Family Visitor Visa Long Term > 6months for parents

Hi,
Would like to invite parents for visitng UK and apply for a Long Term Family Visitor Visa either 2yrs/5yrs multiple entries.
Have few queries

1) The visa requirement mentions that - visitor has to prove that they are not here for private medical treatment. On the other hand - the medical policy says that person cannot receive free medical treatment except A&E. If visitor falls ill and needs treatment - it becomes private medical treatment.

2) During their visit - if they intend to stay longer, policy says that visitor shouldnt live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits. If visa is being granted for long stay i.e 2yrs/5yrs, do tthey have to go out of the country for a day/weeek/month and then return or they can continue to stay for the duration of the visa.

Appreciate if anyone can share their experience and thoughts on these issues.

Thanks and Regards.

The general rule is that visitors can stay for a maximum of 6 months in a 12 month period.

The 2/5 year visitor visa does not mean they can 'live' in the UK for the duration of the visa.

If this is the first time that your parents are visiting the UK, it is highly unlikely that they will be granted long term visitor visas and will only be issued with the standard 6 months visa.

The IO will take a view as to whether they are genuine visitors or not on arrival.

Normal rule of thumb was six months out of every twelve - sticking to that should be ok but bear in mind the IO make still deny entry as non-genuine visitors.

The 2/5/10 year visit visas are still six month max. visas, not 2/5/10 year visits.

Thank you CR001 and Wanderer for your response.
To add some details - no they have visited before on a 6 months visa.

As an example there shud be a gap of 2 months for an indian tourist visa - is there anything like this mentioned for UKBA.

Moreover - few of the genuine circumstances are :
1) parents are not well to travel for some time during their stay here.
2) there is a new addition to the family (grandchild) where they wish to stay on.


is there anyway that the stay can be extended if required or they are supposed to be out of the country for a day in a worst case scenario and come back the next ..for the next 6 months? eg. visit Paris and be back.


Apprecaite if someone can throw some light on the second query that was posted originally.

I think they've done just that.

A visitor visa can only be extended in country in exceptional circumstances (e.g. grave illness).

If they leave one day and come back the next, they may well be denied entry if they have already been here 6 months.

A birth of a grandchild should be known well in advance of their planned travel ... these things do take 9 months to bake ... so it's hard to consider it a 'surprise' which requires an extension.

Illness might be considered for extension - but they'll require doctors notes ... you'll need to show you're paying the NHS bills ... etc.