United Kingdom Visa
The United Kingdom is very small compared with many other countries in the world. The total area of Great Britain is 244,820 square kilometres. However, there are only nine other countries with more people, and London is the world’s seventh biggest city. The population of Great Britain is 60,776,238 (2007 estimate).
Essentially covered with low mountains and hills, United Kingdom experiences the most unpredictable climate that can change over hours. Though it is perceived by many that UK suffers from the ‘dull and gloomy’ rains almost all year round, it would be a surprise to them that there are brilliant spells of sunny days with temperatures frequently exceeding 30°C. Summer temperatures range between 14°C and 30°C, while winters are cold at 1°C to 5°C, with isolated regional contrasts.
The rich art and culture of UK is built on the foundation of multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-racial pillars. Birthplace of the likes of Newton, Shakespeare, John Lennon and many other famous personalities, it has been viewed as the land of opportunities and people from all parts of the world have made Britain their home. Being the first country to have experienced the industrial revolution, the strength with which it galloped back then has certainly not slowed down.
Choosing and pursuing the right career has become extremely difficult in the changing times. Career planning certainly requires an expert’s guidance in terms of gaining insight into the educational opportunities available in India as well as abroad. Acquaintance with
Admission Requirements for Students
All students are required to obtain a student authorization and visa before proceeding to any country for their studies. Admission to an institution does not guarantee the issuance of student’s visa. Students must meet the requirement of the immigration Acts and Regulations of the respective countries.
It is recommended that a student must allow three months to process their application.
On getting the acceptance letter from the university, the student is required to generate the documents in the visa process.
International University degrees are offered at three consecutive levels – Bachelor, Master and Doctoral. The possession of a degree from the lower level is generally a pre-requisite for the admission to the next. Some universities also offer diploma and certificate courses, which require one or two years of study in a specific field or discipline.
All the universities and colleges require certified copies of documents and academic records. Students have to take the test of English ability IELTS or TOEFL and must obtain an average score of 550 on the TOEFL paper based test or 250 on the computer based test. IELTS is also widely acceptable with an average band of ‘6.5’. These scores may vary for different colleges and universities.
A UK visitor visa allows a person to visit UK and study there for up to six months. It also covers people coming to the UK for medical treatment and those passing through the UK.
This visa is for an individual wishing to travel for a period of up to six months to the United Kingdom. Whether the trip is for 1 week or 5 months a visitor visa will be required.
Visitor visa holders are prohibited from working, paid or unpaid, during their visit in the United Kingdom.
All visitors to the United Kingdom, whether for business or social reasons, can only stay for six months. If you are given permission to stay for less than six months, you can apply to extend your stay in the United Kingdom for up to six months in total. People from certain nationalities are able to apply for different visas to extend a trip in the United Kingdom.
There are some basic requirements of the visa you must satisfy if you are to be considered for the business visitor visa to the United Kingdom.
These are:
- you only want to visit the United Kingdom for up to six months
- you plan to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit
- you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working.
The supporting documentation required will vary depending on the type of application but in all cases it would be helpful if you could provide:
- evidence of funds, for example bank statements or pay slips, to show that you can pay for the trip and have enough money to support and accommodate yourself and any dependants adequately without working or help from public funds
- Sponsorship letter or hotel booking.
- Details about the person who is sponsoring e.g. his employment details, his bank details and his status in the UK.