Standard Visitor / Tourist Visa UK – Requirements, Application & More

If you like to visit the UK and want to stay for 6-months for various purposeful activities, you should apply for UK Visitors Visa. This immigration route allows you to see your family, friends, conduct business activities, tourism & leisure, academic (short-term vocational courses) and even private medical treatments, etc.

You are not allowed to stay longer than the defined period of validity for the Visitor visa. Moreover, you cannot switch to other immigration routes from Standard Visitor Visa but can apply for the extension. If you need to switch to another immigration route, i.e., work/long-term study route, you would be required to leave and apply from outside the UK.

The eligibility criteria for non-EEA citizens are different from that of EEA/Swiss Citizens. However, there are some exceptions. It is advisable to seek legal assistance to make your application more efficient and stand out in terms of acceptance.

Call us anytime on 0800 048 7573. Our qualified and SRA endorsed Axis Solicitors are always here to provide immediate legal advice and support you to have higher chances of getting a UK standard Visitor Visa.

As alluded to, drafting the right set of the documentary portfolio with sufficient evidence to satisfy UKVI policy could sometimes be confusing and a tedious process. The conditions under the UK Standard visitor’s Visa route, as a non-EEA national, must be fulfilled, and you must provide the following supporting documents:

• You are to exit the UK before the ascribed expiry period of Standard Visitors Visa – no longer than 6-months
• You have financial means to move and from the UK under this immigration route, including the airfare
• You should provide that your provided evidence portfolio sufficiently explains your intent/purpose to Visit the UK i.e. business/family visit/tourism/medical treatments, etc.
• You must satisfy the accommodation & maintenance requirements.

The list of providing the evidence is limitless until you finally reach the substantial capacity to satisfy the Home Office absolute Immigration Standards.

You are required to provide the additional proof:

• Previous travel history if any covering the dates of travel
• A valid passport (current and old)
• Additional travel proof detailing your International Visits outside the UK
• A bank statement detailing your approximate expenditures to cover the Standard Visitor Visa expenses
• Documentary proof of Overseas Employer Contract (offer letter) describing your intents to travel to the UK
• Translated documents, in case the documents are written in a language other than English/Welsh

To overcome the laborious hassle when compiling the documentary proof, we can assist you in every possible way till you are granted a favorable result.

When you are applying for the Visitor Visa UK, you must keep in mind the validity of your stay, which should not be longer than 6-months regardless of your purpose of visit. With that in mind, whether it is a business or leisure activity and whether you are travelling from countries (Africa, Middle East, Australia, Asia, etc.) to enter the UK, it is advisable to apply well in advance, i.e., within/ between 48hours and/or 3-months— the maximum period. It is to ensure that your plans to conduct any purpose activities under this immigration route are not caught in any delays caused by late application submission.

Be noted, the average application processing time after the submission can take between 3-weeks and even up to months. However, we can keep track of your application status to get a prompt response from Home Office. Additionally, despite the application platform (online forms, embassy, or local visa centres), it can be a huge satisfaction to use super-fast track priority services offered by the Axis Solicitors UK. We can help expedite your chances of getting instantaneous feedback within 5-working days and even within a day or two.

Our services cover reviewing the application evidence portfolio, offering a cover letter, liaison with the Home Office, and more till you get the decision.

The average cost for applying the Standard Visitors UK is the same for non-EEA and EEA Nationals–£95. However, these are charges for the short-term Visitor visa, i.e., when staying for upto6-months. If a residency is longer than 6-months (long-term Standard Visitors Visa), the cost will vary according to the timeframe spent in the UK.

• 2-Year Visa (£361)
• 5-Year Visa (£655)
• 10-Year Visa (£822)

It is better to gather all the information regarding the net application charges well ahead of applying. For instance, if you are planning to visit the UK to spend holidays/leisure activities or even family weddings, the overhead cost could be higher. You are, therefore, recommended to have substantial travel resources when entering the UK under the Standard Immigration route.

Per UKVI policy, if you are applying for the short-term Standard Visas UK, you are not entitled to spend longer than ascribed validity. Also, you are not allowed to make ‘frequent’ visits under a short-term Visitor Visa nor circumvent the maximum threshold set by the UK immigration—6-months. However, you can enter and leave the UK just once within the validity period of a Short-term visitor Visa.

• a patient receiving medical treatment
• an academic (a PhD or an academic expert in the overseas academic institution but not filling in any permanent teaching position and you still meet the eligibility requirements
• a graduate doing a clinical attachment or retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test

Before applying for the Standard Visitor Visas UK, you should be well aware of strict Immigration rules and regulations when it comes to how to apply and how to go about while submitting a complete application with solid documentary proof. You might need legal assistance to guide you thoroughly in every step of the way – from the beginning of the application when drafting and compiling the supporting documents to getting the final decision.

Interestingly, we offer personalized advice sessions, which involves in-person, zoom meeting / a call at the discretion of the best possible schedule that suits you well. Our SRA-regulated and highly-trained Immigration Experts are based in the major cities of the United Kingdom - Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Chester. With our considerate and dedicated motto, we make sure to get a positive decision from the Home Office. Depending on your circumstances, our legal specialist will review your situation carefully, inform you about your immigration status and genuinely advise you on the basic queries, i.e., what to do, how to do it, and what are the next steps. It can further assure you that you have no confusion left behind that could be daunting in the process of applying to the Standard Visitors Visas.

We leave no stones unturned to help you comprehend the rules and the regulations of the UK immigration law specified for each of the Standard Visitor Visa subcategories. Promisingly, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the right set of the documentary portfolio covering travel proof, bank statements, employer contract/offer letter, and birth certificates to be attached to your application. Our assigned Immigration specialist will ace your chances of getting a successful decision.

So, if you would like to draft, source, and assemble the reliably supporting evidence, and you want to make sure that you do not miss any essential proof, we are here to advise the minute you knock on our door. We will make sure that you do not face the daunting and tedious journey alone.

Even if your child is under 18, you as a parent/guardian cannot bring along your child under the same standard visitor visa. If they (dependent) wish to accompany you, you have to submit a separate immigration application and apply for ‘Parent of Child’ under the standard visitor visa in the UK.