A United Kingdom visa is the document that authorizes a person to enter, stay, and work in the country (depending on the type and duration of the visa). A visa is in the form of a stamp on the applicant’s passport or a separate document issued by the UK embassy located in the applicant’s country of residence.
If you are new to the visa process or it is your first time applying for a UK visa, then you have stumbled upon the right spot. We will dispatch all the preliminary information and some key things that will increase your chances of success!
Types of visas
You may be planning to travel to the UK for studies, residence, work, or just as a tourist, you will need a valid visa to enter the country and stay for any length of time. Like many other countries in the world, the UK too has traveling agreements with many countries far and wide. Hence before you apply for a UK visa it is essential to check if your nationality is visa exempt or on a no-entry list. Log on to https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa for details regarding visa exemption and ban countries list.
Note that the list of banned countries is updated from time to time depending on the global and internal situation; for instance, people from sub-continent Asia were banned to travel into the UK even when they had citizenship due to the Covid outbreak.
Visit visa
Depending on your nationality, the requirements to apply for and acquire a valid visa for the UK may vary. While some countries are dealt with leniently others may not require a visa altogether and still, others may not be allowed the visa at all.
Secondly, the purpose and duration of your visit also determine what type of visa you would require, and subsequently, the requirements may change too. If you wish to visit the UK as a traveler and belong to a non-EU country, you may require a tourist visa that allows staying in the UK for up to 6 months with single entry, I.e. you can live the entire duration of a single visit only.
A visit visa does not allow the traveler to work or involve in any business activity, if found otherwise the state has the right to expel the culprit and cancel the visa or in some cases even apprehend and present in a court of law. Similarly, overstaying the duration of a visa is also considered a serious crime and may lead to legal action.
Transit visa
A passenger traveling from one country to another over a large distance has to take a connecting flight in most cases. If the connecting airport in the UK and the stopover time are lengthy enough, the passenger may apply for a transit visa. This visa allows the passenger to exit the airport while in transit and visit the proximity of the airport. If the duration is 24 hours or more, the passenger can even book a hotel and attend a night party if he/she so wishes. However, a transit visa does not allow the holder to stay more than the duration of the original transit time or change the flight.
Education visa
Thousands of students from around the world study in the UK. Each year a fresh intake is allowed by the UK government for all nationalities. The process to acquire a student visa starts with obtaining admission at the school of your choice or eligibility. In almost all cases school fee is paid for 2 or 3 semesters along with the admission fee. Once your payments are received and your academic record is verified and found admissible, you are provided an invitation letter from the school.
Your student visa application must accompany the school’s invitation letter along with other required documents.
Temporary residence & business visa
People who land a job in the UK while in their country of residence, can apply for a
temporary residence visa in the UK. Though a rare occurrence, UK immigration does honor invitation letters from employers in favor of non-European residents.
Similarly, a business visa as the name suggests is issued to people who have a direct or indirect business interest in the UK. Investors who have majority shares in the UK-based company, people who have property through offshore companies, or people who are willing to invest handsome capital in the UK are prioritized and allowed special business visas. A business visa usually allows multiple entries, where each entry can be used to stay for periods of up to 6 months.
General visa requirements
As stated above, the documentation and other requirements for a UK visa may vary as per the type of visa applied for and the purpose of your visit. However, below are a few items that are required for almost all visa applicants.
- A valid passport (minimum 6-month validity)
- Character certificate issued by the authority recognized by the UK immigration department
- Sufficient funds to support a decent stay
- Bank statement
- Proof of residence in the country applied from
- Hotel bookings (if on visit visa; in case of a student then proof of residence)
- Airline reservations (if transit visa then it includes the final destination also)
- Filled out an application (as per the format prescribed by the UK immigration dept.)
- Most recent photographs (as per the format prescribed by the UK immigration dept.)
- Letter of invitation (employer, school, etc.)
