Entry Clearance For Visitor Visa UK

You can apply for visitor visa to come to the UK, usually for up to six months, for a temporary purpose e.g. as a tourist, to visit friends / family or to carry out a business activity. One of the key factors in the visitor visa entry clearance applications is to satify the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) that the applicant has strong family, financial and social ties to the country of origin and therefore he will return to the country of origin upon visiting the UK.

Specialist Visitor Visa Solicitors

Our expert team of visitor visa solicitors specialise in visitor visa applications. As visitor visa specialist lawyers, our visitor visa solicitors have wealth of knowledge and experience of successfully dealing with thousands of visitor visa applications. You can contact our expert team of visitor visa solicitors in London  for fast, friendly, reliable and affordable legal services for your UK visitor visa application. The high quality of our service is self-evident from the reviews of our clients about the excellent legal services provided by our visitor visa solicitors. Ask a question to our visitor visa solicitors for free immigration advice concerning your UK visitor visa application.

Our expert team of visitor visa solicitors can provide help and assistance with UK visitor visa applications by assessing your eligibility for visitor visa, advising you on the relevant documents to be submitted in support of the application and explaining in detail the relevant family, financial and social ties you have in your country of origin for the ECO to believe that you will not overstay in the UK if granted entry clearance as a visitor.

Requirements For Visitor Visa UK

The most common requirements for UK visitor visa are as follows:

• The applicant must meet the requirement of intention to return to his/her country of origin after visiting the UK. This requirement is normally met by showing strong family and financial ties to the country of residence of the applicant;
• The applicant must be able to bear the cost of his/her trip to the UK and shoul have return ticket. In most cases, the cost of trip of the applicant is borne by the UK sponsor but the applicant can also bear such cost where this will put huge impact on the financial position of the applicant;
• There should be sufficient funds either of the sponsor or of the applicant for the applicant to maintain himself or herself in the UK without recourse to public funds during his/her stay in the UK as a visitor;
• There should be adequate accommodation available to the applicant to be accommodated in the UK without recourse to public funds and without the property to be occupied being overcrowded as a result of the applicant living in the property during his/her stay in the as a visitor.

Various Types Of UK Visitor Visas

Following are the various types of UK visitor visa to visit the UK:

Family Visitor Visa UK

You can apply for visitor visa to visit a family or relative in the UK.

General Visitor Visa UK

General visitors are those who are coming for tourism e.g. sigh-seeing in the UK.

Business Visitor Visa UK

The business visitor category is for people who work abroad but intend to visit the UK for a short time to do business on their own or their employer’s behalf. Business visitors includes those coming for short visits as:

• Academic Visitors
• Visiting Professors
• Teachers Accompanying Students
• Film Crews
• Representatives of Overseas News Media
• Secondees
• Religious Workers
• Advisers, Consultants, Trainers or Trouble Shooters
• Those doing one-off training, and
• Those doing one or more ‘permissible activities’.

A business visitor must not receive their pay from a UK source, unless they work for a multinational company which, for administrative reasons, handles payment of worldwide salaries from the UK. Reasonable expenses to cover the cost of travel and subsistence are allowed.

Visitor For Private Medical Treatment

If you want to come to the UK for a short time to receive treatment for a medical condition, you can apply as a visitor for private medical treatment. You will not be able to receive treatment from the National Health Service (NHS).

The applicant must:

• be genuinely seeking entry for the purpose of receiving private medical treatment
• leave the UK at the end of their treatment
• maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without using public funds
• meet the cost of the return or onward journey
• must satisfy the medical inspector that there is no danger to public health, if they have a communicable disease
• show any proposed course of treatment is for a limited period
• produce satisfactory evidence of:
  • • the medical condition requiring consultation or treatment
    • arrangements for the consultation or treatment at their own expense
    • the estimated costs of such consultation or treatment
    • the likely duration of their visit
    • sufficient funds available to them in the UK to meet the estimated costs and their undertaking to do so.

Visitor For PLAB Test

The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test is one of the main routes for International Medical Graduates to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to practice medicine in the United Kingdom. The second part of the PLAB test is exclusively held in the UK. Any doctor who wishes to practice medicine in the UK must register with the General Medical Council (GMC). Doctors who qualify overseas and wish to register must normally pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) to demonstrate their knowledge of English and their medical expertise.

Before coming to the UK they must pass a pre-assessment test the ‘International English Language Testing System’ (IELTS) assessment test.

The IELTS is designed to ascertain whether the doctor has a reasonable command of the English language in order to sit The PLAB test. The IELTS tests are held both overseas in various countries and in the United Kingdom.

The PLAB test is divided into two separate assessments, Part 1 and Part 2. The GMC stipulates that doctors must pass Part 1 before they can be admitted to Part 2 of the test. Where a candidate severely fails Part 1, the GMC will not allow him to re-sit Part 1 until a period of at least four months has elapsed from the date of the failed test.

Child Visitor Visa UK

The child visitor category is for children aged under 18 years old who want to come to the UK for up to 6 months (or up to 12 months if they are accompanying an academic visitor). This includes children who want to study in the UK for up to 6 months.

To come to the UK as a child visitor, you must be able to show that:

• you are under 18 years old;
• you intend to visit the UK for no more than 6 months (or 12 months if you will be accompanying an academic visitor);
• you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit;
• you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working or help from public funds, or you will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
• suitable arrangements have been made for your travel to, and your reception and care in, the UK – and, if a foster carer or relative (not a parent or guardian) will be responsible for your care;
• you have a parent or guardian in your home country who is responsible for your care, and you can provide their address, their landline phone number; and
• confirmation that they consent to the arrangements for your travel to, and reception and care in, the UK;
• you can meet the cost of the return or onward journey; and
• you are not in transit to a country outside the ‘Common Travel Area’ (Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).

Entertainers Visitor Visa UK

If you want to visit the UK for a short time to take part in some major arts festivals, music competitions and charity events, you may be able to come here as an entertainer visitor.

You can come to the UK as an entertainer visitor if you are:

• taking part in a music competition as a professional entertainer;
• an internationally famous person taking part in broadcasts or public appearances, provided you are not being paid;
• taking part in an audition, provided this is not in front of an audience (either paying or non-paying);
• an amateur entertainer coming for a specific engagement as an individual performer;
• part of a group of amateur entertainers (such as a choir or youth orchestra) coming for a specific engagement;
• a professional entertainer taking part in a charity concert or show, provided the organisers are not making a profit and you are receiving no fee;
• an amateur or professional entertainer taking part in a cultural event sponsored by a government or recognised international organisation, or a major arts festival;
• a member of the technical or support staff (such as a dietician, bodyguard or press officer) of amateur or professional entertainers, attending for the same event; or
• an official (such as a choreographer, stage manager or designer) attending the same event as the entertainer.

Sports Visitor Visa UK

If you are based abroad but you want to visit the UK for short periods to undertake sports-related activities, you may be able to come here as a sports visitor. Sportspeople and those working directly with them can visit the UK for a short time to take part in specific events. They can do this without permission to work or applying under the points-based system.

The applicant must:

• be genuinely seeking entry as a sports visitor for a limited period no longer than six months (not required for extensions)
• leave the UK at the end of the period of the visit
• maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without using public funds
• meet the cost of the return or onward journey
• intend to do one or more of the following during their visit:
  • • take part in a particular sporting event, tournament or series of events as defined by the UK Border Agency
    • take part in a specific one off charity sporting event, providing they are not paid other than for travelling and other expenses
    • join, as an amateur, a wholly or mostly amateur team provided they are not paid other than for board and lodging and reasonable expenses, or
    • serve as a member of the technical or personal staff, or as an official, attending the same event as a visiting sportsperson coming for one or more of the purposes listed above.

Student Visitor Visa UK

If you are an adult and you want to undertake a short course of study in the UK (such as a beginner’s English Language course or a work-related training course), you might be able to come to the UK as a student visitor. If you want to study a longer course, or you want to work (including on a work placement) alongside your studies, you should apply under Student Visa category.

Student visitors are allowed to come to the UK for 6 months (or 11 months if they will be studying an English Language course).

Visitor For Marriage / Civil Partnership

If you want to come to the UK to get married or register a civil partnership, and you and your partner intend to leave the country within 6 months, you can apply for a visa as a visitor for marriage or civil partnership.

Visitor In Transit

You can come to the UK as a visitor in transit if you will arrive in the UK, pass through immigration control and then leave the UK within 48 hours (or 24 hours if you are travelling under the ‘travel without visa’ concession). This is called transiting landside.

If you will arrive on a flight, remain in the arrival lounge of the airport without passing through immigration control, and then depart on another flight from the same airport, you do not need to come here as a visitor in transit. This is called transiting airside.

To come to the UK as a visitor in transit, you must be able to show that you:

• are in transit to a final destination outside the Common Travel Area (Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands);
• intend and are able to proceed at once to another country; and
• are assured of entry there; and
• intend and are able to leave the UK within 48 hours (or 24 hours).

Visit The UK In A Chinese Tour Group

The UK/China Approved Destination Status (ADS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 21 January 2005. The aim of the MoU is to assist travel by groups of Chinese tourists to the UK. The category of ADS visitor is designed to reflect the terms of the MoU, and cater for Chinese nationals wishing to travel to the UK as part of a tourist group of five or more people.

The ADS scheme operates through a limited number of designated tour operators, accredited and trained by the British embassy in China, who submit visa applications to the British embassy for each member of a tour group.

Visitors Undertaking Permitted Paid Engagements (PPE)

The category of visitors undertaking permitted paid engagements is for a defined list of visitors who are invited to come to the UK because of their particular skills and expertise. They may apply to come here for up to 1 month without the need to be sponsored under the points-based system. The category is for visiting examiners or assessors; lecturers; overseas designated pilot examiners; qualified lawyers; and professional artists, entertainers and sportspersons.

S2 Healthcare Visitor Visa UK

This route relates to the UK’s exit from the European Union. It is for a person who, before the end of the transition period (11pm on 31 December 2020), had requested authorisation to receive a course of planned healthcare treatment under the S2 route, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 883/2004.

The person seeking healthcare treatment may be accompanied on this route by another person who is providing care or support during the planned healthcare treatment.

Parent Of A Child Student At School

You can come to the UK as a parent of a child who is on child student visa at school if your child is:

• under 12 years old; and
• attending an independent fee-paying day school under Child Student visa category.

Re-Applying For UK Visitor Visa After The Refusal

If your application for visitor visa has been refused by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) and you believe that the decision to refuse your application is valid and lawful and therefore cannot be challenged in court by way of Judicial Review (JR), you have the option to re-apply for visitor visa. We can provide the required legal help and assistance with re-applying for visitor visa after the refusal.

Challenge Refusal Of Visitor Visa

If your entry clearance application for visitor visa for UK is refused by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), you can challenge the refusal of your visitor visa entry clearance application by way of Pre-Action Protocol (PAP) as a result of which the Entry Clearance Manager (ECM) will reconsider the refusal of your visitor visa application. If decision to refuse the visitor visa application is maintained by the Entry Clearance Manager (ECM), you can then apply for Judicial Review (JR) in the Upper Tribunal to challenge the refusal of your visitor visa application.

How Can We Help With Your Visitor Visa Application?

Our expert team of visitor visa solicitors specialise in UK visitor visa applications. If instructed to represent you regarding your application for UK visitor visa, we will carry out all the work on your visitor visa application until a decision is made by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) on your visitor visa application. The immigration casework to be carried out by our expert team of visitor visa solicitors will include the following:

• Assessing your eligibility for visitor visa by considering all your personal circumstances;
• Advising you on the weaknesses and strengths of your visitor visa application;
• Advising you on the relevant documents to be submitted in support of your visitor visa application;
• Assessing your documents to ensure that the documentary evidence is as per requirements of the Home Office UKVI immigration Rules;
• Completing and submitting the online application form to apply for UK visitor visa by gathering all the relevant information from you and your sponsor;
• Where necessary, preparing detailed witness statement of the applicant and/or the sponsor explaining the background of their relationship and the ties of the applicant to his/her country of residence;
• Preparing a sponsorship declaration for the sponsor to confirm that he/she is sponsoring the applicant to visit the UK on visitor visa;
• Preparing a detailed cover letter to introduce and support your visitor visa application;
• Uploading online all the relevant supporting documents and scheduling an appointment for submission of passport and enrolment of your biometrics;
• Liaising with the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) for a timely decision on your visitor visa application.

Our Fees For Visitor Visa UK

Unless your matter is extremely complicated, our fixed fees for visitor visa application from outside the UK are as given in the table below:

The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the visitor visa application and the volume of casework involved in the application. In addition to our fixed fee for visitor visa, the applicant will also have to pay the Home office UKVI fees for the visitor visa entry clearance application.