You can visit the UK for a short term up to 6 months on a UK visitor visa for study, tourism, business activities, etc. You can apply for a UK visitor visa for one of the following ‘permitted activities’:
- As a tourist, for example taking a holiday or vacation
- To meet your family or friends
- To pass through the UK to another country (‘in transit’)
- For certain business activities such as attending a meeting or an interview
- For certain paid engagements or events as an expert in your profession such as giving lectures
- To volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity
- To do a recreational course such as a dance course of up to 30 days
- To participate in a school exchange program
- To study, complete a placement, or appear in an exam
- For taking treatment of a disease or other medical reasons
- Coming to the UK as an academician, doctor, or dentist
In some cases, you may be able to stay in the UK for more than 6 months. For example, if the medical treatment you are going to take in the UK will take longer than 6 months.
Eligibility Requirements
There are some common eligibility requirements that UK visitor visa applicants need to meet.
These common requirements are:
- Your current passport or a valid travel document (valid throughout your stay) to enter the UK
- You must show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit
- You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and your dependents or you must have funding from someone else
- You must have funds to pay for your return or onward journey or you must have funding from someone else to pay for the journey
- You must not intend to live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home
Visiting UK for Medical Reasons
You may come to the UK as a standard visitor for the following medical reasons:
- You are going to have treatment for a disease at a private hospital or other medical facility.
- You would get the treatment at an NHS hospital. The care in this case must be paid for by the government of your country under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement.
- You would donate an organ to a family member such as your sibling or parent or your partner or a close friend. This also includes being assessed for suitability as a donor match.
Requirements for Private Treatments
You must meet the following requirements if you are applying to get private treatment in the UK.
- You have a medical condition for which you need private treatment or consultation in the UK
- You must have made arrangements for consultations or treatment
- You must have sufficient funds (or you are being funded by someone else) to pay for your treatment
- You must leave the UK once your treatment is completed, or when your visa expires
- You must not be a danger to public health if you have any infectious disease, such as leprosy
If you are visiting the UK to get treatment at an NHS hospital, your treatment must be funded by the government of your country under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement.
If you want to visit the UK to donate an organ you must prove that the person you’re donating an organ to is legally allowed to be in the UK.
Requirements if you apply to do Study
If you are applying to do study you must prove that the:
- You have been accepted onto a course provided by an accredited UK institution (it cannot be an academy or state-funded school)
- The course must not be longer than 6 months unless it is a distance learning course
Requirements to apply as an Academic, Senior Doctor, or Dentist
If you want to come to the UK as a scientist, researcher or academic you can visit the UK for the following:
- Participate in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts
- Carry out research, either as part of your job or independently
If you are a senior doctor or dentist you can also:
- Do or participate in research
- Teach (it must not be a permanent teaching post)
- Undertake clinical practice (it must not be a permanent position)
You need to meet the common eligibility requirements mentioned above to be able to apply as an academic, senior doctor, or dentist.
Requirements for Paid Engagement or Event
You can visit the UK for certain paid engagements or events (permitted paid engagement) if you have been invited by a UK-based organization or client for a pre-arranged event or other permitted engagement because you are an expert in your profession. You must have been invited for engagements relevant to your expertise, qualifications, and main job in your home country.
You can be invited as the following:
- A professional artist, singer, entertainer or musician
- A professional sportsperson
- A qualified lawyer - to represent a client
- A lecturer
- A speaker at a conference
- An academic - to be a student examiner or assessor
- An air pilot examiner
You must meet the common eligibility requirements to be able to apply for visiting the UK for paid engagements or events.
Should you need to apply for a UK visit visa you can contact our team of lawyers on 02034111261 or email info@visaandmigration.com
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