Standard Visitor visa
A Standard Visitor visa(Visitor Visa Application) is very popular among short-term and long-term visitors to the UK. Applicants typically choose Standard Visitor visa when they travel for pleasure (vacation and holidays, family visits, trips with friends); visit for business (participation in conferences, business events, sports competitions); some other reasons (specialized private medical treatment, rehabilitation).
Many people who plan to visit the UK for business reasons choose a Standard Visitor visa. Business-related activities that correspond to the Standard Visitor visa requirements are:
- A conference, a meeting or training that is the reason for your pre-scheduled visit to the UK;
- You are a participant of a specific sport-related event in the UK;
- You come to the UK to perform as an artist, a musician or any other kind of an entertainer;
- You are an academic who travels with a group of students for a study-abroad program;
- You are an academic and travel to the UK to do your scientific research;
- You are a doctor who visits the UK to take a clinical attachment;
- You are a doctor who visits the UK to take the observer post;
- You are a dentist who visits the UK to take a clinical attachment;
- You are a dentist who visits the UK to take the observer post;
- You plan to sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination;
- You plan to pass the test of the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board;
- You plan to start, launch, join, or take over a business in the UK and visit the country to get the funding.
Those visitors who are invited as a professional expert to the UK and are paid by a UK company should apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement visa.
A Standard Visitor visa allows you: to participate in any of the business-related activities, that are mentioned in the Visitor Rules; on your way to another country, to pass through the UK; to convert your civil partnership into a marriage in the UK; to study for less than 30 days (but studies should not be the main reason of your visit to the UK); if you are under 18 – to participate in an educational visit or an exchange program.
It is important to remember, that a Standard Visitor visa does not allow you: to do any type of work, paid or unpaid; to receive public funds; to stay in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits; to register a civil partnership or to marry; to give notice of civil partnership or marriage.
According to the rules of a Standard Visitor visa application, the earliest you can apply is 3 months before your visit. For example, if you plan to come to the UK on 16 June, you can apply from 17 March. When you apply from the country outside the UK, you are guaranteed to get the decision on your visa within 3 weeks (15 working days). Also, in some countries of application, there is an option to pay for a faster visa decision. For an additional cost, it can take only 5 working days (after you have applied for a visa) to make the decision.
The standard duration of your visit to the UK with a Standard Visitor visa is 6 months. But there are conditions when you can stay in the UK for a longer period – these include private medical treatment and academic research. People who come to the UK for private medical treatment are allowed to stay in the country for up to 11 months, but they will have to pay a £190 fee. They must prove that: their health condition needs consultation or help in the UK; they have made all the necessary arrangements and have enough money to pay for the treatment; are not a danger to public health and will leave the UK after the treatment is finished or visa expires. People can also visit the UK to donate organs on condition they are genetically related or have a close relationship with a patient.
Academics on sabbaticals who come to the UK for research are allowed to stay in the country for up to 12 months. Their civil partners or spouses can also stay in the UK for up to 12 months. A £190 fee is also obligatory. The abovementioned visitors who plan to prolong their stay are obliged to apply for a biometric residence permit.
Chinese citizens who visit the UK under the Approved Destination Status Agreement can get a visit visa for up to 30 days.
Some people need to visit the United Kingdom regularly for a long period of time. The option of the long-term Standard Visitor visa is the best choice for them. This visa lasts two, five, or even ten years. On each visit, travelers can stay up to six months in the country.
The Standard Visitor visa fee is £95. The fees for the abovementioned long-term Standard Visitor visa vary depending on the length. The visa that lasts two years costs £361, five-year Standard Visitor visa fee is £655 and the visa that offers the longest duration period of ten years costs £822.
Visitor Visa Application to UK applicants must prove the reason for their visit and guarantee that: they will be able to support themselves and their dependents during the stay; are able to cover all the costs related to a visit; will leave the UK at the end of the visit. To get the long-term Standard Visitor visa you have to prove that you will come only for visits like a holiday or a family meeting and that you guarantee to leave the country at the end of each of your visits.
Applicants for a Standard Visitor visa must provide the following documents: valid passport or other valid travel identification (passport must have a blank page for a visa and stay valid for the whole duration of the stay), certified translations of other supporting documents that might be needed and are not written in English or Welsh. Applicants must also provide the dates and details of their visit to the UK. These may include the information on predicted expenses, accommodation options, names of parents, personal income, details of any criminal or civil offense, and others. People who are under 18 can also apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
The application for a Standard Visitor visa starts online, then you need to arrange an appointment at a visa application center to take your biometric information. Travelers who are already in the UK can also extend their visas.
Regards,
SmartImmigrant
