Urgent!! [When to depart from the UK]

[t-bag]

Hi all, is there a timeline after the visa has been issued to depart FOR the UK?? I heard it was 3 months otherwise the visa becomes invalid, but my borther just told me it was 28 days????? I'm confused!! Any help??

[whirly]

Hi all, is there a timeline after the visa has been issued to depart FOR the UK?? I heard it was 3 months otherwise the visa becomes invalid, but my borther just told me it was 28 days????? I'm confused!! Any help??

What kind of visa is it? Has the visa already been issued?

[Mr Rusty]

Visas are valid for entry to the UK within the dates given on the visa. I don't know of any period in which they must be presented initially. However, if, as an extreme example, someone had a 6-month visit visa and didn't travel until a few days before it expired, they could expect to be closely questioned by the Immigration Officer on arrival.

For holders of 2-year spouse visas there used to be a problem, because if they didn't travel within 28 days, they couldn't complete the 2-year qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain, for which they could only apply 28 days before the visa expired. This has been solved by an alteration in the rules to give a spouse visa for 27 months, so that the holder has 3 months in which to travel and still do 2 years to qulaify for ILR.

This probably explains the "3 months" and "28 days" mentioned in the OP. If you have a spouse visa you do have 3 months in which to travel and stay on track for ILR.