General Visitor / Tourist Visa

Note:- UK has announced a change in collection of Visa Documents from the VFS Application Centers:-

• For all visa applications submitted from Wednesday 10th October, 2012, it will no longer be possible for a third party to collect the documents on behalf of an applicant, except in the following cases:-
• A parent collecting for a dependent child;
• One member of a family group collecting the passports for the whole family;
• Government Ministry representatives and a Business Express Programme company representative, approved by the company’s authorized signatories.
• Applicants who do not wish to collect their documents in person, and whose documents cannot be collected by one of the above, should select return delivery by courier at the time they make their visa application.
• The Applicant should have a passport valid for the entire duration of stay in the United Kingdom. The applicant should also attach the previous passports (these are to show your previous travel history). The passport must contain at least 1 page that is blank on both sides, so that visa can be inserted.
• One visa application form to be filled online as mentioned above.
• One passport-size photograph, not more than 6 months old. It should be un-mounted, 45 mm x 35 mm in size, against a white background, and should be glued (not stapled) to the application form.
• A covering letter from the Applicant, giving reasons of travel.
• Evidence of your permission to be in the country where you are applying, if you are not a national of that country:- This could be a residence permit, ‘green card’ or valid visa showing your current immigration status.
• A planned itinerary, if you have one. This could include:-
• bookings or tickets for any excursions, trips and outings
• email conversations about any excursions, trips and outings travel agent bookings
• Supporting letter(s) from your friend or sponsor in the UK:- If you are visiting a friend you may wish to include a letter of invitation from them as well as their financial documents, as outlined in the finances and employment section. You should also consider supplying evidence of their immigration status in the UK, this could be copies of:-
• Bio-data pages from their passports.valid visa or immigration stamp from their passport.
• Home Office letter confirming permission to stay in the UK
• Evidence of your marital status:- This could include a marriage certificate, a civil partnership certificate, a divorce certificate or a death certificate.
• Evidence of your current employment or studies:- This could include:-
• A letter from your employer on company headed paper – detailing your salary and the length of your employment, confirming that you have been given time off work and stating whether this time off is paid or unpaid. You should consider submitting further documents which could support an employment letter, such as, pay slips or tax returns. If you have recently entered new employment you should consider providing details of your previous employment and salary history.
• A letter from your education provider on headed paper – confirming your enrollment and leave of absence.
• Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date when the business started trading.
• Financial and Employment Documents: You can submit any of the following financial documents. You should consider including evidence of your total monthly income from all sources, for example employment, friends, family, personal savings or property. This will help us assess your circumstances in your own country and will provide us with evidence of how your trip is to be funded. You should consider providing this information even if someone else is paying for your trip.
• If someone else is paying for your trip then they should consider providing the same information about their finances and employment.
• If you are providing documents from a joint account then please explain who the other account holders are, and why you have permission to spend money from the account.
• If your spouse or partner is employed then the Entry Clearance Officer would also like to see evidence of their Employment and financial details.
• Bank statements or bank books:- Showing what has been paid in and out of an account for up to the previous six months, and naming the account holder. If you have made deposits in your account that are not in keeping with the account history then you may wish to explain the origins and timing of these deposits.
• Bank letter or balance certificate:- Showing the account balance, the account holder’s name and the date when the account was opened. If you provide this document you should consider providing additional documents to show the origins of the money in your account.
• Pay slips:- Covering up to the previous six months. If your salary is paid directly into your bank account, you should consider providing the statements showing these payments.
• Tax returns (business or personal):- You could include recent documents from your government tax office, confirming your income and the amount of tax that you have paid.
• Business bank account statements:- If you include these you may wish to explain why you are allowed to spend the money from a business account if you are on a private visit.
• Evidence of income from property or land:- This could include property deeds, mortgage statements, tenancy agreements, accountant’s letters, land registration documents or crop receipts. If the property or land is registered in several names, you may wish to explain how much you own. If the money earned from the land is shared, you may wish to say how it is divided.
• Details of accommodation and return travel bookings:- This could be:
• Hotel booking confirmation (usually email)travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets)
• Travel agent confirmation of both
• Accommodation details with a supporting letter from the occupant confirming that you are able to stay there.
• Visa validity varies from 6 months to 10 years and allows a maximum stay of up to 6 months starting from the date of entry into the UK.

Business Visa

Note:- UK has announced a change in collection of Visa Documents from the VFS Application Centers:

• For all visa applications submitted from Wednesday 10th October, 2012, it will no longer be possible for a third party to collect the documents on behalf of an applicant, except in the following cases:-
• A parent collecting for a dependent child;
• One member of a family group collecting the passports for the whole family;
• Government Ministry representatives and a Business Express Programme company representative, approved by the company’s authorized signatories.
• Applicants who do not wish to collect their documents in person, and whose documents cannot be collected by one of the above, should select return delivery by courier at the time they make their visa application.
• The Applicant should have a passport valid for the entire duration of stay in the United Kingdom. The applicant should also attach the previous passports (these are to show your previous travel history). The passport must contain at least 1 page that is blank on both sides, so that visa can be inserted.
• One visa application form to be filled online as mentioned above.
• One passport-size photograph, not more than 6 months old. It should be un-mounted, 45 mm x 35 mm in size, against a white background, and should be glued (not stapled) to the application form.
• A covering letter from the Applicant, giving reasons of travel.
• Evidence of your permission to be in the country where you are applying, if you are not a national of that country:- This could be a residence permit, ‘green card’ or valid visa showing your current immigration status.
• Evidence of your marital status:- This could include a marriage certificate, a civil partnership certificate, a divorce certificate or a death certificate.
• Evidence of your current employment or studies. This could include:-
• A letter from your employer on company headed paper – detailing your salary and the length of your employment, confirming that you have been given time off work and stating whether this time off is paid or unpaid. You should consider submitting further documents which could support an employment letter, such as, pay slips or tax returns. If you have recently entered new employment you should consider providing details of your previous employment and salary history.
• A letter from your education provider on headed paper – confirming your enrolment and leave of absence.
• Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date when the business started trading.
• Evidence of who invited you to the UK:- A letter of invitation from the business on their official headed paper confirming who you will be visiting, staying with or supported by during your visit.
• Evidence of any previous dealings with the UK company that you are visiting. This could include any evidence of:-
• Business Meetings           Email Conversations                   Company Activities/ Invoices
• Financial and Employment Documents: You can submit any of the following financial documents. You should consider including evidence of your total monthly income from all sources, for example employment, friends, family, personal savings or property. This will help us assess your circumstances in your own country and will provide us with evidence of how your trip is to be funded. You should consider providing this information even if someone else is paying for your trip.
• If someone else is paying for your trip then they should consider providing the same information about their finances and employment.
• If you are providing documents from a joint account then please explain who the other account holders are, and why you have permission to spend money from the account.
• If your spouse or partner is employed then the Entry Clearance Officer would also like to see evidence of their
• Employment and financial details.
• Bank statements or bank books:- Showing what has been paid in and out of an account for up to the previous six months, and naming the account holder. If you have made deposits in your account that are not in keeping with the account history then you may wish to explain the origins and timing of these deposits.
• Bank letter or balance certificate:- Showing the account balance, the account holder’s name and the date when the account was opened. If you provide this document you should consider providing additional documents to show the origins of the money in your account.
• Pay slips:- Covering up to the previous six months. If your salary is paid directly into your bank account, you should consider providing the statements showing these payments.
• Tax returns (business or personal):- You could include recent documents from your government tax office, confirming your income and the amount of tax that you have paid.
• Business bank account statements:- If you include these you may wish to explain why you are allowed to spend the money from a business account if you are on a private visit.
• Evidence of income from property or land:- This could include property deeds, mortgage statements, tenancy agreements, accountant’s letters, land registration documents or crop receipts. If the property or land is registered in several names, you may wish to explain how much you own. If the money earned from the land is shared, you may wish to say how it is divided.
• Details of accommodation and return travel bookings. This could be:-
• Hotel booking confirmation (usually email) travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets)
• Travel agent confirmation of both
• Accommodation details with a supporting letter from the occupant confirming that you are able to stay there.
• Visa validity varies from 6 months to 10 years and allows a maximum stay of up to 6 months starting from the date of entry into the UK.

Transit Visa

Note:- UK has announced a change in collection of Visa Documents from the VFS Application Centers:

• Have the right documents for your destination (eg:- a visa for that country),
• Have a confirmed onward flight that leaves on the day you arrive or before midnight on the day after you arrive,
• You arrive and depart by air,
• You should apply for aVisitor in Transit Visaif you arrive on a flight and will pass through immigration control before you leave the UK. Transiting without a visa:- You might be eligible for the ‘transit without visa concession’ if:-
•  You’ll need a visa to pass through the UK in transit (unless you’re exempt)
  
• E-visas or e-residence permits are not acceptable unless your airline is able to verify it with the issuing country. Contact your airline for more information.
• All visas and residence permits must be valid.
• A valid standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B issued by the USA (attached to a sealed brown envelope),
• An expired USA I-551 Permanent Residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998, with a valid I-797 letter authorizing extension,
• A valid USA permanent residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998,
• A valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa issued by the USA (a wet-ink stamp version will not be accepted)
• A flight ticket from the Schengen area, if you can prove that you entered the Schengen area in the previous 30 days on the basis of a valid Schengen ADS visa
•  A Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa where the holder is travelling to to the Schengen country that issued the visa
• A uniform format category D visa for entry into a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, an Irish biometric visa
• You have a common format residence permit issued by an European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, a resident permit issued by Canada after 28 June 2002
• A visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA (this can be used for travel to any country), a residence permit issued by Australia or New Zealand
• You should apply for aDirect Airside Transit Visaif you arrive in the UK on a flight and leave again without passing through immigration control. Exemptions:- You don’t need a visa if you have one of the following:-
• For all visa applications submitted from Wednesday 10th October, 2012, it will no longer be possible for a third party to collect the documents on behalf of an applicant, except in the following cases:-
• A parent collecting for a dependent child;
• One member of a family group collecting the passports for the whole family;
• Government Ministry representatives and a Business Express Programme company representative, approved by the company’s authorized signatories.
• Applicants who do not wish to collect their documents in person, and whose documents cannot be collected by one of the above, should select return delivery by courier at the time they make their visa application.
• You’ll need a visa to pass through the UK in transit (unless you’re exempt)
• One of the following must also apply:-
• you’re travelling to (or on part of a reasonable journey to) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and have a valid visa for that country,
• you’re travelling from (or on part of a reasonable journey from) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and have a valid visa for that country,
• you’re travelling from (or on part of a reasonable journey from) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and it’s less than 6 months since you last entered that country with a valid entry visa,
• you have a residence permit issued by Australia or New Zealand,
• you have a common format residence permit issued by an European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland,
• you have a residence permit issued by Canada issued after 28 June 2002,
• you have a uniform format category D visa for entry to a country in the EEA or Switzerland,
• you have an Irish biometric visa and an onward flight ticket to the Republic of Ireland
• you’re travelling from the Republic of Ireland and it’s less than 3 months since you were last given permission, on the basis of holding a valid Irish biometric visa, to land or be in Ireland,
• you have a valid USA permanent residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998,
• you have a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa issued by the USA (a wet-ink stamp version will not be accepted),
• you have an expired USA I-551 Permanent Residence card issued by the USA on or after 21 April 1998, with a valid I-797 letter authorising extension,
• you have a valid standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B issued by the USA (attached to a sealed brown envelope),
• You won’t be able to transit without a visa if a Border Force officer decides you don’t qualify under the immigration rules. You can apply for a transit visa before you travel if you’re unsure whether you qualify for transiting without a visa.
• E-visas or e-residence permits are not acceptable for transiting through immigration control without a visa.
• All visas and residence permits must be valid.
• Australian paper confirmation slips are not accepted.
• The Applicant should have a passport valid for the entire duration of stay in the United Kingdom. The applicant should also attach the previous passports (these are to show your previous travel history). The passport must contain at least 1 page that is blank on both sides, so that visa can be inserted.
• One visa application form to be filled online as mentioned above. If the applicant is applying for a Visitor in Transit then he/she must complete & submit form VAF1H and if the applicant is applying for a Direct Airside Transit then he/she must complete and submit form VAF6.
• One passport-size photograph, not more than 6 months old. It should be un-mounted, 45 mm x 35 mm in size, against a white background, and should be glued (not stapled) to the application form.
• A covering letter from the Applicant, giving reasons of travel.
• Evidence of your permission to be in the country where you are applying, if you are not a national of that country: – This could be a residence permit, ‘green card’ or valid visa showing your current immigration status.
• Evidence that the earliest onward passage from the UK has been booked/ confirmed, and that it is either within 24 hrs of arrival in the UK of Direct Airside Transit or 48 hours of arrival in the UK for Visitor in Transit. This could be:-
• Travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets). Travel agent confirmation.
• Evidence that you are assured entry into the onward country that you are travelling to. This could be:-
• A residence permit.        Green card              Valid Visa.
• Evidence of your marital status:- This could include a marriage certificate, a civil partnership certificate, a divorce certificate or a death certificate.
• Evidence of your current employment or studies:- This could include:-
• A letter from your employer on company headed paper – detailing your salary and the length of your employment, confirming that you have been given time off work and stating whether this time off is paid or unpaid. You should consider submitting further documents which could support an employment letter, such as, pay slips or tax returns. If you have recently entered new employment you should consider providing details of your previous employment and salary history.
• A letter from your education provider on headed paper – confirming your enrolment and leave of absence.
• Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date when the business started trading
• Financial and Employment Documents: You can submit any of the following financial documents. You should consider including evidence of your total monthly income from all sources, for example employment, friends, family, personal savings or property. This will help us assess your circumstances in your own country and will provide us with evidence of how your trip is to be funded. You should consider providing this information even if someone else is paying for your trip.
• If someone else is paying for your trip then they should consider providing the same information about their finances and employment.
• If you are providing documents from a joint account then please explain who the other account holders are, and why you have permission to spend money from the account.
• If your spouse or partner is employed then the Entry Clearance Officer would also like to see evidence of their
• Employment and financial details.
• Bank statements or bank books:- Showing what has been paid in and out of an account for up to the previous six months, and naming the account holder. If you have made deposits in your account that are not in keeping with the account history then you may wish to explain the origins and timing of these deposits.
• Bank letter or balance certificate:- Showing the account balance, the account holder’s name and the date when the account was opened. If you provide this document you should consider providing additional documents to show the origins of the money in your account.
• Pay slips:- Covering up to the previous six months. If your salary is paid directly into your bank account, you should consider providing the statements showing these payments.
• Tax returns (business or personal):- You could include recent documents from your government tax office, confirming your income and the amount of tax that you have paid.
• Business bank account statements:- If you include these you may wish to explain why you are allowed to spend the money from a business account if you are on a private visit.
• Evidence of income from property or land:- This could include property deeds, mortgage statements, tenancy agreements, accountant’s letters, land registration documents or crop receipts. If the property or land is registered in several names, you may wish to explain how much you own. If the money earned from the land is shared, you may wish to say how it is divided.
• Details of accommodation and return travel bookings. This could be:-
• Hotel booking confirmation (usually email)
• Travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets) travel agent confirmation of both
• Accommodation details with a supporting letter from the occupant confirming that you are able to stay there
• Visa validity varies from 6 months to 10 years and allows a maximum stay of up to 6 months starting from the date of entry into the UK.