United Kingdom Visa
United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy comprising much
of the British Isles. This Union is more than 300 years old and comprises four
constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The visa policy of the United Kingdom is the policy by which
Her Majesty’s Government determines who may and may not enter the country of
the United Kingdom, and the Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey, and the
Isle of Man. Visitors must obtain a visa unless they are exempt.
The UK is a member of the European Union, but it has an
opt-out from the Schengen border-free area. It operates its own visa policy and
also maintains the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland, the Channel
Islands and the Isle of Man.
TYPES OF UNITED KINGDOM VISA
There are different reasons why people want to apply for a UK visa. That is why the United Kingdom has an organized visa system based on the purpose of visitor under multiple visa types.
The UK also offers Working Visas especially for high-end professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for shorter or longer periods.
These types of visas are issued to international students who want to study in the UK.
The UK is a very popular tourism destination, for shorter or even longer periods of visits. The UK Visitor Visas are issued for short stays, tourism visits and similar purposes.
The UK Family Visa is issued to visit family members in the UK. This Visa type is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and want to join them for more than six months, as their dependents.
The UK Settlement visa also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, is for those who have been living in the UK for a long period with a temporary visa, and now want to receive a permanent one.
The UK Transit Visa is for foreigners who are not from the EEA (EU countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland, and are using the UK as a transit country to pass from another country to their destination.
UNITED KINGDOM VISA REQUIREMENTS
These requirements vary on the visa type and the nationality of the applicant.
You may be required to submit the following documents for every UK visa application:
- Filled application form.
- Recent photographs
- A valid passport.
- Detailed travel itinerary.
- Proof of finances (e.g. original bank statement that is not older than 3 months)
- Document showing the payment of the UK visa application fees.
- Biometric information. This is needed only if applying for a visa for a longer period than six months. As a part of the application, fingerprints and photographs must be offered at the appropriate application center.
However, you may be required to submit additional documents and you can visit our article on the UK visa requirements to learn more details.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AN UK VISA
To apply for UK visa you must go through these simple steps:
Complete the online application form and collect the required documents for a UK visa application
Schedule a UK visa appointment.
Attend the UK visa interview. Submit your completed visa application form along with all the required documentation. Pay the applicable fee for your visa application at the time of submitting your application form.
After your visa is issued you will be notified about it. Collect your visa on time.
UK VISA PROCESSING TIME
| Customer group | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Customers applying for a visa from outside the UK | 90% of non-settlement applications within 3 weeks, 98% within 6 weeks and 100% within 12 weeks of the application date (where 1 week is 5 working days) |
| Customers applying for settlement from outside the UK. | 95% of settlement applications within 12 weeks of the application date and 100% within 24 weeks of the application date (where 1 week is 5 working days) |
| Customers applying to remain on a temporary basis including as spouses, workers, Tier 1 general and entrepreneurs, students and organisations seeking to sponsor a worker | 8 weeks (5 day priority or 24 hour super priority services – please check your application type for available priority services) |
| Organisations updating their sponsor licence details | 18 weeks |
| Individuals from Turkey applying under the European Community Association Agreement and right of abode; and from non-EEA national family members applying under the European regulations for a residence card or permanent residence card are usually decided within 6 months | 6 months |
| Customers applying in the UK for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or no time limit (NTL) | 6 months (24 hour super priority service) |
UK VISA APPLICATION FORM
All applicants must download the visa application form, fill in the required details and submit it with mandatory documents to start the process for a UK visa.
You can download UK visa application form from internet or get directly from the embassy or consulate. It is recommended to contact nearest UK embassy or consulate before starting prepare all required documents for application process.
UK VISA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. When should I start my visa application process?
We recommend that you begin working on your application 90 days before your intended date of arrival in the UK.We recommend that you begin working on your application 90 days before your intended date of arrival in the UK.
2. Can I use certified documents to apply for my visa?
We recommend that you begin working on your application 90 days before your intended date of arrival in the UK.We recommend that you begin working on your application 90 days before your intended date of arrival in the UK.
3. Where can I go for advice on applying for a UK visa?
You can apply for a UK visa at the nearest UK embassy or consulate or a visa service centre in your country. Contact the Uk embassy to get guildline information before applying for a visa.