The Home Office has updated its guidance on changes to its commercial partner for overseas visa application services. From 4 December 2024, visa application centres outside of the UK will change from TLS contact to VFS Global in some more locations. VFS Global will now operate visa application centres in these locations: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (South), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland. The guidance and the Find a visa application centre tool have been also updated for countries that have already moved across from TLS Contact to VFS.

Nationals and citizens of certain foreign and Commonwealth countries or territorial entities and stateless persons who always require a visa, as a form of entry clearance, in order to be granted leave to enter the UK.

A person who makes an official visit of inspection of an institution.

[Insert UK address of sponsor or produce the letter on official headed notepaper if the sponsor is an organisation] [Insert date] Dear [insert organisation name] Letter of support for [insert name, date of birth and nationality of applicant as per passport] applying as a standard visitor I, [insert name, date of birth, nationality and (if not British) immigration status in the UK if an individual, or name only if a representative of an organisation] am [state relationship of sponsor to applicant]. Please accept this letter in support of [insert name of applicant]’s application for leave as a visitor. I am aware that [insert name of applicant] intends to visit the UK from [insert date] to [insert date]. It is intended that [insert name of applicant] will [outline the purpose of the visit and activities to be undertaken]

[ To be typed on official letter–headed paper of the uk business ] [Address either to: Chief Immigration Officer [insert port of entry] (non-visa nationals) or Entry Clearance Officer [insert entry clearance post] (visa nationals).] [Insert date] Dear [insert organisation name] [Insert full name, date of birth and nationality of business visitor as they appear in their passport] Request for entry to the UK for a business visit This letter is provided to support the request of the above-named for permission to enter the UK under the standard visitor category for a period of [insert number of days/weeks/months]. [Insert title and last name of applicant] will be staying at [insert full address including hotel name if applicable].

This Practice Note highlights some common pitfalls associated with applications under the visitor (standard) immigration category that may lead to additional scrutiny of an application and/or its refusal. These often involve issues that may cast doubt on an applicant's credibility as a genuine visitor. Credibility Many of the requirements of this category refer to a person's subjective intentions as a genuine visitor, not to take employment, to leave at the end of the visit and not to base themselves in the UK. Establishing credibility is key for the business visitor and for one intending to undertake study. The Home Office will look at the person's overall circumstances to see if what they propose to do in the UK is consistent with other evidence. The Home Office's visit guidance provides information to Home Office officials on how to assess if an applicant is a genuine visitor. It states that the factors to be considered can include: • the applicant's immigration history in the UK and other countries • the duration of previous visits to the UK and whether these were

[ To be typed on official letter–headed paper of overseas business ] [Address either to: Chief Immigration Officer [insert port of entry] (non–visa nationals) or Entry Clearance Officer [insert entry clearance post] (visa nationals)]. [Insert date] Dear [insert organisation name] [Insert the full name, date of birth and nationality of the visitor as per passport] Request for entry to the UK for a business visit This letter is provided to support the request of the above-named for permission to enter the UK as a visitor under the standard visitor category for a period of [insert number of days/weeks/months]. I confirm on behalf of [insert name of overseas business] that [insert

The Home Office’s caseworker guidance on the Visitor route has been revised to incorporate changes made by Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 246, which came into force on 31 January 2024. A number of clarifications in addition to the changes included in the Immigration Rules are set out below.

For applications on and after 31 January 2024, there are three types of visitors: • Standard: for those seeking to undertake the activities set out in the Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, eg tourism and visiting family usually for up to six months • Marriage/Civil Partnership: for those seeking to come to the UK to marry or form a civil partnership or give notice of marriage or civil partnership, and • Transit: for those who want to transit the UK on route to another country outside the Common Travel Area and who will enter the UK for up to 48 hours by crossing the UK border From 18 February 2025 a fourth type of visitor, a ‘Diplomatic Visa Arrangement (DVA) Visitor’ route, was introduced. Diplomatic passport holders from several countries have been excepted from the visa national list, but from 18 February 2025 they are able to apply for a visitor visa, valid for up to two years, but capped at a maximum of six months per stay. Applicants require

Persons admitted to the UK for short duration visits.

The Immigration Rules contains lists of activities which are specifically prohibited and explicitly permitted for visitors. When assessing an application for entry clearance, permission to enter or stay as a visitor, the Home Office will consider whether the activities that the applicant intends to undertake amount to any of the prohibited activities or fall within the scope of the permitted activities applicable to the specific type of visitor application that has been made. Some activities are only allowed for visitors who meet additional eligibility requirements set out in the Immigration rules, Appendix V: Visitor, paras V 5.1-V 15.4. For further information, see Practice Note: Visitor: eligibility—Additional eligibility requirements for specific types of visitor applicants. Each time a visitor seeks entry at the border, unless they enter via an eGate, they will be asked to explain what they intend to do in the UK and for how long. It is expected that a visitor will have and be able to articulate one or more reasons for visiting the UK. If a person already holds

Law360, London: Courts should look at the 'overall impression' that a connector makes in the context of a broader modular system in order to decide whether the design merits intellectual property protections, an adviser to the EU's Court of Justice said on 6 March 2025 in a case that could affect how something called the 'Lego exception' applies.