How to Get a Visa for the UK (including Business Visa)

By being one of the business hubs of the world, it's highly likely that you'll need to travel to London if you're in the corporate world. In fact, if you work at an international company, it's not far-fetch to dream of actually living and working in the UK in general. Many people become British citizens because they had to move there for work. And several more people fall in love with the country during their first few business trips there. But, of course, like any other country, you'll need a visa just to even be allowed to exit the airport. And here's how you can get it.

 

The Two Main Types of UK Business Visas

First thing's first, it's important that you know what type of UK business visa you'll need to get. Unbeknownst to many out there, there are actually two kinds: the Standard Visitor Visa and the Long-Term Visitor Visa. The former, similarly to a standard tourist visa, allows you to stay in the UK for up to 6 months at a time. The latter, on the other hand, allows you to return to the UK (for up to 6 months at a time) for up to 10 years. Find out how often you're going to need to go to the UK in order to determine which type will fit you better! 

 

Valid Reasons for Getting a  UK Visa

The UK is one of those glimmering countries that seem to offer a lot of opportunities. And because of such, many people would want to come and live there. However, and especially recently, the UK has become stricter in determining which people they grant their visas to. Particularly with business visas, they have specific standards upon which your reason should raise to if you want to be granted a UK visa. Among the more common ones include attending a business conference or meeting, doing academic research, or becoming part of the country's healthcare system. If you're an artist, you'll also need to show proof that you're scheduled to perform or show your works in the country too. 

 

 

Requirements for a UK Visa

Now for the hard part. In order to even start your application for a UK business visa, you'll need to submit some requirements. Apart from the usual birth certificate and passport, you'll need to show documents that prove to the British embassy in the country of your true objectives of visiting the UK. Firstly, you'll need to show proof of your financial stability, which can be in the form of bank statements and the like. What will also help here is your certificate of employment, which itself is another requirement. And in relation to this, you'll also need to show proof of the meeting/business conference you're attending if that is your objective in the UK.

 

Afterward, you'll need to show that you already have a place in the UK to stay at. Proof of accommodations will not only show the embassy where you'll stay during your trip, but a check-out date will prove that you truly intend to return to your country. Fortunately, there are a lot of luxurious UK accommodations you can check out and reserve even before your trip. And finally, you'll need more proof of your objective of traveling to the UK, which can come in the form of an invitation to your business conference or an official letter from the company that ha invited you over for a meeting.

 

 

The Fees You Need to Pay

Unfortunately, as if traveling to the UK isn't expensive enough, the application fee to getting the visa to be allowed to go there can also be pricey. The lowest, for now, is at £93 for a standard six-month business visa. For a long-term type of visa, a 2 year-duration costs £350, a 5-year-duration is at £636, and for a maximum of ten years, it's a whopping £798. There are also fees if you need your application to be prioritized by the embassy. To get an answer within 5 days of submitting your requirements, that will cost you £212. And if you need it within a day, you'll need to pay £956. 

 

Final Important Things to Note

Even before gathering up your requirements, it's important that you first visit the British embassy in your country or its official website (and the UK government's official website too, just to be sure!)to understand the process of the application. It differs from one country to another, and so your experience of applying for a UK visa can be drastically different than that of your colleague from another country. With that said, it's also important that you keep updated with news, particularly concerning the UK. Stay alert of changes to the process or even the list of requirements that the British government might impose while you're in the middle of your application. 

 

 

Don't miss out on your next big career move and visiting the beautiful country that is the UK! Before preparing for your trip here, you'll need to apply for a visa to allow you to enter the country! Know what you need for the process and understand it better to ensure that you get approved!