UK Visit Visa

14 Jul 2019

Do you want to visit the UK to see your family or friends, for a holiday or for business?  If so, you can apply for a standard visit visa.   

You do not need a visa to visit the UK for less than 6 months if you are a national of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong (SAR), Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA.  If you are a national of UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, you do not need to apply for a visa, but you can obtain an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) online which will allow you to visit the UK or study there for up to six months without a visa.  For visits of over 6 months, we can advise on other types of visas.

We can assist you to apply for a visit visa and will advise you on the process and the documents required to submit with your application.  Most importantly, you must have a valid current passport that is valid for the duration of your stay in UK.  All documents that are not in English will need to be translated by an official translator that can be verified by the UK Home Office.  

Examples of other documents to submit include : 

• previous passports; 
• documents to show that you have sufficient funds available to maintain your stay in UK such as bank statements, proof of earnings, proof of third party support; 
• travel bookings and hotel bookings; 
• letter from invitee if staying in private accommodation.     

If you want to go to the UK for business activities, you should provide documents showing what you will be doing in the UK.  We can advise you on the documents that you should submit with your application depending on the reason for your visit.  

If you need to visit the UK regularly over a longer period, we can advise you on the requirements for a long-term Standard Visitor visa that can last for 2, 5 or 10 years. For these visas, you will only be able to stay in the UK for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.

The earliest you can apply for a visit visa is 3 months before you travel.  If you are applying from the UAE, applications are usually processed within 2 weeks but timings may vary. 
Please note that the above are guidelines.  It is important to apply for the correct category of visa as mistakes may be detrimental on future applications.  To book a consultation to seek specific advice, please contact Dee Popat at enquiries@jamesberrylaw.ae or visit our https://jamesberrylaw.com/uk-immigration