UK visit visa 2 years (or 5 or 10 years) - how long for each visit?

[ipeterrobinson17]

I know the "rules" limit the total time spent in UK with a longer term visit visa to 180 days per year (based on calendar year or visa start date? and pro-rata for part years?) and i've also read that it's down to the entry officer at the time to decide what periods of stay might seem suspicious and warrant further investigation but i'd be interested to hear from those with actual experience of these visas as to how long visitors have stayed in UK and how long a period they stay away before coming again.

 

my initial thought was 3 months in followed by 3 months out and repeat, although it's likely to be shorter stays when very cold and longer in "summer months" - is any length of stay likely to be acceptable as long as the limit is not exceeded, and there's nothing to give suspicion of other visa infringements?

 

 

[yeahbutif]

If you Try googling this you will get different answers. But there seems nothing is clear like most thinks on government sites. UK no different.. I was told but not in writing if you have a 2 year visa it says you can stay up to 6 months in any visit .not seen any where written where is says 6 months  ina calender year.. so in theory I think you could stay in the UK for say 180 days come back to Thailand and go again. And stay another 180days. But it also seems the immigration on arrival can refuse this as it down to them.. this seems wrong as a 2 year or 5 year visa are way more expensive in prorate scale.. why I don't know..

[hotandsticky]

1 minute ago, yeahbutif said:

If you Try googling this you will get different answers. But there seems nothing is clear like most thinks on government sites. UK no different.. I was told but not in writing if you have a 2 year visa it says you can stay up to 6 months in any visit .not seen any where written where is says 6 months  ina calender year.. so in theory I think you could stay in the UK for say 180 days come back to Thailand and go again. And stay another 180days. But it also seems the immigration on arrival can refuse this as it down to them.. this seems wrong as a 2 year or 5 year visa are way more expensive in prorate scale.. why I don't know..

Totally wrong 

 

You can't do border bounces like you can in Thailand.

 

The moment that a Border Control officer believes that the visa holder is spending more time in the UK, than Thailand, you are stuffed .

[theoldgit]

@ipeterrobinson17Your knowledge isn’t quite correct, the guidance to caseworkers clarifies that “There is no specified maximum period, which an individual can spend in the UK in any period, such as ‘6 months in 12 months’ (as long as each visit does not exceed the maximum period for that visit, normally 6 months)”.
However, as has been pointed out, if it is clear from an applicant’s travel history that they are seeking to remain in the UK for extended periods or making the UK their home their application for entry should be refused.

ECO’s and/or Border Force Officers will need to be satisfied that visa holders are not attempting to use Standard Visas to make the UK their home through frequent or successive visits, 

 

This guidance clarifies what UKVI/UKBA staff are looking for, scroll down to Visit: genuineness and credibility

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visit-guidance/visit-caseworker-guidance-accessible

[Tropposurfer]

I'm so lucky, my dad was born in England (became an Aussie citizen in the early sixties),

I have a British passport as well as Aussie so I can just get of the plane in Ol' Blighty and stay as long as I want ????

It was awesome before Farage and the evil extreme nationalistic right got to work n the UK left the EU cause it was just as easy entering and moving about in continental Europe.

[Negita43]

My partner has a 10 year UK Visa obtained in 2015 she used it for trips to the UK/Europe for a few years then came Covid - for the last two years she has spent almost the full 180 days in the UK each year (using it also as a base to travel to Europe also). We have never had a problem at immigration although as some have said the whole area of what "time envelope" the 180 days is in is very murky. What amazes me is why UK Immigration would think an educated, financially independent, property owning Thai would want to live permenantly in the UK. My partner is Thai through and through and although she likes to travel she would not want to live anywhere but Thailand.

[hotandsticky]

On 11/5/2023 at 3:05 PM, Negita43 said:

My partner has a 10 year UK Visa obtained in 2015 she used it for trips to the UK/Europe for a few years then came Covid - for the last two years she has spent almost the full 180 days in the UK each year (using it also as a base to travel to Europe also). We have never had a problem at immigration although as some have said the whole area of what "time envelope" the 180 days is in is very murky. What amazes me is why UK Immigration would think an educated, financially independent, property owning Thai would want to live permenantly in the UK. My partner is Thai through and through and although she likes to travel she would not want to live anywhere but Thailand.

 

 

You understand that there are many Thais who don't see it that way. Yes, they love Thailand, but they have used their education and skills to carve out a much better standard of living in the UK. 

 

 

[youreavinalaff]

On 11/5/2023 at 8:05 AM, Negita43 said:

My partner has a 10 year UK Visa obtained in 2015 she used it for trips to the UK/Europe for a few years then came Covid - for the last two years she has spent almost the full 180 days in the UK each year (using it also as a base to travel to Europe also). We have never had a problem at immigration although as some have said the whole area of what "time envelope" the 180 days is in is very murky. What amazes me is why UK Immigration would think an educated, financially independent, property owning Thai would want to live permenantly in the UK. My partner is Thai through and through and although she likes to travel she would not want to live anywhere but Thailand.

Living in the UK has enabled my wife to become more educated, more financially independent, own more property and be able to travel more often.

 

She will be embarking on her first visit to Thailand, 20 days, in four years in a couple of weeks.