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USEFUL INFORMATION How to come to the United Kingdom as a general visitor To come to the United Kingdom as a general visitor you must be able to show that you: • only want to visit the United Kingdom for up to six months; • plan to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit; • have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working, help from public funds or you will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends; • do not intend to charge members of the public for services provided or goods received; • do not intend to study; and • can meet the cost of the return or onward journey. • do not intend to carry out business, sport or entertainer visitor activities; • do not intend to marry or form a civil partnership or give notice of marriage or civil partnership; • do not intend to receive private medical treatment during your visit , and • are not in transit to a country outside the Common Travel Area. If you want to do business during your visit you also have to show that you: • normally live and work abroad and you have no plans to base yourself in the United Kingdom; and • do not plan to work, produce goods or provide services in the United Kingdom. What documents do I need to enter the United Kingdom as a general visitor? They are: • a letter from your employer granting leave of absence from your job for a specified period. The letter should also say how long you have been employed by that employer, in what job(s) and should indicate when you are expected back at work; • if you are self-employed, evidence of your business activities and financial standing; • evidence of any property you own in your home country; • if you are a student, a letter from your school or college stating which course you are on, its start and finish dates and the dates of the holiday period during which you intend to visit the United Kingdom; • it will also help if you can show that you have family or social ties and responsibilities to return to; • evidence of any firm travel plans you have made; • bank statements going back over a period of several months; and • evidence of savings available to you. How to extend your stay as a general visitor If you come to the United Kingdom as a general visitor you are only allowed to stay for a maximum of six months. If you were granted leave to enter for three months (this will be stamped in your passport) and you would like to extend your stay to a maximum of six months you will need to apply using the application form FLR(O). You should send your completed application form by post before your permission to stay ends. The application form gives you details of where to send your completed application form, fee and supporting documents. All documents should be originals unless you have a good reason why you cannot produce them with your application. You are not allowed to stay in the United Kingdom as a visitor for more than six months. You are expected to return home when your visa expires. In some circumstances, you may be able to transfer to a different category of visa and you should see the appropriate category for more information. What documents should a sponsor provide to support a general visitor's application? The documents British High Commission (BHC) need depend on the circumstances of the case. • evidence of your own immigration status in the United Kingdom; and • a letter of sponsorship explaining your relationship to the person who is applying, the purpose of the visit and where your general visitor will stay. If you will provide financial support and accommodation for your general visitor and/or pay for his/her travel to the United Kingdom, you should send BHC the following as evidence that you are able to do so: • copies of your bank or building society statements and payslips for the last six months; or • a copy of your savings account book. If you are sponsoring a person for the purposes of business, BHC may ask you to send them a letter from your company outlining the links between your companies, and explain what your visitor will be doing and whether your company is paying for the trip.
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