Standard Visitor visa staying the full 6 months [duplicate]

My mother-in-law is currently taking care of my borther's new born baby. We applied for a 2 year Standard Visitor visa, assuming she would be stay for 6 months at a time, with a month or two break in-between coming back to South Africa.

Upon entry in the UK, border control informed her the limitation is not per visit, but she would be able to return again within the same 12 month cycle. In other words, she would have to return back to South Africa for at least 6 months before she would be able to return again to the UK.

The page explaining the visa and it's purposes, is not very clear and open to interpretation, which is why we chose the 2 year Standard Visitor visa in the first place. All information and documentation supplied supports out initial intent as well.

https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa

Question: would she be allowed back in, considering the situation, without a 6 month break?

uk standard-visitor-visas

Best Answer

As you note, the rules are open to interpretation. There is no equivalent of the Schengen rule that allows calculation of the day on which a visitor can return, and how many days they can stay. Each time your mother-in-law attempts to enter the UK, the officials will make a judgement call on whether she is doing, or likely to do, anything that is not permitted.

The key item is the rule against using a visitor visa to "live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits".

The officer was giving some guidance on the sort of behavior that is likely to be considered unacceptable. Her original plan of spending blocks of six months in the UK separated by only a month or two in South Africa obviously amounts to living in the UK and visiting South Africa.

Your family should rethink the plan for the infant's care. She simply cannot be the everyday carer without effectively living in the UK, which is not permitted on a visitor visa. If she does not abuse her visa now, she can help in the future if e.g. the carer is unavailable for a few weeks or, later, during school holidays.

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Can visitors stay more than 6 months?

The Normal Rule. The quick answer to the question of how long a visitor can lawfully stay in the United States for most people is six months. To be more precise, once an admission is determined to be \u201cfair and reasonable,\u201d the default position is that the visitor is granted a six month time period to stay.

Can I stay more than 6 months on visitor visa Canada?

How long you can stay. Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada. At the port of entry, the border services officer may allow you to stay for less or more than 6 months. If so, they'll put the date you need to leave by in your passport.

Is standard visitor visa multiple entry?

The Standard Visitor visa is granted for six months and allows for multiple entries during its validity time.

Can I leave the UK after 6 months and come back?

Your new Visitor immigration permission may not be for a further six months: the Border Force Officer may give you just the time you need to complete your studies, or six months minus the length of time you recently spent in the UK as a Visitor.

How I stayed more than 6 months on a visitor visa my visa extension story !

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