African Visitor visa application info required.?

Africa is not a country but a continent consisting of 54 countries and other territories. Visa requirements however are determined by different countries and not by continents.

Citizen of Botswana, Mauritius, and Namibia do not need a visa but may stay for up to 6 months at the discretion of a British Border Agency officer if they meet the general entry requirements.

To come to the United Kingdom as a general visitor, you must be able to show that:

■ you are 18 or over

■ you only want to visit the United Kingdom for up to six months

■ you intend to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit

■ you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working or help from public funds, or you and any dependants will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends

■ you can meet the cost of the return or onward journey; and

■ you are not in transit to a country outside the common travel area.

You must also show that, during your visit, you do NOT intend to:

■ take employment, produce goods or provide services, including the selling of goods or services direct to members of the public

■ undertake a course of study

■ marry or form a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership

■ carry out the activities of a business visitor, a sports visitor or an entertainer visitor

■ receive private medical treatment.

The documents you should have when coming to the United Kingdom as a general visitor are:

■ if you are employed, a letter from your employer granting leave of absence from your job for a specified period - the letter should also say how long you have been employed by that employer, in what job(s), and when you are expected back at work

■ if you are self-employed, evidence of your business activities and financial standing

■ evidence of any property you own in your home country

■ if you are a student, a letter from your school or college stating the course you are on, its start and finish dates, and the dates of the holiday period when you intend to visit the United Kingdom

■ evidence of any family or social ties and responsibilities to return to

■ evidence of any firm travel plans you have made

■ bank statements going back over a period of several months

■ evidence of savings available to you.

For all other countries a prior visa application is required; whether a visa will be granted depends on the country of the applicant and whether he/she meets the requirements of a general visitor as stated above. Citizens of certain countries known for illegal immigration will hardly get a visa unless they are able to provide really strong ties to their country of orign.