The meaning of "valid from" and "valid until"

[maswell]

Hello. I'm Canadian but I'm asking this for a Taiwanese friend that is going to the UK on a Tier 5 Youth mobility visa. She has the visa now and it says "valid from 28/09/17" and "valid until 28/10/17". She said that it means she has to enter the UK before Sept 28 but she can't work until the 28. To me it sounds like she cannot enter until Sept 28 and must enter before Oct 28. I could be totally wrong but I wanted to get an answer for her because it will be a big deal if she shows up either before or after she is allowed to enter the country. Can anyone clarify for us?

Thanks so much!

[vinny]

She may enter the UK under Tier 5 Youth mobility between the dates 28/09/17 and 28/10/17. Not before nor after.

[vinny]

However, she may enter as a visitor prior to 28/09/17. But then she would have to leave the UK and re-enter between the mentioned dates to activate her entry clearance.

[maswell]

Thanks for the info!

[Sudanim]

Be very careful with this plan. Note vinnys emphasis of may. A T5 YM visa is valid for 2 years, not 2+ years by tagging on a visit at the start/end of the trip. The 2 years is intended to be ample for all work and sightseeing, not just work.

Leaving and re-entering using the visa on the second entry will be a must, both to cancel the previous conditions of a visitor (6 months max stay, no work permitted), and to invoke the conditions on the visa (2 years max, allowed to work).

My view fwiw is that your friend stands a very good chance of being refused entry on the first visit if the yet-to-be-valid visa is noted and she is doing anything more than having a layover before (say) flying to continental Europe for a holiday and then returning for when the visa starts. Even then there'd be no guarantees.

And yes, the visa is valid for entry on or between those two dates even though the visa's valid for 2 years. After arrival she'll need to collect a BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) from the post office which has the full 2 years on it. She should have a letter explaining that.

[maswell]

Thanks again for the well written responses! She decided to wait until after her "valid from" date so she will not have to deal with any tourist visa stuff.