I have a query about the standard visitor visa.

My Colombian boyfriend needs a UK visitor visa to come to England so we can be together to have our baby in July.(I'm British). We're currently travelling together outside of the UK.

For the subtype should he put family or tourism? We will be staying with my family for the duration of the trip and they'll support us - but we're not married and have been together for less than two years - so do they count as family for him? Does the family subtype cover 'family' and 'friends'? Or would it be more suitable to apply for the tourism one?

Also - with the tourism subtype it also asks if he will be visiting/staying with relatives - as above, would the answer be 'no' as they are my relatives that we will be seeing - not his?

Many thanks for your help!!!

  • How long does he plan to stay? – phoog Mar 4 '18 at 22:11
  • Less than 6 months – GKK Mar 4 '18 at 22:40
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    @GKK While Henning's answer is factually correct, as pointed out you're not even using the correct form. The corect form doesn't ask you to pick "tourism" or "family" visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa – Crazydre Mar 5 '18 at 3:28

You're using the wrong application form.

He needs a Standard Visitor visa, which you apply for HERE.

Select "Visit or transit visa". You won't have any sub-types to choose from.


If you're having a child together, then you're definitely family. Trying to claim that as "tourism" could at worst be seen as deceptive, with disastrous results -- not so much if he is otherwise candid about his plans in the application, but it certainly won't help the application's chances.

The form is not not asking because there are particularly lenient rules for family visits that he would need to qualify for in some technical legal sense -- merely to give the ECO an early idea of which kind of explanation for why he wants to go the application and his documents are supposed to add up to.

Still, even if he does everything right, expect that they'll be rather suspicious whether he really intends to become a father while in the UK and then just up and leave when his visa runs out. Be sure to have a clear and convincing explanation for that ready, and that this explanation is evident in the application.

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    The proper application form doesn't even ask for "tourism" or "family", so the first two paragraphs, while mostly factually correct, are moot – Crazydre Mar 5 '18 at 3:25

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