If you’re planning to obtain a long-term Visit Visa, it is essential to meet all the specific requirements related to a long-term visit visa. This visa is ideal for those intending to visit the UK on multiple occasions over several years, allowing for frequent visits. However, the application process includes specific visa requirements, and the approval of a long-term visit visa is difficult. At A Y & J Solicitors, we are here to help ensure your application is error-free. We assist in preparing all necessary documentation to increase your chances of success. For more information, keep scrolling till the end or click on contact our team icon below.
The Long term visitor visa allows you to visit the UK for a prescribed period, whether for tourism, leisure ( such as visiting friends or family or taking regular holidays), or for business activities like attending meetings or conferences. When submitting an application for a Standard Visitor visa, applicants are able to indicate the desired length of the visa. Ordinarily, the Standard Visitor visa is chosen by individuals wishing to visit the United Kingdom for a temporary period of up to six months. However, it is also possible to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa, which allows for multiple entries to the United Kingdom for a period of two, five or ten years. Each entry to the United Kingdom is limited to a maximum of 6 months on any individual visit. Please see FAQs below for more details.
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At A Y & J Solicitors in London, we’ve helped many clients secure a Standard Visitor Visa UK. We understand your desire to spend time in the United Kingdom and are well-versed in ensuring our clients have everything together that they need to meet all Standard Visitor Visa UK requirements. Our immigration associates will work with you to learn more about your specific needs, helping you submit a successful application.
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the UK system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Spouse Visas, nationality and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
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You can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa UK if you are:
For the long-term visitor visa, you must show that you have stable finances and strong ties to your home country to prove that you will return after each visit. Essentially, UKVI must be convinced that you have a valid reason to regularly visit the UK and that you will not overstay.
The application process for the long-term visitor visa is identical to that for the standard visitor visa. To apply, you must do so online from outside the UK via the gov.uk website and select the option to apply for a UK visit visa. After completing the application forms, you must pay the appropriate fees for the long-term visitor visa. Additionally, you will need to provide supporting documents based on the reasons for your multiple visits.
The documents required to support your application for a long-term visitor visa will vary depending on the purpose of your visit to the UK and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. However, all applicants must demonstrate their intention to visit the UK and their commitment to returning to their home country after each trip.
This involves providing a passport or valid travel ID, along with additional documents that confirm your proposed activities in the UK. You must also show that you have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs related to your visit, and that these funds are held in a regulated financial institution that can be verified.
For a long-term visitor visa application, UKVI seeks applicants with stable income or sufficient wealth and good financial stability. How long does it take to get a decision on long term visit visa
For a 2-year long term visitor visa the cost is £432; for a 5-year long term visitor visa the cost is £771; and for a 10-year long term visitor visa the cost is £963. However, if you would like to expedite the time taken for UKVI to make a decision, there will be an additional fee for premium processing.
The validity of the long-term visitor visa depends on the duration for which you apply and the corresponding fee paid upon submission of your form. The visa can be valid for 2, 5, or 10 years. The duration granted may vary on a case-by-case basis. If UKVI determines that you are not eligible for a 10-year visa, they may instead grant a visa for 5 years or 2 years. It is advisable to first apply for a 6-month visitor visa to establish a good record before applying for a 10-year visa.
The purpose for which you apply for a long-term visitor visa varies on a case-by-case basis. Many applicants seek this visa because they have relatives, children, or parents settled in the UK and wish to visit them frequently without repeatedly applying for a visa. You can also apply for a long-term visitor visa if you have a company or a branch of your business in the UK and need to visit regularly. Additionally, this visa can be used if you require frequent visits to the UK for medical treatment. The specific purposes depend on individual circumstances.
With a long-term visitor visa, you can enter and leave the UK multiple times during the validity of the visa. However, your visits must comply with the conditions of the visa, such as not staying in the UK for more than six months at a time and not using the visa to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. The overall intention is that you maintain your primary residence outside the UK.
On a long-term visitor visa, you are permitted to engage in some work-related activities. These include attending interviews, participating in seminars, negotiating and signing deals, receiving work-related training if you are employed overseas and the training is unavailable in your country, conducting inspections and site visits, overseeing the delivery of goods, delivering training, and sharing knowledge on a training project. However, if you wish to undertake paid work while on a long-term visitor visa, you should apply for the Permitted Paid Engagement visa, which allows you to perform specific restricted activities. If you want to work in the UK for a full-time or a part-time job, then you need to apply for a UK Work Visa specific to your job role & type. People visiting the UK for business-related activities can get reimbursed for expenses but cannot be paid any salary in the UK
Yes, you could apply for a long term visit visa if you previously held a short term visitor visa. In fact it is highly advisable to apply for a short term visitor visa before applying for a long term visa.
There are various reasons as to why your application may be refused. This could be because you fail to satisfy UKVI that you meet all of the requirements as a long-term visitor for your intended purpose. UKVI must also be satisfied that you are a genuine visitor and that you intend to leave the UK after each trip. For example, if you are not able to show that you have stable finances and strong ties to your home country, an adverse inference may be drawn that you intend to work in the UK. Equally, if it is clear from any previous travel history that you are planning to make the UK your home, your application will be refused.
Additionally, you could fall for refusal under ‘Part 9: grounds for refusal’ of the Immigration Rules. In some cases, your application could be refused on mandatory grounds, whilst in others, this will be at the discretion of the UKVI caseworker deciding your application. For example, if you have been to prison for a criminal offence in the UK or overseas, where your sentence was for 12 months or more, your visa application ‘must’ be refused. In contrast, if you have been convicted of an offence for which you received a prison sentence of less than 12 months, or a non-custodial sentence, your application ‘may’ be refused.
If your application for a long term visitor visa is refused by UKVI, you will not be permitted to travel to the UK. In these circumstances, you should seek expert legal advice from an immigration specialist with a view to submitting a fresh application. It can be tricky to make a successful application following a refusal, but with a detailed explanation and proper evidence in support to address the reasons given for the refusal, it is possible.
Importantly, even if you are granted a long term visitor visa, this cannot be used as a means of living in the UK by spending 6 months, leaving, and immediately returning, as this will breach the rule not to live in the UK for extended periods. Several long stays that reach the 6-month limit each time may arouse suspicion that your intentions are not genuine. In these circumstances, you may be refused entry. You also run the risk that your visitor visa will be cancelled altogether, presenting real difficulties in applying for a new one.
No, you cannot apply for settlement in the UK with a long-term Visit visa.
No, you cannot extend the long-term visit visa. You may be able to extend the short term visit visa for upto 6 months, if certain conditions are met.
At A Y & J Solicitors, our team possesses extensive knowledge and expertise in handling various types of UK visitor visas. We boast a high success rate for our clients, ensuring exceptional customer service and a transparent fee structure with no hidden costs. We provide attentive support throughout the entire process, from the initial consultation to the decision on your indefinite leave to remain. Our services are flexible, offering in-house consultations at our central London office or online meetings via telephone or Skype. Additionally, our lawyers are proficient in several international languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Romani, Albanian, and Italian.
