Visit visa is one of the most popular immigration categories that is used by a majority of the people coming to the United Kingdom. Visitors can only come to the UK under one of the following categories:

1. Family Visitors
2. Holiday Visitors
3. Business Visitors
4. Visitors in Transit
5. Visitors for Private Medical Treatment
6. Marriage Visitors
7. Parents of a Child at School
8. Visitors Under ADS Agreement with China

E. Visitors for Private Medical Treatment

This type of visa is for the purpose of having private medical treatment in the UK. There are certain requirements, which need to be fulfilled in order to make a successful visit visa application under this category.

1. Immigration Rules Relating to Visit for Private Medical Treatment
   1. No Intention to Study

      Visitors applying under any of the categories are strictly not allowed to commence study in the UK.

   2. Not Intention to take employment

      The applicant needs to prove that he neither needs to nor intends to take employment whether full time or on a part time basis. This is a visa only for private medical treatment of the patient and is normally issued on the basis of the assumption that the applicants would not take employment during their stay in the UK and if such persons engage themselves in any sort of employment whether paid or unpaid, full time or part time then their leave to remain may be curtailed by the Immigration Authorities and they may be removed from the country.

   3. No Intention to Produce Goods / Provide Services to public

      The applicant needs to prove that he neither needs to nor intends to produce goods or provide services to public whether full time or on a part time basis. This is a visa only for private medical treatment of the patient and is normally issued on the basis of the assumption that the applicants would not engage themselves in these business activities during their stay in the UK and if such persons do take such risks their leave to remain may be curtailed by the Immigration Authorities and they may be removed from the country.

   4. Able to maintain & accommodate himself and any dependants without recourse to public funds

      The applicants need to establish that they can maintain and accommodate without recourse to public funds or any employment. It can be proved by providing sufficient availability of funds either in Bank Statements or by some other form of evidence.

   5. Able to meet the costs of the return or onward journey

      It can be proved by providing sufficient availability of funds either in Bank Statements or by some other form of evidence like purchase of a return ticket.

   6. In the case of a person suffering from a communicable disease it is also need to be satisfied by providing documentary evidence from the Hospital or from a senior doctor that there is no danger to public health in the UK.
   7. The applicant also needs to provide sufficient evidence that the course of treatment is of finite duration and he would not undergo treatment for an indefinite period of time.
   8. The applicant also needs to provide documentary evidence of the fact that there are satisfactory arrangements for the necessary consultations or treatment, its estimated costs and the likely duration of the medical treatment.
2. Duration of Visa

   A visit visa for private medical treatment is normally issued for a maximum period of 6 months.

3. Work Allowed

   Visitors for private medical treatments are strictly not allowed to do any sort of work weather paid or unpaid or cannot engage themselves in any sort of business in any part of their limited stay in the UK.

4. Extension of Visa

   Immigration rules do allow further extension of visa for private medical treatment while remaining within the UK but this is subject to the compliance of rules and regulations mentioned above and fulfilment of the following requirements:

   • Provision of evidence from a registered practitioner who holds an NHS consultant post or who appears in the specialist Register of the General Medical Council of satisfactory arrangements or private medical consultation or treatment and its likely duration; and , where treatment has already begun, evidence as to its progress; and
   • Provide sufficient evidence that the applicant has met, out of the resources available to him, any costs and expenses incurred in relation to his treatment in the UK; and
   • Provide sufficient funds available to him in the UK to meet the likely costs of his treatment and intends to meet those costs.
5. Spouse / Children

   Visitors for private medical treatment cannot invite their spouse / children to join them as their dependants once they are in the UK. However, they can certainly include them in the entry clearance application and bring them along. It is more likely that the ECO would ask for some more evidence of financial, social and family ties of the family in its home country.

6. Switching Rules

   Since 01^st of October 2004, there have been some major changes in the switching rules. Visitors for private medical treatment can no longer switch to any other category under the immigration rules. Visitors for private medical treatment are normally issued visas on the assumption that they would return before the end of their permitted leave and have not got any other intention.

7. Settlement Prospects

   There are no settlement prospects for the family visitors as it is a temporary visa and they are not allowed to switch to any other immigration category that leads to permanent settlement.

   It is important to meet all the requirements of this category by appropriate documents in order to qualify for this visa. Sometimes the visa application gets refused due to the lack of a document, which could have easily been obtained. It is therefore advised to give full attention to even minor details while proceeding with the entry clearance application for this category as you might lose an opportunity to have better medical treatment and be seen by the best UK doctors.