Business Visitor Visa UK

Page Contents

• Why opt for this visa type
• Help with your visa application
• Eligibility requirements
• Supporting documentation
• Permitted activities
• Prohibited activities
• Application process
• Application cost
• How long does it take to get a visa
• Visa extension
• How can London Immigration lawyers help me?
• FAQs

Visas within the Standard Visitor Visa category have a simpler application process than other visa routes. For this reason, it is often the preferred visa of business travellers.

However, entry into the UK can be denied by border officials if a standard visitor visa holder cannot convince them that the necessary visa conditions have been satisfied. There are a number of rules regarding the activities deemed permissible under the terms of the visa.

The possibility of being refused entry at the border can be avoided if legal advice is sought prior to travelling. Our London immigration lawyers can guide you through every step of your application, ensuring that your business trip goes as smoothly as possible and that your commitments can be honoured. If you are considering visiting the UK for business purposes, the services we provide will remove any stress from proceedings.

It is important to get your Business Visitor Visa application right first time so that you do not get rejected.

Applications can often be rejected for a number of reasons including:

• Insufficient support documents
• Not providing evidence of your plans to return to your home country
• Providing misleading or incorrect information

Our team of expert lawyers will ensure you receive the outcome you want. We will discuss whether the business visit visa here is the correct route for you and your business needs. If it is and you meet the initial eligibility requirements, we will assist you through every step of the application process. We will complete the application form to the highest possible standard and conduct a thorough document check to maximise your chances of approval.

You will be assigned a lawyer who will prepare a Letter of Representation to support your application. We will send this to the Home Office alongside your application form outlining the strengths of your case. Contact our London immigration lawyers today on 020 4502 8582 for all of the help you need.

In order to be eligible for this visa, there are a number of different eligibility criteria that must be satisfied. These include:

• Demonstrating proof of both business-related and other activities that you intend to take part in whilst visiting the UK. These must be permitted by the Visitor Rules.
• Demonstrating that you will leave the UK either once your visa comes to an end or at some point within the maximum six-month period.
• Evidence that you have the necessary financial means to support yourself without needing recourse to public funds.
• Evidence that you have the necessary financial means to pay for your onward journey.

In relation to these criteria, it is imperative that you require entry into the UK for reasons permitted under the visitor rules, such as for business/work reasons. It is also important that no prohibited activities are undertaken during your time in the UK.

Depending on your particular business purpose(s) for a short-term visit in the UK and your immigration circumstances, your document requirements may vary. We have provided here a general list of required documents:

• A valid passport or any other travel document with at least one blank page for your visa stamp
• A copy of your itinerary in the UK
• Proof of accommodation
• Proof of funds (or sponsor details if your company or any other organisation is funding your business trip to the UK)
• Travel health insurance
• Your current residence address proof (including how long you have been living in that address)
• Your parents’ names and dates of birth
• Proof of annual income
• Record(s) of any criminal, civil or immigration offences
• Your travel history for the last 10 years
• Your employer’s details, if applicable (or your company/tax details if you are self-employed)
• Your spouse/civil partner’s name, date of birth and passport number
• Details of your family members (if any) in the UK
• Your tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if you are coming to the UK from a listed country and will be visiting for more than six months
• Documentary evidence of the business activities you are going to perform in the country during your stay, such as an invitation letter for participating in a conference, a letter from your business supplier whom you are going to visit, tickets to trade fairs etc.

Please note that you may need to submit certified translated copies in case your supporting documents are not in English or Welsh language.

Holders of this visa are permitted to take part in general business activities whilst visiting the UK. Such activities include:

• Attending meetings, conferences, interviews and seminars;
• Negotiating and signing deals and contracts;
• Gathering information that pertains to their employment overseas;
• Giving a one-off or short series of talks and/or speeches. However, these must not be for commercial purposes and therefore must not make a profit for the organiser;
• Attending trade fairs. This must be for promotional work only, providing the visa holder visiting the fair is not directly selling;
• Carrying out site visits and inspections;
• Being briefed on the needs and/or requirements of a UK-based customer. However, any work done for the customer must be carried out outside of the UK

You are also able to come to the uk to study recreational course for up to 30 days providing this is not the sole purpose of your visit to the UK. In addition, you are able to convert your civil partnership into a marriage under the terms of the Business Visitor Visa, and are also able to pass through the UK in transit.

The Visitor Visa category as a whole is centred on the visa holder only engaging in ‘permissible activity’ during their time in the UK.

The Visitor Rules stipulate a number of activities that are not permitted for holders of a Visitor Visa. The most significant of these is taking part in paid or unpaid work.

This includes:

• Doing an internship/work placement
• Taking up full employment
• Becoming self-employed and running your own business
• Taking part in work for a UK-based organisation
• Selling goods and/or services to the public

For holders of the visa, your permitted activity must not amount to taking up employment in the UK or providing cover for a UK-based role.

Further to this, visa holders must remain paid and employed outside of the UK.

Similar to all UK visas, applying for a Standard Visitor visa UK for business purposes is an online process. We have provided here a step-by-step breakdown of a UK visit visa application process for your easy understanding and reference:

1. Start with creating an online account with your email ID on the Home Office website
2. Arrange for the necessary supporting documents and other relevant information before you start the online visa application process, so that you can answer the questions and provide the required information on the visa form completely and accurately
3. Once you start filling in the online application form, you may save the same and complete it later, if required
4. Submit the completed online form along with scanned copies of your supporting documents
5. Pay the required visa processing fees online either by a credit or a debit card
6. Book an appointment at a UK visa application centre (VAC) near your residence in the country where you are applying from
7. Submit your original passport and copy of supporting documents at the VAC on your appointment date. You will also need to provide your biometric details (i.e. fingerprints and facial image). Depending on your circumstances, you may have to attend a visa interview at the centre on the same date

In most countries, the respective UK embassy/consulate outsources some parts of the consular services to third parties (e.g., VFS Global or TLScontact). The service providers usually have more than one VAC in the respective countries, so you may choose the one nearest to your place.

Citizens from certain countries may need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) instead of a visa. Please check whether you need a visa or an ETA before you apply.

For a once-off business visitor visa for up to six months, you will have to pay a visa processing fee of £135.

If you require to visit the UK regularly for business purposes but are not going to stay more than six months on each visit, you may apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa, valid for two, five or 10 years.

In such a scenario, your visa processing fee would be £506, £903, or £1,128 for two, five or 10 years respectively.

The usual processing time for UK business visitor visas is three weeks. It may take longer if the Home Office asks you for additional supporting documentation, or if your respective UK embassy or consulate is facing an increased volume of visa application at the time.

However, you may be eligible to get a faster visa decision by paying an additional fee.

Yes, it is possible to extend the length of time you spend in the UK whilst here on a Business Visitor Visa.

However, it should be noted that it can only be extended if you have been in the country for less than six months.

The maximum amount of time a Business Visitor Visa allows you to spend in the UK is six months. It can be extended, but only up to this limit.