What are the types of UK visas that I can apply for?

The United Kingdom has long been a strong magnet for migrants and travelers alike through the ages. Great Britain has had a strong historical connection, brought on by colonization, with many countries around the world, and these unofficial ties continue to endure to this day. Apart from this, the UK exerts a strong influence in the arena of arts, culture, education, lifestyle and many other areas. These are attractive to many people, and hence, the country figures on the wish list of many a migrant and tourist alike.

However, before you decide to make a trip to the UK, you must first understand the 

UK visa application formalities. There are several types of UK visas – picking the right one depends on the duration of your visit and purpose of stay. Broadly, you can consider the following categories of UK visas:

Work visas:  General (currently closed), Investor, Entrepreneur, Graduate Entrepreneur, Skilled talent, Post Graduate work (currently closed)

Work permit or Certificate of Sponsorship: General, Company transfers (from one location to UK-based one)

Other work categories: Youth mobility scheme, creative participation and sporting visas, Government authorized exchange, charity worker, religious worker, international agreement.

Study visas: Student visas, student visitor (limited duration in terms of days or weeks), Doctoral extension scheme

Family visas: Visas obtained by way of ties with spouse, fiancé, dependent citizen, unmarried partners and ancestry.

UK Tourist visa: Standard (not similar to business, academic, family and general visa), permitted paid engagement (for those invited to UK for lectures and speaking assignments, for example), short term study.

Getting your UK tourist visa is easy if you follow the procedures and file your paperwork diligently. You must have a valid passport and bank statements to prove that you can finance your trip to the UK comfortably. At least one page in your passport must be blank (last page is not considered) on both sides while applying for the UK visa.

The UK visa application formalities also include furnishing information on your travel dates and itinerary, your place of stay in UK, your overall travel expenses, permanent residential address, details of parents’ address and contact numbers, your annual income, details of persons accompanying you on the trip, details of trip sponsor (if any) and details of relatives or friends based in the UK. 

4 things you need to know about living in the UK

It is said that if you want fun and warmth, you can go anywhere in the world but if you’re looking for whimsy, just go to the UK. The country is a curious dichotomy of tradition and modernity, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find the level of discipline and reverence for history that the average British person exhibits, anywhere else in the world. This is one of the few countries where the rural economy thrives as well as its urban counterpart, and where wholesome outdoor exercise and a simple country life sit cheek by jowl with a pulsing, exciting city life.

But don’t take our word for it – just get a UK visa and take a trip around UK to experience this wonderful country yourself. We leave you with just four of the many interesting facets about life in the UK, so that you know what to expect on your travels.

1. The food is great and wholesome. Though the Brits do not favour the use of spices in their food all that much, the fare is still tasty and fulfilling. In fact, the pubs and restaurants in England offer some of the most excellent food that you will find anywhere in the world, and they also stock the best wines and spirits. Many single people in the UK routinely meet at pubs with friends and proceed to have dinner there before turning in for the night. There are also many nightclubs and discos, and the nightlife is quite exciting.
   
   
2. You could lose your job but still pay rent. The Government of the UK follows a welfare system that takes care of all nationals in every possible way. Chief among these is that the Government pays the rent on your home if you are faced with a salary cut or if you are laid off by your workplace. Even those living in tony UK neighbourhoods can avail of aid for rent. However, this aid does not take care of mortgage payments and home loans.
   
   
3. The country is known for its arts. The UK is home to some of the modern world’s best known writers, musicians and actors, and the country is replete with the highest quality of theatre, cinema and television shows. You can regularly go to the opera, indulge your love of classical music and great literature, and take a trip across scenic moors in the country to find the homes and birthplaces of some of the country’s best playwrights and actors.
   
   
4. The UK has the smartest cabbies in the world. On your tourist trails in the UK, you may have noticed how intelligently the cabbies navigate busy junctions and get you to your destination in the least possible time. Their mental acuity comes from an exhaustive six-month testing and preparatory process for taxi drivers, which covers everything from etiquette to road directions and memorising all the routes they ply on. Only about a fourth of applicants get through the exams and receive their license. Cabbies in the UK are under oath to never swindle customers and to take the shortest routes to the end destination.

Plus, your UK visa application should be processed without interminable delays – the visa application offices are known to be prompt with paperwork.

An English sojourn and mind-broadening travels

Indians have a curious affinity for England – there is still an uneasy bond forged over the British ruling the Indians, and many Indians becoming prosperous early settlers in England over the last century. A shared ethos, transport system and justice structure combine to make Indians curious about present-day England.

An English sojourn is a delightful experience that every serious traveller must check off his bucket list. Apart from being beautiful, quaint and contemporary all at once, it offers superlative entertainment of the cerebral variety. England is steeped in tradition but has a forward looking outlook towards commerce and infrastructure – so while you can go see a fictional address of a fictional detective preserved for posterity (at Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes was supposed to have lived) you also find the best in tube and road transport services here.

Book your UK visa from India and get the best flight tickets for a lengthy cross-country holiday across England. Your UK visa is your gateway to the most amazing holiday you will have this year. If you are looking for some pointers on what you can expect from your UK trip, allow us to expound on:

The best museums and art galleries - England truly believes in the refinement of the senses through visual art, and hence, there are several prominent art galleries, museums and pop-up art installations to see all year. The best part is, many of these are free to view and open to all at many spots. You can also find the best libraries and general reading rooms in this country – the British are huge proponents of learning!

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

William Morris Gallery

The best food joints. The food cultures of the world truly unite in London where the most celebrated chefs from around the world have set up restaurants, hotels and cafes. So if you can eat Pad Thai noodles on a street corner, you can walk into a posh Indian restaurant at the next. However, be sure to sample the most famous English fish and chips (which is normally a takeaway meal) on your trip.

Source : www.timeout.com

The best shopping experiences. Every Englishman knows where to go when he wishes to shop – there are places to head to for clothes, knick knacks, shoes, accessories, and even electronics. You can spend a day at such exclusive shopping establishments as Harrods and Sears, while also buying a bouquet of peonies on the waterfront.

Source : www.visitlondon.com

                               

The best outdoors. The English moors have often been immortalized in several books and films on the country, because these brooding, vast open spaces have been the sporting and walking grounds of the British over the ages. You can find a wide variety of parks, zoos, jogging tracks, outdoor swimming areas etc. all over the country, so bear this element in mind when you’re bored of your hotel room during your trip. You can get tickets to Wimbledon if you’re buying a UK visa for July this year.

The best accommodation options. England offers a variety of stay options for the traveller. Besides, most streets bear maps of the immediate vicinity, while the cabbies are trained to take customers to their desired location in the least possible time. So there is hardly a question of you losing your way.

Plan a trip to watch your favorite English football club play live

It’s all very well to sit up late at night to watch English Premier League matches on the television. You may have even brought home the best LED TV to get as virtually close to the action as possible. Some of you may even head down to the local pub with a big TV to watch the matches with your friends. Whatever the setting, you love watching football matches with a group of fans cheering as lustily as you!

So just imagine how supremely awesome it would be to watch your favorite football stars battle it out on a field near you! Nothing compares to watching a football match live in England. English football fans are the most gregarious and passionate fans of the sport anywhere in the world. When their team is winning, they back their players to the finish. But when their team is faring badly, the average English fan first shows support – then comes back with brickbats!

Watching football live in a stadium full of shouting, cheering fans is a high like no other. And there is really no reason why you should miss out on this stupendous action. If you think travelling to England and paying for prime tickets is expensive, you’re partly right! But you will end up spending more if you book your flight tickets and game tickets late. So the smart thing to do is to book early.

Start by pacing your bookings, and begin with flight tickets. Most airlines offer a good discount on booking flight tickets early, so keep a lookout for match dates in the UK and book your air tickets as soon as you can. You stand to get early bird discounts or if you book UK travel packages, your tickets and stay will be accommodated together. If you are booking hotel rooms, look for cheap lodgings close to the grounds so that you won’t have to travel far. Or else look up the cab or train route to reach the venue from your digs.

Once you’ve booked your tickets, it’s time to apply for your UK visa .The procedure to book the UK Visa from India is fairly standard, and you should face no hassles while doing so. In the meantime, be on the constant lookout for online bookings of match tickets. The earlier you buy, the higher your chance of securing tickets, maybe even at a good rate.

Get your friends and/or family members to book at the same time – you might get a group discount on stay and flight tickets, too. After your bags are packed, the tickets and passport put inside your holdall and your UK visa ready, all you have to do now is take along your team’s jersey and head to the UK for the best match experience ever. A sports match is best enjoyed with a group, and when you’re watching your favorite football team take the field, it’s a memory that will stay with you for a lifetime.