How long does it take to get a
visa, and how far in advance should I apply?
This may depend on the type of visa you are applying for. We aim to process
90% of applications within 5-15 days of you submitting the application at the
Visa Application Centre.
But some applications can take us longer to process,particularly at busy times
of the year, and so we recommend that everyone allows a month for their visa to
be process.
We suggest that you do not buy tickets or make non-refundable travel
arrangements until your visa has been issued. You can apply for your visa up to
3 months before you are due to travel.
Applications for certain overseas territories and Commonwealth countries can
take up to 3 months to process, so please apply well in advance of your travel
date. Please remember that it is not presently possible to apply for these
types of visa online, you must make a traditional application at one of our
Application Centres. No appointment is necessary.
In order to help us process your application as quickly as possible, you should
ensure that you submit, to the UK Visa Application Centre, all the documents we
require with your application form at the time of making the application.
We will retain your passport until we have reached a decision on your
application. This could take up to 1 month, so please bear this in mind when
you are making your travel arrangements, particularly if you plan to visit
other countries before going to the UK.
Can I get my money back if my application is refused or I
withdraw it?
No.
visa application fees are paid for
consideration of the application and are set at a level to cover our
administrative costs. Payment of the fee does not guarantee issue and visa
application fees are not refundable if an application is unsuccessful or
withdrawn.
What validity visa can I apply for?
As a visitor, you can apply for a visa which is valid for 6 months; 1 year;
2 years; 5 years; or 10 years.
This is the length of time that you can use the visa. As a visitor, the longest
that you can stay in the UK on any one trip is six months.
What duration of visa should I apply for?
Anyone can apply for a six-month visa. But a six-month visa is likely to be
the right one for you to apply for if:
* You have never travelled to the UK before; or
* On a previous trip to the UK, you did not comply with UK immigration
regulations;
Even if you pay the higher fee for a visa that lasts longer than six months, we
may only issue you a six-month visa. If this happens, we will not refund the
difference in the fee.
Who can apply for a visa that lasts longer than six months?
Anyone can apply. But longer term visas are aimed at people who:
* Travel regularly; and
* Have established a history of complying with immigration regulations.
What validity visa can I expect to be given?
It is the Entry Clearance Officer's decision how long your visa will be valid
but the following guide should give you an indication of the likely validity:
You will need to show that your financial circumstances are likely to remain
very similar for the full time that the visa is valid for (for example that you
are likely to stay in full-time employment, if that was what you were doing
when the visa was issued). You also need to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer
that you won't be basing yourself in the UK, but will be making short trips
there, and will leave at the end of each visit.
Longer validity visas are aimed at people who travel frequently to the UK. If
you are a regular visitor, you will find it more convenient to apply for the
appropriate longer duration visa, and we encourage you to do so.
What if my visa is valid for a shorter time than I asked for?
There is no right to appeal. You can apply again when your visa has run out.
Remember that we do not refund
visa application fees.
How long does it take to process longer validity visas?
Many longer validity visas take us longer to process. If you are applying for a
2, 5 or 10 year visa, please allow up to 1 month for us to process it.
What does a letter of invitation need to say and does it need to
be notarised?
There is no set form of words for a letter of invitation. Sponsors should
write the invitation in their own words. It should be addressed to the person
being invited and must include details of the purpose and duration of the visit
and also the relationship between the applicant and the signatory of the letter
and /or the persons inviting the applicant. These letters do not have to be
notarised. Essentially, it should be clear from the invitation why the person
is being invited, by whom, for how long and where they will stay.
Where should sponsors send their invitation letters?
Invitations should be sent direct to the person who is being invited. The
person applying for the visa should include the invitation with their documents
when they lodge their application at the Visa Application Centre. Please do not
send (or copy) invitation or sponsorship letters to the Visa Section. We do not
have the resources to retain them, or to link them to the application.
Do I need to have a letter from my employers indicating my salary
if some or all of my expenses are going to be covered by my sponsor?
Evidence of your circumstances in Russia is helpful to satisfy the Entry
Clearance Officer that you are in settled employment and also to indicate your
financial situation here. You should therefore include such information with
your application whether you are paying for the trip or not.
Do I need a transit visa if I am staying in the United Kingdom
for less than twenty-four hours? Can I leave the airport?
As a Russian national, provided you arrive by air and you have a confirmed
onward ticket for a flight within twenty-four hours to a country where you are
assured of entry, you do not require a transit visa and you can leave the
airport. However, being able to transit without a visa is only a concession
and there is no guarantee you will be allowed to pass through the UK in transit
by the UK Immigration Authorities. You may still be refused entry when you
arrive at the UK airport if a UK Immigration Officer is not satisfied that you
qualify. We recommend that you apply for a UK transit visa before you travel.
If I am refused a visa, when can I re-apply?
You can re-apply at any time and your new application will be considered on
its merits. You should be aware, however, that if there has been no significant
change in your circumstances since the last refusal, or if you are unable to
address the reasons for refusal, your application may be refused again. A
previous refusal will not though, in itself, mean that any subsequent
application will be refused automatically.
In the case of an application for a marriage visa, must the
sponsor be present at the interview?
No. In most circumstances only the applicant needs to be interviewed.
However, you will be required to submit evidence of the sponsor's residence
status in the United Kingdom, freedom to marry and ability to support and
accommodate without recourse to public funds (see "Documents
Required").
Do I need to show my old passport when I apply?
It is extremely helpful if you do. If your old passport contains visas
showing previous foreign travels (eg UK, Schengen, Swiss, USA etc) you may wish
to ask for it to be returned to you by the Russian passport office when you
renew it. You will then be able to attach it to your new passport when you
submit your UK visa application. It is very useful for us to see such direct
evidence of previous travels abroad and seeing an old passport can often enable
us to process your application much quicker.
Apart from a letter of invitation what other evidence should I
bring?
This very much depends upon the type of application which is being
submitted. Please see the "Documents Required"
section.
When completing the application form, must I always provide the
name of a British Citizen as a sponsor?
No. Anyone present in the United Kingdom, for whatever purpose, can sponsor
someone. It is, however, important to name the specific sponsor particularly in
the case of family visits. If you are intending to visit a Russian relative
then please specify this and submit evidence of their immigration status in the
UK (eg a copy of their passport photograph page and current UK Visa).
I have heard that the British Embassy refuses visas to single
women. Is this true?
No, it is not.Each visa application is considered on its own merits and,
provided the applicant qualifies in accordance with the UK's Immigration Rules,
their visa will be issued. It is important to remember that of the 160,000 or
so visa applications made in Russia each year, only a very small percentage are
refused. The ratio of men to women in this figure is roughly equal.
I am a British citizen with a Russian girlfriend. I want to
invite her for a holiday in the United Kingdom but I have heard that visas are
never issued to women in such cases. Is this true?
No. We regularly deal with applications of this type and the majority are
issued with visas. The main reason for refusing applications of this type is
because the applicant has sought to conceal relevant facts from the Entry
Clearance Officer. Our advice is that all applicants should be open and honest
when making a visa application. Each application is treated on its merits and
the Entry Clearance Officer must be satisfied, as with all visitor
applications, that the applicant is a genuine visitor who intends to leave the
United Kingdom at the end of the period stated. Where an applicant appears to
have attempted to mislead or deceive the Entry Clearance Officer, the
application is likely to be refused.
Do you issue visas for Commonwealth countries?
Yes, we do issue visas for certain Commonwealth countries and other
territories and islands such as the Bahamas, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands.
Please visit "www.ukvisas.gov.uk"
for full details of which countries and territories we issue on behalf of.
Please remember that it is presently not possible to apply for these types of
visa online. It is necessary to visit one of our Application Centres and submit
a paper-based application. An appointment is not required.
Can you help me find a job in the UK and obtain a work permit?
No. Our involvement in the work permit process is limited to dealing only
with applications for work permit visas after an applicant has obtained his/her
work permit. For information on work permits please visit the website
www.ukvisas.gov.uk section and the link to UK Work Permits.
If I am refused a visa, will I know why and can I appeal
against the refusal?
If you are refused, you will receive a written notice from the Entry
Clearance Officer detailing the reasons why you have been refused. The right of
appeal against refusal only exists for certain categories and the Entry
Clearance Officer will inform you at the time of refusal if you have the right
to appeal. For information - Visitors to the UK (business or tourist) and
students on courses of less than 6 months duration do not have the right of
appeal.
How long will my visit visa be valid for?
With a visit visa you can usually enter and leave the UK any number of
times while it is still valid. The Entry Clearance Officer may occasionally
limit a visa so it is valid for only one entry. You cannot stay for longer than
six months on each visit. Visit visas can be valid for 6 months, 1 year, 2
years, 5 years or 10 years. You can apply for a visa valid for any of these
periods, but please note that applications for longer visas may take longer to
process. Please note, the Entry Clearance Officer may decide to make your visa
valid for a shorter time than you have asked for, for example if you are not a
regular traveller or have never visited the UK before. We do not refund
visa fees if, for example, you have applied for a longer duration visa, but are
issued with a shorter validity one.
Are there any other documents I need to show if I am a foreign
national living and working in Russia?
Under Russian law governing the labour activity of foreign citizens in
Russia, employers must obtain a work permit for their foreign employee
(although there are some exceptions for certain types of employee, permanent
residents and nationality). The employee will be given a Federal Migration
Service (FMS) work permission card (with the holder's photograph on it) to
prove they are working legally in Russia. If you are such a foreign worker
here, we expect to see the original FMS card (and a photocopy for our records)
submitted with your application when you apply for a UK visa. If you do not
have such a card and are working here in Russia (not just here on a short
business trip), you will have to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that you
are working here legally and the reasons why you do not have to have an FMS
card. Please note, we may refuse an application on the basis of the lack of such
permission to work in Russia. It is the responsibility of the applicant
to show that he/she is working in Russia legally.