Menu
Menu
A visa is an endorsement that appears on a person’s passport, confirming that they are allowed to enter a foreign country, leave the country or to remain for a specified period of time.
When you need to apply for a visa, whatever the circumstances, the expert immigration solicitors at Ackroyd Legal can help. We will provide advice and guidance on the specific eligibility requirements and steer your application towards the desired outcome.
In order to apply for a visa, you will need to have a passport or travel document, with at least one page that is blank on both sides, as this is where the visa will be entered. Other documentation will also need to be submitted when you apply for a visa, although this will vary according to your individual circumstances and the type of visa that you need.
Please contact the expert immigration solicitors at Ackroyd Legal to discuss your individual requirements and a member of our team will be very happy to help you.
If you are planning to visit the UK for a period of six months or less, you may need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa if you are coming from outside the European Union (EU), or if you are not a British citizen. The rules for EU citizens may change after the UK leaves the EU, and the specialist immigration solicitors at Ackroyd Legal will always be on-hand to provide up-to-date information as the situation progresses.
A Standard Visitor Visa will allow you to enter the UK for a visit or to spend time with family or friends; for business, including taking part in creative or sporting events; or for other reasons such as to undergo private medical treatment. You can apply up to three months before your date of travel.
A Standard Visitor Visa will allow you to participate in certain business activities, engage in a period of study of up to 30 days and to enter the UK in transit, when you are on the way to another county. It will not allow you to get married or enter into a civil partnership, receive public funds or live in the UK.
The Standard Visitor Visa will usually allow you to stay in the UK for a period of up to six months, however there are certain exceptions, for example this may be extended to 11 months if you are coming to the UK to undergo private medical treatment, or for 12 months if you are an academic on sabbatical.
In order to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa, you will need to provide the following documentation:
In addition, you may be asked to provide:
You may also need to provide additional documentation depending on the reason for your visit, for example if you are seeking private medical treatment or travelling for the purpose of becoming an organ donor. Your expert immigration solicitor will be able to guide you through this process.
In applying for a Standard Visitor Visa, you will need to be able to meet the following conditions:
For academic applications, you can apply to remain for up to 12 months, however you must be able to demonstrate the following:
For applications to come to the UK for private medical treatment, you must be able to show the following:
For applications to come to the UK as an organ donor, you must be able to meet the following criteria:
If you would like to discuss your individual visa requirements with one of our expert immigration solicitors, please contact us.
You can apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa if you wish to come to the UK in order to marry or enter into a civil partnership, or if you wish to give notice of your marriage or civil partnership. You must intend to leave the UK afterwards and you cannot apply if you already qualify for British citizenship.
If you wish to convert an existing civil partnership into a marriage, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa rather than a Marriage Visitor Visa.
You can apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa up to three months before your date of travel. The visa will allow you to remain in the UK for six months and to marry or enter into a civil partnership during this time. You may also enter the UK whilst in transit on the way to another country.
A Marriage Visitor Visa will not allow you to bring any family members to the UK, or to access public funds during your visit. Neither will it allow you to live in the UK, to work or to study for a period of more than 30 days.
In order to apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa, you must be over the age of 18, free to marry and in a relationship with your partner. You must intend to leave the UK within six months, and able to financially support yourself for the duration of your visit, including meeting the costs of your onward journey.
You will need to provide the following documentation when you apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa:
If you have been previously married or had a civil partnership that has been dissolved, you will need to show either your decree absolute or a death certificate if your previous partner has died.
A biometric residence permit (BRP) is used to confirm the following:
A BRP will be issued in a number of circumstances, including when you apply to remain in the UK for a period exceeding six months, when you apply to extend your visa for longer than six months or when you apply for settlement. Please speak to a member of our team if you have any queries about the information held in your biometric residence.
You will need to apply for a Family Visa in order to live with your relatives in the UK for longer than six months. From outside the UK, you can apply for a Family Visa to come to Britain to live with your spouse or proposed spouse, your partner or civil partner, your parent, your child or another relative who will be your carer. You can also apply to extend a Family Visa if you are already in the UK. You will not be able to apply for this type of visa if your family member in the UK has been allowed to remain on a temporary basis on a Work Visa or Student Visa.
It may be possible to switch to a Family Visa if you are already in the UK, however, you must do this before the expiry date of your current visa. If you need to extend a Family Visa to stay longer with the same family member, any extension that is granted will not exceed 28 days. Your specialist immigration solicitor at Ackroyd Legal will be able to advise you according to your own individual circumstances. Most applications for a Family Visa should receive a decision within eight weeks, or longer if you are applying from outside the UK or if your case is more complex, for example if you have a criminal record or you have been unable to provide all of the documentation requested.
A Spouse or Partner Visa will allow you to legally remain in the UK as the spouse, partner or unmarried partner of someone who is already a British citizen. Whether you are applying from within the UK or from overseas, we will handle your application with sensitivity and care. Certain visas have specific requirements, and at Ackroyd Legal, your immigration solicitor will take the time to explain exactly what you will need to demonstrate in support of your case and guide you through the entire process, to ensure that you have the best chance of a favourable outcome.
The ‘financial requirement’ for Spouse and Partner Visa applications
In order to apply for a Spouse or Partner Visa, you must meet what is known as the financial requirement. This means that your partner (your UK sponsor) must meet a minimum annual threshold, which currently stands at £18,600. If you have one dependent child this will rise by £3,800, with an additional increase of £2,400 for each child thereafter.
Your partner may be able to show that they are able to meet the financial requirement through their annual salary, self-employed income or pension scheme, as well as any other income. There are some exceptions if your partner is receiving certain welfare benefits, although they will still need to show that they can support you and the children.
The International English Language Test System is used when you are required to prove your level of ability in the English language for the purposes of your visa application. If you need to meet the English Language requirements, your expert immigration lawyer at Ackroyd Legal can let you know what to expect from the test as well as help you to prepare to take it. Please contact us for advice and we will be very happy to help you.
This is a landmark case which has resulted in another potential way for family members of British citizens to legally enter the UK under EU regulations. You may be eligible if you are the spouse, parent, grandparent or child of someone who is a British citizen who has lived with you in the EU, where they were either working or seeking work, studying or financially independent. Your specialist immigration solicitor will be able to advise you if this option could be available based on the facts of your individual case. Please contact us for more information.
Unmarried Partner Visa/De Facto Visa
An Unmarried Partner Visa will allow you to come to the UK because you are in a genuine relationship, including same-sex relationships. Your visa will have a duration of 33 months if you apply from outside the UK, or 30 months if you are already in the UK when you apply.
In order to apply for an Unmarried Partner Visa, both you and your partner must be over the age of 18, and your partner must already be a British citizen. Your specialist immigration solicitor will advise you on the specific documentation that you will need to support your case, however in applying for an Unmarried Partner Visa you will generally need to show:
An Unmarried Partner Visa can be extended for a further 30 months. Once you have been in the UK for a minimum of five years, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, although you will need to show that you and your partner are still together and that the financial requirement can still be met.
You can apply for a visa to come to the UK to be with your spouse as long as you are both aged 18 years or over and you have physically met and are legally married to one another. In addition, you will need to meet the following criteria:
Once granted, a spouse visa can be extended. After five years’ continuous and lawful stay in the UK, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain. You must show that you are in the same relationship and meet the financial requirement.
You can apply for a Fiancé/Fiancée/Proposed Civil Partner Visa if you wish to enter the UK with the intention of marrying your partner, who must already be a British citizen or have settled status. You will need to prove that you have met one another and that your relationship is genuine. You will also need to meet the financial requirement and show that you have appropriate accommodation. You will not be permitted to work whilst you are in the UK on a Fiancé Visa so you will also need to show that you will not need to recourse to public funds.
A Fiancé/Fiancée/Proposed Civil Partner Visa will be granted for up to six months, during which time you will be expected to marry and then switch to a Spouse Visa.
A person who has been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain can be said to have Permanent Residence in the UK. Indefinite Leave to Remain is an immigration status that can be granted to someone who does not hold right of abode that will allow them to stay in the UK without restriction and to work or study. Indefinite leave to remain may lapse if you leave the UK for two years or more.
If you have been in the UK for a minimum of five years on a Spouse or Partner Visa, the specialist immigration solicitors at Ackroyd Legal can help you to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.
The type of Study Visa you will need to apply for will depend on your individual circumstances. If you intend to come to the UK as a visiting academic, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa.
You can apply from outside the EEA for a Short-term Study Visa in order to take a short course in the UK, assuming that you do not already qualify for British citizenship. This will allow you to remain in the UK for up to six months, or for up to 11 months if you are aged 16 or over and studying the English language. The visa will allow you to take part in short-term study or research, although you cannot study at a state-funded school, take up work (this includes work placements) or bring any family members with you unless they have their own visas. You can apply up to three months prior to your date of travel.
In order to apply for a Short-term study Visa, you will need to show the following:
A Tier 4 General Student Visa enables you to study in the UK if you are over 16 years of age and are coming from outside the EEA or Switzerland. You will need to show following:
A Tier 4 General Student Visa may allow you to bring your partner or your children under the age of 18 to the UK with you. Please talk to your specialist immigration lawyer here at Ackroyd Legal for advice based on your own individual circumstances.
GET IN TOUCH
16 Prescot Street,
London, E1 8AZ
Ackroyd Legal is a trading style/name of Ackroyd Legal (London) LLP , which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA No. 554585 and is a LLP registered in England & Wales, Company No. OC360125; VAT no. 445717436;
