Endorsing my partner for a UK tourist visa [I: UK, partner: India], from USA

Question

My partner and I want to travel to the UK in April of this year, for one week. The main purpose is going to a wedding, the secondary purpose is to visit some of my family. I am British and she is Indian, and we both live in the US. We do not live at the same address, and are not married.

Having looked at the gov.uk website for guidelines on how to obtain a tourist visa for the UK, it is unclear to me if my partner has to apply for a visa, or if she qualifies automatically [by virtue of travelling with a UK citizen OR? by virtue of being a Commonwealth citizen].

If she does have to apply for a visa, can anyone advise as to how this should best be done, how much time it's likely to take, and how much it might cost? Should flights be booked beforehand?

Finally, is there anything I can do [as a UK citizen] to make the process of getting a UK tourist visa easier?

Thanks!

Answer 1

In the circumstances you describe, your partner will need to apply for a visa https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/india/tourism/no She should apply following the instructions here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/apply-for-a-uk-visa-in-the-usa, the cost is £93 and typically applications are processed within 15 days (there may be an option to pay extra for expedited processing depending on where your partner is applying). Applications can be made up to 3 months in advance of the intended travel date. UK guidance specifically states that flights should not be booked until the visa has been approved. Without knowing more about your partner’s personal circumstances it’s difficult to say whether there is anything you can provide to support the application. Ideally, she should qualify in her own right without the need for a sponsor. It may be helpful to read https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/673351/Visit-guidance-v7.0EXT.PDF#page2 if you’ve not already done so.