Call Today
020 3795 9020

Home / Legal Areas / Immigration / Visitor Visa

Visitor VISA

If you’re wanting to visit the UK for a holiday, to see friends, for business, for sports, creative events or for private reasons, such as medical treatments, then you can apply for a Standard visitor visa.

Call Today
020 3795 9020

What comes under a visitor visa?

A standard visitor visa is perfect for people who want to come to the UK for a short while, primarily for holidays, to see relatives or for short business trips.

On a standard visitor visa you cannot:

  • Live in the UK for longer than the agreed period on your visa
  • Do any form of work, whether it be paid or unpaid
  • Get married or enter a civil partnership

During your stay with a standard visitor visa, you can generally stay in the UK for up to 6 months, unless you have reasons why you need to stay longer (e.g for medical treatment)

A standard visitor visa costs £95.

However, if you visit the UK regularly and wish to apply for a long term visa, you can stay for a period of 6 months each time.

You should know…
  1. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Britain, and by 2025 predicted to account for 10% of all jobs in the UK.
  2. By 2025, the tourism industry in the UK is predicted too be worth over £257 billion.
  3. Despite the 2020 COVID-19 restrictions on tourism, the UK still saw 10.6 million visits by October.

Based on 2020 statistics. Information sourced from Condor Ferries

The Process

Before you apply
  1. Check if The Visa is Right for You

The type of standard visitor visa that you are eligible for depends on why and how long you are visiting the UK for.

Under the standard visitor visa, there are 7 different options. Take a look at https://www.gov.uk/choose-uk-visit-short-stay-visa?step-by-step for more details.

  1. Prepare Your Evidence

You must be able to show that you:

– Have plans to leave the UK at the end of your visit

– Are able to support yourself and any dependents for the duration of your trip

– Can pay for any onward journeys

– Have proof of any business or other activities

You can do this by gathering documents, receipts and other forms of evidence

3. The Application Process

Following this, you can start the application process. You will be told where and when your appointment will be and how much it will cost.

You should get a response within 3 weeks of your appointment

When you arrive
1. You’ll need to show a variety of documents when you arrive at the UK border, such as your passport, your ID and any travels documents you may have. You will also need to have completed a passenger locator form when you arrive.

2. When you’ve arrived in the UK and passed border control, you’ll need to make sure that you know when you need to leave the UK and what the conditions of your visa

WHY MIGHT I STRUGGLE WITH MY VISITOR VISA APPLICATION?

  1. You’re unsure whether you meet the requirements for citizenship

-It’s not often clear to see if you qualify to become a citizen or not.

  1. You want to challenge the decision (or rejection) of your application

– A consultation with a lawyer will be able to highlight what issues there may have been in your application. However, if your application has been rejected for an unfair or odd reason, a legal representative will be able to challenge this and help you complete your application.

  1. English is not your first language, and you need a lawyer to complete your forms for you

-The application to become a citizen is complex enough without the difficulty of it being in a different language.

  1. You have a criminal record or a poor immigration history

-If you have previously had a visa application that was rejected, or if you have a history of criminal behaviour, you may need an immigration lawyer to represent you and help you complete the process.

5. Your case is particularly complex

-If your visa route has a high refusal rate, such as a spouse visa or an entrepreneurial visa, you may need a lawyer to help you with your complex case and to represent you.

Why might you need a lawyer for your visitor visa?

Visitor visa’s are normally quite easy to obtain. However, if your visitor visa has been denied with no right to appeal, then you can challenge the decision by judicial review instead of re-submitting your forms. You may also not be sure which form of visitor visa you qualify for, or which documents you need to gather, so seeking legal assistance can be really important to make sure there are no issues with your application.

However, legal help may also be needed when something has gone wrong during your stay in the UK or if you have not complied with the various regulations attached to your visa. The frequent reasons why you may run into issues with your visitor visa could because you have:

  • Overstayed your visa
  • Applied for the wrong visa
  • A criminal record or have committed criminal behaviour since being in the UK
  • Already been deported and you’re trying to re-apply for a visa.

In all of the above scenarios, a lawyer will review your situation and represent you and help you in whichever way you need.

Need a lawyer to help you with your visitor visa application?

Get in touch today by giving us a few details and a brief outline of your matter, and we’ll put you in touch with an LGBT Lawyer.

* indicates that a field is mandatory. Please note all enquiries are handled by our referral partner Britton and Time Solicitors and that by submitting an enquiry, you are providing your permission for your contact and case details to be passed on to Britton and Time Solicitors.

OTHER LEGAL AREAS

CIVIL LITIGATION 

CRIMINAL DEFENCE

DISCRIMINATION

EMPLOYMENT DISPUTES

FAMILY LAW

LANDLORD & TENANT

WILLS & PROBATE

Visitor visa Not Right For Your Situation?

Haven’t been able to find the information or solution you were looking for? Here are all the immigration services on offer from the LGBT Lawyers network.

Becoming a British Citizen

BECOMING A BRITISH CITIZEN

Family Visa

FAMILY VISA

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN

Seeking Protection or Asylum

SEEKING PROTECTION OR ASYLUM

LGBT Lawyers Logo

The LGBT Lawyers Difference

At LGBT Lawyers we tailor our legal services specifically to the LGBT community and everything that being LGBT entails. As an LGBT individual you deserve legal advice that is free from any attitude or judgement. Our network of regulated and qualified LGBT Lawyers will ensure your legal requirements are met.

LGBT Lawyers earnt its fantastic reputation from its fearless commitment to Our clients’ cases

Call Today
020 3795 9020

Need a lawyer FOR YOUR Visitor Visa?

Please give us a few details and a brief outline of your matter, and we’ll put you in touch with an LGBT Lawyer.

* indicates that a field is mandatory. Please note all enquiries are handled by our referral partner Britton and Time Solicitors and that by submitting an enquiry, you are providing your permission for your contact and case details to be passed on to Britton and Time Solicitors.