UK Visit Visa from Pakistan

To be able to apply for the UK Visit Visa, you must meet certain requirements. These include:

• You must demonstrate that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit.
• You must prove that you are able to support yourself and any dependent accompanying you throughout your stay. If you have funding from someone else, you must show that they intend to support you by submitting a letter of sponsorship.
• You must show that you are able to pay for your return trip or you have funding from someone else to do so.
• You must prove that you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits and will not make the UK your main home.

In addition to these requirements, you’ll also need to meet additional criteria if you are entering the UK for the following reasons:

• To study, do a placement, or take an exam
• As an academic professional, a senior doctor, or a dentist.
• For a medical appointment or treatment.

The UK Visit Visa is divided into different categories depending on the nature of your trip. If you intend to visit the UK for a short while, it’s essential to understand the different visit visas and their specific requirements to enable you to apply for the correct visa.

The different visit visas include:

• Business Visit Visa
• Family Visit Visa
• Study Visa
• Academic Visit Visa
• Tourist Visa
• Private Medical Treatment Visit Visa
• Child Visit Visa
• Marriage Visitor Visa

The Business Visit Visa is applicable if you intend to visit the UK for short-term unpaid business activities that include any of the following:

• Attending interviews, meetings, conferences, and seminars
• Negotiating and signing deals and contracts
• Getting work-related training not available in your home country.
• Conducting site visits and inspections
• Attending trade fairs to promote your business. However, you are not allowed to sell.
• Giving a one-off or short series of talks as long as you’re not paid
• Overseeing the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK-based company to your organisation overseas.
• Deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of your company.
• Install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware on behalf of your overseas company.
• Participate in any unpaid activity related to your job in your home country.

You can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa to enter the UK for a holiday to visit your friends or family members.

To apply for this visa, you must prove that you have a genuine relationship with the UK resident you intend to visit. These could be with documents such as birth or marriage certificates, details of your correspondence, or pictures of you together.

On the other hand, the UK family member or friend must be a citizen, have permanent residence, have legal permits to be in the UK, or have protection status.

The UK Study Visit Visa will allow you to partake in any academic-related activity not exceeding 6 months. You can:

• Study at an accredited institution, which must not be an academy or state-funded school.
• Do a short piece of research that’s relevant to your course overseas
• Do an ‘elective’ or an optional additional placement if you’re studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing, midwifery or dentistry.
• Do an unpaid clinical attachment if you’re a graduate of a medical, dental or nursing school.
• Sit an entrance exam, retake an exam or course module, or do a PhD oral exam.
• Take the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) test or the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test.

If you intend to study at an accredited institution, you must already be enrolled at the institution before you can apply for the visa.

If you’re taking an elective course, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 16 years old
• Be already enrolled on a course overseas equivalent to a UK degree.
• Be required to take an elective at a UK higher education institution as part of your course.
• Provide written confirmation from the UK institution that you will not be treating patients or being paid for the elective.

You must not treat patients if you’re visiting to participate in an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post. You must also provide written confirmation of your attachment from the UK institution and that you’ve not done such a program in the UK before.

Furthermore, if you’re to take the OSCE or PLAB test, you must provide the following documents:

• A letter from the Nursing and Midwifery Council confirming your OSCE test registration.
• A letter from the General Medical Council confirming your PLAB test registration.

Your total stay in the UK can be up to 18 months. First, you will be allowed to extend your visa for an additional 6 months if you do not pass the PLAB test. Then, if you pass, you can apply to stay in the UK for an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post.

This visa category applies to academic professionals, senior doctors or dentists, and researchers who intend to take up unpaid activities in their field.

If you are a lecturer or professor at an academic institution, you can do any of the following:

• Carry out your own research during a sabbatical
• Partake in formal exchange arrangements with your UK counterparts.

As a senior doctor or dentist, you can:

• Take part in research in your field
• Teach temporarily
• Undertake temporal clinical practice.

If your research involves certain subjects at a postgraduate level or above, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before you begin your research.

As a visiting academic, you can either apply for a visa lasting 12 months or for one lasting 6 months and extend your stay for an additional 6 months while in the UK. However, for longer stays, you must meet further requirements and submit additional documents.

You can enter the UK from Pakistan for sightseeing or leisure purposes. If you are touring in a group, each tour member must apply for the Standard Visitor Visa.

When applying, you need to submit proof of your reason for travelling with documents such as your travel itinerary, hotel reservations, etc.

You can visit the UK to get treatment at a private hospital or medical facility if you meet the following requirements:

• You can prove that you have a medical condition that needs private consultation or treatment in the UK.
• You have made arrangements for the medical consultations or treatment
• You have sufficient funds to pay for your treatment
• You are not a danger to public health if you have an infectious disease, such as leprosy.
• You will leave the UK once your treatment has ended.

The medical visit visa will also allow you to have treatment at an NHS hospital if you meet the following requirements:

• Your treatment is paid for by your own government under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement.
• You have an authorisation form issued by your government agreeing to pay for your treatment.

If you’re entering the UK to donate your organs, the recipient must be a genetically related family member or a friend you’re in a close personal relationship with.

You must provide a letter from the medical team confirming:

• You are a donor match or being tested to see if you’re a match.
• The day and place where the tests and transplants will occur.
• The recipient’s relationship with you.

The recipient must be a legal resident of the UK. If not, you must provide their name, nationality and date of birth in your application. If they are outside the UK, and depending on their nationality, they may need to apply for the Standard Visitor Visa.

The Child Visitor Visa allows children below 18 to enter the UK for holidays, tourism, medical treatment, excursions, or to visit friends and family. The requirements for this visa vary depending on if the child is travelling with or without an adult.

Children travelling alone must provide written consent from their parent or guardian authorising them to travel to the UK. They’ll also need to provide proof that they have suitable accommodation throughout their stay, including:

• The name and date of birth of their host
• The address where they will live
• The details of their relationship with the host
• A written consent from the host stating that the child will live with them while in the UK.

If the host is not a close relative and the child is under 16, the child’s parent or guardian must inform the relevant local authority about the visit.

A written consent is also needed if the child is travelling with an adult. However, they must identify the adult in their visa application, who must also apply for a visa.

The Marriage Visitor Visa allows you to enter the UK to get married or register a civil partnership. You can also apply for this Visa to give notice of your marriage or civil partnership in the UK.

It’s important to note that you can’t remain in the UK after your wedding and must leave within 6 months. However, if you intend to stay in the UK after your marriage, you should apply for a Fiance Visa, which will allow you to switch to a Partner Visa.

When applying for the Standard Visitor Visa, there are certain documents you must submit to demonstrate your eligibility and reason for your trip. These documents differ depending on the specific visit visa you’re applying for.

Here are the documents you’ll need:

• The online visa application form
• A passport valid throughout your stay
• Two passport-size photographs
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of your trip
• A detailed travel itinerary
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay
• A letter of sponsorship, if applicable
• Round-trip flight tickets
• Proof of accommodation
• Details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences you may have committed

To apply for the Standard Visitor Visa, you must begin the process online. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your intended travel date.

First, visit the UK government website and create an account. Afterwards, fill out the visa application form with details such as the dates you plan to travel, where you’ll be staying, and how much you think your trip will cost.

After completing the form, you should pay the visa application fee and upload any supporting documents required. If you’re travelling with family members, each person must complete an online application and pay the visa fees.

As part of the online application, you must book an appointment at a UK visa application centre in Pakistan. You should visit the VAC on the scheduled day to provide your biometrics, answer questions regarding your trip, and submit your documents.

The consular officer will take some time to go through your application. If successful, you will be notified via email.

The average processing time for the UK Visitor Visa is 3 weeks. However, it can take longer if the visa centre has a volume of applications.

Here’s a breakdown of the cost of the UK Visitor Visa.

The UK Visit Visa is typically valid for 6 months. Thus, if your permission to stay was granted for 3 months, you may be able to extend it for another 3 months, making it 6 months.

You may be able to extend it beyond 6 months under the following situations:

• You need to continue medical treatment as advised by a medical professional
• You are on an academic visa and still meet the eligibility requirements.
• You need to retake the PLAB test or do a clinical attachment.

You must apply to extend your stay before your visa expires and pay an extension fee of £1,100.