Uk Visitor Visa Basic Question

[hollers]

Sorry for the basic question.

I know that a visitor visa is valid for a year and I know that the maximum stay is 6 months in one visit.

But does that mean that :

1) 6 months begins from the first time you enter the country and the clock starts ticking or

2) is it that the 6 months is aggregated across all your visists in that 12 month period or

3) that each time you come into the UK (whilst the visa is stil valid) that you can restart the 6 month countdown, effectively meaning a 'visa-run' can be done and 12 months stay can be achieved as long as an exit from UK happens before 6 months is up before re-entering

Thanks

[Benjawan]

Vistor Visas Can be valid for 180 days, 1 year 2 years or 5 years. They are all multiple entry.

You can enter UK as many times as you like but you may not stay more than 180 days in a visit, or until the visa expires if that is a shorter time. The visa will usually start from the day you told the embassy you were going to arrive, and it will run out on the date stamped on it.

So in theory you could have 4 x 180 day visits with a 2 year visa.

If you have been co-habiting with your Thai partner for 2 years or more, and can prove it to the satisfaction of the embassy then they can be considered your common law wife/husband/civil partner, and they can apply for a settlement visa, just as if you were married. I am not sure how many times they give a visa like this, my guess would be not too many in Thailand anyones girlfriend got one?

[Mahout Angrit]

I know that a visitor visa is valid for a year and I know that the maximum stay is 6 months in one visit.

Incorrect

But does that mean that :

1) 6 months begins from the first time you enter the country and the clock starts ticking or

2) is it that the 6 months is aggregated across all your visists in that 12 month period or

3) that each time you come into the UK (whilst the visa is stil valid) that you can restart the 6 month countdown, effectively meaning a 'visa-run' can be done and 12 months stay can be achieved as long as an exit from UK happens before 6 months is up before re-entering

If it is your first Visit Visa is is unlikely it will be other than a 6 month Visa. That will give you 6 months from the date of issue of the Visa to enter and leave the UK. You can legally enter the UK as many times as you wish but your final exit must be on or before the expiry date of the Visa.(six months after the date of issue)

You do not restart the 6 months on each entry. You are also not expected to spend more than 6 months in the UK in any 12 months so you would have to wait 6 months beyond the expiry date of the Visa before applying for another.

There are such Visas as 2 year or 5 year but you are unlikely to be successful in an application for one of those if it is your first application. Roughly the same rules apply, your final exit must be before the expiry date and any stay must not be longer than 6 months and no stay for more than 6 months in any one year.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[AFCB]

Just to clarify, if a 6 month visa were granted and only 3/4 weeks spent in the UK during the 6 month period, is it acceptable to apply for another visa once the initial one has expired ?

Thanks.

[Mahout Angrit]

Just to clarify, if a 6 month visa were granted and only 3/4 weeks spent in the UK during the 6 month period, is it acceptable to apply for another visa once the initial one has expired ?

It is perfectly acceptable to apply for another visa after the previous visa has expired and around 5 months has elapsed since you left UK. The short period you request to stay would indicate you are a bona fida tourist and not looking to be resident in UK.

If it is your intention to make regular visits to UK of 3/4 weeks and as you are both employed in Asia then after your first visa you may want to apply for a 2 year visa which will allow you as many visits as you wish for the 2 year period provided you didn't spend more than a total of 6 months in Uk in any 12 months.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[hollers]

ok, the pieces are coming together but I am not quite there.

Mahout, thank you, your answer makes sense, but mosly if it were for a 6 month validity.

However, my GF does have a 12 month visa (it is her second visit visa). The issue date is late November, she stamped into UK early December. If she returns to Thailand after 2 months, presumably she can return to the UK until Visa expiry date (november) OR until her 6 months in the UK is used up, even if that took 3-4 shorter visits ..whichever is sooner.... right?

[the scouser]

Hollers,

You girlfriend can visit as many times as she wishes within the visa's validity, but no one visit should exceed six months. There is no part of the immigration rules which states that a visitor cannot spend more than 6 months of every 12 in the UK: it is more of a general yardstick than something cast in stone. However, if your girlfriend were to be effectively living in the UK on a visit visa, she might experience difficulties getting it renewed.

Scouse.

[hollers]

You are a walking continent of good advice.

Ta

[Eff1n2ret]

You are a walking continent of good advice.

Ta

He's about the size of Africa

[the scouser]

And what a charming and handsome continent Africa is.

Actually, the missus has placed my stash of Stella under padlock in the shed and hidden the key, so the way things are going, I'll be more medium-sized European country size before long.

Scouse.

[Mossfinn]

Actually, the missus has placed my stash of Stella under padlock in the shed and hidden the key, so the way things are going, I'll be more medium-sized European country size before long.

Blimey, that's grounds for divorce!!

Any helpful advice.

Good Luck

Moss

[the scouser]

The lawyers are already on to it, Moss.

I must admit, those who bought me birthday pressies all had the same idea and I could open an offie with the amount of Stella locked in the shed.

Scouse.