Standard Visitor Visa

 You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK:

• For leisure, e.g on holiday or to visit your family and friends, to attend your Graduation.
• For business-related activities, e.g coming to the UK for a conference, or to take part in sports-related events
• For another reason, e.g to receive private medical treatment 

Attending your graduation
If you have a Tier 4 visa and you leave the UK after the end your course, you will not normally be allowed to re-enter the UK on that same visa. This is irrespective of whether you still have time 'left' on your Tier 4 visa. The reason for this is that you are given a Tier 4 visa to enable you to study on a course and, as a condition, you must be studying full time. Once you have finished your course and left the UK, there is no academic reason (in the eyes of the Home Office) for you to come back to the UK. If you wish to come back to the UK and attend your graduation ceremony, you should apply for a standard visit visa for yourself and any family members. This is the best and safest option and could prevent financial and emotional stress should you decide to 'risk' entering on a previous Tier 4 visa and be turned away from the UK at the airport.

How long can you stay?

You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. 

What you can and can't do

You can:

• Take part in any business-related activities mentioned in the visitor rules
• Study for up to 30 days as long as it is not the main reason for your visit

• Pass through the UK in transit (on your way to another country) 

You can't:

• Do paid or unpaid work
• Live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits
• Marry or register a civil partnership or give notice of marriage or civil partnership
• Get public funds. 

Eligibility

You must always show that:

• You will leave the UK at the end of your visit
• You're able to support yourself and any dependents for the duration of the trip
• You're able to pay for your return or onward journey and any other costs relating to your visit. 

You have proof of any business or other activities you want to do in the UK, as allowed by the Visitor Rules 

You will need to apply for this visa before you come to the UK but a few countries can apply once they arrive at the airport. To find out whether you must apply before you arrive check the Gov.uk website. If you can apply on arrival you still have the option of applying for your visa before leaving home and this removes the worry that you might be refused at the airport and makes your travelling less stressful!

You need to check the information on healthcare in Wales to see if you are entitled to free hospital treatment during your stay in the UK. Many standard visitor visa holders are not entitled to free health care during their time in the UK and will need to secure private medical insurance for the length of their stay. 

Not having private medical insurance will not affect your immigration application, however if you become an NHS debtor by using the health service in the UK as a visitor, and not paying for the treatment, this will have an effect on any future visa applications made and could lead to future applications being refused. There are some companies that offer specific insurance plans for international students and families so it may be worth having a look at those. Two of these are Insure2Study Overseas or Endsleigh Insurance though you can use any provider you wish.

Further comprehensive information about the Standard Visitor visa route can be found at:  https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa.  Immigration rules do change frequently so you should always check you have the most up to date information before you make any visa application.

Unless you are from North Korea, you will need to submit your application online: - https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/apply

Once your application has been submitted online, you will usually need to attend an appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre to submit your original documents and enrol your biometric information (fingerprints and photographs). It will then take approximately 2 to 8 weeks for your visa application to be processed. Current visa processing times for can be found on the Gov.UK website .

You should always carry the documents that you submitted with your visa application in your hand luggage when you travel to the UK. The Border Force Officer may ask to see these documents when you arrive in the UK.

We would always recommend that you apply for your visa before coming to the UK. However, if you have checked the Gov.uk website, are sure you can apply on entry and you decide to do so, the process is outlined below. 

Applying for a Standard Visitor visa on arrival to the UK:

On arrival to the UK, you will need to present your passport and all the required documents to the UK Border Force Officer at the port of entry (airport). They may also expect to see proof of your finances, so we recommend that you carry a recent original bank statement or other proof of funding in your hand luggage. There are no set regulations around the amount of funds that you need to show but we would recommend that you use Tier 4 financial requirements as a guide. These are that you have £1015 for each month in the UK and this is to cover accommodation and living costs. If you will have accommodation provided in the UK, make sure you travel with evidence of that.

You should explain clearly to the Border Force Officer that you wish to enter as a Standard Visitor and your reasons e.g. in order to attend your Graduation

Please note that if you are asking for Entry Clearance at Port of Entry we would advise you not to use the E-Gate facility.  Follow an admissions queue that enables you to speak to a member of the Border Force. This is because if you use the E-Gate you will not be stamped in as Visitor so will not have evidence of the date of entry to the UK.  You may require evidence of this for future immigration applications so avoid the E-Gates and get a stamp!

The following list are suggested documents to include in all applications both outside the UK and at the Border

Application form – Available to complete online: https://www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa

Application Fee: currently £95 for a 6 month visa. All current visa fees can be found on the Gov.UK website

Passport(s): – Your passport should be valid for the length of your proposed study visit. 
You should also submit any passport(s) that you have ever used to enter the UK. If any of these passports has been lost or stolen, you will need to provide a police report and details of your previous visit(s) to the UK.

Photographs: 1 passport sized, colour photographs, taken within the last month and which meet UKVI requirements

Proof of finances: This can be in the form of bank statements or pay slips and should ideally cover 6 months transactions. There are no set regulations around the amount of funds that you need to show but we would recommend that you use Tier 4 financial requirements as a guide. These are that you have £1015 for each month in the UK and this is to cover accommodation and living costs.

For a full list of required documents please see the GOV.UK website. Please note that all documents submitted must be originals; no scans, faxes or photocopies will be accepted and could lead to a refusal of your application.

If your family member(s)/ friend(s) are visiting you while you are studying or for your Graduation they will also need:- 

• Original invitation letter (from you) – The University does not give a letter of invitation for your friends or family. As you are inviting your friend or family, you need to provide a letter confirming the relationship between you and your friend/family and the purpose of their visit. Here is an example of an Invitation letter: Sample Invitation Letter
• Original Student Statement from MyUniHub (post this to your family)
• Copy of your passport (data page)
• Copy of any previous and current UK visa including your biometric residence permit
• Proof you have somewhere for your friend/relative to stay (e.g. tenancy agreement or letter from your landlord confirming there is sufficient room and that s/he agrees to your visitors staying there, or copy of any hotel booking). If you don’t have any of this, your family will need to provide more evidence of funds
• Evidence of funds to financially support themselves whilst in the UK g. bank statements or payslips for up to six months. You can also provide your original bank statements to show that you will support them. Remember to mention this in the invitation letter if you do so.
• Important: Evidence of reasons for returning to their home country g. a letter from an employer confirming the length of their holiday, details of business or dependants left at home.