multiple parties on behalf of the applicant. Having lots of people involved in a visa process can lead it to become overwhelming. At My Immigration Services, we can offer you an affordable way to streamline your application.
Visitor visas allow for a range of activities to be undertaken if they do not relate to paid work in the UK. When you come to the UK as a visitor, you can:
If you reason for visit are outside of this list, then you will need to consider a different form of visa application. Please view our other visa agency services here.
One of the main benefits of using our services is that we handle the application process for you. There are many forms to fill out and processes to follow when applying for a visa. With My Immigration Services, you only need to provide us with the information, and we do the rest of the work for you.
According to the government’s official advice for visitor visas, to support your application, you will need to provide the following:
– Proof that you will be leaving the UK at the end of your visit. If you wish to have the option to extend your trip or may need to return for different reasons, please let us know, as this may change the type of visa that you need to apply for.
– Proof that you can support yourself and your dependents during your trip. This will need to cover the entire length of your stay. Therefore, you must show that you have the funds and logistics to support you and your dependents during your trip to the UK. This can also be derived from the resources of the visitors you are coming to see in certain situations. Your immigration advisor will be able to advise you of your best options.
– Proof that you can pay for your return or onward journey. You can also include proof if someone else will be paying for your travel, such as a business expense or a gift from a family member. You may be asked to confirm your ticket or just prove that you have the funds available to purchase this at a later date.
– That you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home. If you are applying for these types of visas frequently, you will likely not receive successful applications as this would technically be covered under a different form of documentation. A visitor visa is purely for a one-off period in the UK.
You will need to pay £115 to the UK Government for the visa itself to cover a six-month period. In addition, our fixed fee of £550 streamlines your application process, and includes all of the additional support required to give you the best chance of visa application success.
Visitor visas are one of the most common forms of applications that we process, with the UK granting more than 620,000 passes in 2021. Despite this commonality associated with visitor visas, the application process can be complex as lots of documentation is required to support the claims being made as legitimate.
My Immigration Services are therefore best equipped to deal with your visitor visa applications as we:
– Work for a fixed cost. No matter the additional questions that arise from your application, we will deal with everything under the originally agreed cost.
– Understand all the requirements needed for a successful application. While the list we have shared may seem simple, many details ensure your information is eligible for a successful visa application. To save you time, our team will ensure you have all the information needed before the application starts to give you the best chance of getting first-time approval.
– Manage the entire process for you. We can act as your single point of contact for the whole of the application process and beyond, depending on what additional needs you may have.
– Understand the stresses attached to a visitor visa application. Whether you are visiting for a holiday, have some work commitments in the UK, or need to spend time with your extended family, we understand that a visa application can add stress to already complex situations. Our process takes that stress away from you so that your efforts can be applied to your other priorities.
– Are registered with and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), you can rest assured that our advice is legally compliant.
In submitting an application for a UK Visitor Visa you will need to prove:
As a visitor to the UK for the purpose of tourism or leisure, you are permitted to:
To succeed with an application for a UK Visit Visa, you need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you are a ‘genuine visitor’. This means that you will need to show you are genuinely seeking entry to the UK for a purpose permitted by the visitor routes, and that you will not undertake any prohibited activities during your stay in the UK, will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits and will not make the UK your home
The Visit guidance lists factors which will be considered by a Caseworker in assessing whether an applicant is a genuine visitor. Theses include your:
In assessing your genuineness, the Caseworker will also consider the cumulative period of time you have spent in the UK over the last 12 months and the duration of your previous visits compared to what was stated on your visa application form or on arrival to the UK.
The Visit Guidance provides a non-exhaustive list of reasons a Caseworker may doubt whether you are a Genuine Visitor. This includes whether or if:
Although the existence of any of the above reasons will not result in the automatic refusal of your application, it is essential to address each of these circumstances in your application.
You must have access to sufficient resources to maintain yourself adequately for the duration of your visit to the UK. There is no set level of funds you need to show this.
Some thought should be given to the activities you intend to undertake, and your living expenses, in the UK. This is because a Caseworker will consider the likely cost of your stay and assess any source of revenue that will continue to be available to you whilst visiting the UK when assessing your application. A Caseworker will take into consideration your income or savings against any financial commitments you have in your country of residence in deciding whether you are able to support yourself financially during your visit.
Although there is no specific maximum period of time which you can spend in the UK in any period, as long as each visit does not exceed 6 months, your application for a Standard Visitor Visa will be refused if a caseworker has reason to believe that you are living in the UK through frequent or successive visits. In assessing your application a Caseworker will consider your travel history including, how long you spend in the UK on each visit and how frequently you are returning to the UK.
An application for a UK Visitor Visa must be made online. A Standard Visitor may apply for a visit visa of 6 months, 2.5 years or 10 years validity. This allows multiple visits to the UK within the period of validity, unless the visa is endorsed as single or dual-entry), but if it is a ‘multiple entry’ visa, you still cannot remain in the UK as a visitor for more than 6 months on any individual visit.
As part of the application process you will be required to attend a Visa Centre to enrol your biometrics and have your passport scanned as part of the application process. Once your application form is submitted online, you will be able to upload your supporting documents online and book an appointment to enrol your biometrics.
An application for a UK Visitor Visa is typically decided within 3 weeks of making the application and attending a visa application centre. It may be possible to apply for a priority service to speed up the process depending on the country you are applying from.
You are unlikely to have a right of appeal if your application for a Standard Visitor Visa is refused. If you need to challenge a refusal, it is likely you will have to do so by way of judicial review.
You may wish to speak to us for expert legal advice on making a fresh application following the refusal of your visitor visa. It will be essential for you to make a carefully prepared application which addresses each reason from your refusal in order to succeed with a fresh application.
Please call 0161 527 3123 or email our enquiries team today to start your journey with My Immigration Services.
