Standard Visitor Visa

You can apply for a visitor visa for a number of reasons, including tourism, medical treatment, business and more. The earliest you can apply is three months before you travel. Contact our team for a no-obligation assessment.

UK Standard Visitor Visa Rules

The fundamental requirement is to hold a genuine intention to visit, which has the following individual requirements:

you will leave at the end of your visit
you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home
you are genuinely seeking entry for the permitted purposes
you will not undertake prohibited activities by way of work or receiving payment for activities here, study, NHS medical treatment, marrying or entering a civil partnership
you have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs (including costs of travel, maintaining dependants and taking part in planned activities) in relation to your visit without working or accessing public funds – these may be provided by a third party who can show they can and will provide support and who has a genuine professional or personal relationship with them and will be legally present when you enter, though they may be requested to provide an undertaking.

You cannot do the following on a UK Standard Visitor Visa

undertake paid or unpaid work
live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits
use public funds for any reason
marry or register a civil partnership unless you apply for a fiancé visa

Processing Time

The UK Visitor Visa processing time will depend on where you are applying from, usually, you will get a decision within a maximum of 3 weeks from the date of application.

At the time of application, you may have the option to pay for priority services to get a quicker decision on your visa application.

Standard Visitor Visa Cost

A Standard Visitor Visa costs £115 for up to 6 months.

The fee for a long-term Standard Visitor Visa depends on its length (up to 6 months per visit):

2 years – £400
5 years – £711
10 years – £963

To discuss your immigration application with an experienced adviser, contact our friendly and professional team at +442087575751 or use our contact form.

You can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa to the UK for any one of the following reasons:

Family Visitor Visa – you can apply to visit your friends or family. You should submit a supporting letter from your friends or family in support of your application to visit.
General Visitor Visa – you can apply to come as a tourist to visit the sights in the UK
Child Visitor Visa – you can apply as a child visitor if you are under the age of 18, you must provide a written statement that the parent/guardian consents to the relevant travel arrangements
Business Visitor Visa – you can apply under this category if you want to visit the UK for any of the following activities:
to attend a conference, meeting or training, seminar or interviews
Film crew (actor, producer, director or technician) employed by an overseas company may visit the UK to take part in a location shoot for a film or programme that is produced and financed overseas
to undertake research or accompany students on a study abroad programme
to take a clinical attachment or observer post or take part in a formal exchange with UK counterparts as a doctor or a dentist
you want to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
negotiate and sign deals and contracts
carry out site visits, inspections, install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software or hardware where it has a contract of purchase or supply or leave with a UK company or organisation
gather information for employment overseas
be briefed on the requirements of a UK based customer, provided any work for the customer is done outside the UK
attend trade fairs, for promotional work only, provided the visitor is not directly selling
give a one-off or short series of talks and speeches provided these are not organised as commercial events and will not make a profit for the organiser

An employee of an overseas-based company may carry out certain intra-corporate activities
Individuals employed outside the UK may visit the UK to take part in certain activities in relation to their employment overseas, such as personal assistants and bodyguards, drivers, journalists or professor from an overseas academic institution accompanying students
An expert witness may visit the UK to give evidence in a UK Court. Other witnesses may visit the UK to attend a court hearing in the UK if summoned in person by a UK Court
An overseas lawyer may advise a UK based client on specific international litigation and/or an international transaction
Religious workers may visit the UK to preach or to do pastoral work
Visitors may carry out the following study provided that the main purpose of the visit:
educational exchanges or visits with a state-funded school or academy or independent school or
a maximum of 30 days study
Sports Visitor Visa – you can apply to take part in a particular sports tournament as an individual or as a team, make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities
Entertainer Visitor Visa – to perform as an individual or a group, take part in competitions or auditions as an artist, entertainer, or musician
Prospective Entrepreneur Visa – you want to get funding to start, take over, join or run a business in the UK providing the visitor can show support from one or more endorsing bodies for the Start-up and Innovator categories.
Private Medical Treatment Visitor Visa – An individual may receive pre-arranged private medical treatment provided they meet the additional eligibility requirements
Approved Destination Status (ADS) Visa – An applicant under the ADS Agreement with China must be a national of the People’s Republic of China and intend to enter, leave and travel within the UK as a member of a tourist group

The ‘genuine intention’ rule

There are a number of relevant considerations that might be material in assessing whether an applicant is genuinely seeking entry as a general visitor. These include:

The amount of time the visitor spends in his country of residence and the UK;
The reasons for the visit;
The length of time since the last visit;
The links the applicant retains to their country of residence, and in particular any family they have there;

The Home Office Guidance on Visitors also sets out factors which should be considered. In addition to the factors in Sawmynaden they include:

The applicant’s previous immigration history, in particular, the duration of previous visits;
The applicant’s financial circumstances and economic ties to their country of residence;
Whether the reasons given for the visit are “credible and correspond to their personal, family, social and economic background”

Supporting Documents for a Standard Visitor Visa Application

To prove your genuine intention to visit the UK, the following supporting evidence can be submitted:

a detailed itinerary and cost for the trip
a statement from the applicant explaining the purpose of the visit in detail, and any relevant background to the decision to come to the UK to visit. Why the UK? Why now?
evidence how you will spend their time here (e.g. invitations from family members, or research into the sights they intend to visit)
evidence of settled life to return to at the end of the visit – work, employment, family responsibilities etc. Explain, with evidence, how the visit can happen, given those reasons to return – e.g. a letter from an employer confirming the person has been given leave for the relevant period
evidence of funds in recognised banks
if the cost of the visit may be considered to be disproportionate in light of the person’s overall resources, the reasons for the visit will need to be clearly laid out.
evidence of accommodation
evidence of previous compliance with immigration controls in the UK or elsewhere.

Why choose Whytecroft Ford for your Immigration application?

Free 15-Minute Assessment

We offer a 15 minutes free immigration advice UK session to assess your eligibility for an immigration application. We can then advise you on the best course of action.

No Hidden Charges & Fixed Fees

We will clearly outline all fees associated with your application so that you can make an informed decision. There are no surprises during the application process.

Highly Rated Services

Whytecroft Ford has a long-standing reputation as an Excellent immigration firm. Our Immigration services are highly rated on Trustpilot and Google.

OISC Approved

We are regulated to a high service standard by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, UK, assuring our clients that we offer a quality service.

Secure Remote Services

We use secure technology to process your UK Immigration Application. Our remote services mean you can easily access our team from the comfort of your own home.

Experienced Professionals

Our expert immigration advisors have many years of experience and have successfully assisted individuals and families to migrate and live in the UK.

How can we help you

Our experienced team will help you get clear and concise advice for your UK immigration application with a no-obligation assessment. During this assessment, we will:

Assess the possibilities for obtaining, extending or switching into a particular UK immigration category, and
Identify any strengths and/or challenges of your circumstances concerning your new application.

To contact our team:

Fill in our contact form
Call us at +44 (0)20 8757 5751
Email us at [email protected].

Immigration Services

With years of experience in the field and extensive knowledge of UK law and regulations, you can trust our highly driven team to provide clear, concise and reliable immigration advice and services.

