UK Visit Visa – Eligibility And Requirements

The Office For National Statistics revealed that 2017 recorded the maximum inbound tourist arrivals in the UK, at 39.2 million, according to an article on The Caterer. Tourism Minister Michael Ellis said that the figures were most welcome, since they help the tourism industry grow in excellent ways, benefiting a large number of communities. Currently, tourism contributes £127 billion annually to the UK economy. The United Kingdom pulls the maximum number of tourists from China, Australia, the Middle East, India and the US.

Also read: How to Apply for UK Visa

Filling up the UK Visa Application Form is the first step to planning a visit to the country. The visa granted depends on the purpose of your visit. If your visa is valid for a period of 6 months, you will be given a biometric residence permit. Thankfully, you do not need to apply for this separately.

Eligibility Criteria for UK Visa

You should be able to fulfill some key criteria to be able to eligible for a visa, such as: 

• You must be ready with all the documents to show that you will leave the UK as soon as your purpose is fulfilled, or your visa expires. This would require you to show that you have strong ties in your home country in terms of familial bonds, property, employment or business and so on.
• You should be financially able to support yourself and any dependant throughout your stay in the country. Bank statements of last six months, credit card details, etc., need to be produced for htis. 
• You should be able to finance the cost of your return or onward journey and any other costs that are crucial to your trip.
• If you are visiting the nation for academic purposes, you need to prove that you have the right qualifications in your field. Also, prove that you can carry out your research independently or take part in someone else’s research.
• If you are planning to travel for private medical treatment, you need to prove that you have already made arrangements for the same. Also, you must prove that you do not have a highly infectious or contagious disease, which could be dangerous to public health. 
• If you are applying as an organ donor, it is important to keep in mind that you can only donate to people who are genetically related to you or someone close to you. For example, siblings, parents, friends and spouse. Also, the person receiving the organs should be legally allowed to be in the United Kingdom.
• If you have applied for a long stay visa, you need to prove that the only purpose of your travel is to go on a holiday, meet friends and relatives, or attend meetings or other events. 
• You need to prove that you will not be conduct any prohibited activities, such as restricted imports, exports and so on. 

Apart from these, you need to prove that you have no criminal record. Once you are certain the you meet all the visa eligibility criteria, get the needed documents ready and start the visa application process.