UK Visa Guide

What Exactly UK Visa is?

UK Visa is a government registered or authorized document that gives a person the authority to enter the country, from worldwide.

It also allows a person to stay in the country for temporary living or for a permanent stay which depends on the category you choose while applying for a visa.

A visa is you get a stamp in your passport. There is some eligibility for each visa in which you have to meet the criteria. If you get your visa that means your visa application is being approved and you met the criteria of that of visa and now you are all ready to enter the UK.

Whether selecting or rejecting your visa application and looking into the criteria that if you are eligible for it or not it all depends on  UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), they are responsible for making a call for it.

What is UKVI?

UKVI stands for  UK Visas and Immigration and it is responsible for the United Kingdom visa system. It means all the visa applications are being approved and rejected by them.

They look into the visa application of the people who are willing to visit the UK for staying temporarily or permanent, for touring, for studying, or for business purposes.

Apart from these they also look into the invited visa applicants who are being sponsored by the business companies as well as the educational institute. It is a division of the home office of the United Kingdom.

Home Office (HO) handles all the ministerial departments like security, immigration, policing, law and orders, and all the other departments.

Types Of UK Visa

There are different types of UK Visa.

1. Standard visitor visa
2. Work visa
3. Business visa
4. Study visa.
5. Permitted paid engagement visa.
6. Transit visa.

UK Standard Visitor Visa

This visa is used for holidaying in the UK with your family or friends and even for participating in business or sports events. This visa has replaced many visas like family visas, general visas, child visas, business visas, and many other visas.

With this visa, you can study for 30 days and not more than that. You can also use this visa as a transit visa. You can take part in business-related activities.

There are two types of standard visitor visas.

1. Short-term visitor visa

2. Long-term visitor visa

With a Standard visitor visa, you cannot work in the UK and even you are not allowed to stay for a longer time.

You need to apply for this visa is 3 months before you travel to the UK. Short-term visitor visa is valid for 6 months but if you are coming for private medical treatment or coming for research then you can stay up to 11 to 12 months respectively but for that, you have to apply for a biometric resident permit.

There is also a standard visitor visa for the long term if you visit the UK regularly then you should apply for this long term visa.

This long term visa lasts for up to 2,5,10 years. On your every visit in the UK with a long term Standard visitor visa you can stay for 6 months.

Transit visa: this visa is used for passing through the UK to another country. There are some criteria for this visa.

To get the visa to must prove that you will transit to another country with enough amount of money and you do not intend to stay back also to prove that your visit is just a transit.

If you belong from EEA and Switzerland then you do not need a transit visa. Even with Home office travel documents, EEA family permit, standard visa or marriage visitor visa. There are more types of transit visas.

Why Choose Fly For Holidays?

UK Transit Visa

This visa is used for passing through the UK to another country. There are some criteria for this visa. To get the visa to must prove that you will transit to another country with enough amount of money and you do not intend to stay back also to prove that your visit is just a transit.

If you belong from EEA and Switzerland then you do not need a transit visa. Even with Home office travel documents, EEA family permit, standard visa or marriage visitor visa. There are more types of transit visas.

1. Direct airside transit visa (DATV)
2. Visitor in transit visa.

Direct Airside Transit Visa: If you are from outside the EEA and Switzerland then you will need to apply for this transit visa for changing the flights in the UK to another country.

You can also apply online for this visa if you are from outside the country but you need to go for biometric and interview at the visa application center.

For applying to this visa you must provide the evidence that you are allowed in that particular country in which you are going. After landing in the UK you must leave the country within 24 hours, you cannot stay any longer than 24 hours.

Visitor in Transit Visa: if you are from outside the EEA and Switzerland then you will need to apply for this transit visa for changing the flights in the UK to another country but in this, you may need to go for a  UK border control which means in this you may get your passport, luggage, etc.to be checked. In Visitor, in Transit Visa you can stay back in the UK for 48 hours and not more than that.

UK Business Visa

Business Visa is allotted to the people who are going to the UK for some meetings, attending conferences, or any international event that you are needed to participate in. you can use this visa for 6 months, after that it expires.

You must come back to your home country before the visa expires. There are some specifications that you must follow while you are in the UK.

You cannot live in the country once your work is done; you must immediately leave once you are done with your work. You are not allowed to study while you are in the country while holding a business visa.

You are not allowed to get married on a trip to the UK holding a business visa.

UK Student Visa

If your child wants to study in the UK or it is your wish to send your child to study abroad, so for them, the UK has introduced a study visa.

A study visa is permitted to people around the world to study in the UK. There are three types of Study visa.

A short-term study visa is for the students, who are willing to take short courses. Short- term courses include learning the English language or taking any training course, or doing some research as part of your assignment. While being in the UK for short-term study visa there are some things you have to follow like you are not allowed to work even on a work placement and not to start your own business.

You cannot extend your visa; you have to return to your home country once you finished your short- term course.

The validation of the visa depends on the time of your course. You need to apply for a short-term study visa is 3 months before you intend to travel.

• The other study visa is a General student visa.

This visa is for the students who are 16 or completed the age of 16 years and want to study in the UK. It’s for a long time course and for the students who know the English language like speaking, writing and reading.

They have to support themselves while in the UK and also pay for the courses they chose. You need to apply for this visa is 3 months before the travel or before the course starts. With a general student visa, one might come to the UK 1 week before the course start if the course is of 6 months or 1 month before if the course is of more than 6 months.

The validation for this visa also depends on your time of course. You can extend visa validation and also you can work.

The last one Parents of a tier 4 child visa: if your child is attending an independent fee-paying school in the UK and you are from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland then you can apply for this visa.

This visa is basically for the parents who want to accompany their child who is under 12 and is in the UK. The parent accompanies their child until the child completes the age of 12.

You must apply for 3 months before traveling to the UK and you will get your visa result within 3 weeks.

The validity for this visa is for 6 to 12 months but if you wish to stay more than you can extend for another 12 months or until your child turn 12. If your child is going to turn 12 in the next 12 months of your visa then you will be provided with a shorter visa. before the visa expires you must leave the country. In this visa, you cannot change your visa category.

UK Marriage Visitor Visa

If you are planning to get married or want to register a civil partnership in the UK you can apply for a Marriage Visitor visa, but if you already have a civil partnership and you want to convert it into a marriage visitor visa instead of doing that you can apply for Standard visitor visa.

There is the eligibility for applying for this visa. If you are already a British citizen then you do not need to apply for a marriage visitor visa.

Other criteria are if you are holding dual citizen then you are not allowed to apply for this visa instead you have to apply for British citizenship before it.

You should apply 3 months in advance before travel. The result of applying for this visa will be given to you within 3 weeks from the date of application from the outside  UK.

After getting a visa you can stay in the UK for 6 months in these 6 months you can marry or enter into the civil partnership and for this, you must use a licensed venue. You cannot extend your stay after the visa expiry. For this visa, you must complete 18 or over 18.

Permitted paid engagement visa: if you are invited to the UK as an expert in your profession then you will be able to get Permitted paid engagement visa.

You can also get this visa if you want to do work without being sponsored by UK based company and you are from outside the EEA and Switzerland.

You must apply for 3 months before traveling to the country. You can be in the country for 1 month. This visa is used for being an examiner or an assessor, for giving lectures at the higher educational institute not for part-time or full-time lecturer but as a guest lecture, to examine UK pilots, can also take part in fashion modeling assignments, arts, entertainments or sports as long as you are being invited by UK based institute, companies, etc.

Common Documents For UK Visa

1. UK Visa form and 2 photographs
2. Passport
3. Proof of your financial stability that you can cover your living expenses throughout your trip.
4. Accommodation proof
5. Itinerary proof.
6. Invitation letter by the invites.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR SHORT-TERM STUDY VISAS AND GENERAL STUDY VISA.

You should provide the contact details of your parents or guardian.
All your certificates, degrees, etc.
Details of the person who is sponsoring you like Income Tax Return, profession, etc.
Proof of parent’s or guardian’s details.

Documents translated in English.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR MARRIAGE VISITOR VISA

1. Proof that you have paid some amount of money for marriage purposes.
2. Proof of the marriage venue like emails, receipts.

CONCLUSION.

With the help of a visa agent you can fill-up the form but if you choose us, Fly For Holidays we will help you with the form filling process and also guide you on the phone or email with whatever difficulties you face.  We provide you all the services like filling up the form, making up your cover letter, submitting the form, taking an appointment.

We help you in every way of the visa process. After the appointment is being taken, you have to go for the appointments at your nearby VAC. During an appointment, you need to carry all your documents along with the confirmation email print and payment receipt.

VAC will scan all your documents. After all the procedure being followed, you will get a receipt at the VAC for tracking your application this whole process takes up to 15 working days.

When your visa arrives and your passport is ready to collect you will receive a mail. You need to collect the passport. All you need to do is provide us with proper documents for the verification purpose for the rest of the online process we will do for you.