Do I Need A Visa For Uk From Usa

If you are going to travel from the US to the UK, you definitely need a visa. In fact, US citizens and nationals have special travel visa requirements for the UK. This page will help you determine if you need a visa for the UK. If you are going to visit family or friends in the UK, it will help you figure out if you need a visitor’s visa or tourist visa for the UK What is a Visa?

One of the questions expats often get from their friends and relatives back home is if they need a visa to go to the UK. It is understandable why they ask, given the fact that many people have no idea how to obtain one. What’s more, there are also many misconceptions about visas and immigration in general, thus forcing people to come up with all sorts of odd questions.

Do I Need A Visa For Uk From Usa

Visas (short for “Visitor’s Visa”) is a United States alien immigration document which allows you to leave the country and return. The type of visa, and required documentation varies depending on the purpose of your travel. A United States visa issued by a US consular officer at a US Embassy or consulate abroad authorizes you to travel to the United States and apply for entry. Depending on your nationality, visa class, travel document type, and planned activities while in the United States, the time it takes to receive a visa may vary from several weeks to several months, or even longer if there are more processing and paperwork errors with your application. For example, if you want to obtain U.S. visitor visas for your immediate family; it’s estimated that it will take 3 months from when you submit each application until you receive your visas. This is because there will be typically many people submitting applications at once so officials need sufficient time to process each application.

Complete the Online Application form

After determining whether you need to apply for a UK visa from the US you can begin the application process. To begin the application process for a UK visa you need to fill the online application form, by submitting correct and honest information and then pay the visa application fees. If the information in the application form doesn’t comply with the information in the other required documents, your application will be rejected.

Compile the document file

To apply for a UK visa from USA, Green card holders must provide the following documents:

• Completed UK visa application form.
• Two UK visa photographs that are taken within the past six months.
• Your valid Passport. It must be valid for three more months beyond the date you plan to leave the UK after your trip. It must also have at least one blank page for the visa.
• A receipt that confirms you have paid the fees as required.
• Translations of documents that are not in English or Welsh.
• Proof of US status.  Which might be either an Original Alien Registration Card (Green Card) or an Original US Visa
• Proof that you have purchased round trip flight booking on your planned dates of travel from the US.
• Employment Letter. This is a confirmation that you are the employee of a company which has approved your dates of the leave.
• Proof of Accomodation in the UK:
  • Letter of Invitation for UK visa – if you are planning to stay over at friends or family members, then your host must write you a letter which includes the length of your stay, the address and also the contact information of your host among others.
  • Hotel Confirmation – if you plan to stay at a hotel instead, then a hotel booking confirmation must be submitted.
• Proof of means of subsistence. The applicant will have to submit proof that they are financially capable to maintain themselves during their whole stay in the UK. This includes bank statements not older than three days, pay slips, and other types of evidence for your income as rental income, etc. If you are coming to the UK under some program that will financially support you then you’ll have to submit evidence for that.
• Tuberculosis Test Results. Nationals of several world countries will need to submit the requests of a Tuberculosis Test in order to be eligible for a UK Visa. Check here if you need to provide the TB test results.
• Biometric information. If you are applying for a visa that lets you stay in the UK for more than 6 months, you will need to submit your biometric information. This includes giving your fingerprints and a digital photograph taken at the appropriate application center.

Book an appointment for Biometrics

Then you will have to schedule an appointment at one of 130+ Application Support Centers (ASCs) throughout the United States for Biometric testing. At this appointment, you will have your digital image taken and also a digital scan of all ten fingers. The earliest you can submit your visa application with all of the required documents is one or one and a half days after and the latest 2 weeks after biometric submission.

At the appointment you should have with you:

• your current passport.
• a print out of your application form.
• a copy of your biometric confirmation receipt.

Children under the age of 5 are exempt from having their fingerprints taken.

Attend the visa interview at the UK Embassy/Consulate in the United States

After gathering every required document, then you will have to send them to the British Consulate General in New York via mail or registered travel agent. Put your passport, application form, and the other documents in an envelope. Arrange them according to the checklist and do not staple any of them.

Non-settlement applications should be submitted to the British Consulate General in New York under the following address:

UK Visas and Immigration
British Consulate General
845 Third Avenue
New York
10022

Settlement applications

Settlement applications are done within the United Kingdom and should be submitted here:

International Operations and Visas
6 Millsands
Vulcan House
Sheffield
S3 8NH
United Kingdom

Whether your application gets approved or not, you will, however, have to provide a fully addressed prepaid electronic shipping label inside the package with your documents. Keep a copy of the way-bill for your records.

Types of UK Visa From USA for Green Card Holders

For Green Card holders the first step towards a successful visa application is to decide what kind of visa they need to enter the United Kingdom. Before scheduling an appointment and starting to gather the required documents, check out the list of UK visa types, and try to figure out which visa fits you.

A US applicant can enter the United Kingdom under one of the following visas:

UK Business visa from USA

The UK Business visa category has been established with the sole purpose of attracting successful business people to come and invest in the UK together with their families, ranging from investors, to entrepreneurs and more. To apply for these visas, the applicant must provide the following:

• Short CV.
• Letters of support from a UK based organization, institution or company.
• Letters of recommendation from recognized experts.
• Examples of recent significant media recognition.
• Proof of having won international awards for excellence.
• Proof of appearances, performances, publications or exhibitions in last 5 years.
• A UK-recognized bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD awarded before your date of endorsement.

UK Work visa from USA

The UK work visa is especially for high-end professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for shorter or longer periods. To apply for a UK work visa from USA you must have:

• A job offer in the UK that cannot be filled by the local or the EU workforce;
• A sponsorship letter (an employer, regional administrator, local authority who holds a valid Tier 2 Sponsorship License)

UK Visitor visa from USA

The UK visitor visa is a visa issued to US residents that wish to enter and stay in the UK for tourism or family visit for periods shorter than six months This visa is for travelers that are not citizens of a country that has a visa facilitation agreement with the UK. Visitors are prohibited from getting a job inside UK with this type of visa, just as with many other types.

UK Transit visa from USA

The UK transit visa is for foreigners who are not from the EEA or Switzerland, and are using the UK as a transit country to pass from another country to their destination. This visa offers the opportunity to apply for a long-term transit visa if the applicant has enough evidence that he needs to travel regularly through UK to arrive at their destination, but has no intention to stay or live there permanently. To apply for a UK transit visa in the US you must provide:

• Booked travel tickets confirmed.
• Confirmation from travel agent.
• Document to confirm being permitted to entry the other country.
• Visa for the other country (if required).
• Document to confirm being permitted to entry the other country.
• Documents to confirm the reason for traveling to the other country.

UK Family Visa from USA

The UK family visas type is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and want to join them for more than six months, as their dependents. The dependents can be husband or wife (spouse), partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, children, parents, other family members.

UK Student Visa from USA

The UK student visas are issued to prospective students that plan on enrolling in UK educational institutions, such as universities and schools. To apply for a student visa you must provide the following:

• Parents’ or legal guardian letters (if under 18)
• Criminal record certificate
• A valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Clearance Certificate issued by the Foreign and the Commonwealth Office, the Department of the Counter-Proliferation Department.
• Confirmation Letter From the Official Financial Sponsor

Temporary Visa for Refugees and Stateless persons in USA

Eligible for this visa are only the people who are about to enter in the UK and are at the borders because had to leave their country as their life was seriously threatened. The application for this visa is made from within the UK. To apply for such a visa, you must provide the following documents:

• Registration with the police – police registration certificate.
• Birth certificate.
• Marriage certificate.
• Education certificate.
• Medical documents – if suffering from any medical condition.
• Documents to confirm the home address in the UK.