UK Immigration

There are no fixed fees for all visa types. The fees are dependent on the visa type, and in certain cases, the duration of the visa type. Fees are quoted in USD on the official UK Home Office website. It will then be necessary for the conversion to be done using the current prevailing exchange rate. Kindly check https://visa-fees.homeoffice.gov.uk/y for the fees.

The primary documents needed are as follows but not limited to:

• A fully completed online visa application form
• A valid Passport
• Proof you have the financial means to cover the living costs while in the UK. 
• Documents showing your commitments to your home country and of your intention to return
• Proof of accommodation
• Evidence of purpose for the visit, eg. invitation letter, etc

UKVI does not provide guidance on acceptable monthly income, or the level of funds needed to make an application. You may provide a bank statement covering a period of 6 months. The law does not set any minimum amount you must have in your account. Having a large bank balance does not necessarily mean that you have sufficient funds; neither is a low balance indicative of a low financial situation.

The officer will look at the totality of the evidence to assess your financial situation. Your financial documents include your bank statements, bonds, shares, investments, etc. The officer will consider your stated total monthly income minus your monthly financial commitments to arrive at your monthly disposable income.

So in essence, your financial circumstances is determined by your monthly total income minus your total financial commitments. The balance will then be assessed against the cost of your visit to determine whether your proposed visit is justifiable in the light of your personal circumstances.

In making an application for a UK visa, you must complete and submit an online visa application form, pay the appropriate visa fee, and submit your documents at the designated Visa Application Centre.

The standard processing time for a visit visa is 3 weeks from the date of the application. There is an option for priority processing by which a decision is made within 5 days. However, this comes at an additional fee. 

For settlement visas, the standard processing is within 3 months from the date of the application. There is equally an option for priority processing by which a decision is made within a month. There is an additional fee for this service.

Yes

Yes

Yes. A friend, family member or business associate may sponsor your application for a visit visa. You must however show that you have a genuine personal or professional relationship with the sponsor. Evidence may include chat records, photos, remittances, proof of employment, etc.

Yes. You must provide your bank statement or other financial evidence even if someone is paying for you. One of the requirements for a visit visa is to prove that you will return after your visit. Your financial documents, including your bank statement is part of the evidence the officer will examine to predict your intention to return. Accordion Content

Like all visa applications, the officer assesses your application against the requirements for the visa you are applying for. If you do not meet the requirements for the visa, your visa is likely to be refused. It is therefore advisable to review the requirements and any published guidance for your visa at the UK Government website on www.gov.uk 

An invitation letter is evidence in support of the purpose of your visit. You do not require an invitation for all purposes. For example, you do not need an invitation letter if you are visiting for purposes of tourism. However, you will require one if you are visiting a friend or relative or visiting for business purposes. 

The UKVI verifies bank statements and other documents by a process known as Document Verification. Document Verification is a process by which decision makers use to check whether a document submitted by an applicant is genuine. In cases where a document is verified to be false, the case worker generates a document called a Document Verification Report which sets out the steps the verifying officer has taken to verify the document and records the results of the verification check.

There are grave penalties for using a false document. You must ensure that documents given to you by third parties are genuine before submitting them with your application. 

There are no defined criteria for the conduct of visa interviews and their duration. Interviews may range from a few minutes to several minutes. In any case, most visit and settlement visa applications are resolved on papers, and a decision taken without the need to interview the applicant. In rare cases, applicants may be required to attend an interview. either via Skype at the visa application centre on in-person at the British High Commission.

Most applicants for Tier 4 (General Student) Visa are however generally interviewed to assess whether they meet the requirements for the “genuine student test.”

You can only work in the UK if you have a UK employer willing to hire you and sponsor your application for a Tier 2 visa. 

Generally, the requirements for the application are:

• your certificate of sponsorship reference number – your employer will give you this.
• proof of your knowledge of English.
• a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality.
• your appointment letter showing your job title and annual salary.
• your job’s occupation code.
• the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number – this will be on your certificate of sponsorship.
• evidence that you have sufficient maintenance funds to support yourself in the UK, for example bank statements (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your employer is willing to support you).
• proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you.
• your tuberculosis test results.
• a criminal record certificate.

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There are a number of UK work visas which do not require a job offer from a UK licensed sponsor, including the High Potential Individual visa, the Graduate route and Global Talent visas, although various other route-specific requirements must still be met.

There are a number of UK work visas which do not require a job offer from a UK licensed sponsor, including the High Potential Individual visa, the Graduate route and Global Talent visas, although various other route-specific requirements must still be met.

You will receive an email telling you that your passport is ready for collection at the visa application center. If your visa is approved, you will get a visa sticker (called a vignette) affixed in your passport. The visa will specify personal details, the visa type, duration of the visa, and any conditions attached to the visa.

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You cannot engage in paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person in the UK on a Visit visa.

If your visa is refused, you will get a refusal notice detailing why your application was refused. The letter will also explain any options that are available to you to address your refusal. Your options usually depend on the type of visa you applied for. 

If you were refused a visit visa, the letter will tell you that you cannot appeal the decision or seek an administrative review. It will however tell you that you may reapply. If you were refused a Point Based Visa like a Tier 2 or Tier 4 visa, the letter will tell you of the steps to seek an administrative review of the decision. You may also opt to reapply the visa. 

In the case of a refusal of a settlement visa, the letter will inform you of your right to appeal the decision within a specified time and steps you may take to pursue your appeal. You may also opt to reapply the visa. 

• Applying for the wrong visa type
• Failure to provide sufficient evidence to support your commitments back home and of your intention to return.
• Insufficient funds from you or sponsor to support your trip
• Large unexplained deposits in your bank account
• Staying in the UK beyond the period you stated in your application
• Failure to provide evidence of a genuine relationship between you and your sponsor.
• Failure to disclose any previous visa refusal, immigration history, or other material information in a previous application.
• Insufficient evidence to prove change in circumstances since your previous visa refusal.
• Inconsistencies in your application and the supporting evidence 

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A standard visit visa is valid for 6 months and usually allows multiple entries to the UK during that period. You can stay for up to 6 months but not beyond the validity of the visa. Although you may stay up to 6 months, your intentions for a future visa may be questioned if you stay longer than the period you stated on your visa application.

You can also apply for a longer-term visit visa if you can show that you will be making frequent and successive visits to the UK. These visit visas are valid for 2, 5 or 10 years and allow multiple entry for up to 6 months on each trip.

You may move to the UK without a job if you qualify for other visa types which a job offer is not a requirement. Please note that a visit visa does not grant you the right to settle permanently in the UK.

There are many visa types for the UK, including multiple visa subtypes. Your purpose for the visa would determine which visa type will suit your plans.

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Having large unexplained deposits in your account is one of the common causes of refusal. The general rule is that you must show the source of all large deposits in your account. Where your bank statement shows that you have sufficient funds for your planned stay, but either all or the majority of these funds have not been held in your account you must explain the origins of these funds.

Also, the timing of deposits also raises concern. Deposits made immediately prior to the printing of your bank statement or deposits which do not accord with the history of your account is likely to be viewed with suspicion. In short, you may wish to avoid the temptation of making deposits to shore up your bank balance.

The key requirement to qualify for a UK visit visa is to show that you are a genuine visitor. You can do this by providing evidence that:

• you’re coming to the UK to do a permitted activity (visit friend or family, tourism, business, private medical treatment, short-term study, etc)
• you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit
• you’re able to support yourself and any dependants for the duration of your trip
• you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey and any other costs relating to your visit