Standard Visitor Visa (Business)

The visitor (standard) visa may be issued for a maximum of 6 months.

There is a wide range of activities that individuals can undertake on the visitor (standard) visa. The activities which may be relevant to Keele University have been summarised in the below sections.

Permitted activities (standard)

The full list of activities which visitors are permitted to undertaken can be found in Appendix 3 of the Immigration Rules Appendix V: visitor rules. Those most applicable to visitors to Keele University are summarised below:

• attend meetings, conferences, seminars and interviews;
• give a one-off or short series of talks and speeches provided these are not organised as commercial events and will not make a profit for the organiser;
• negotiate and sign deals and contracts;
• attend trade fairs, for promotional work only, provided the visitor is not directly selling;
• Carry out site visits and inspections;
• gather information for their employment overseas;
• be briefed on the requirements of a UK based customer, provided any work for the customer is done outside the UK;
• a Professor from an overseas academic institution accompanying students to the UK as part of a study abroad programme, may provide a small amount of teaching to the students at the host organisation. However, this must not amount to filling a permanent teaching role for that institution.

Additionally, scientists and researchers may:

• gather information and facts for a specific project which directly relates to their employment overseas;
• share knowledge or advise on an international project that is being led from the UK, provided the visitor is not carrying out research in the UK.

Study

Visitors (standard) may carry out the following study:

• education exchanges or visits with a UK state or independent school; or
• a maximum of 30 days study on:
  • Recreational courses (not English language training)
  • A short-course (which includes English language training) at an accredited institution;
• provided that the main purpose of the visit is not to study.