The Different Types of Visa Available for the UK

Conquering castles, beautiful beaches, internationally acclaimed institutions and home to some of the world’s biggest businesses – the UK has something to offer for everyone!

And if you are planning a visit to the land where the Union Jack waves high and proud, you’ll be better off with starting your preparation by applying for a UK visa. Because without it, you won’t be allowed to enter or stay in the country.

The question is, with so many different types of visas available for the UK, which one do you need to apply for to fit the purpose of your travel to the country?

Well, to help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the main UK visa types. You can walk through this list and then choose a category that best represents your reason of travel to the UK.

Visitor Visa

If holiday vacations, tour or sightseeing is the purpose of your travel to the UK, then you need to apply for a visitor visa.

The visa allows you to stay in the country for six months, after which it expires.

Similarly, you can also apply for a visitor visa if you are intending to visit the country for a short business trip.

The requirements for applying for a UK visitor visa are available here.

Student Visa

Student visa is for those individuals who wish to come to the UK to pursue their academics. You can apply for a student visa if you’ll be going to a school, high school or a university in the UK.

There are different visa sub-categories under the Student Visa and the details about each can be obtained from this link.

Work Visa

As the name implies, work visa is required in cases where an expat (non-EU/EFTA national) wants to travel to the country for employment purposes. However, before you can apply for a UK work visa, you must have a job offer from a UK based employer and a sponsorship agreement with them.

You can apply for a UK work visa by clicking here.

Family Visa

Last in the list is family visa. You can apply for a family visa if you want to:

• Visit your family living in the UK
• Permanently settle in the UK
• Marry a British citizen

For more information about how to apply for a UK family visa, visit the UK Visa and Immigrations Office online portal.

Need help with your UK visa application?

Reach out to us, our expert UK immigration lawyers would be happy to serve you.