What are the Types of UK Visas

Did you know, 7.8 million tourists visited the UK between January and March 2019? This is what statistics published by Visit Britain revealed. March alone saw 2.9 million visitors. The UK holds considerable importance in the world, in terms of culture, music, sports, economy, politics and more. Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Big Ben, London Eye are only a few of the major tourist attractions of the country.

And, while Queen Elizabeth II of Britain doesn’t need a passport to visit other countries, you certainly do. So, if you wish to visit the UK, the first step is to fill the UK Visa Application Form online or manually. 

Related: How to apply for a UK visa

The United Kingdom has introduced a points-based system, where each applicant collects points for meeting the requirements of each type of visa. There are a particular number of points an applicant must gather in order to be finally granted the visa.

Which Types of UK Visas are available?

Based on the purpose of your visit, these are the following visas you can choose from. 

1. UK Work Visa:
   There are 4 types of visa under this category. Short term work visa, long term work visa, Investor, Business Development and Talent Visa and other work visas. Short term work visas are fall under Tier 5. These visas are usually granted to foreign nationals who want to work in the UK for long or short durations. Depending on your profession and qualifications, multiple visas are available. You can find the details here.
2. UK Student Visa:
   These are Tier 4 visas for foreign nationals looking to get enrolled in a British educational institution. Under this, there are 2 types:
   – Tier 4 General Student Visa, for people who are not a part of the European Economic Area, are not 16 years of age or older and want to enroll after they are 16.
   – Tier 4 Child Student Visa, for people under 18 years, not from the European Economic Area and want to study in an Independent School in the UK. 
3. UK Visitor Visa:
   This is the standard visa for the purposes of tourism, visiting family members, medical treatment and other professional reasons.
4. UK Business Visa:
   Here, the main activities you can engage in are attending meetings and conferences, engaging in trade fairs and talks and speeches, carrying out site visits and inspections and so on. 
5. UK Family Visa:
   This is issued to those who wish to stay with their family permanently. They could be a spouse, child, parents or relatives of a permanent UK resident. 
6. UK Transit Visa:
   This is for those who need to travel through the UK to arrive at their final destination country. 
7. Permitted Paid Engagement Visa:
   This is issued to those who are willing to work for private clients or companies as a guest lecturer, examiner, etc., without a prior employer sponsoring them. 
8. UK Marriage Visa:
   You can get this visa to travel to Europe for the purpose of getting married. 

Also read: What are the eligibility and requirements for UK visa

It can take up to 3 weeks for your UK visa to get processed. Therefore, the best is to apply for the visa at least before 30 days of your travel date.