Most people, depending on where you are coming from, will need a visa to both visit and stay in the UK for prolonged periods; this is more than common in countries around the world. If you aren't sure why exactly you need a visa, they are essential documents that help countries know exactly what new individuals' intentions are when they visit; this allows countries to better project and control who enters and is lucky enough to stay here.
While you might be visiting with good intentions and with the means to leave when you have stated, unfortunately, this isn’t the case for large volumes of individuals. A visa is essential to ensure the management of people for security, economic, health, and cultural reasons; without such matters, it could cause overpopulation and underpopulation, making it hard for the government in numerous sectors to cope.
What Would Happen If I Didn’t Have a Visa?
If you arrive in the UK without the documents required, it is likely that you will be stopped by air traffic control after landing in the UK, questioned, and sent on the next flight home. As strict policies are in place, you must follow all of the rules, as this can lead to you losing large amounts of money on flights and preparation and also could have you banned from flying back.
It’s always best in these cases to follow every rule made by the country's government on visiting to prevent issues at border control.
How Many Types of UK Visa’s Are There?
There are several forms of Visa and each has its document requirements so it’s best to understand the Visa types before you move onto the application process. Applying for the wrong visa can be both time-consuming and a waste of money so it’s best to understand which type you need to apply for instead of assuming.
1. Family Visa
Within applying for a family visa, there are also several visa types, such as dependent child visas, adult dependent visas, ancestry visas, EEA family permits, and so forth. Family visas are available within the UK if you are looking to join a family member who is either on a long-term visa or a British citizen. The UK wants to reunite families and keep them together, which explains why there are several for individuals to apply to.
If you are looking to reunite with a parent, sibling, or child, there is a dedicated application type for you. To better understand which is best suited for your unique circumstances, it’s best to reach out to London Immigration Lawyers, as they are experts in the world of visa applications.
2. Partner Visa’s
There are three main types of partner visas, such as:
- A spouse visa UK is for individuals who have married a British citizen and both wish to live together in the UK.
- An unmarried partner visa is for individuals who are in a long-term relationship with an individual who has British citizenship and wishes to continue their relationship within the confines of the UK.
- A Fiance Visa is for people who intend to marry an individual with British citizenship and wish to stay in the UK.
These visa types usually require multiple forms of evidence to be submitted due to the nature of some individuals solely marrying for British citizenship. The government must set these extra layers of security in solidifying your relationship as both genuine and real to prevent matters like these from happening. The evidence is generally to prove that you know your partner well, that you are married in the eyes of the UK government, and that you genuinely wish to continue with your relationship. Things like proof of living together and possibly statements from others and so forth.
3. Business Visas
Business visas are essentially for highly skilled or in-demand skilled individuals so while it might not be a highly skilled job, you may still be eligible for a business visa if your job role is in demand within the UK. There are multiple business visa types, such as:
- Global Talent Visa, which is for individuals who are an endorsed leader in your field.
- Innovator visa which is essentially when you pitch to the UK Government with a business opportunity that could have great economic value.
- Start-up visa, which needs to be endorsed by an approved body.
- For an investor visa, which is to quality, you need to prove you have £2 million in investment funds.
4. Skilled Work Visa
These visa type are for skilled workers who wish to remain in the UK for prolonged periods to continue and finish their work. There are also multiple skilled work visa types, such as:
- A skilled work visa is the most common type of work visa and to be eligible, you need to have an offer of employment from a UK company.
- Religious workers are those who intend to preach and complete other forms of holy business.
- Sportsperson visa, which is for the elites and qualified coaches.
- An intracompany transfer visa is when your employer has branches internationally and offers you employment at a different branch, such as within the UK.
5. Student Visas
This is primarily for international students who wish to study in the UK for longer than 6 months, so if you are spending a term here, you would be fine to travel over without a visa in place.
There are a few requirements when you apply for a student visa, such as enough funds to support yourself, enough funds to cover tuition fees, an official offer from a reputable university in the UK, being assigned a CAS by said institution, and meeting the English language requirements for that course.
There are also options for child study visas, which require the same checklist but at a British fee-paying school, contrary to a public school.
6. Temporary Work Visas
The visa type effectively explains what this visa type is. There are six main types of UK visas under the temporary visa category, such as:
- Temporary worker visa; this is eligible for up to 24 months, depending on the type of work.
- Creative and sporting for people who wish to work under creative and/or sporting placements.
- Government Exchange for those who are coming to the UK for work experience, fellowship, and research.
- International Agreement for those who are contracted to do work that is covered by international law.
- Religious workers who wish to do temporary religious work.
- Youth Mobility Scheme, which is for people aged between 18 and 30, from the Commonwealth, who wish to work for up to 24 months.
7. Visit Visa
This is the most common type of visa that you will find in all countries. This is when you wish to visit the UK for a limited period; this could be for a holiday, medical treatment, or to simply visit your friends and family. A visit visa can be used for any reason besides work.
In most cases, you must prove you have sufficient funds to last you throughout the visit, where you will be staying, activities books, and so forth. This will help with the acceptance of your application as you are showing genuine motives for visiting the UK and showing proof that it’s only a temporary visit and you will be getting a return flight home at the end of your visa.
There are three main types of visit visas, such as the standard visitor visa, visitors in transit, and permitted paid engagement visa.
Application Process
When you have figured out which unique visa type is most suitable for your circumstances, there is a strict application process that needs to be completed to the best of your ability, so gathering up all documentation is very important as if you miss just one piece, this could result in your application being rejected, which is both time-wasting and expensive.
I would recommend that you ask for the support of others, whether they are individuals who have gone through the same process but also legal advice from the likes of London Immigration Lawyers, who offer advice packages for a range of visa-based inquiries, so whether you need to reliable and valuable support on a particular application they have the means to put you with a specialist for that extra layer of support but also gives your application a higher chance of acceptance so while you are spending more with the support this is spending more to save more int eh future and gives yourself peace of mind during the process.
Finding solicitors that are well-aware of the world of UK immigration, I would suggest you get help from a UK-based company and those that offer support with every step of the application, help source all relevant documents, and organise your application to be the most optimal format. These things all work in your favor and could be enough to approve.
Final Thoughts
It’s important that you do your research before spending the money on the application process; check the official government website for up-to-date requirements.
