applying for visitor visa for a friend

[secsmed]

Hi All,

Please advise if you can.
I want to invite a friend to the UK to stay with my family for 1-2 months, but I don't know if this is allowed, and if yes, which route I must choose for her application (I can see in UKVI website that they only list Family Visitor visa & General Visitor visa, but no Friend Visitor visa).
I am a British citizen, working and will fully support the expenses and accommodation for our friend. Our friend will travel alone and her husband and children will stay in their home country. She is a professional and has good financial support of her own too.

Please tell me which route we should take? Which documents we must provide (for example for her accommodation would our support/invitation letter suffice? should I also send bank statement and payslips of myself?). what other letters, e.g. from employer, to show that she will return back?

Thanks a lot

[4uvak]

There is no Friend visitor visa. So she has to apply for General visitor visa. It is better to rely on her own finances and surcumstances, although you can supply a letter explaining your friendship and stating that you give your concent for your friend to stay at your place during her visit to the UK. I would also attach a copy of rental agreement or ownership for the accommodation. If she can show that her income is sufficient to cover all her expenses in the UK including travel to/from the UK, there is no need for you to show your finances. Do not overcomplicate things.

1-2 month visit - is a very long visit, especially for a first visit to the UK (if this is the case) and if she has no family in the UK. 2 weeks will be more than enough to see major tourist destinations in the UK and spend some time with friend. She will get a multy entry visa, so she can come and go as many times as she wants. She should not spend extensive periods in the UK.

The main rule is that prospective visitor has to prove to HO that she is not intended to stay in the UK, she will return back to her country and she can fund her trip to the UK. Therefore, the evidence of work/family/property ties to the country of origin would suffice. Please read more here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... ersion.pdf