Family visitor visa or general visa

Hi everyone
I am currently an international student in the UK. I would like to invite my mother to visit me over summer, based on gov.uk website I have two options available to get a visa for my mother, general visitor visa or family visitor visa.

well the confusing part is that it says if you are inviting a family member you should apply for a family visitor however in the requirement for family visitor visa it says that the person who is inviting must be permanently settled but I do not know what it exactly means by permanently settle because I currently have a student visa which is valid till end of my degree (5 years in total) .

Does this mean I have to apply for general visitor visa or because I have a very long visa I could also apply for family visitor visa?

I would be grateful if anyone with similar experience could help me with this.

Many thanks

Reply 1

username1166418

Hi there. I am an immigration paralegal so can hopefully advise you correctly. In order for your mother to be applying for a family visit visa, you must show a family relationship. You are the son so you meet the requirement however since you are on a student visa you are not a british citizen and neither are you permanently settled here in the UK with IDLR. This is a requirement you must meet if your mother applies for the family visit visa. Since this requirement is not met, your mother will have to apply for a general visit visa. The main thing you have to satisfy the Home Office of is that your mother has reason to return to her home country and does not intend to become an overstayer in the UK. Visit visa decisons are usually fairly quick however these days the Home Office are becoming more and more difficult when granting these applications. I would suggest the best option would be to get a solicitor to submit the application on your behalf. I hope this helps. :smile: