UK Visa From Pakistan

Pakistani citizens will have multiple UK visa options to choose from, depending on their reasons to travel to the UK and intended length of stay. The main categories of UK visas are:

• Work visas, such as:
  • Health and Care Worker visa and Skilled Worker visa, for skilled overseas workers with a UK job offer
  • Senior or Specialist Worker visa, Overseas Domestic Worker visa, Graduate Trainee visa, Secondment Worker visa, Service Supplier visa, UK Expansion Worker visa, or Representative of an Overseas Business visa for overseas employees working in the UK for their employers abroad
  • British National (Overseas) visa, Graduate visa, Youth Mobility Scheme visa, India Young Professionals Scheme visa, Global Talent visa, UK Ancestry visa, or High Potential Individual (HPI) visa for eligible foreign nationals without a job offer in the UK
  • Temporary work visas such as Seasonal Worker visa, Government Authorised Exchange visa, Creative Worker visa, Religious Worker visa, Charity Worker visa, International Agreement visa etc.
  • Others such as International Sportsperson visa, Minister of Religion visa (T2), Scale-up Worker visa, Frontier Worker permit etc.

• Business visas such as a Business Visitor visa or an Innovator Founder visa
• Study visas, such as a Student visa, a Child Student visa, or a Short-term study visa
• Standard Visit visa for tourism, business, study and other permitted activities, for a maximum period of up to six months (long-term Standard Visitor visas are available for foreign nationals who come to the UK regularly, but they can stay for a maximum of six months per visit)
• Family visa to live in the UK for more than six months with a UK resident family member
• Transit visa for passing through the UK to another country

Foreign nationals fearing persecution in their home countries may also seek asylum in the UK. However, there is no UK asylum seeker visa. After arriving in the UK without any legal approval in the form of a valid visa, asylum seekers will have to apply for refugee status or humanitarian protection in the country.

The Nationalities and Borders Act 2022 introduced a provision for temporary refugee permission to stay, which would be valid for a minimum of 30 months and renewable thereafter, for Group 2 refugees (i.e. whose entry in the UK is considered unlawful). However, the Home Office paused the categorisation of refugees into such groups in July 2023.

The supporting documents you will be required to submit while applying for a UK visa from Pakistan will vary depending on your chosen visa type. We have provided here a list of general documents required for every UK visa application as well as certain documents specific to visa type.

The supporting documents for Pakistani nationals include (but not limited to):

• A valid passport, with at least one blank page
• Proof of financial means, such as bank statements etc.
• Tuberculosis test results, which is mandatory for people coming to the UK for six months or longer, if they have been living in Pakistan or another listed country within the last six months (or lived in Pakistan or another listed country for six months or more in the past)
• For work visas, UK job offer or employment contract, Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number and the name and sponsor licence number of the UK employer, criminal record certificate in case of certain job categories etc.
• For student visas, acceptance letter from a UK educational institution, parental consent to study in the UK for child students etc.

• Proof of relationship with the UK resident family member for family visas
• Business plan and endorsement from an approved body in the UK for an Innovator Founder visa
• Travel itinerary, medical insurance and proof of accommodation in the UK for Standard Visitor visas
• Proof of residence in case the visa applicant is currently living outside Pakistan
• Details of criminal, civil or immigration offences, if any
• Any other relevant documents depending on their specific circumstances etc.

However, please note that this is not an exhaustive list by any means. Please get in touch with VFS Global, the official partner of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) in Pakistan, to obtain a list of supporting documents specific to your circumstances.

Alternatively, you may reach out to the British High Commission in Islamabad or the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi, to get a complete list of supporting documents required in your case.

Please also note that you will have to submit certified translated copies in case your supporting documents are not in English.

Application for a UK visa from Pakistan will start with identifying the visa type appropriate in your circumstances. Please visit the UKVI website to determine what type of visa you will have to apply for, and what supporting documents you will be required to submit along with your visa application depending on your chosen visa type.

The UK visa application is an online process. You will have to create an account on the UKVI site to start with your visa application process, and follow the instructions carefully as provided on the site while filling up the online application form.

You may be required to pay the visa fees as well as a healthcare surcharge, if applicable, while filling up your online application. You may use a debit or credit card to pay the fees. Please note the reference number after paying the fees, which may be required for any future amendments to your application or visa appointment.

You will also have to upload your supporting documents online while applying for your UK visa. For people who do not have a scanner available or who are not comfortable using the internet, VFS Global can help them with uploading their documents in exchange for a service charge.

Once your online application is complete, please book an appointment with your nearest VFS Global centre in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi or Mirpur. On the date of your appointment, please visit the centre in person where your biometric information, i.e. fingerprints and facial image, will be taken. You will also have to submit your original passport (or any other travel document as applicable) at the centre.

The centre will get in touch with you once they have received your visa decision for collecting your passport. You may do so in person by visiting the centre, or VFS Global will send it to your address by courier for an additional fee.