Family Visitor Visa UK for Nigerians

Visit Your Family in the UK from Nigeria

We have successfully assisted numerous Nigerians in helping them with their family visit visa UK applications. If you have a relative currently living in the UK, we can support you with your application for a Family Visitor Visa. Let us handle all the complexities and make your travel plans as stress-free as possible.

Nigerian Emigration

For Nigerian emigration matters, please call +2342013438882 or +44 (0) 3316300929.

Other Immigration and Emigration Matters

For immigration/emigration to/from other countries, please call:

US –  +1 844 290 6312

Ireland –  (+353) 061 518 025

UK –  (+44) 333 4149244

Overview of the Family Visitor Visa UK

If you have a family in the United Kingdom, you can visit them and stay for up to 6 months, provided you and your family member in the UK meet the eligibility requirements. However, if you go on to visit a family member using this route, you must leave the UK on or before the visa expiry date. Also, note that you cannot extend the visa for more than 6 months or change your visa category while still in the United Kingdom.

You cannot apply for the visitor visa more than 90 days before your intended departure, but you must give the Home Office sufficient time to process your application.

Applicants will generally have to prove that there is a genuine relationship between them and their family members in the UK. Also, you must show you have sufficient funds to embark on the visit or that your family member in the UK will take care of you.

With the family visitor visa, you can take an exam, do a medical checkup, do a recreational course, tour the UK or spend time with your family member. However, you are not permitted to work (paid and unpaid), marry or claim public benefits in the UK.

Family Visitor Visa UK Requirements for Nigerians

To be eligible for a family visitor visa, you must first meet certain eligibility requirements. You should have a Nigerian (ECOWAS) passport with validity extending beyond the end of your stay. In addition to that, you must show that:

• You can financially sponsor yourself and any dependent with you on your journey. In place of this, you can show that your family member in the UK has undertaken to take care of your expenses and accommodation.
• You are financially capable of paying for your fare, to and fro. You can as well show that your family member in the UK has undertaken to pay for you.
• You will leave the UK on or before the date your visa expires.
• You will not make back-to-back visits to the UK.
• You are at least 18 years old.
• You are staying in the United Kingdom for 6 months or less.

Your family member who lives in the UK must also prove that:

• They are a UK citizen or permanent resident.
• They are under asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK.
• They have valid permits to stay in the UK.

You also have to ensure that the family member you are going to visit is your:

• Child or grandchild
• Parent or grandparents
• Spouse or civil partner
• Sibling
• Spouse’s or Partner’s parent or grandparents
• Spouse’s or partner’s siblings
• Child’s spouse or civil partner
• Step-parents, step-children or step-siblings.
• Partner who you have been in a relationship with for at least 2 years.

How to Apply

You need to apply for the family visitor visa, and your application must be made online. You must also attend a visa appointment at the visa application centre. Part of what you will do at the application centre is submit your biometrics.

In Nigeria, TLScontact handles all visa applications on behalf of UKVI. There are three TLScontact centres in Nigeria at the following locations:

• Third floor, Murkhtar El-Yakub Place beside Metro Plaza, on Plot 1129 Zakariya Maimalari Street, Central Business District, Abuja, Nigeria.
• Ground and First Floors, Etiebets Place, 21 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
• Ground Floor, Ivie House, 4/6 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Your application must start online and then end at the application centre. You must not complete your application in one sitting. You can always save the family visitor visa UK application form and return to it later.

When applying with a dependent family member, they must submit their application separately and attend their appointment at the TLScontact centre. However, if they are a child or incapacitated in some way and cannot apply for themselves, you can apply on their behalf.

Below is the process for applying for a visitor visa:

• Create an account with the UKVI.
• Fill out the application form online.
• Pay for your family visitor visa uk fees.
• Book an appointment with TLScontact centre for biometric collection and photo capture.
• Submit the required documents.

It is essential that you select the right category of visa on the Home Office’s website when applying. For example, ensure you choose a family visitor visa under the tourist visa category.

When you have paid your visa fees and booked your appointment with TLScontact centre, the UKVI will send you a confirmation email. They will also direct you to where and how to submit all your supporting documents.

If you have been a frequent visitor to the UK, you may be eligible for the long-term standard visitor visa. This visa is usually valid for 2, 5 or 10 years. However, you can stay in the UK for up to 6 months within the approved time range.

If you were under 18 when you applied for the long-term standard visitor visa, it can only be valid for 6 months after you turn 18.

The UKVI reserves the right to deny, approve or shorten your desired length of stay. They usually do the latter when they determine that you are not eligible to stay for as long as you are applying for.

The UKVI may not approve your visa if your history shows you have been coming to the UK for successive periods.

Documents and Information You’ll Need to Provide

When applying for a family visitor visa, here are the documents that you need to show:

• Your ECOWAS passport
• Your passport photographs
• Your biometric information
• The address of where you will be spending time in the UK
• Your desired date of entry and departure from the UK
• The cost of your trip to the UK
• How much your income is per year
• Your home address in Nigeria and how long you have been living there
• The name and date of birth of your family member who you are visiting in the UK
• Details of any immigration or criminal offence you have committed in the past
• The details of your travel history in the past 10 years
• The name and passport number of the family member you are visiting in the UK
• Bank statements that cover a 6-month period that shows you have enough money to take care of yourself
• Your details of flight reservation
• The address of your employer, their email and phone number
• The names, passport numbers and addresses of any of your family members in the UK
• A medical certificate showing that you are Tuberculosis free.
• The proof of address of your family member in the UK (e.g. a copy of their tenancy agreement, utility bill or council tax letter)
• An invitation letter from the family member you will be staying with showing their address, details and purpose of your visit and the relationship between you both.
• A letter from your school or employer in Nigeria that proves you intend to return home after your stay to continue schooling or working.

The TLScontact centre will take your passport and other documents and forward them to UKVI.  Your passport will be returned once a decision is made on your application.

Proving a Genuine Relationship for Family Visitor Visa

When applying for a visitor visa, one of the things that will significantly influence the Home Office’s decisions about your application is proof that you have a genuine relationship with the person you claim to be a family member with.

As a spouse or partner, you’ll need to show the following:

• You are married to a family member in the UK (you can prove this by showing a government-issued marriage certificate)
• You have been in a relationship with a family member in the UK for at least 2 years before you made the application. (You can prove this by showing a joint bank account statement, a tenancy agreement, a civil partnership certificate, proof of shared expenses, or a letter from your physician confirming your relationship with the UK-based family member).

As a parent, you’ll need to show:

• The birth certificate of the family member living in the UK. This document should have your name and theirs.
• If you adopted the UK-based family member, you’ll need to show the adoption papers.

As a child, you’ll need to show:

• Your birth certificate showing your name and the name of your UK-based parent.
• If you were adopted, you’ll need to show the adoption papers bearing your name and the name of the family member you are visiting.

Financial Requirements

You must show Home Office proof that you have enough money to care for yourself and any dependant travelling to the UK. You will also need to prove that you have taken care of your accommodation throughout your stay in the UK.

UKVI requires you to specify the address of where you will stay in the UK. This ensures that you are not breaking any public health rules regarding overcrowding.

You must prove you have enough money by showing payslips and bank statements. If your family member who you are going to visit is the one paying for your trip, they will have to show statements, payslips or an employment letter that states how much they earn.

The UKVI does not stipulate exactly how much bank statement for a UK visit visa, but you should ensure that there is provision to cater for every expense. This depends on how long you are staying and if you are travelling alone.

As a rule of thumb, you are expected to:

• Know how much your trip is going to cost. You must ensure this is accurate, as not meeting the financial requirement is a valid reason for UKVI to reject your application.
• Show how much you earn by presenting payslips, bank statements or an employment letter that states how much you make.

If you need help calculating exactly how much you need for your trip, you can reach out to an immigration lawyer for fast, expert advice. You can visit our office in Lagos, contact us online, or call our Nigerian line at +2342013438882 or our UK line at +44 (0) 3316300929.

Proving Intent to Return to Home Country After Visit

The UKVI may reject your application because they cannot determine that you will return to Nigeria after your visa expires. So, you must prove to them that you have ties back home. You can prove that you intend to come home after your stay by showing any of the following:

• A letter from your employer stating that you have a job to return to after your vacation.
• An employment contract that shows you have a job that extends beyond the period of your stay in the UK.
• A letter from your school that shows you still have an academic or research programme to complete.
• An admission letter from JAMB or your school that shows you still have an academic program running beyond the period of your stay in the UK.
• Evidence that you have a business or property you manage or own in Nigeria that needs your active supervision.

What Are the Fees and Processing Times?

Fees

A family visitor visa costs £475.

For a long-term standard visitor visa of 5 years, you have to pay £848.

For a long-term standard visitor visa of 10 years, you have to pay £1059.

You will also pay separately for any dependent child you take to the UK.

Processing Times

A family visitor visa usually takes around 3 weeks to process. Do note that your processing time starts counting after you have submitted your biometric information. You don’t need to contact UKVI if your application is still within 3 weeks. Once a decision is made on your application, you will get a mail.

Also, note that your application can take longer than 3 weeks. This is usually the case if your application is complex and you must provide more details to the Home Office.

How Can IAS Help?

The family visitor visa is one of the permits under the standard visit visa category issued by UKVI that permits people to stay in the UK for a short while.

If you want to visit a family member in the UK, or you’re considering another immigration pathway to come to the UK, IAS can help.

At IAS, we have the expertise and experience with UK immigration. We have helped many Nigerians with visa applications, immigration advice and appeals. We are ready to help you reach your goal of visiting the UK.

Whether you’re looking for help with the visitor visa requirements, unsure how to calculate how much you need to show for your visa to be approved, or need general help regarding your immigration case, we can help.

Our office in Lagos has qualified lawyers that can help you during the application process. We know how challenging it can sometimes be to apply for a visa, and we are here to help ease that burden.

For more information about the services we provide and how we can help, you reach out to a member of our team today. Call us on +2342013438882 or +44 (0) 3316300929 today.