Visitor Visa Lawyer in London
Do you have plans to visit the UK in 2025 or 2026? If you need a Visitor Visa for your trip then our UK Immigration Lawyers can help you.
Our specialist Visitor Visa Solicitors will make your UK visa application as straightforward as possible.
UK Online and London Immigration Lawyers
For specialist immigration legal advice in London call OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Appointments are available for phone, Zoom or Skype consultations or at our offices in London.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi.
Do you need a Visitor Visa?
Not all UK visitors need a visa, but if you think you may require one, email our London Immigration Lawyers, and we will tell you if you need one and the best type of visa for you.
In some situations, you may not strictly require a Visitor Visa but it would be best to apply for one to avoid being refused entry by border officials. Sometimes a refusal isn’t a big deal, but it may be a massive blow if you are coming to the UK to attend a wedding or your child’s graduation ceremony. Alternatively, you may be coming to the UK for business reasons, such as speaking at a conference or attending as a delegate. Getting a visa before you travel can avoid the stress of being told on arrival that you can't enter the UK and need to leave.
Genuine visitor and UK Visitor Visa applications
The key point with a Visitor Visa application is showing that you are a genuine visitor to the UK. What, you may ask, is a non-genuine visitor? It isn’t someone who would prefer to be touring Disney Florida rather than seeing the sights in London. Rather, it is a visitor who:
- Doesn’t plan to leave the UK at the end of their Visitor Visa – the Home Office calls this overstaying
- Intends to do activities in breach of Visitor Visa conditions, such as working in paid employment or doing things that are beyond the scope of permissible activities in a Business Visitor Visa
- Uses a series of temporary visas to stay longer in the UK than allowed because they know that they don’t meet the eligibility criteria for a Spouse Visa or other type of long-term visa
A Home Office official may suspect you are not a genuine visitor to the UK because of your previous immigration history, past criminal record or history of previous trips to the UK. Alternatively, a Home Office caseworker may label you as ‘non-genuine’ because of your country of origin and the statistically high rate of refusal of visa applications from your home country. Refusal rates from your country may be high for reasons outside your control, such as the perceived security risk or tough economic conditions that mean some people are viewed as potential economic migrants.
If you think you are at medium to high risk of being refused entry without a Visitor Visa or the likelihood is that your application for a Visitor Visa will be turned down then hire a UK immigration expert today to ensure that your application is prepared carefully and sets out why you qualify for a Visitor Visa.
Visitor Visa application after a prior refusal
If you have had an earlier Visitor Visa application refused there is no reason why you can't make another application. In the UK there is no cooling-off period stopping you from making a second or third application. What is important is to address the reasons why your previous applications were refused. UK Immigration Lawyers will be able to review Home Office refusal letters to work out the best way to secure your temporary visa to visit the UK.
Speak to our Visitor Visa Lawyers in London now.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi and conduct appointments by phone or online through Zoom or Skype consultation.
FAQ on UK Visitor Visa applications
How much information do I need to give on my Visitor Visa application?
It’s a question of balance. The Home Office official doesn’t need to know how you have always wanted to see Buckingham Palace but they will want to know the main purpose of your visit. If you have been in the UK on several Visitor Visas to attend a series of weddings or graduation ceremonies then more information may be called for, such as, whether this is the last sibling to marry or adult child to graduate.
Do I need a minimum amount in my bank account to qualify for a UK Visitor Visa?
There is no requirement to have a set amount of money in your bank account to qualify you for a Visitor Visa. The immigration rules say you must have enough money to cover your ‘reasonable costs.’ The amount must take into account the fact that legally you cannot work while visiting the UK or claim state benefits.
The amount of money you will need will depend on the circumstances of your visit. If you are staying with family or your employer is paying for a hotel while you attend a conference then you won't need a large amount of available cash compared to someone who plans to stay in hotels for the duration of their six-month trip. You will also need to show that you have the means to buy a return flight if you haven’t pre-booked one.
Will my Visitor Visa application be refused if I have previously visited the UK?
England is lovely and many tourists need to make several trips to see more than just London. Alternatively, you may have family living in the UK or a child studying in the UK as an international student and so want to make repeat visits. The Home Office will only refuse a repeat application for a Visitor Visa if the Home Office official believes that the repeat or successive Visitor Visas are being used to stay in the UK through the series of short-stay visas. If there is good reason for repeat visits you need to explain why, such as the ill health of a relative with Indefinite Leave to Remain or British citizenship.
Will my Visitor Visa be refused as I have a criminal conviction?
Maybe but probably not. It all depends on what you were convicted of and the sentence. A Visa Solicitor will be able to tell you and explain the best way to secure a visa. If you are travelling as a family group to the UK and this is a concern for one member of the party then our UK immigration law firm for families can help the family secure all the Visitor Visas needed to enable your planned trip to go ahead.
What can I do if my Visitor Visa application is refused?
You are unlikely to be able to appeal the decision to refuse a Visitor Visa but you can make a further application. The new application needs to address why your earlier application was unsuccessful. For example, if a Home Office official wasn’t convinced you would return to your home country at the end of your Visitor Visa, your Immigration Solicitors need to focus on your strong ties to your home country, such as whether you are a homeowner or have a job and family there.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors and Visitor Visa Lawyers
For Visitor Visa and immigration law advice call London-based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi.
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