Visitor'S Sign In Sheet (Pdf Format, Please Print Both Pages: Fill & Download for Free

In June 2019, I applied for my UK (BIVS) short stay (6 month tourist) single entry visa by the standard process and would like to share my experience, so that this discussion is updated and relevant for those looking to apply for their UK visa from India. My UK (BIVS) visa includes travel to the Republic of Ireland: there is no extra charge for the British -Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS); if you request for it, it gets included with your UK visa.SUMMARY OF THE PROCESS:After registering on the UK government’s visa application website, you have to fill out a 12 page document. After you fill out this application and make your payment (online), you get transferred to the VFS site, where you have to upload all your documents.You have to upload at least a couple of documents to be allowed to move onto the next stage of the process (you can come back later and upload the rest of your documents).Once the documents have been uploaded, you get directed to their appointment page where you get to chose an appointment to meet a VFS official, and to hand over your passport/s, the printout of your appointment checklist sheet, and complete the biometrics.Unless you have opted for and paid for a fast track process, it will take minimum 14 working days before you get your UK visa.You need to be patient with the process as there is no way to find out about the progress of your application or what type of visa has been granted; you will only know when you receive your passport.The application process is done entirely online, so, you need a computer and a good internet connection, and for the payments: your credit card and cell phone to receive your OTP.The online application process is in two parts: first on the UK government site, and then on the VFS site.Be prepared to keep at least three hours (if not more) to fill out the forms. It will save you lots of time if you read the application process first and gather all your documentations: it just makes it easier to fill in all the details!To start the UK visa application process, you have to register on the UK government’s page for Standard Visitor visa . Your user id and password will be immediately emailed to you. This allows you to take your time instead of completing your application in one sitting; you can save your details and come back to your application as often as you need to.The information they ask for is pretty straight forward. What's a pain is having to give your travel history for the past ten years: this is where being a frequent international traveller is no fun: I had to go through three passports to check the countries I had travelled to, with my entry and exit dates.COST & VALIDITY: A short stay or six month UK (BIVS) single entry visitor visa costs INR 8990/-. The BIVS stamp allows you to travel to the Republic of Ireland. Your UK tourist visa will be valid from the day before the travel date you gave on your application. For example: if you gave August 1st as the start of your travel date to enter UK, your UK visa will be valid from July 31st.DURATION: It took 21 days (16 working days) to get my passport with the UK visa. I applied from Bangalore and my VFS appointment was on June 26, 2019. The UK visa processing center for this region is in Chennai. I received a generic formatted email on July 15th, saying a decision has been made on my application and to collect my passport. My passport arrived at the Bangalore VFS center the next day, around noon.THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENT PROCESS:DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO BE UPLOADED: this is as of June 15, 2019 requirements (they keep updating or changing these requirements). PDFs work the best for uploading your attachments.COVERING LETTER: though not an application process requirement, is apparently a must to include. References for A Sample Cover Letter for Tourist Visa and How to Create One. I have seen people handwriting it at the VFS Bangalore office and then being charged to have it scanned and uploaded. If you are applying for a UK (BIVS) visa, include it in your cover letter.INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR VISIT: documents showing any plans you have made, such as:Tour details: write the details as you gave on your UK visa application with the address of your friends or hotels where you will be staying.Flight details: give your flight plans. You do not have to show a confirmed or paid ticket - just a trip itinerary. I used British Airways’ plan a trip to show my flight details.Letter of invitation: if you are staying with family or friends in the UK, you would need a letter of invite written by your host (with their UK passport details), or the wedding invite, if you are attending a friend’s wedding. Some guidance on Writing a Letter of invitation for UK VisaEvidence of sponsors immigration status in the UK: if you are staying with friends or family in the UK, you would need to include a copy of your host’s passport (they no longer have to give their financials).MONEY (either income or savings)Bank Statements - past six months. Tip: if you download your statements as a pdf from your e-account, you don’t need a bank official to stamp or sign it.Tax returns - past three years tax returns. If it pertains to you: include bank books/bank letters/ bank certificate/ crop receiptsHOME ADDRESS - documents showing where you live, such as: Property deed/mortgage statements/tenancy agreements/ accountant’s letters/ land registration documents. Your Adhaar Card, electricity bill, property tax receipt, property certificate/kathaEVIDENCE OF ASSETS - documents showing you own investments or your own property or landADDITIONAL INFORMATION - evidence of family members in your home country whilst you travel, and valid visas in your passport.Passport copies of your parents and/ or children living in India.Valid visas: add copies of valid visas in your passport and past UK visas.Tips:EFFICIENCY: If you upload all your documents yourself, all you need to take with you for your VFS appointment are your passports (including old passports) and your checklist, signed by you. You will finish the process very quickly as your checklist will have a list of all the documents you have uploaded. However, if anything is missing, VFS won't accept your application and will charge you extra to scan and upload the necessary documents. So, it would be a good idea to carry hard copies of all your documents, and cash for such emergencies.ADVANTAGE+: Your UK visa application becomes much stronger and to your advantage if you show visas for UK, USA and Australia. Apparently having a valid Schengen or Canadian visa does not influence the decision process.TRAVEL TO IRELAND ON YOUR UK (BIVS) VISA: Indian citizens can now travel to the Republic of Ireland on a single visa - all you have to do in your UK short term visa application is write that you are also travelling to the Republic of Ireland and would need a BIVS stamp with your UK short term visit visa and include your Republic of Ireland itinerary in your trip details. Keep in mind that without this BIVS extension (it comes in small print at the bottom left of your UK visa - see attached picture), you will not be allowed to enter the Republic of Ireland (don’t get confused if you travel to Belfast - its part of the UK). You do not need a multi-entry UK visa for the BIVS privileges. A single entry short stay UK visa will allow you unlimited travel between both countries until your visa is valid. With a UK (BIVS) stamp you must first enter the UK and then travel onto Ireland. You can get more information about (BIVS) British-Irish visa schemeBROWSER: Chrome can get very frustrating to use, especially when trying to upload documents. If you experience this, recommend that you work on explorer; it will make the application process much easier, as it does not hang or lock you out of the system, like I experienced using Chrome (Google, if you read this, please fix this!)AIR TICKETS: You do not have to show a confirmed/paid flight ticket for the UK application process. I booked a trip itinerary on British Airways Plan your trip ; the itinerary is emailed to you which you can upload with your documents on the VFS site.PASSPORT VALIDITY: Check the number of free pages and the expiry date of your Indian passport. You must have sufficient empty pages on your passport or your visa will not be granted (happened to a friend travelling with us). If your passport is expiring soon, and even if you have a valid UK visa (or any visa for that matter), you may not be allowed to board your international flight if your Indian passport is valid for six months or less: Do get a new passport before you travel, as it’s just not worth the risk.PHOTOS: you do not need photographs anymore for the UK visa application - biometrics have replaced this process.TRAVEL INSURANCE: was not a requirement when I applied for my UK visa.UPLOADING DOCUMENTS: do upload all the documents yourself - it’s fairly easy to do. VFS charges INR 750/- per application to scan and upload your documents, which is, in my opinion, a waste of your money and time.GETTING AN APPOINTMENT WITH VFS: Unless you want to pay for a slot, look for the black (no cost) slots which are usually in the mornings starting from 8:00 am. I found lots of available free ‘black’ slots to choose from.ENGAGING WITH VFS: Keep in mind that you will engage only with VFS executives and not UK consulate officials. The VFS executives are trained to be polite and can give limited information - they do not have access to your visa process nor can they influence the decision process. So, don't waste your time and money trying to get information from them about the progress of your visa. You just have to wait it out.COLLECTING YOUR VISA & PASSPORT: You will have no idea what kind of UK visa has been granted till you open your passport.The visa business makes money out of its ‘value added’ services. VFS charges you a fee to have your passport couriered to your home. It’s worth using this service if you are in a hurry to receive your passport, as it will be delivered to you over weekends. Otherwise, it should be delivered to your VFS center by noon, on the next working day after you receive the standard, generic email from the UK visa office. The mail does not tell you whether you have been granted a visa, or what type of visa. It just requests you to collect your passport from your VFS center, if you have not paid for it to be couriered to you. Check the VFS site for collection details and keep in mind that VFS will charge you Rs 600/- if you collect your passport after 3:00 pm. Anyone may collect your passport on your behalf. You need to handover your VFS receipt and show your identification (adhaar card would do).On July 16th, the day after I received the email to collect my passport, I went to the VFS center at 8:00 am and my passport had not yet arrived. They were kind enough to take down my phone number and called me when it arrived at noon. And, no, they did not charge for this service :)I was granted a six month multi-entry UK (BIVS) visa, validity from a day before I started my travel.