| Q: | Do I need a visa for the UK? |
| A: | Certain nationalities, known as visa nationals, need to obtain a visa before travelling to the UK. Even if you are not a visa national, you may need an entry clearance, depending on the reason for coming to the UK. Use our Do I need a UK visa? questionnaire to find out if you need a visa. |
| Q: | Where can I apply for a visa for the UK? |
| A: | Applications for visit visas and EEA Family Permits for the UK can be made at any British mission overseas with a full service visa office. Other applications should be made at a UK visa office in your home country, or where you are normally and legally resident. |
| Q: | Do I have to apply for my visa in person? |
| A: | You can apply in a number of ways, for example in person, online, by courier, or by post. Please check with the British mission overseas where you intend to apply to find out what ways of applying are available. |
| Q: | What documents do I need to provide to make my application? |
| A: | There is no set list of documents which should be provided as this varies from applciation to application. The guidance notes list the documents most commonly asked for. Please contact the British mission overseas where you intend to make your applciation for a full list of documents which you may have to provide there. |
| Q: | Can my friend or family member in the UK apply for my visa for me? |
| A: | Visas for the UK can be issued only at UK entry clearance offices overseas. If you need a visa, you must get it before you travel to the UK. See Information for Sponsors and Sponsors (INF 3) for more information. |
| Q: | Can somebody else apply for a visa for me? |
| A: | Yes, at a UK visa office overseas, but you must sign the application form personally to show that the information given is true and accurate. Giving false or misleading information, or failing to give important relevant information on an entry clearance form, or to an entry clearance officer, can be reason for an application to be refused. |
| Q: | What if I don't understand English? |
| A: | At many visa offices, application forms are also available in the main language(s) of that country. There will always be staff available at the office able to speak that language(s). |
| Q: | Can I come to live permanently in the UK? | ||
| A: | If you are not a British, European Economic Area (EEA), or Swiss national and you wish to settle permanently in the UK, you must qualify under the Immigration Rules and must obtain an entry clearance before you travel to the UK. For more information see our guidance notes. The Immigration Rules can be seen on the website of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, by clicking on the link below.
|
| Q: | Can my children accompany me to, or join me in the UK? |
| A: | The rules concerning children are quite complicated, but in many cases, they may be permitted to join you. They may require entry clearances before travelling to the UK. See Family members (INF 6) for more information. |
| Q: | Can I study in the UK? | ||
| A: | The UK welcomes overseas nationals who wish to study in the UK. For more information on how to apply for a visa to study in the UK, see Students (INF 5) for more general information on studying in the UK. Please click on the link below to go to the website of the British Council, which also gives advice and guidance.
|
| Q: | Can I work in the UK? | ||
| A: | Visitors are not allowed to work in the UK. The majority of people coming to the UK to work require a work permit. Please click on the link below to go to the Work Permits UK website, which has full information.
Some students may take employment, but with restrictions. Students (INF 5) has more information. There are also a number of other immigration categories that allow people to take employment in the UK, such as the Working Holidaymakers, Au Pairs, seasonal agricultural workers and other forms of permit free employment. See our guidance notes for more details. |
| Q: | How do I sponsor an application? |
| A: | If you wish to sponsor a visitor coming to the UK, you can find out how on the Information for Sponsors page and in our Sponsors (INF 3). |
| Q: | Do I need to send my visitor a sponsorship form? |
| A: | You do not need to obtain a 'sponsorship declaration' from a solicitor or Comissioner for Oaths. However, a letter from you detailing your occupation and salary and, if you will be financing the visit, evidence of your abilty to do so, would be helpful. |
| Q: | How long will my visa be valid for? |
| A: | The period for which your visa is valid is always shown on the entry clearance placed in your passport/travel document. A standard visit visa is usually valid for six months, but we also issue visit visas that are valid for 1,2,5 or 10 years. All visit visas can be used for an unlimited number of entries to the UK. You may stay a maximum of 6 months on each visit, or to the expiry date of the visa, whichever is shorter. If you are coming for another reason, the validity of the visa and how long you may stay is dependant on the reason. The entry clearance will show the date from which it is valid. This is usually the date that it is issued. However, if you do not plan to travel immediately, you can ask for the start date to be deferred by up to three months. You must tell the entry clearance officer this when you make your application. |
| Q: | How much does a UK visa cost? |
| A: | Go to visa fees for an up-to-date list. Fees are payable at the visa office to which you will apply, usually in local currency. A fee is charged to pay for the cost of processing your application and for that reason it is not refundable. For up-to-date information on fees in the local currency, please contact the British mission overseas where you intend to apply. |
| Q: | How long does it take to get a UK visa? |
| A: | We aim to operate a fast and effective entry clearance service. Last year, over 90% of straightforward, non-settlement applications were resolved within 24 hours. If an interview is required, we aim to process non-settlement applications within 15 working days. If you are applying to settle in the UK, in most cases we aim to process your application within 12 weeks. |
| Q: | Why do I have to wait for an interview date? |
| A: | When an entry clearance officer cannot make a decision about whether you qualify for a visa immediately, you may be asked to attend an interview. We aim to do this within 15 working days. Always try to make your application well in advance of your intended travel date. |
| Q: | Do I qualify for a UK ancestry certificate if I have a great-grandparent born in the UK? |
| A: | No. You may only be entitled through one of your grandparents. |
| Q: | Where can I get application forms? |
| A: | If you would like application forms and information leaflets to be sent to a UK address, please call UKvisas in London on: +44 (0)20 7008 8308. If you are not in the UK, you can get applications forms and information free of charge from your nearest British mission overseas that offers a visa service. Application forms can also be downloaded and printed out from this website. Please click the link below for more information. application forms |
| Q: | Why can't I download the application forms? |
| A: | The forms are stored in the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To read them on screen and print them out, you need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader programme installed on your computer. You can download it free of charge from the: |
No comments:
Post a Comment