Visitors Visa

Hello..

I have read several websites about Visitors Visa's and have noticed that there is a Visitors Visa up to 10 years. Does anyone know about this?

I am curious to understand the guidelines that go along with this visa. Do you still need to come back to the States every six months? And if that's that case then I would image it is pretty much like a passport?

Has anyone every applied for a visa this long?

I've emailed the British Embassy, but to no luck have I received a good response, or even one that answered all of my questions.

They suggested that I go to the Embassy in Manhattan after 2:00pm and see someone as a walk in, as they told me no appointments were given. I was also told that I shouldn't do this until I was ready to go and as I'm not going until Next year, I've put it off.

I think reading all the available Visa's there are that what would work best for me is a Visitors Visa for the time being. I think..  And I just assumed that the 10 year one would be better for the repeat trips. Any Advice?

I've never heard of this.

I do know we saw a news story a year or so ago about a family that did the stay-six-months-then-leave-and-return thing for, I believe, two years, before they were caught and deported.  A Visitor's Visa is just that-for visiting, not settlement.

Maybe they've come up with some new thing I'm not aware f, but as far as I know, there is no Visitor's Visa that lasts 10 years.  Where did you see this?

Here:

How long will my visa be valid for?
With a visit visa you can usually enter and leave the UK any number of times while the visa is still valid. The Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) may occasionally limit a visa so that it is valid for only one entry. You cannot stay for longer than six months on each visit. Visit visas can be valid for six months, one year, two years, five years or ten years. You can apply for a visa valid for any of these periods. The ECO may decide to make your visa valid for a shorter time than you have asked for, for example if you are not a regular traveler or have never visited the UK before.

And the website is.. http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1018696642519#Q4

or I  mean that page rather..

Now I know that a Visit Visa is for Visits, but in order to marry, my boyfriend and I have been told that I need to show that I've been with him, and living for longer then 2 years there with him. I don't know how true that is or not, but I figured I'd have to go and come back for two years at first before they allow us to marry in Scotland.

There is alot to still look into.. but there ya go.. there's the site that I seen the 10 year long visa on. I don't think they allow you to stay for 10 years without coming back, I believed it was just that you didn't have to renew it or something like that.

I know a Visit Visa is good for 6 months, then I have to come back to the states.. so I just figured it would be the same thing, without needing to file for another visa once I come back here for the allowed time and all.. so .. i donno.. But thanks for replying.. and anyone else, if you've ever gotten one of these, please let me know

Here:

Now I know that a Visit Visa is for Visits, but in order to marry, my boyfriend and I have been told that I need to show that I've been with him, and living for longer then 2 years there with him. I don't know how true that is or not, but I figured I'd have to go and come back for two years at first before they allow us to marry in Scotland.

Are you going for an Unmarried Partner Visa?  Because if you actually want to marry, you can, without the two-years thing.  That's for unmarried partners.  I'm not sure if you can do the visitor's visa thing for UP, but since you asked about pregnancy I'm going to assume you are a woman, so you don't have to worry about that.  You can get a fiancee visa or get married without having to live together for two years.

If you want to get married in scotland you should be looking at applying for a fiancee' visa. It will give you the right to enter the country and live there for up to 6 months before you marry. A visitor's visa is just that--- for visiting...it is not intended for you to settle down in the country.

unfortunatly, everyone below is right.  i believe the long term visit visa is for someone who let's say is from a country requiring a visa to enter the UK, and will be coming here once a year for 5 years for work.  or someone who has been denied entry before b/c circumstances, and they want to have a 'guarentee' that they'll be allowed in the country (although to my knowledge, the IO has the final say... even if you have a visa they can still deny you entry if they have grounds).

best bet- get a finance visa.  visit each other for 6 months see if it's a go.  if it is, get married within those 6 months and then apply for spousal visa.

Are you going for an Unmarried Partner Visa?  Because if you actually want to marry, you can, without the two-years thing.  That's for unmarried partners.  I'm not sure if you can do the visitor's visa thing for UP, but since you asked about pregnancy I'm going to assume you are a woman, so you don't have to worry about that.  You can get a fiancee visa or get married without having to live together for two years.

I'm gald you posted this because we were told differently.

Do you know what qualifications I would need to have to apply for a Unmarried Partner visa? I would image that I would have to prove a relationship which could be done by the number of stamps in my passport.. but how would they know for real? and If I was to apply for a financee visa does that mean we would need to marry within a certain amount of time? Do you know? 

If you want to get married in scotland you should be looking at applying for a fiancee' visa. It will give you the right to enter the country and live there for up to 6 months before you marry. A visitor's visa is just that--- for visiting...it is not intended for you to settle down in the country.

Great.. and as I've just posted.. Can someone tell me the requirements of this visa? and would there be a time frame as to when we would have to get married? Cause again, we dont want to rush it.. Just thought that if I went for 6 months and we live together and all that.. then we would know.. better what the future holds for us. Our 15 trips, however wonderful as they have been, is not really living with eachother day in and out and all.. and we just want to be sure.. you know..

unfortunatly, everyone below is right.  i believe the long term visit visa is for someone who let's say is from a country requiring a visa to enter the UK, and will be coming here once a year for 5 years for work.  or someone who has been denied entry before b/c circumstances, and they want to have a 'guarentee' that they'll be allowed in the country (although to my knowledge, the IO has the final say... even if you have a visa they can still deny you entry if they have grounds).

best bet- get a finance visa.  visit each other for 6 months see if it's a go.  if it is, get married within those 6 months and then apply for spousal visa.

Sorry I should just do one reply.. lol.. Ok.. so if it goes well on a financee visa, then we would have to marry within those 6 months? is that right? urgg... lol.. this is becoming more confusing.

I've tried several times to email the UK Embassy here.. but they dont reply.. and I canni make heads or tails (obviously) out of the information on their sites... seemingly as I've had the wrong ideas for a while now..

Great.. and as I've just posted.. Can someone tell me the requirements of this visa? and would there be a time frame as to when we would have to get married? Cause again, we dont want to rush it.. Just thought that if I went for 6 months and we live together and all that.. then we would know.. better what the future holds for us. Our 15 trips, however wonderful as they have been, is not really living with eachother day in and out and all.. and we just want to be sure.. you know..

You have to get married within 6 months on the fiance visa. You could always get the visa and plan to get married at the very end of the 6 months. If you decide that you don't want to get married at the end of the 6 months then you can go home.

To be honest, this sounds like a much better plan than trying to live in the UK for 2 years on visitor visas.

You have to get married within 6 months on the fiance visa. You could always get the visa and plan to get married at the very end of the 6 months. If you decide that you don't want to get married at the end of the 6 months then you can go home.

To be honest, this sounds like a much better plan than trying to live in the UK for 2 years on visitor visas.

Alright.. thats good to know that there is a time limit on it... Thank you very much for all your help... and time..

Alrighty...

I've done some more reading since I was last here. I still believe that the Visitor's Visa might work for me in the beginning for what I wanted to accomplish as for a temporary stay in Scotland to see how things go.. however in saying that.. I did mention a Sponsorship Visa that my mate in Scotland filed to get his partner over from the US.. and perhaps I worded it incorrectly.. but here is what I found and I wanted to know if anyone knows about this Visa...

I got it off of the ukvisa.gov.uk website.. and its called a:

SETTLEMENT FORM (VAF2 2004)
THIS FORM IS FOR USE OUTSIDE THE UK ONLY

and here are the guidelines:
Can I join my unmarried partner in the UK?
You can apply to join your unmarried partner in the UK, as long as:

they currently live and are settled in the UK, or they are coming to live permanently in the UK, and
you are aged over 18 and your sponsor is over 18.

Now it says to Live permanently in the UK as a Unmarried partner of a resident of the UK..

So this might be a good form for me to look into.. Has anyone ever filed this or... perhaps heard of it.. or have advice of it?

It sounds pretty straight forward and I've printed the form and read it all. Doesn't ask much to be honest, however it does ask for MY sponsor to sign it and state that he will be responsible for me.. Which is more then likely what my friend told me he did.. however I canni get in touch with him this week to verify..

?

The unmarried partners visa is for people who have already been living together in a relationship akin to marriage (hetero or same sex) for two years.

The unmarried partners visa is for people who have already been together in a relationship akin to marriage (hetero or same sex) for two years.

Firstly, me and my partner have been in a relationship for over three years with several trips back and forth for visits.. and no where in the guidelines of this visa does it say that a marriage has to be done.. Where have you seen this? I read the entire website and the form to file.. and it says nothing..

That's not to say that in the future we will not marry, however we will don't want to marry until we are ready..

If you have a link to a site that states this visa is only for people who prove they will marry.. can you post me some links or something.. because what you say doesn't match what the UkVisa.gov site says

Firstly, me and my partner have been in a relationship for over three years with several trips back and forth for visits.. and no where in the guidelines of this visa does it say that a marriage has to be done.. Where have you seen this? I read the entire website and the form to file.. and it says nothing..

That's not to say that in the future we will not marry, however we will don't want to marry until we are ready..

If you have a link to a site that states this visa is only for people who prove they will marry.. can you post me some links or something.. because what you say doesn't match what the UkVisa.gov site says

Sorry that my previous reply was poorly worded - I'm working on no sleep for 36 hours here.

Anyway, the unmarried partners visa is for people who have been LIVING together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years. I've been in a relationship with my bf for two years but we haven't lived together for that time so we wouldn't qualify for that visa. That visa requires you to show proof of a sustained relationship where you are sharing the same space - joint bills, joint bank accounts, addresses, etc.

Here's the info from the Britain USA website http://www.britainusa.com/visas/other_show.asp?SarticleType=25&Other_ID=319
:
The requirements for settlement Entry Clearance cases are as follows:

    * The applicant is the unmarried partner of a person present and settled in the United Kingdom, or is on the same occasion being admitted for settlement; and

    * Any previous marriage (or similar relationship) by either partner has permanently broken down; and

    * The parties have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage which has subsisted for two years or more; and

    * There will be adequate accommodation for the parties and any dependents without recourse to public funds in accommodation which they own or occupy exclusively; and

    * The parties will be able to maintain themselves and any dependents adequately without recourse to public funds; and

    * The parties intend to live together permanently.