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Required Documents
- Why do I need to provide documents to support my
application?
UK immigration law says that it is up to you to satisfy
the visa officer that you qualify for a visa. We aim to
make a decision on your application without interviewing
you, so it is vital that you send us the correct documents
with your application. If you do not send us the documents
we need, we may refuse your application without interviewing
you. Where possible, please send us documents, which can
be checked. For example, it can be difficult to confirm
that a mobile phone number belongs to a particular person,
whereas it is easier to confirm that a landline number
belongs to that person. Although, it may not always be
possible for you to provide these kinds of documents,
but please be aware that it will help us make the decision
if you can.
- What sort of documents do I have to show?
Everyone's circumstances are different. This is why we
don't ask for a set list of documents. We have given you
a general idea of the kinds of documents, which will help
the visa officer check that you have met the immigration
rules. It is up to you whether you send us these documents,
or different ones. It is your responsibility to make sure
that you have read the available information on the category
of visa you want to apply for. The list below does not
cover every single situation, and producing all the documents
on it will not guarantee you a visa. Please make sure
that you include all supporting papers with your application,
and don't send or fax us any papers separately.
- Will you accept photocopies of documents?
Where possible, please send original documents. We see
a lot of forged documents, and it is easier for us to
confirm that an original document is genuine, rather than
a photocopied one. We can examine original documents to
make sure that they have not been tampered with. But we
realise that some documents are too valuable for you to
want to send them with your application, for example,
a US Green Card. In these cases, please send us a good-quality
photocopy of the original. Also, please make sure that,
wherever possible, you do not laminate your documents.
- Will you accept documents which aren't in English?
If you want to send us documents, which are not in English,
we strongly advise you to get them translated beforehand.
It will help the visa officer to make a decision, if all
supporting papers have been translated into English.
- Are there any documents which you don't need to see?
Please don't send us credit cards, or original airline
tickets.
- What happens if I don't send the suggested documents?
If you have not included the documents we need to see
with your application, an official at the visa application
centre will point this out to you. She or he will also
ask you if you want to make your application, knowing
that you do not have all the documents to support it.
It is entirely up to you whether you go ahead with your
application or not. You can find more detailed information
on UK visa requirements by visiting www.britishembassy.gov.uk/ethiopia
or by contacting a VFS official.
- What if I want to apply for a visa for my child?
If your child is under 18, as part of the immigration
rules, they must also show that they have a parent or
guardian who is responsible for their care, and that they
have suitable travel and care arrangements for when they
travel to the UK. From 12th February 2006, the name of
the adult accompanying them to the UK will now be on the
visa, and the child must travel with this adult. If travel
plans change and the child will travel on its own, or
with another adult, you must apply for a new visa.
- How do I make my application?
You must make your application in person due to the requirement
to collect biometric data from all applicants. Please
allow enough time for us to process your application,
and remember that at busy times of the year, it may take
slightly longer for us to make a decision about your application.
We recommend that you do not buy your ticket before we
have issued your visa.
What documents do I need, if I want to go to the UK
on a temporary basis (this is called a non-settlement
application)?
You must provide the following documents.
- A passport, which is valid for at least six months.
The visa we place in your passport will take up one
full page, so please make sure that your passport
has at least one spare page with no stamps, visas
or endorsements on either side of the page
- Two recent passport-sized colour photos, on a white
background, 45 millimeters (2 inches) in height and
35 millimeters (1.5 to 2 inches) in width. This should
be glued, not stapled, to the application form.
- The correct fee.
- A fully filled-in and signed application form.
Please make sure you use a current form, as we cannot
accept the out-of-date versions.
You can send us the following documents.
To satisfy the visa officer that you plan to leave the
UK at the end of your visit:
- You could show evidence of your personal circumstances
in Ethiopia, for example, letters of employment, evidence
of a regular salary (if you have one) in the form
of wage slips or bank statements, and evidence of
your assets.
To satisfy the visa officer that you have enough money
to support yourself and live or stay in the UK without
working or needing any help from public funds:
- If your sponsor, employer or anyone else is supporting
you, you could show evidence of his or her immigration
status in the UK. This includes six months' itemized
bank statements, pay slips and evidence that they
are willing to pay for your stay in the UK.
- If you are paying for any part of the trip yourself,
you could show evidence of your personal circumstances
in Ethiopia, for example, letters of employment, six
months' itemized bank statements, and evidence of
your assets.
- If you are visiting the UK, you could show evidence
that you have a place to stay, for example, a hotel
reservation or a letter from your sponsor confirming
that you are staying with them.
- If you are spending a longer period of time in
the UK, for example, as a student or with a work permit,
the visa officer needs to be satisfied that you have
a place to live, that it is suitable for you and your
family, and that the person who owns or rents it is
willing to let you live there. You could do this by
providing a local-authority property report, or written
If you are going to the UK with a work permit:
- You must present the original work permit within
six months of it being issued, and travel to the UK
before the work permit expires. We cannot accept photocopies
or expired work permits.
If you are going to the UK as a student:
- You need to show that you can pay for your course,
support yourself and any dependants, and live in the
UK without working or needing help from public funds
- see the previous page.
- You need to show that you plan to leave the UK
when you complete your studies (see the previous page),
although if you are a degree student and you successfully
complete your studies, you may be able to take work-permit
employment if you meet the requirements for this.
These are detailed, so for more information, please
visit our
website.
- A good way to show your academic ability is to
provide any relevant diplomas or educational certificates
that you have. If you have a degree, it is helpful
to send us any passing certificates as well as your
degree certificate.
- A good way to show that your English is good enough
for you to follow the course is to provide an original
certificate from an organization which tests English
ability. Two such organizations are International
English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test
of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- A good way of showing that you have been accepted
and that the course meets the immigration rules is
to provide a letter from the institution confirming
this, together with a statement of charges for the
course.
- Your chosen educational establishment must be included
on the Department
for Education and Skills (DfES) Register of Education
and Training Providers.
If you are going to the UK as a dependant of someone
who is already there:
- You can show us that you are related to them by
sending us a copy of your marriage certificate. If
children are applying to join a parent in the UK,
we need to see their birth certificates.
- You can also send us evidence of their immigration
status there, for example, a copy of the work-permit
pages of their passport.
-
What documents do I need to live in the UK permanently
(this is called a settlement application)?
You must provide the following documents:
- A passport, which is valid for at least six months.
The visa we place in your passport will take up one
full page, so please make sure that your passport
has at least one spare page with no stamps, visas
or endorsements on it.
- A recent passport-sized colour photo, on a white
background, 45 millimeters (2 inches) in height and
35 millimeters (1.5 to 2 inches) in width. This should
be glued, not stapled, to the application form.
- The correct fee.
- A fully filled-in and signed application form.
Please make sure you use a current form, as we cannot
accept the out-of-date versions.
You can send us the following documents:
- To show that you are legally married to each other
or are in a civil partnership recognized in the UK
(see note below): You could show a letter from your
official sponsor, evidence of your relationship, evidence
of your sponsor's immigration status in the UK, and
a copy of your sponsor's passport.
- To show that your husband, wife or civil partner
is present and settled in the UK (see note below):
You could show a letter from your official sponsor,
evidence of your relationship, evidence of your sponsor's
immigration status in the UK, and a copy of your sponsor's
passport.
- To show that your husband, wife or civil partner
is not under 18: You could show a letter from your
official sponsor, evidence of your relationship, evidence
of your sponsor's immigration status in the UK, and
a copy of your sponsor's passport.
- To show that you both plan to live together permanently
as husband and wife or as civil partners: If your
relationship has lasted for some time, you could provide
evidence that it is ongoing, for example, letters
and phone bills.
- To show that you have met each other before: You
could show photographs, or your marriage certificate
may be enough.
- To show that you can support yourselves and any
dependants without any help from public funds: It
helps if you show evidence that you or your sponsor
(or both of you) will be supporting you. This could
include evidence of your sponsor's immigration status
in the UK, six months' itemized bank statements, evidence
of your or your sponsor's savings, your P60, or a
letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (if
relevant).
- To show that you have suitable accommodation, which
is owned or lived in only by you and your family,
and where you and your dependants can live without
any help from public funds: You could provide evidence
in the form of a letter from the mortgage company
or tenant to show that the accommodation you plan
to live in is owned outright, mortgaged or leased.
You could also provide a property inspection report,
or another independent report to show that the accommodation
is suitable for your family circumstances, for example,
that there are enough bedrooms for you all.
Note: You can find more information on what
'legally married' and 'civil partnership' mean by visiting
www.ukvisas.gov.uk.
Checklist for Settlement visa
Checklist
for Employment visa
Checklist
for Student visa
Checklist
for Visit and Transit categories
Checklist
for Right of Abode
Checklist
for Family Reunion
Genuine
Declaration Form
Bank
Form
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