… Immigration Rules for General Visitors and Family Visitors:
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General Visitors and Family Visitors
Listed below are the immigration rules for general visitors and family visitors.
We can assist you in any of the following ways:
- General advice and guidance. A one-hour consultation will normally be sufficient for us to fully advise you on your case and to explain your option(s). You will also receive a letter from us, summarising what was discussed during the consultation.
- Application checking service. If you have completed your application form and gathered your supporting documents, we will check that everything is in order. Getting things right first time is important; the UK Border Agency can take up to several weeks, or even months, to consider an application.
- Full legal representation; for applications and appeals. There is only a very limited right of appeal against a decision to refuse an application for a general (non-family) visit visa, and by 2014 a restricted right of appeal is expected to apply to family visitors as well.
General visitor immigration rules.
To qualify for entry clearance to the UK as a general visitor the applicant must be able to demonstrate that:
- they are aged 18 years or over;
- the duration of their visit is for a maximum of 6 months, and they intend to leave the UK at the end of the visit;
- they have adequate funds to accommodate and support themselves, without receiving any public funds and without working. Alternatively, they will be adequately accommodated and supported by relatives or by friends;
- they can meet the cost of their return journey, or their onward journey;
- they do not intend to take employment, either paid or unpaid, and they do not intend to provide services or to produce goods;
- they do not intend to undertake a course of study;
- they do not intend to get married or to give notice of marriage (applies to civil partners as well);
- they do not intend to receive private medical treatment, and
- they are not in transit to a country outside the 'Common Travel Area' of Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Family (general visitor) immigration rules.
As a family visitor the applicant must be able to show that they will be visiting one or more of the following family members in the UK:
- the applicant’s husband, wife, civil partner, mother, father, son, daughter, sister, brother, grandmother, grandfather, grandson, granddaughter, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin (the son or daughter of uncle or aunt);
- the mother, father, brother or sister of the applicant’s husband, wife or civil partner;
- the husband, wife or civil partner of the applicant’s son or daughter;
- the applicant’s stepfather, stepmother, step-daughter, step-son, step-brother or step-sister; and/or
- a person who has lived with the applicant as an unmarried couple for at least 2 of the 3 years before the day when applying for entry clearance.
The applicant must be able to show that, during the course of the visit, they do not intend to:
- take employment (paid or unpaid);
- produce goods or provide services;
- do a course of study;
- marry or give notice of marriage (applies to civil partners as well);
- receive private medical treatment.
The applicant must also be able to show that they:
- are aged 18 years or over;
- intend to visit the UK for a maximum of 6 months;
- intend to leave the UK at the end of the visit;
- have sufficient money to support and accommodate themselves without working and without receiving public funds or, alternatively, the applicant and any dependants will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
- can meet the cost of their return or onward journey; and
- are not in transit to a country outside the 'Common Travel Area' of Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.