General Visitor or family visitor

[nefax]

Hi
Could anyone please advise.if there is a difference in General visitor and Family visitor to UK.

My understanding was that general visitor was for general visit and family visit was to visit someone who is settled or UK national. Is that correct?

There is some contradictory info on UKB website regarding general and family visitor particularly visa duration on the following links

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/polic ... les/part2/ 41 (i)

and
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ral/apply/

Please advise.
Thanks in advance

[cs95tdg]

My understanding was that general visitor was for general visit and family visit was to visit someone who is settled or UK national. Is that correct?

Yes correct. Given below is what the supporting document guidance states. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... sitors.pdf

What specific contradictory information is it that you are referring to in terms of visa duration? It would help if you could list them, rather than expect the readers to search and find them in the immigration rule links you have provided.

Family Visitor
The family members you are visiting must be permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection status in the UK. They must also be related to you in one of the following ways:
- Spouse, civil partner, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister;
- Grandfather, grandmother, grandson or granddaughter;
- Spouse or civil partner’s father, mother, brother or sister;
- Son or daughter’s spouse or civil partner;
- Stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother or stepsister; or
- Unmarried partner where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least the two years before the day the application is made and the relationship is genuine and subsisting
If you are not related to the person you are visiting in one of the specified ways listed above or if they are not permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection in the UK, then you should apply as a general visitor and complete VAF1A.

[nefax]

Thanks for your reply.

Sorry, I was trying to refer to the duration of the general visitor visa
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/polic ... les/part2/ 41 (i) says should not exceed 6 months
whereas
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ral/apply/ mentions the fee for the visa over 6 months

General visitor, family visitor, entertainer visitor, sports visitor and child visitor - visa application fees
Short-term visit (up to 6 months, single or multiple entry) £78
Long-term visit (up to 2 years) £270
Long-term visit (up to 5 years) £496
Long-term visit (up to 10 years) £716

Please advise.
Thanks

[cs95tdg]

My interpretation of 41 (i), is the length of the actual visit should not exceed 6 months, which is normal for visit visas.

The section which details the fees is refering to the validity period of the visa, not the length of a single visit.

Depending on your prior UK immigration history & travel, you may apply for and be granted a visit visa that is valid for a longer period of time (longer length visas are more costly, but can be convenient if you visit the UK frequently), but this does not allow you to enter and remain in the UK for the entire duration for which the visa is valid.

[danysoho]

My understanding was that general visitor was for general visit and family visit was to visit someone who is settled or UK national. Is that correct?

Yes correct. Given below is what the supporting document guidance states. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... sitors.pdf

What specific contradictory information is it that you are referring to in terms of visa duration? It would help if you could list them, rather than expect the readers to search and find them in the immigration rule links you have provided.

Family Visitor
The family members you are visiting must be permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection status in the UK. They must also be related to you in one of the following ways:
- Spouse, civil partner, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister;
- Grandfather, grandmother, grandson or granddaughter;
- Spouse or civil partner’s father, mother, brother or sister;
- Son or daughter’s spouse or civil partner;
- Stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother or stepsister; or
- Unmarried partner where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least the two years before the day the application is made and the relationship is genuine and subsisting
If you are not related to the person you are visiting in one of the specified ways listed above or if they are not permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection in the UK, then you should apply as a general visitor and complete VAF1A.

Can you pls clarify, am not yet settled in d UK but I want to invite my mother in law. It state she can not come in as a family visitor B/C of my visa but her reason of coming is solely famaly visit. What should I do?

Thanks.

[cs95tdg]

Can you pls clarify, am not yet settled in d UK but I want to invite my mother in law. It state she can not come in as a family visitor B/C of my visa but her reason of coming is solely famaly visit. What should I do?

Your mother in law should apply for a General Visit visa. It's fine that the actual reason for the visit is to visit family in the UK.

[batleykhan]

My understanding was that general visitor was for general visit and family visit was to visit someone who is settled or UK national. Is that correct?

Yes correct. Given below is what the supporting document guidance states. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... sitors.pdf

What specific contradictory information is it that you are referring to in terms of visa duration? It would help if you could list them, rather than expect the readers to search and find them in the immigration rule links you have provided.

Family Visitor
The family members you are visiting must be permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection status in the UK. They must also be related to you in one of the following ways:
- Spouse, civil partner, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister;
- Grandfather, grandmother, grandson or granddaughter;
- Spouse or civil partner’s father, mother, brother or sister;
- Son or daughter’s spouse or civil partner;
- Stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother or stepsister; or
- Unmarried partner where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least the two years before the day the application is made and the relationship is genuine and subsisting
If you are not related to the person you are visiting in one of the specified ways listed above or if they are not permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection in the UK, then you should apply as a general visitor and complete VAF1A.

Can you pls clarify, am not yet settled in d UK but I want to invite my mother in law. It state she can not come in as a family visitor B/C of my visa but her reason of coming is solely famaly visit. What should I do?

Thanks.

Please note:

Additionally the family member you are visiting must :

be a British citizen;
be settled in the UK;
have been granted asylum in the UK; or
have Humanitarian Protection status.