Reasons for UK Visa Applications
The visa application process for the United Kingdom is very dependent on the type of visa being requested, especially if your visa falls under a category of the Points-Based System. Although most of the requirements for each category are identical, the system evaluates them differently.
Additionally, extra requirements differ from category to category of visa.
UK Visa Options
- UK Visas for Business
- UK Work Permits
- UK Visas for Study
- UK Transit Visa
- UK Visas for Visitors
- UK Visas for Family members
- UK Visas for Settlement
- UK Refugee Visa
Firstly, you must select a visa
You may need a visa to study, work, visit, or join relatives in the United Kingdom. Different visas are required depending on:
- Where you originate from.
- The reason you wish to visit the United Kingdom.
- How long you wish to remain.
- Your individual circumstances and abilities.
Before applying, you must determine if a visa is required and what type it is. Depending on your nationality, a visa may not be required to visit or transit through the United Kingdom. Your application must be accepted before you depart for the United Kingdom.
As an Irish citizen, you are not need to apply for a visa.
If you are a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein or if you or a family member moved to the United Kingdom before December 31st 2020 you may be eligible to apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme instead of a Visa.
The application deadline was June 30, 2021 for the majority of applicants.
You may still submit an application if either:
you have a later deadline, such as if youre joining a family member in the UK who was residing there as of 31 December 2020.
you have “reasonable grounds” for being unable to apply by 30 June 2021, such as being ill or a victim of domestic violence.
If you wish to study in the United Kingdom, you must obtain a visa
The visa you apply for depends on the duration, type, and location of your studies.
For:
A Standard Visitor visa allows you to pursue a 6-month-long term of study or less.
A short term study visa allows you to pursue an English Language course lasting between 6 and 11 months in the United Kingdom.
Typically, a Student visa is for a lengthier course. You must have a confirmed spot and be sponsored by a licenced college or university.
A Child Student visa is for students between the ages of 4 and 17 who wish attend an independent school. If you are 16 or older, you are permitted to work on this visa.
If you wish to work in the United Kingdom, you must obtain a visa.
With a work visa, you can work in the United Kingdom for a short or long period of
Time.
There are numerous kinds of work visas.
The visa you require is contingent on:
- your talents and credentials
- if you have an offer of employment and a sponsor
- if you wish to go with your family
- what you will be doing, such as sporting, charity, or religious activities
- ‘A Startup visa or an Innovator visa can be used to establish a business’.
If you wish to join family in the United Kingdom
You can apply for a family visa to join someone who has British citizenship or permanent residency in the UK if you are their spoue, partner, or family member.
They may need to demonstrate that they can financially support you. You may be eligible to apply for indefinite permission to remain (ILR) after a certain period of time in the United Kingdom.
If your family member is in the UK on a visa.
You may be eligible to apply for a visa to join a family member who is currently in theUnited Kingdom on a visa.
They must either be:
- your husband or partner
- your parent if youre 18 or under
Check the visa requirements to join them.
If your relative is from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein:
- You can apply for a free family permit if a close relative was living in the United Kingdom as of December 31, 2020.
- A family permit allows you to reside, work, and study in the United Kingdom for up to six months.
- Members of your immediate family include your spouse or domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent, or grandparent.
- After your family permit expires, you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Visas for family reunification for refugees.
If you were compelled to leave your nation without your spouse or kid, they can request to join you in the United Kingdom.
If you have been granted asylum or five years of humanitarian protection and do not have British citizenship, your family members may apply.
Additional ways to obtain authorization to reside in the UK
Commonwealth subjects
If you have a British grandmother and meet additional eligibility requirements, you can apply for an Ancestry visa to work in the UK.
If you are a citizen of the Commonwealth and cannot prove your right to be in the United Kingdom, read about the Windrush programme.
Returning citizens
If you had indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and left the United Kingdom for more than two years, you will need a Returning Resident visa to return.
Who Can Visit the UK Without a Visa?
You might not need to apply for a visa if you’re an EU, EEA, or Swiss national travelling to the UK for a brief business trip. You may continue to visit the UK under the new points-based immigration system in place there. You can typically stay for a maximum of six months.
Other UK Visa Types
A Visa is required for any foreign national wishing to enter the United Kingdom. You can choose from the following:
| UK Family Visa | UK Refugee Visa | UK Transit Visa |
| UK Standard Visitor Visa | UK Study Visa | UK Business Visa |
| UK Work Visa | UK Spousal Visa | UK Settlement Visa |
| UK Parent Visa | UK Child Visa |
What To Do If Your UK Visa is Refused
If you have been denied a UK visa application it can be frustrating and upsetting. It always appears unfair, condemning, and feels intimate. Refusals of UK visas are actually common, and the Home Office has no problem issuing them.
After all, the Home Office keeps the visa funds whether an application is accepted or rejected. Additionally, more applications and appeals benefit them more.
On a regular basis, people ask us how to “guarantee” that a visa will be granted. The short answer is that there is no way to guarantee an approval because the Home Office makes the final decisions; all you can do is make sure your application is as excellent as it can be. If your visa was recently denied, contact us.
People Also Asked
This depends on a number of things such as whether or not you have had a Schengen visa in the past or how many countries you intend to visit. Generally you first Schengen visa will be issued for the duration of your stay. Future applications may be granted for multiple entry for a number of years.
Booking a flight for the purpose of applying for a UK visa is not required. The UK authorities allow you to apply even if you do not have one. You should still provide a trip itinerary that includes the dates of your intended entry and leave.
A UK visa application may take up to three weeks to process. The current processing time for a UK visa varies depending on a number of criteria. These include the following:
• the sort of visa for which you are applying;
• the country from where you are submitting your application;
• your particular circumstance;
• the volume of applications received by the UK consulate/visa processing centre at the time, etc.
Depending on the type of visa you are seeking for, you may be qualified to submit your application via the priority service or even the super-priority service.
For an extra £500, the priority service enables you to receive a decision on your application within five working days. Whereas the super priority service costs £800 in addition to the visa fee and guarantees you a decision by the end of the next business day.
Yes
The Immigration Health Surcharge is a fee that must be paid when applying for a visa to the United Kingdom. Once in the UK on a visa, you have the same right to use the NHS as other British citizens. Please keep in mind that you will continue to be responsible for medicines, dental treatment, eye exams, and assisted conception.
The health fee is £300 for students and Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visas, and £400 for all other visa and immigration applications.
The following are some of the most often cited grounds for visa refusals to the United Kingdom:
• Documents that are missing. This is the most often cited reason for application rejection. One missing document and your application will be closed. You will not be given another opportunity to submit what is missing. You will need to launch a whole new application.
• Inaccuracies and discrepancies in the information contained in your paperwork.
• Inadequate financial resources to finance your stay in the United Kingdom.
• Failure to adhere to the English language requirement.
• Incorrect document organisation.
If your application for a visa to the United Kingdom is rejected, you can either give up or:
• Submit a new visa application. If you reapply, ensure that you avoid repeating the previous error or that your position improves to match the standards.
• Appeal on the basis of human rights. You should have a compelling case for appealing a visa denial judgement.
• Appeal the decision to a higher court. You may do so if you have a good basis to suspect that your application was rejected illegally or unjustly, or that your application file was processed in an unfair manner.
No, you cannot receive a refund for the fee you paid. The price for a UK visa is necessary to pay the costs associated with processing your application; thus, refunds are not possible if your visa application is denied or you decide to withdraw it while it is being processed.
Additionally, if your initial application for a UK visa is rejected, you will be required to pay the money again.
If you have been convicted of a crime in the past, the UK authorities will nonetheless accept and process your application for a UK visa. Nonetheless, the Home Office will assess your application differently than it does for those without a criminal record.
The duration of your sentence and the time since then are critical in these instances. If you have been imprisoned for the following offences, your application will be automatically denied:
• Four years or longer.
• One to four years, unless at least ten years have passed since the sentence was completed.
• Less than a year, unless at least five years have passed since the sentence was completed.
Additionally, your application will be refused on the spot if you have been convicted of or admitted to a crime within the preceding 12 months for which you got a non-custodial sentence or out-of-court disposition that is registered on your criminal record.
If the words Police registration or Register with police within 7 days of admission appear on your passports visa sticker, you will be required to register with the police once you enter the UK with a valid visa.
After you arrive in the UK, you have seven days to register with the police. Take note that if you do not register with the police, the validity of your visa may be reduced and you may be required to leave the UK.
Can I Travel Abroad While Having a Valid Visa in the United Kingdom?
To travel to other European nations, you may need to apply for a Schengen visa from the UK, which permits for up to 90 days of tourism or business travel.
Even if you are not a British citizen, you can apply for a visa from the UK. Although the application process is nearly identical for all candidates, you must familiarise yourself with the UK-specific requirements if you are applying from the UK.
If you are applying for a Schengen visa from the United Kingdom, you must acquire a Schengen visa health insurance package covering your full stay in Europe.