- Letter of Invitation for UK visa – if you are planning to stay over at friends or family members, then your host must write you a letter which includes the length of your stay, the address and also the contact information of your host among others.
- Hotel Confirmation – if you plan to stay at a hotel instead, then a hotel booking confirmation must be submitted.
Book an appointment for Biometrics
Then you will have to schedule an appointment at one of 130+ Application Support Centers (ASCs) throughout the United States for Biometric testing. At this appointment, you will have your digital image taken and also a digital scan of all ten fingers. The earliest you can submit your visa application with all of the required documents is one or one and a half days after and the latest 2 weeks after biometric submission.
At the appointment you should have with you:
- your current passport.
- a print out of your application form.
- a copy of your biometric confirmation receipt.
Children under the age of 5 are exempt from having their fingerprints taken.
Attend the visa interview at the UK Embassy/Consulate in the United States
After gathering every required document, then you will have to send them to the British Consulate General in New York via mail or registered travel agent. Put your passport, application form, and the other documents in an envelope. Arrange them according to the checklist and do not staple any of them.
Non-settlement applications should be submitted to the British Consulate General in New York under the following address:
UK Visas and Immigration
British Consulate General
845 Third Avenue
New York
10022
Settlement applications
Settlement applications are done within the United Kingdom and should be submitted here:
International Operations and Visas
6 Millsands
Vulcan House
Sheffield
S3 8NH
United Kingdom
Whether your application gets approved or not, you will, however, have to provide a fully addressed prepaid electronic shipping label inside the package with your documents. Keep a copy of the way-bill for your records.
Types of UK Visa From USA for Green Card Holders
For Green Card holders the first step towards a successful visa application is to decide what kind of visa they need to enter the United Kingdom. Before scheduling an appointment and starting to gather the required documents, check out the list of UK visa types, and try to figure out which visa fits you.
A US applicant can enter the United Kingdom under one of the following visas:
UK Business visa from USA
The UK Business visa category has been established with the sole purpose of attracting successful business people to come and invest in the UK together with their families, ranging from investors, to entrepreneurs and more. To apply for these visas, the applicant must provide the following:
- Short CV.
- Letters of support from a UK based organization, institution or company.
- Letters of recommendation from recognized experts.
- Examples of recent significant media recognition.
- Proof of having won international awards for excellence.
- Proof of appearances, performances, publications or exhibitions in last 5 years.
- A UK-recognized bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD awarded before your date of endorsement.
UK Work visa from USA
The UK work visa is especially for high-end professionals from other countries who wish to work and live in the UK for shorter or longer periods. To apply for a UK work visa from USA you must have:
- A job offer in the UK that cannot be filled by the local or the EU workforce;
- A sponsorship letter (an employer, regional administrator, local authority who holds a valid Tier 2 Sponsorship License)
UK Visitor visa from USA
The UK visitor visa is a visa issued to US residents that wish to enter and stay in the UK for tourism or family visit for periods shorter than six months This visa is for travelers that are not citizens of a country that has a visa facilitation agreement with the UK. Visitors are prohibited from getting a job inside UK with this type of visa, just as with many other types.
UK Transit visa from USA
The UK transit visa is for foreigners who are not from the EEA or Switzerland, and are using the UK as a transit country to pass from another country to their destination. This visa offers the opportunity to apply for a long-term transit visa if the applicant has enough evidence that he needs to travel regularly through UK to arrive at their destination, but has no intention to stay or live there permanently. To apply for a UK transit visa in the US you must provide:
- Booked travel tickets confirmed.
- Confirmation from travel agent.
- Document to confirm being permitted to entry the other country.
- Visa for the other country (if required).
- Document to confirm being permitted to entry the other country.
- Documents to confirm the reason for traveling to the other country.
UK Family Visa from USA
The UK family visas type is for people who have family members working and living in the UK and want to join them for more than six months, as their dependents. The dependents can be husband or wife (spouse), partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, children, parents, other family members.
UK Student Visa from USA
The UK student visas are issued to prospective students that plan on enrolling in UK educational institutions, such as universities and schools. To apply for a student visa you must provide the following:
- Parents’ or legal guardian letters (if under 18)
- Criminal record certificate
- A valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Clearance Certificate issued by the Foreign and the Commonwealth Office, the Department of the Counter-Proliferation Department.
- Confirmation Letter From the Official Financial Sponsor
Temporary Visa for Refugees and Stateless persons in USA
Eligible for this visa are only the people who are about to enter in the UK and are at the borders because had to leave their country as their life was seriously threatened. The application for this visa is made from within the UK. To apply for such a visa, you must provide the following documents:
- Registration with the police – police registration certificate.
- Birth certificate.
- Marriage certificate.
- Education certificate.
- Medical documents – if suffering from any medical condition.
- Documents to confirm the home address in the UK.
UK Visas in the Points Based System
The Points Based System is the means of regulating immigration to the United Kingdom, which evaluates visa candidates based on the points they can gather by meeting visa requirements. Each visa requirement has its points, and there is an appointed number of points the candidate should gather in order to receive the visa.
There are 5 different of visas based in the Points-Based System:
- Tier 1 Visas – For highly-skilled professional foreigners.
- Tier 2 Visas – Skilled foreign workers with a job offer in a shortage area.
- Tier 3 Visas – For low-skilled foreign workers with a temporary job offer in a shortage area (This type of visa has never been implemented since it has been assessed that the UK has already enough low-skilled workers.)
- Tier 4 Visas – Foreign students and specialists.
- Tier 5 Visas – Youth mobility and temporary foreign workers.
Priority, Super Priority, and Premium UK Visa Services
These are optional visa services for which the applicant has to pay an extra fee in order to get an answer on their application within a shorter period of time.
These services can be used by applicants applying for one of the below-listed visa types:
- Tourist and short stay (visitor) visas
- Points-based system Tier 2 and Tier 5 applicants with authority to be living in the United States
- Point-based system Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) if you are currently in the US for a similar purpose to take up in the United Kingdom
- Points-based system Tier 5 (Temporary worker – Creative and Sporting) if currently in the USA for a similar purpose to take up in the UK
- Points-based system Tier 4 student visas – for applicants who are resident in the USA and are subject to different document requirements under Tier 4 of the Points-based system
