As a wandering tourist who is just starting to discover the beauty and wonders of a new country like the UK, you must consider whether visitors can stay in the country for good. If so, then how can you do it?
You see, the concept of visas, especially tourist visa, can be both simple and complex. This will depend on your initial purpose for an application. It’s simple if you solely want to visit the UK for personal needs, but it can start to get complicated if you’re going to stay permanently with your existing documents.
So, the final question is, can tourists stay in the UK permanently? Read the following sections for the answer to your what’s and how’s.
Specifications of a Tourist Visa
A tourist visa, also known as a visitor visa, is permitted to non-EU and non-UK nationals to allow them to go to the UK temporarily. Take note of the word temporarily. This can be for short-term business or school, marriage, family visitation, or a simple vacation.
Before we proceed to answer the question, let us first walk you through the specifications of a tourist or visitor visa in the UK. See below:
- Maximum Stay Period: 6 Months
- Length of Stay for Medical Needs: 11 Months
- Application Date: 3 Months Before Departure
Here are some of the allowed activities that you can participate in:
- Holiday Visits
- Family visits
- Business Reasons
- Sports Participation
- 30-Day Study
- Civil Partnership to Marriage Ceremonies
On the other hand, here are some things that you should avoid doing:
- Employment Work (Paid or Unpaid)
- Permanently Living in the UK
- Availing of Benefits of Public Funds
- Marriage (If without a Marriage Visa)
Partaking in the above tasks may lead to legal matters and consequences, such as being banned from the country, removal of your documents’ validity, and likes.
Can Tourists Stay in the UK Permanently?
Based on the information about the inclusions of a visitor visa, the short answer to whether tourists can stay in the UK permanently or not is a hard no. In special cases, you can stay for 11 months at most. You can’t stay longer than the period you applied for.
For those that want to look into staying in the UK for good, then you should consider availing of a tourist legal help. Doing so will let you work your way around permanent residency without worrying about legal issues.
What Will Happen if You Overstay as a Tourist?
Overstaying, no matter if it’s subject to a tourist visa or any other, is considered a criminal offence in the UK. Doing so will lead to legal issues, specifically:
- Jail Time
- Work Suspension
- At least a 1-Year Ban on Entering the Country
- Restricted Immigrant/Tourist Rights (Except for Emergency Services)
- Deportation
Apart from these consequences, note that your reputation as a traveller will also be tarnished. You may have trouble applying for a new visa or renewing your travel documents in the future. Taking these into account, it’s a must that you keep track of your valid stay period. Most importantly, you should avoid permanently staying in the country without proper guidance.
What Visa is Needed to Live in the UK Permanently?
Any long-term visa is valid to be subject to a permanent stay in the UK. These include, but are not limited to:
- Work Visa
- Family Visa
- UK Ancestry Visa
- Marriage Visa
- K3 Visa
Once you have these visas, you can turn to the UK’s immigration office and ask for methods to live in the UK permanently. Notice how the tourist visa isn’t included in the list. This is because it’s classified as more of a short-term permit rather than a long-term one.
How Can Tourists Stay in the UK For Good?
Although you can’t directly stay in the UK for good as a tourist, there is still another way to permanently be a resident in the country. There are a lot of methods, but the most efficient one is an Indefinite Leave for tourists.
An Indefinite Leave to Remain is a status given to eligible immigrants. This permit will let them stay in the country for an unspecified time. By this, it means that there will be no time restrictions as to how long you can live in the UK. It also provides legality to studying, working, and touring around the state. This will be valid for 2 years, and you just need to renew it if you want to stay longer.
The said status, though, is not enough. It’s merely a path towards complete citizenship and residency. The key is to collect a sufficient amount of time until you can apply for permanent settlement. Once your application gets approved, you can expect to be able to enjoy the benefits of living in the UK.
Summary
To sum it up, tourists can’t directly stay in the UK permanently if they use their current visa. They need to go through additional processes such as applying for a long-term visa, claiming eligibility for an Indefinite Leave to Remain, and then applying for permanent residency.
The process is indeed long and will require a lot of time, money, and effort. The good thing is you can expect a complete guarantee over results.