Immigration Corner | Information needed when applying for a standard visitor visa online

Dear Mr Bassie,

Please let me know what information I will need for a standard UK visitor visa when applying online.

EL

Dear EL,

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There are certain documents and information persons will need to apply. Persons must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the entire duration of their stay in the United Kingdom (UK), and there must be a blank page in the passport for the standard visitor visa.

The applicant will need to provide the following information in their online application:

• The dates he/she plans to travel to the UK;

• Where he/she will be staying during the visit;

• How much the applicant thinks the trip will cost;

• Applicant’s current home address and how long he/she has lived there;

• Parents’ names and dates of birth (if known);

• How much he/she earns in a year (if they have an income);

• Details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences he/she may have committed.

Depending on circumstances, persons might also need to provide:

• Details of their travel history for the past 10 years;

• Their employers’ addresses and telephone numbers;

• Partner’s name, date of birth and passport number;

• The name and address of anyone paying for the trip;

• The name, address and passport number of any family members they have in the UK;

• A certificate proving that they have had a tuberculosis (TB) test if they are visiting for more than six months.

Please be aware that persons may need to provide additional documents if visiting the UK:

• To study;

• As an academic;

• For certain paid engagements or events (a ‘permitted paid engagement’);

• For medical reasons.

Persons are required to provide certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

PROVING IDENTITY AND PROVIDING DOCUMENTS

As part of the online application, persons will need to book an appointment at a visa application centre.

At the appointment, persons will need to:

• Prove their identity with their passport or travel document;

• Have their fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken;

• Provide the required documents that show they are eligible for a standard visitor visa.

The visa application centre may keep the passport and documents while processing the application.

HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET A DECISION

It should be noted that after applying online, provided proof of identity and the necessary documents, applicants will usually get a decision on the visa within three weeks. An applicant can check to see if there is another way to obtain a visa decision faster.

Persons will get an email when the Home Office has made a decision on the application, and it will explain what are the next steps. Please note that if a change to the application is needed after it was sent, applicants should contact United Kingdom Visas and Immigration Department.

Just for completeness, please be aware that a request to cancel the application can be made, but persons will only get their fee refunded if the application has not been processed yet.

I hope this helps.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com