A family member received this multi-entry UK visitor visa last year. What does the "Duration 180 days" refer to? Is this the total number of days within the 2 year validity period or is it 180 days per visit?
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1On each entry, the Immigration Official will grant a leave to enter. Generally it is granted for 6 months (= 180 days). The leave to enter expires when you leave the UK.– Mark JohnsonDec 2, 2022 at 11:42
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@MarkJohnson Thanks. So, in theory, can visit from January to June, then again from September until February - right? Or is there any other limitation?– Aleks GDec 2, 2022 at 11:45
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2This is intended for visits, not for long term stays. Should the IO get the impression that it is being misused, then the leave to enter may not be granted.– Mark JohnsonDec 2, 2022 at 11:48
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3One of the conditions of a UK visitor visa is that they should not be used to "live in the UK through repeated or successive visits". The rule is a lot more vague than the 90/180 rule applicable in the Schengen Area for example, but the rule of thumb is the same: you should stay less than half of your time in the UK, or your should be out of the UK about as long as you stayed. Also if you stay in the UK long enough (don't remember the exact threshold for the UK, but it's probably around 6 months in a year), you may become resident for tax purposes, which opens a much bigger can of worms.– jcaronDec 2, 2022 at 13:19
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1Please folks, write your answers in the answer box not in comments.– DJClayworthDec 3, 2022 at 17:00
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1 Answer
It means that the visa holder can make repeat trips to the UK for up to 180 days per visit during the two year validity period.
What the holder cannot do however, is to effectively live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits. This is set out in V4.2(b) of the Immigration Rules https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor As @jcaron mentions in a comment, this is not as explicitly defined as the 90/180 rule applicable in the Schengen Area for example, but the rule of thumb is the same: you should stay less than half of your time in the UK, and/or you should be out of the UK at least as long as you stayed.
Note that some points used at the time of the visa application to assess whether someone is a ‘genuine visitor’ or is making the UK their main home or place of work or study may also apply when a visit visa holder arrives at the UK border (see “Frequent or successive visits: how to assess if an applicant is making the UK their main home or place of work or study” in the Home Office Visit guidance https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1112745/Visit_caseworker_guidance_12.pdf#page21)
answered Dec 14, 2022 at 3:48
