UK Visitor visa: Key requirements

#Standard Visitor Visa

A visitor visa (tourist visa, also known as a guest visa) is issued for the purpose of short-term visits to the United Kingdom.

There are visas available for 6 months, 2, 5, and 10 years. The purpose of a short-term visit to the UK may include:

• Tourism

• Visiting relatives/residents of the UK

• Business visits (such as negotiations, attending exhibitions, business conferences)

• Sporting events

• Private medical treatment

• Short educational courses (up to 6 months; requires approval letter from a licensed educational institution)

• Participation in academic research

What you cannot do while in the UK on this visa:

• Work for a company registered in the UK or be self-employed

• Make the UK your "second home" - exceeding the conditional limit of 180 days per year. Exceptions include academic research (up to 12 consecutive months) and private medical treatment (up to 11 consecutive months).

• Attend educational courses longer than 6 months

• Get married or give notice of marriage (exceptions were made during the pandemic; permission from the Home Office may be obtained under exceptional circumstances) Volunteering for up to 30 days has recently been added to the list of permitted activities for tourist visa holders.

On the official link from the government website https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa, all the main requirements for applicants for a tourist visa are outlined.

There is also a link to the required document package for all types of visitor visas: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents/guide-to-supporting-documents-visiting-the-uk.

Now let's focus on supporting documents. 1. If the sponsor is the applicant themselves, they must provide information about their income for the last 6 months. Often, people simply attach a payslips. Ideally, the Home Office wants to see at least two documents mutually confirming each other - payslips and a bank statement clearly showing the same amounts as reflected in the salary certificate. Immigration officers pay attention to this, although it is not clearly stated in the visitor visa guidance. But they do pay attention.

Tip - highlight the amounts of your salary in the bank statement with a highlighter to make it easier for an immigration caseworker to review your documents.

1. If you rely not on your salary but on savings, you must provide bank statements and you must explain the source of income. For example, if a large sum came into the account from selling a car/apartment/inheritance -make sure to attach documents about the sale. Usually, immediate refusals occur for those whose bank statements show sudden inflows of money without explanation of the source. All the money that you present as your financial support for the duration of your trip to the UK - all of these incomes must be explained.
   

2. If the sponsor is a UK resident, that is, the inviting party, they must provide their bank statements, payslips, P60, P45, and an employment letter/contract if they are an employee, or invoices, tax returns, and an accountant's letter if they are self-employed. The same principle applies - the amounts on the payslips must match the bank statements.

Certainly, when you rely on finances, you must demonstrate that the money you earn is sufficient for this trip. In other words, if you have attached all documents, all the figures match, but your salary is less than the subsistence minimum, the Home Office will have a logical question - how you will be spending money in the UK? The next reason for refusal is accommodation. Here it is straightforward - book a hotel or Airbnb - provide evidence of the booking. If you will be staying with someone, the inviting party must provide either documents about their own property or, if they rent property, a tenancy agreement and a letter from the landlord. The letter must include a statement that the landlord is aware that such-and-such person is coming and that their arrival will not lead to overcrowding. In other words, if the inviting party rents a room with three other people and plans to invite you, the immigration officer will have well-founded suspicions.

Next is the employer. Please provide contact details of your employer. The next point is the invitation. A well-written invitation will enhance your visa application. The invitation should be written taking into account the individual circumstances of the visa applicant. In the first few lines, briefly state who is writing the invitation, their nationality, and their relationship to the applicant. You can also briefly state the purpose of your visit. In other words, you have to demonstrate ties to your home country or a country of residence. If you have property, stable employment, family - you have good chances to secure a visitor visa.

We are experts in UK immigration law and happy to offer you the following services:

• Full assistance with your Visitor visa application

• Document checking service for your application

#ukvisitorvisa #uktouristvisa

Tatiana Tsutsor, 26.05.2024