The Visitor visa is, without doubt, the most popular of all the visa categories of the United Kingdom. This visa route is so vast and covers a very wide range of activities including:
* Tourism and Leisure including visiting friends, family or holiday.
* General business activities including attending meetings, conferences and seminars, and trade fairs.
* Work-related trainings such as clinical attachments, taking of professional exams.
*Performance by artists, entertainers, musicians, sports persons, religious workers.
*Medical treatment and organ donation.
*Study for not more than 6 months.
*intra -corporate activities.
*Marriage.
The visitor visa is for persons who want to visit the UK for a temporary period, usually for not more than 6 months. Visitors are not allowed to work in the UK unless expressly permitted in some circumstances, and must not have recourse to public funds not engage in any prohibited activities.
To be successful in the visitor visa application, the applicant must meet the validity, suitability and eligibility requirements of the immigration rules. The validity requirements, which includes applying on the correct application form, paying appropriate fees, providing required biometrics and having an acceptable passport is not often a problem. The suitability requirement which includes an assessment of the applicant’s application/ travel history, criminal records, previous breach of immigration rules etc. constitutes less of the stumbling block to majority of applicants. The eligibility requirements, which includes a requirement to satisfy the decision maker that the applicant is a genuine visitor is the banana peel that has brought down many an applicant and will continue to do so. We will make an attempt to assist visa applicants to navigate through the slippery terrain of the application process towards achieving a successful outcome.
To be successful in the visitor visa application, the decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant is a genuine visitor. This means that the applicant:
a) Will leave the UK at the end of their visit.
b) Will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home.
c) Is genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted under the visitor route.
d) Will not undertake any of the prohibited activities.
e) Must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without recourse to employment or public funds.
There is no empirical way for a decision maker to determine who is a genuine applicant and who is not. The decision is largely subjective but a well -informed applicant can plan, organize and present his application in such a way that it would be very difficult for a decision maker not to grant the application. Decision makers are very sensitive about the following aspects of the application:
1) The financial circumstances of the applicant. Is the applicant employed? If so, for how long? How much does he earn in a month? How much does he spend? Does his bank statement show his claimed income and expenditure? Does his bank statement contain other substantial deposits that are not linked to his declared employment? If so, did he provide evidence of the origin of such deposits? Is the proposed cost of the visit proportionate to the applicant’s income, savings and available funds? Is applicant self -employed? If so, has he provided empirical proof of his claimed income? Is the company up to date with its statutory obligations such as the filling of its annual returns? Is applicant being financially sponsored by someone else? If so, why and has he provided proof of relationship? What other ties does the applicant have at home, such as family, assets, and investments? Has the applicant truthfully answered all questions or is he liable to false representation, deception, concealment of material facts? Does the applicant have a case of previous breach of immigration rules? If so, has he satisfactorily addressed the issues?
2) The purpose of the visit is also an important factor in the determination of who a genuine visitor is. What is the purpose of the visit? If it is for tourism, what are the tourist attractions to visit? If you want to visit tourist sites in London, why is your hotel located in Manchester? Why do you prefer the UK as a tourist destination? If you are visiting friends or family, have you provided sufficient evidence of relationship? And if they are to maintain or accommodate you, have they provided evidence of funds and of adequate accommodation? Have you been able to show that you are well -established in your country and have sufficiently strong personal, family and financial ties to ensure your departure from the UK? Have you a measure of travel experience? If not, have you made a good case why you can be trusted to abide by the immigration rules? Have you utilized every opportunity in the application form and supporting documentation to present yourself in the best light?
The way an application is presented is critically important. It is much more than filling the form and providing the documents. Professional assistance is always invaluable and a wise applicant will not go it alone.
We welcome applicants to leverage on our expertise, experience and integrity to obtain their visas or to resolve any immigration issues without stress and undue anxiety.
THE HARVARD TEAM.