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.