UK Visas and Immigration

United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as one kingdom. UK has been well known for its educational universities and modern lifestyle, it is the sixth largest economy in the world. Being the centre for economy, lifestyle and education, it is a popular country for immigrants; hence getting adequate information on visa can sometimes be a hassle. Through Visa policy of United Kingdom the UK government determines who may or may not enter the country. One must need a UK visa if they want to visit, study, work or join a family member already living in UK. However, if you are from EU country or a citizen of commonwealth country that has a right to residence in Britain, then you don’t need a visa and are allowed to stay in UK for up to 6 months. Following 56 countries are visa exempted in UK-

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Timor-Leste, EI Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Federated States of Micronesia FS Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City. 

If you are not a citizen of European Union or exempted countries then you have to apply for a visa through UK visas and Immigration at a visa application centre. Visitors have to apply by registering online by submitting a fee amount and attending appointment at visa application centre (except North Korea). Most visa applications are decided in 3 weeks.

If you are applying for any UK visa, you are required to submit your biometric identifiers. In addition to this, resident of following countries required to be tested for tuberculosis as a part of visa application process-

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Timor-Leste, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, F.S. Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Do I need a Visa for UK