Standard Visitor Visa UK

The Standard Visitor visa has replaced the Business Visitor Visa, Family Visitor Visa, Child Visitor visa, Student Visitor Visa (up to 6 months), Sports Visitor visa, Entertainer Visitor visa, Prospective Entrepreneur visa, Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa.

This visa permits you to conduct permitted business activities in the UK and doing activities in the UK as a part of an overseas job role for a period of up to six months.

If your business requires you to visit the UK regularly over a longer period, you can apply for a visa that lasts two, five, or ten years. However, you can only stay for a maximum of six months on each visit.

Academics coming to the UK on a sabbatical or exchange arrangement can apply for either 6 months or 12 months, subject to meeting the requirements. A senior doctor or dentist can also come to take part in research, teach or undertake clinical practice (as long as it is not a permanent position.
It is recommended that the visa application is prepared diligently because at times, visas are getting refused for even a small error.

What Can You Do When You Are on a UK Standard Visitor Visa?

You can apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa if you are:

• Travelling to the UK for holiday or vacation or seeing your family or friends
• Volunteering with a registered charity for up to 30 days
• Transiting to another country via the UK
• Coming to the UK for attending a conference, meeting, training, seminar and interview
• Negotiating and signing deals and contracts
• Attending trade fairs to promote your business (you cannot sell things)
• Carrying out site visits and inspections or overseeing the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organisation
• Coming to the UK to install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware, if your overseas company has a contract with a UK company or organisation
• Seeking to obtain funding or investment to start, take over a business in the UK
• Delivering training or sharing knowledge internally with UK employees of the company you work for overseas
• Giving a one-off or short series of talks if it is not a commercial event and not for profit (you cannot accept payment)
• Coming to the UK as an artist, entertainer or musician to perform for a one-off or specific event
• Attending a work-related training if you are employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country, for example, training for the merchant navy professionals
• Studying the English language or a short course at an accredited institution
• Doing short research which is relevant to your overseas course or doing an elective if you are studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing or dentistry
• Sitting an entrance exam, retaking an exam or course module, or attending a PhD viva
• Doing a placement or taking an exam, for example, taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for qualified foreign doctors and nurses, and Bar Transfer Test (BTT) to become a barrister or Qualifying Law Transfer Scheme (QLTS) to become a solicitor for qualified foreign lawyers
• Coming to the UK as an academic, senior doctor or dentist on an exchange agreement with UK counterparts, or conducting research during a sabbatical, or accompanying students on a study abroad program or even teaching or undertaking clinical practice
• Coming to the UK as a doctor or dentist to take an unpaid clinical attachment or observer post
• Coming to the UK to have private medical treatment at a private hospital or at an NHS hospital as long as the treatment is paid by your government under healthcare agreement or to donate an organ to a family member or a close friend subject to a donor match

What Can You not Do When Are on a UK Standard Visitor Visa?

You cannot do the following activities if you are on a UK Standard Visitor Visa:

• You cannot work (paid or unpaid) for a UK company or as a self-employed person
• You cannot claim benefits
• You cannot live in the UK for long periods by regular visits
• You can pay for your onward journey
• You cannot marry or register a civil partnership or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. If you would like to marry or register a civil partnership, you will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa

What Are the Requirements for Obtaining the UK Standard Visitor Visa?

To apply for a UK Standard Visit Visa, you need to prove the following:

• Your intentions of coming to the UK, and this will depend on your needs, such as visiting for business purposes, visiting family or leisure
• You will need to evidence that you have planned to leave the UK after this time, and this should not exceed six months
• You have money to support and accommodate yourself and your dependents without relying on any public funds in the UK
• You can pay for your return or onward journey
• In the event you will be coming for business reasons, you must ensure that you will be conducting permitted business activities only
• You will not live in the UK for extended periods through regular or successive visits or make the UK your main home
• In the case of long-term UK Standard Visitor Visa, reasons that you are required to frequently visit the UK for permitted business purposes

Please note that there are additional requirements if you are applying to study or take an exam, or as an academic, doctor or dentist or for medical reasons. For example, if you are a doctor taking PLAB exam, you will need to provide a letter from the General Medical Council confirming your PLAB test registration, or, if you are visiting the UK for medical reasons, you will required to provide evidence to show that you have made arrangements for consultations or treatment, and you have enough money to pay for your treatment, and will leave the UK once your treatment is completed, or when your visa expires, and you are not a danger to public health.

How Do I Apply for the UK Standard Visitor Visa?

Applications for a UK Standard Visitor Visa are made online unless you are from North Korea. You will need to have your biometric information, such as fingerprints and photographs taken at your local Visa Application Centre. Our lawyers have a proven record of success getting Business Visitor Visa for clients, and they will guide you through every process.

What Documents Will I Need to Provide for the UK Standard Visitor Visa?

Failure to submit the correct documentation is one of the most common reasons for a UK Visitor Visa being refused. Our immigration lawyers can assist you with collating and submitting the required documents, which include (this list is not exhaustive):

• A valid passport or travel document
• Bank statements confirming that you can support yourself and return journey
• Evidence of your purpose of the visit
• Evidence that you will leave the UK at the end of your proposed visit

Long-term Standard Visitor visas

It is possible to apply for a long-term UK Standard Visitor visa if you would like to visit the UK regularly. A long-term UK Standard Visitor visa can be issued for 2, 5 or 10 years; however, you can only stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.

Please note that you may be given a shorter visa than requested if you cannot meet the eligibility requirements for the duration of the visa you have applied for. In such a case, you will not get a refund of the application fee if you get a shorter visa.

Further, if your travel history shows you are repeatedly visiting the UK and staying for long periods, your visa may be cancelled.

How Much It Costs to Apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa?

Please see below the current application fees for the UK Standard Visitor Visa. These fees are subject to change; you can find the up-to-date visa application fees by visiting official Website.

If you need to change or cancel your application

One of the main reasons for UK Visit Visa refusals is providing incorrect or inconsistent information in the visa application or providing such documents in support of your application.

If, upon submission of your application but before attending the biometric appointment, if you realise or it is revealed that you have provided incorrect or inconsistent information, depending on the severity, you can either cancel the application logging into your online application portal (link is provided when you start completing the application and also upon submission) and complete a new application form, or you can write a cover letter providing the correct information and explaining the reason for the mistake or oversight.

If such mistake or inconsistency is revealed after attending your biometric appointment, depending on the severity, you can either contact UK Visas and Immigration by visiting Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and provide the correct information, or cancel the application by visiting Cancel your visa, immigration or citizenship application – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Standard Visitor Visa Extension

It is possible to make an in-country application to extend the UK Standard Visitor visa. However, you have to prove that there are compelling and compassionate circumstances for which you are unable to return before the expiry of your Visitor Visa. For example, you become severely ill during your stay in the UK, and you have been receiving treatment privately to recover. Also, if you have entered the UK for medical reasons and your treatment was completed as planned.

If you are an academic requiring extension for your research purpose, you will need to prove that you still meet the eligibility requirements as an academic.

It is also possible to extend your UK Standard Visit visa if you are a graduate retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or doing a clinical attachment. For retaking the PLAB test, you will be required to provide written confirmation of retaking the test from the General Medical Council. You can get six months’ extension for this purpose. Also, after passing the PLAB test, you can apply to stay longer for the purpose of doing an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post. You can stay up to 18 months in the UK in total if you apply for such an extension. You will be required to provide written confirmation of your clinical attachment offer and confirmation that you have not done a clinical attachment in the UK previously. One of the conditions of such extension would be you do not treat patients.

What Are the Advantages of the UK Standard Visitor Visa?

The refusal rate for a UK Visitor Visa is high. Refusal will not only disturb your plan to visit the UK but also affect your Immigration History. Generally, applications are refused because immigration officials are not convinced that you will leave the country at the end of your visit or you plan to conduct only permitted business activities.

Our team will ensure that your application is submitted correctly, with the supporting documents to minimise the risk of refusal.

In the majority of cases, the only option left to challenge the refusal decision is through Judicial Review. An appeal for a refusal of a UK Standard Visitor Visa can only be made on human rights grounds (if applicable).

Why Choose A Y & J Solicitors to Advise and Represent Your UK Standard Visitor Visa?

The expert lawyers at A Y & J Solicitors understand the importance of timely support in processing your visit visa application. From the initial consultation until you have received your visa decision, our highly qualified legal team will support you every step of the way.

We take the time to listen to our foreign business clients and fully understand their needs prior to making their application. By paying careful attention to detail, we have helped many clients and brought successful results for our clients. With years of experience assisting non-EEA citizens with business needs, we are well placed to assist you.