Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
In order to visit, work, study, or settle in the United Kingdom, Pakistanis must apply for a visa. However, the visa requirements for Pakistani citizens vary by application type.
The most common visa for Pakistani visitors to the United Kingdom is the ordinary visitor visa. Pakistani citizens may apply for different sorts of visitor visas, such as short-term English language, marriage, medical, approved paid engagement, etc., depending on the reason for their travel.
Depending on your motives for applying for a UK visa, you can apply for the following:
- Standard Visitor Visa
- Student Visa
- Work Visa
- Family Visas
- EU Settlement Scheme
Spouse Visa From Pakistan
In accordance with Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, Pakistani nationals may apply for a spouse or partner visa for the United Kingdom via the 5-year route. If Pakistani citizens fulfil the conditions for a UK spouse visa under the 5-year route, they are eligible for an entrance clearance as a spouse, civil, unmarried, same-sex partner for an initial term of 33 months without access to public funding. After 30 months, Pakistani citizens must apply for an extension of their spouse visa in order to remain in the United Kingdom.
After five years (60 months) in the UK on a spouse visa, Pakistani nationals may be eligible for indefinite permission to remain (settlement).
UK Parent Visa
Pakistani Nationals may apply for a Parent of a British Child Visa if they have exclusive custody or direct access to the child following the dissolution of their relationship with the other parent. The cost of a UK visa for a parent of a British kid and a dependent child via the family route in Pakistan in 2022 is Rs385,377 (£1,538).
The family path is for Pakistanis who can apply for a UK visa based on their relationship to a British citizen or established individual. This covers visas for spouse settlement, adult dependent relatives, and parents of British children, among others.
Pakistan Skilled Workers
If a Pakistani citizen is sponsored by a Home Office-licensed sponsor to do a specified skilled profession, they are eligible to apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa. In 2020, the Skilled Worker visa has replaced the Tier 2 General (also known as a work permit). In contrast to Tier 2 General, this new path for skilled workers can result in permanent settlement (ILR) in the United Kingdom.
The UK Skilled Worker visa costs are dependent on the period of the Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) for the principal applicant and any dependents.
If the COS was issued for less than three years, the UK Skilled Worker Visa Fees in Pakistan for 2022 are Rs156,606 (£625).
If the COS is for more than three yea
How Can Pakistanis Apply For a UK Visit Visa?
Pakistani citizens who wish to obtain a UK visitor visa in 2022 must fill out the online visa application form in its entirety and provide the necessary supporting documents. A Pakistani can supply supporting documentation for a UK visa sponsor. However, under the General Grounds for UK Visa Refusal, if a Pakistani presents fraudulent or fabricated supporting papers, they may be subject to a 10-year Deception Ban.
Pakistanis have a visa denial rate between 30 and 40 percent. The most prevalent causes for denial of a UK visitor or tourist visa application from Pakistan are questionable motives and significant, unexplained bank transactions.
UK Visitor Visa Requirements For Pakistanis
At the visa application centre, a Pakistani visa applicant may be required to provide the following supporting documents for a UK visit visa:
- Create a printout of the online application
- Current valid Pakistani passport
- Previously had Pakistani passport, if relevant
- Translation of non-English/Welsh-language texts
- Invitation letter, if applicable
- Address in Britain
- Address for living in Pakistan
- Telephone number or mobile phone
- Certificate of marriage, if relevant
- Certificate of family status, if relevant
- Business/Employer info
- Tax registration certificate
- Tax returns
- Bank statements
- Salary slips (for employed persons)
- The conveyance/mortgage deed or rental agreement for the Pakistani address.
- Verification of assets
A Pakistani visitor to the United Kingdom is not permitted to work. Pakistanis travelling to the United Kingdom on a visitor visa must adhere to the restrictions of their stay. If the Home Office discovers that a Pakistani visitor has violated the rules of their stay, they may cancel the visa and issue a re-entry ban.
After rejection, a Pakistani may reapply for a UK visitor visa or file a Judicial Refusal against the UK visa denial. There is no right of appeal or administrative review for visitor visa denials in the United Kingdom. However, if a Pakistani has applied for a UK visa on the basis of human rights, he or she may appeal the refusal decision.
UK Visa Types
Breakdown of Other Pakistan to UK Visas
Health and Care Visa
A Pakistani citizen who is sponsored by a Home Office-licensed sponsor to work in the United Kingdom as a qualified doctor, nurse, or allied health professional may apply for a Health and Care Visa. This Health and Care visa path can lead to permanent settlement (ILR) in the United Kingdom for qualified employees.
The Health and Care visa costs for the United Kingdom are dependent on the period of the Certificate of Sponsorship (COS). The UK Health and Care Visa Fees in Pakistani Rupees 2022 are Rs61,891 (£247) if the COS has been issued for three years or less. However, if the COS has been given for at least three years, the UK Health and Care Visa Fees in Pakistan for 2022 are Rs120,023, or £479.
Global Business Mobility
In accordance with Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1118 of 15 March 2022, the Home Office has implemented three New Points-Based Routes, namely: Global Business Mobility Visa, High Potential Individual Visa, and Scale-up Visa UK
The New Global Business Mobility Visa route is comprised of six new sponsored categories for firms wishing to establish a presence in the United Kingdom, transfer foreign employees, or travel to the United Kingdom for a specific business purpose. The five sub-categories of Global Business Mobility Visa United Kingdom are as follows:
- Senior or Expert Employee
- Graduate Trainee
- UK Expansion Employee
- Service Provider
- Secondment Worker
A Pakistani can obtain the Global Business Mobility visa if a British company sponsors his or her employment in the United Kingdom. Global Business Mobility visas are based on a point system. Accordingly, a Pakistani must earn between 40 and 60 points based on the subcategory of the Global Business Mobility Visa UK. none of the five subcategories of the Global Business Mobility visa lead to permanent residence (ILR) in the United Kingdom.
Senior or Specialist Worker
Beginning 11 April 2022, the Intra-company Transfer route will be replaced by the Global Mobility Business Senior or Specialist Worker Visa UK. This path is for top managers or specialists who are appointed to a UK company that shares common ownership with their foreign employer.
The UK Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Fees from Pakistan vary according to the application duration. If the application is for three years or less, Rs156,606 (£625) is required. The charge increases to Rs309,454 (£1,235) if the application is for three years or longer.
Graduate Trainee
The Global Business Mobility Graduate Trainee Visa UK will replace the Intra-Company Graduate Trainee route on April 11, 2022. This option is for those who are obliged to complete a work experience in the UK as part of a graduate training programme leading to senior management or specialty positions. The Global Business Mobility Graduate Trainee Visa Fees are Rs64,898 (£259) in Pakistani Rupees.
Global Talent Visa
A Pakistani national may submit an application for a UK Global Talent visa if they are a leader or future leader in academics or research, arts and culture, or digital technology. Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa has been replaced by the Global Talent visa. The following are the UK Global Talent Visa Fees in Pakistani Rupees for 2022:
- Letter of Approval from a Competent Body for an Initial Application Rs114,260 (£456)
- Principal Applicant – when an Approval Letter is necessary Rs41,845 (£167)
- Principal applicant – when no Approval Letter is required Rs156,105 (£623)
- Dependants ₨156,105 (£623)
Start-Up Visa
If a Pakistani citizen wishes to establish an innovative firm in the United Kingdom for the first time, they are eligible to apply for the Start-up visa. In March 2019, the Start-up visa superseded the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route. The UK Start-up Visa Fees in Pakistani Rupees for 2022 are Rs94,716 (£378) for the principal applicant and their dependents.
Investor Visa
The Investor visa is for Pakistani nationals of high net worth who wish to invest in the United Kingdom. Tier 1 Investor visa has been replaced with Innovator visa. The UK Investor Visa application cost for Pakistani principal applicants and their dependents is Rs410,434 (£1,638).
People Also Asked
Yes, Pakistani citizens and passport holders may enter the United Kingdom with a valid visa. If a Pakistani native possesses dual citizenship with a non-visa country such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, etc., he or she does not need a visa to visit the United Kingdom for up to six months.
Pakistani citizens can stay in the UK for up to 180 days per visit on a visitor (holiday or tourist) visa. Pakistani citizens may remain in the United Kingdom for the duration of their spouse, student, or employment visas. By satisfying the applicable leave to remain (LTR) conditions, a Pakistani citizen with a valid spouse, employment, or student visa may extend their stay in the United Kingdom.
The visa requirements for Pakistani nationals vary by application type. For instance, if a Pakistani individual is requesting for UK visit or tourist visa, then has to satisfy the conditions as per paragraphs V4.2-4.10 of Appendix V for Visitors.
When an applicant visits a VFS Global application centre in Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, or Mirpur Azad Kashmir) to establish their identity and provide biometrics, the UK visa processing time begins on the day of their appointment (fingerprints and a photograph). The processing time for UK visas following biometrics concludes when applicants receive an email from UKVI. Typically, the UKVI’s decision email specifies that the visa application has been completed and that VFS Global will notify the applicant when their passport is available for pickup.
If a Pakistani has submitted an application for a non-settlement visa (visit, study, or employment), the UK visa processing period following biometrics in Pakistan is typically three weeks. Since March 2022, however, UKVI has prioritised the Ukraine Scheme, and it now takes six weeks for Pakistani visa applications to be processed. Moreover, student and employment applications are taking longer than 15-working days.
The typical processing period for a UK priority visit visa from Pakistan is five working days. However, UKVI has discontinued priority service for new study and work visa applications.
The UK Skilled Worker Visa is the most common visa for Pakistanis seeking employment in the UK. Therefore, if a Pakistani national is sponsored by a Home Office-licensed sponsor to perform a specific skilled job, they are eligible to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa UK, which replaced the Tier 2 General (aka work permit) in 2020. In contrast to Tier 2 General, this new path for skilled workers can result in permanent settlement (ILR) in the United Kingdom.
Yes, under the New Graduate route, a Pakistani student with a bachelor’s degree or higher from the United Kingdom can apply for a 2-Year post-study work visa. However, Pakistanis who have earned a PhD in the UK are eligible for a 3-year post-study work visa.