Comment by DanBC

10 years ago

I'm sorry she had a terrible experience. But the visa requirements are pretty clear, and she needed a standard visa.

Here's the "do you need a visa" website. https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Walk through it. She's from the USA. She's travelling for work, academic or business. She's planning to stay less than six months.

Here's the result:https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/usa/work/six_months_or_le...

    You don't need a visa for some business and academic visits, but you must get a visa to work in the UK.
    You may be able to come to the UK without a visa if you:

    are invited as an expert in your profession
    come for other business or academic activities

[...]

    If you’re invited as an expert

    You can stay in the UK for up to 1 month without a visa, but you can only be paid to do certain things, eg:

    give guest lectures at a higher education institution
    provide advocacy in legal proceedings
    take part in arts, entertainment or sporting activities


    Check the full list of what you can be paid to do - it’s the same as what you can do on a Permitted Paid Engagement visa.

[...]

    If you come for other business or academic activities
    You can stay in the UK for up to 6 months without a visa, but you can only do certain academic or business-related activities, eg:

    go to a conference, meeting or training
    take part in a specific sports-related event
    perform as an artist, entertainer or musician
    do academic research or accompany students on a study abroad programme

    Check the full list of what you can do - it’s the same as what you can do on a Standard Visitor visa.

Here's the permitted paid engagement visa: https://www.gov.uk/permitted-paid-engagement-visa

Here's the standard visa: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa

6 comments

DanBC

Reply
Johnny555  10 years ago

She's an animation artist giving a talk about an web animation API, doesn't that fall under If you’re invited as an expert ...take part in arts, entertainment or sporting activities?

  • zero_iq  10 years ago

    No. Permitted paid engagements are:

    "An expert may give lectures in their subject area, if they have been invited by a UK Higher Education Institution; or a UK based research or arts organisation provided this does not amount to filling a teaching position for the host organisation."

    "A professional artist, entertainer, musician or sports person may carry out an activity directly relating to their profession, if they have been invited by a creative (arts or entertainment) or sports organisation, agent or broadcaster based in the UK."

    She doesn't qualify for either. The former because she wasn't invited by any UK institution, nor a Higher Education, Research, or Arts organisation. The latter because she is not a professional artist or entertainer, nor invited by arts or entertainment organisation, agent, or broadcaster based in the UK.

    I have to say, the rules are fairly straightforward. I followed the application process online as if I was her, and it's really quite obvious that she'd need to apply for a visa. It tells you to check the list of what you're allowed to be paid for, and what I quoted above is what it says.

    Her blog post can be summed up as:

    1. Was refused entry to UK because I didn't have the right docs. Will make damn sure I have the right documentation next time!

    2. Go back. Oh shoot, I didn't have the right docs this time either.

    3. British border control doesn't treat you too nicely when you show up again without the proper visa. Poor me.

    4. Well then, I'm never going back. huff

  • maxerickson  10 years ago

    You'd have to ask the government if the conference is a qualifying arts activity (maybe they consider it something else).

    The requirements don't make a lot of sense to me, but it is clear enough that obtaining the visa beforehand, just to be sure, is the path of least resistance (and the conference should probably take the lead in figuring it out).

gravypod  10 years ago

That site seems fairly clear. Where was the site that the author posted a photo from?

It seemed to be less informative. Are there two conflicting sites maintained by the government?