The UK visitor visa allows foreign nationals to visit the UK for a period of up to 6 months at a time for tourism, visiting friends and family, business, study, medical treatment, permitted paid engagements, as well as other purposes. There are several types of visitor visa and it is important to know which activities are permitted under each type. You must ensure to apply for the correct visa type depending on the purpose of your visit.
How much does it UK Visitor Visa cost?
The Home Office increased the UK visitor visa fees on 4 October 2023.
| Visa | Fees |
| Standard Visitor | £115 |
| Standard Visitor – 2 years | £400 |
| Standard Visitor – 5 years | £771 |
| Standard Visitor – 10 years | £963 |
| Marriage Visitor | £115 |
| Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor | £115 |
| Transit Visitor | £64 |
| Private Medical Treatment | £200 |
Who needs to apply for a Visitor visa?
Anyone who is a national of a country listed in the Visa National list (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-visa-national-list) must apply for a visitor visa before entering the UK.
There are serval types of visitor visas:
- Standard Visitor for tourism and family visits
- Marriage/Civil Partnership Visitor for those coming to marry or form a civil partnership
- Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor for those coming to do a specific paid activity
- Transit visa is for those who want to transit the UK on route to another country outside of the Common Travel Area
- Private Medical Treatment Visitor for those having private medical treatment for a condition or donating an organ
How long can you stay?
Standard Visitor visa holders can stay for a maximum period of 6 months at a time. Those who apply for the 2-year, 5-year or 10-year visa are only permitted to stay for a maximum period of 6 months during each stay.
Transit Visitor is permitted to stay for up to 48 hours.
Marriage Visitor, Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor and Private Medical Treatment can stay up to 6 months, although those receiving medical treatment have the option of extending their stay within the UK if their treatment will last longer than 6 months. The fee for an extension is £1,000.
Eligibility Requirements
To successfully apply for a Visitor visa, you must show that you meet certain eligibility requirements, including that you are genuinely seeking entry as a visitor and that you intend to leave the UK after your visit. The requirements to be met are:
- Must be genuinely seeking entry as a Visitor. You must declare the intention of the visit, for example, to visit family
- Must have sufficient funds to cover the costs of the visit without recourse to public funds (sufficient funds may be provided by a third party).
- Must intend to leave the UK at the end of the visit.
- Must not intend to live in the UK for an extended period of time If the third party is providing evidence of sufficient funds, such as a family member, they must have a genuine relationship with the applicant, not be in breach of immigration laws and be willing to provide support to the visitor for the duration of their stay.
Documents required for a Visitor Visa
Whilst there is no standard set of documents required for the visitor visa, you must submit sufficient evidence to show you meet the eligibility requirements as above. The documents should be directly related to your purpose of visiting the UK. Usual documents to be submitted are:
- Passport and/or BRP copies for sponsor/children/relatives in the UK
- Documents proving ties to country of origin, such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, letters and photos from family, proof of ownership of assets and property, employment letter and wage slips from employer, bank statements, evidence of pension.
- Financial documents that prove the applicant has sufficient funds available to support themselves, for example bank statements, wage slips, proof of earnings, investments.
- Invitation letter from the UK based sponsor
- Previous refusal letters
- Travel history
Permitted Activities on a Visitor Visa
- Tourism such as a holiday or vacation
- Visit family or friends
- Volunteer for a registered charity in the UK for up to a maximum of 30 days
- Carry out certain business activities such as attending a meeting or interview
- Carry out a permitted paid engagement, such as giving a lecture or performance
- Take part in a school exchange program
- Recreational courses of up to a maximum of 30 days
- Study a short course up to 6 months
- Complete a placement
- Take an exam
- As an academic to take part in research
- As a senior doctor or dentist to undertake clinical practice or teach
- Receive medical treatment
From 31st January 2024, the Home Office has expanded the permitted activities that visitors can carry out whilst in the UK. These include:
- Visitors can work remotely for their overseas employer, provided it is not their main purpose of visit
- Visitors can carry out client-facing activity as long as it is in relation to their overseas employment
- Flight crews arriving in the UK as part of a Civil Aviation Authority-approved wet lease arrangement between the months of March and October will be granted permission to enter as a visitor
- Permitted Paid Engagement Visitors are now allowed to be paid for speaking at conferences
- Legal professionals can provide services such as giving advice, appearing in arbitrations, acting as a mediator or expert witness, appearing in court, attending conferences, teaching, providing advocacy for a court or tribunal hearing, litigation and transactional legal services like drafting contracts.
Most common reasons for refusal:
Visit visas can be refused for many reasons, including:
- Insufficient evidence of ties to home country
- Insufficient evidence of the financial circumstances or source of funds declared
- Insufficient evidence of the purpose of the visit
- Previous breaches of immigration rules or previous visa refusals
What to do if you get a refusal?
Visit visas do not generally have the right of appeal. This will be stated in the refusal letter.
In most cases, it is advisable to make a fresh application that addresses the reasons for refusal. Further evidence should be submitted with the new application to strengthen the application and directly tackle the reasons for refusal in the previous application.
If the Home Office has made an error in deciding the application, for example they did not consider valuable evidence that was submitted with the application, you can challenge the decision by Judicial review. The first step of seeking Judicial Review proceedings is to send a Pre-action Protocol Letter, also known as a Letter Before Claim, to set out the arguments against the Home Office. In most cases, with a successful Pre-action Protocol Letter, the Home Office can agree to reconsider the application, and lead to a subsequent grant of the Visit Visa.
How we can help
The team at A Y & J Solicitors are experienced in dealing with Visitor Visas and we can help you with your new application to ensure it meets the requirements for a successful outcome.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with Visitor Visas. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or contact us today. We’re here to help!
