HomeSettlementVisitor Visa
UK visitor visa solicitors
For family visits, tourism, short courses, medical treatment and permitted business activities. Visit refusals are common and rarely appealable, so the application has to be right first time - we evidence your ties, your finances and your intention to leave. Fixed-fee packages from £1,296 + VAT.
Written by Dipendra Fakira, Supervising Immigration Caseworker · Reviewed by Georgette Thomas, Principal Solicitor · Last reviewed 12 July 2026
At a glance
Home Office fee
Standard vs long-term visit bands
Length of stay
Per visit; long-term visit visa allows longer validity
Work
Permitted paid engagements are the narrow exception
Switching
Cannot switch to most routes in-country
Home Office fees and thresholds change - check gov.uk for the current figures. We confirm them in writing when we quote you.
What a visit visa covers
The standard visitor visa allows stays of up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, medical treatment, recreational study of up to 30 days and a defined list of business activities. Long-term visit visas lasting 2, 5 or 10 years are available for regular visitors - but no single visit can exceed six months.
Whether you need a visa at all depends on your nationality - check gov.uk before planning around one.
What the officer looks for
An entry clearance officer has to be satisfied you are a genuine visitor. That turns on evidence, not promises:
- Your travel dates and a credible plan for the visit.
- An intention to leave at the end - a return ticket alone is often not enough. Ties to home carry the weight: work, property, family and study commitments.
- Money to cover the whole stay - yours, or a UK sponsor's, with the documents to prove it.
- Where you will stay, shown by a booking or a letter of invitation.
Most visit refusals come down to one sentence: the officer was not satisfied the applicant would leave. We build the application to answer that doubt before it is raised.
What visitors cannot do
- Work for a UK company, paid or unpaid, or work as a self-employed person.
- Claim public funds.
- Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.
- Marry or give notice of marriage or civil partnership - that requires the separate Marriage Visitor visa.
Time spent as a visitor does not count towards settlement. If the real plan is to stay, a different route is the answer - and we will say so.
What it costs
| Service | Our fixed fee |
|---|---|
Full application package Assessment, evidence of ties and finances, forms, submission and updates until the decision | £1,296–£2,700 + VAT |
Initial consultation A quick read on the refusal risk before you apply | from £50 + VAT |
Everything you need to know about UK visit visas
Visitor visa questions
It depends on your nationality. Some passport holders can enter as visitors without applying first; others must obtain a visit visa in advance. A separate Electronic Travel Authorisation is being rolled out for many visa-free nationalities. Check your specific passport before you book.
Standard visit visas are usually granted for up to six months per visit. Long-term visit visas of two, five or ten years are available, but each individual visit is still capped at six months. Frequent long visits can prompt questions from Border Force.
No paid work in the UK, and no self-employment. You can attend meetings, conferences, training, interviews and negotiate contracts. If your visit is about working for a UK client, you need the correct work route, not a visitor visa.
Short courses of up to six months are permitted. Anything longer, or courses that lead to a UK qualification over a longer period, need a Student route visa.
Extensions are only permitted in narrow circumstances, such as private medical treatment or academic visits, and cannot take total time in the UK past twelve months. You cannot extend a standard tourist visit.
Evidence that you will leave at the end of the visit, that you can support yourself financially, and that you have somewhere to stay. That usually means bank statements, employment or study evidence, ties to home, and details of your travel plans.
Almost never. Most in-country switches from visitor status are barred. The route is designed for you to return home and apply from there. Plan the correct route before you arrive.
Visitor visa refusals do not usually carry a right of appeal, so a fresh application addressing the refusal reasons is normally the way forward. The refusal notice itself is your best evidence of what to fix; do not throw it away.
Inviting family to visit?
Book an initial consultation, from £50 + VAT. We will tell you what the application needs from the visitor and what it needs from you as the sponsor.