Moving to The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a country that has laws that specify who can move to the country and who can stay. People from most countries in Europe and some Commonwealth countries do not need special permission or a visa to come into the United Kingdom. Everyone else, including even those with no passport, has to get a visa first from a British Diplomatic Post in another country to come into the United Kingdom for up to 6 months. However, they must leave again and reapply from outside the country if they want to stay longer than 6 months.

People from some countries, including the United States, now need to get a visa to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months. Getting a visa requires some form of valid travel documentation, two or three color passport photos, a fee that can be paid in the local currency, an application form, and possibly supporting documents depending on the type of visa being applied for. Examples of supporting documents might be a work permit, a university acceptance letter, training certificates or diplomas, or financial statements. If the visa is denied, the applicant will receive a notice by postal mail informing him or her of the reasons.