UK QUICK VISA GUIDE
Don't know which UK visa you can apply for, here's the quick guide to help you decide.
Tier 1
General
Pass mark of 75, you must have a Masters' degree, speak English and earn a minimum of £20k.
Post-Study Work :
For those studying in the UK and those on Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme (SEGS), International Graduates Scheme (IGS) or Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme (FT:WISS), who want to switch into the post-study work category.
Entrepreneur :
Have £200k in a regulated bank account to be spent in the UK
Investor
Have a minimum of £1m and personal assets of £2m.
Tier 2
Work Permit
Must have a job offer from a UK company and score a minimum of 50 points based on education and earnings.
Change of employment
Must have a job offer from a UK company and score a minimum of 50 points based on education and earnings.
Intra-company Transfer (ICT)
For overseas employees of a multi-national company to transfer to a UK office.
Tier 4
UK Student visa
Must have a visa letter from the UK education provider, must provide evidence of maintenance fees and living expenses.
Tier 5
Creative and Sport Workers
Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS)
For adults aged 18-30 from Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
Family visas
Marriage visa
Have to be 21 and able to support yourselves.
Fiancé visa
Must be 21 and can prove you intend to marry within six months.
Dependency visa
Must be a Mother, Grandmother, Father or Grandfather and meet certain criteria. In some cases parents or Grandparents under 65 qualify. Additionally, son, daughter, sister, brother, aunt or uncle under 18 sometimes qualify.
De facto visa
For unmarried partners with settled status or ILR who want to bring their partner to join them in the UK.
Ancestry visa
For Commonwealth citizens whose grandparent was born in the UK (or Republic of Ireland before March 1922).
Tourist visa
Covers a visit to the UK for up to 6 months, also covers business trips and medical treatment.
Citizenship
Indefinite Leave to Remain
Commonly known as UK residency, you normally need to have a minimum of 4 or 5 years continuous residence in the UK on the same visa (the amount of years depends on which visa you are on).
UK Citizenship
Be 18 or over, have lived in the UK for at least five years, have not spent more than 450 days outside of the UK in the past five years, have not spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months, have not broken any immigration rules in the last five years.
Miscellaneous
UK Visa Extension
Depending on what type of visa you are on in the UK you may be able to extend it.