If you are not from the countries included on the visa-exemptions, then you will have to apply for a UK visa. UK visas are issued for different purposes like visit, to work, to study, to enter the UK for medical treatment, to join family in the UK, to start a business in UK. There are various visas like UK visit visa, UK student visa, UK skilled worker visa, UK spouse visa, UK child visa, UK business visit visa, UK expansion worker visa, UK ancestry visa and many more.

Broadly there are two categories of visas non settlement visas and settlement visas. Each visa will also vary by length of permission depending on the reason it is applied for.

There are various types of visas such as UK work visa, UK student visa, UK family visa, UK business visa, UK tourist visa, UK transit visa.
If you have lived in the UK for a longer duration you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain. This is a crucial step toward obtaining British citizenship.

Below are the steps involved in the process of UK visa application.

Step 1: Find out if you need a visa to travel to the UK
Step 2: Choosing the right UK visa type
Step 3: Apply on Gov.uk
Step 4: Organising the required documents
Step 5: Biometric appointment

Depending on your nationality, you might not need a UK visa. Before visiting England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, you won’t need to apply for a UK visa if you are:

• A national of the European Union
• A national of Switzerland
• A national of Commonwealth countries

The majority of the British visa application procedure, including the prerequisites, are determined by your intended reason for entering the United Kingdom. The kind of visa you require depends on why you are visiting the UK.

It is important to fill in the correct online application form on https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa

You must include some mandatory documents with your UK visa application in order to further strengthen your case.

Upon submitting your application, you will have to book an appointment to enrol your biometric and submit the necessary documents to support your application.
Once you’ve scheduled an online appointment, print the email that confirms the appointment details and bring it, together with the necessary paperwork, to the UK visa application centre of your choice.

It is important to be careful throughout the application process as even small mistakes can lead to your application being rejected by the UK Home Office.

The major reasons for refusals are as follows

1. When the mandatory documents have not been submitted
2. When an application has been submitted on wrong visa category
3. Not meeting the requirements of the specified visa
4. Submission of fraudulent documents
5. Documents not in proper format
6. Non-disclosure of previous immigration issues
7. Criminal records

Whilst the UK Home Office evaluates each visa application on its own merit. It is important to understand that the caseworker will review the reasons of the previous visa refusal to check if it is relevant to the current UK visa application that is being made.

For instance, if you have previously been refused UK visit visa and are applying for new UK visit visa then the caseworker will evaluate the application to check if the current UK visit visa application meets the specific requirement and the reasons of the previous application have been addressed.

However, if you have had a UK visa application refused on account of false documents or false representations it is likely that there is a country ban in place, this would mean all applications will fall for refusal during the ban period. A visa refusal is not sufficient reason for an application to be automatically rejected, especially if the reasons for refusal are sufficiently addressed in the new application.

It is always a best practice to disclose in the current application that you have been refused a visa in the past. Non-disclosure of refusals will have adverse effects on your current application.