Visit Visas

Visiting the UK on a Standard Visitor Visa

Are you or your client looking for expert guidance in applying for a visa to enter the UK as a tourist or to visit family? Perhaps you’ve had a visa application refused and are not sure what to do next?

At Imperium Chambers, we have been successfully helping people obtain the documents they need to enter the UK for several years and have become a respected name in immigration law.

If you are keen to get your visa application right the first time, you have an urgent need for a visa because you need to get into the UK quickly to be with a relative or friend, or you have had a visit visa application refused, we are ready to support you.

About visit visas

You are able to visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to six months), medical reasons and other permitted activities. You can usually stay for up to six months, although it may be possible to remain for longer in certain situations, for example if you need medical treatment.

If you intend to apply for a visa as a Standard Visitor, then you will need to be clear that it covers what you intend to do in the UK. You’ll also need to meet the eligibility requirements.

Typical uses for a Standard Visitor visa include tourism, visiting family and friends, volunteering with a registered charity, transiting to another country, attending business meetings or interviews, taking part in a school exchange programme, taking a recreational course or an exam, making an academic visit, or medical reasons.

When you enter the UK on a Standard Visitor visa, you may not undertake any work, paid or unpaid or self-employed; claim benefits; live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits, marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or a civil partnership. Special types of visas will be required for these purposes.

To be successful in your visit visa application, you will need to prove that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit; that you can support yourself and any dependants during your trip; that you are able to fund your return or onward journey, and that you won’t live in the UK for extended periods or make the UK your main home. You may need to provide additional evidence if you are entering the UK to study, undertake a placement or take an exam; or visit for academic or medical reasons.

Not everyone needs a Standard Visitor visa to enter the UK. Depending on your nationality, you may be able to visit the UK for up to six months without one. However, you will still need to meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements, and may be asked questions at the UK border about what you intend to do whilst in the UK.

If you have previously been refused entry to the UK, or have a criminal record, you may find it beneficial to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, even if you do not need one.

How Imperium Chambers can help

Our expert immigration barristers here at Imperium Chambers know precisely what Home Office and Entry Clearance Officers look for when considering visit visa applications. From the reasons for your visit and your family ties, employment or business in your home country, to property you own, your previous immigration history, your financial situation and your character and conduct, it can all be taken into account when processing your application.

An expertly prepared visa application will give you the best possible chance of success in achieving the documentation you need to enter the UK. Our specialist team will professionally compile your application, ensuring that the Entry Clearance Officer can clearly understand your situation and reason for travel, and that you are a genuine visitor. We’ll go the extra mile, staying one step ahead of the officer and providing evidence that they may not otherwise have requested where our experience tells us it’s necessary.

If you are outside of the UK, we can by all means help you. Whether we consult by phone or video call, you will always experience a personalised service.

We also have a highly successful track record in having refused visa decisions overturned. If this has happened to you, we will guide you on the next steps to take, whether that’s an appeal or judicial review, or submitting a fresh application that addresses the concerns raised by the Entry Clearance Officer.