Tourist visa for the UK from India

[ab713]

Hi All,

I understand, maximum time anyone can stay on tourist visa for the UK is 6 months but if someone wants to visit the UK again, is there any cooling off period or they can simply go back in the origin country and apply for the tourist visa for the UK again and come back to the UK?

Thank you in advance

[CR001]

The key is, they should not be spending more time in the UK than they do in their home country in any 12 month period. That would be considered using a visitor visa as a guise to reside in the UK. Also note if they apply for a visa stating they will visit for 1 month and then stay 6 months, and then apply again for another visa shortly after leaving the UK etc, this will invite a lot of scrutiny of their applications and intentions.

You cannot:

do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
claim public funds (benefits)
live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits

[secret.simon]

Also, while one can legally stay in the UK for six months on a visit visa, keep in mind that any subsequent visit visa application will be subject to closer scrutiny the closer to the six month limit the person has stayed in the UK.

So, for instance, if a person has stayed in the UK for five and a half months on a visit visa, in any subsequent visa application, they would need to give a very good explanation of why they need to visit the UK again any time soon.

If you are planning to apply for your parents' or in-laws, keep their visits short. Ration their time in the UK for special family occasions. They should not create the impression that they are residing in the UK, not merely visiting.