UK Visa Types
The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most influential countries Consisting of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Harboring a wide diverse crowd of people, this country possesses some of the best mixes of medieval and modern architecture. Travelers across the globe can visit the country with UK visa encounter the country’s uniqueness from the cosmopolitan cities of London, Liverpool, and Manchester, to the stunning countryside and the fascinating shoreline. Through this UK Visa guide, the UK permit will be discussed in detail.
What is a UK Visa?
Citizens of the UAE, Kuwait and a few other GCC countries also have an Electronic visa waiver program. People who do not belong to the EU, USA & a few other visa-exempt countries require a permit to visit the UK. Indian citizens require a UK Visa to enter the country. The permit is issued in the form of a sticker in your passport. The validity/duration of the UK visa depends upon the types of visas.
UK Visa Types-
Visitor - This visa allows you to visit the UK for a short term visit and normally issued for a duration of 6 months. However, in certain cases where the applicant requires to travel to the country multiple times over a few years, it may be issued for even 2,5 or 10 years. However, you will only be allowed to stay for a maximum of 6 months/entry. Visitor visa can further be classified into the following based on the type of visit -
Standard Visitor - This is issued to visitors visiting for the purpose of tourism, business, medical treatment, and other similar short term visit purposes.
Marriage Visitor - This type is required if you are visiting the country to get married or get into a civil partnership in the UK.
Transit - This is only required if you have to travel through the UK as a transit to visit another country.
Student - This type of permit is issued to people who want to pursue higher studies in the UK. This is generally based on the Point Based System (PBS). The types of student visas are as follows -
Short-term study - Issued for short term courses or research for 6 or 11 months.
Tier 4 General Student - The visa is issued as per the duration of your course. This is issued in cases where you have been offered a place on a course. Since this is a PBS type, you will need to meet the necessary eligibility points.
Tier 4 Child Student - Children between the ages of 4 and 17, visiting the UK to take part in studies in an independent school will require this type.
Work - The work permit is issued to individuals/business persons who are visiting the country to take part in work or employment activities. This is also a PBS system and requires the individuals to meet the eligibility points. The types of work visas are as follows.
Tier 2 - This is issued to individuals who are moving to the country to take part in long term work. You will be required to be sponsored by a licensed sponsor for this. There are several sub-divisions of this tier 2 visa.
Tier 5 - for short term work a 5th tier permit is issued. These can be unpaid voluntary work, religious work, sports-related, etc. These can further be split into multiple types based on the purpose.
Tier 1 - For individuals performing long term business activities, and planning to set-up their business, a tier 1 type is the apt one. This can be issued for entrepreneurs, start-ups, etc based on eligibility.
Family - You can apply for a family visa if you are going to the UK to spend time with your spouse, parent, child, or a relative who will be providing for you for the long term. These visas are issued for more than 6 months. If you require to visit them for a period of fewer than 6 months, you can apply for a standard visitor visa instead.
So, now you understood the different types of visas required to travel and experience the beautiful culture of the UK, where the illustrious castles are standing. A place where historical occurrences took place, a land of diverse population and history we all have been living. Along with this, you need to know the different UK visa requirements and eligibility criteria before applying for the UK visa.
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