UK

The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe. England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles – is home to the capital, London, a globally influential centre of finance and culture. England is also site of Neolithic Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman spa and centuries-old universities at Oxford and Cambridge.

My Trips

• 2013 May 31 to June 14 (2 Weeks): Went to UK with family and stayed with our family members living there for two weeks. Also visited many interesting places across the UK on a long road trip.
• 2017 May 11 to 20 (10 Days): Went to UK again on a business trip and visited many more places that I missed during my previous trip.

Visited States/Places/Attractions

• England
  • London
    • Natural History Museum
    • Science Museum
    • British Museum
    • Big Ben
    • Houses of Parliament
    • Westminster Abbey
    • London Eye
    • Buckingham Palace
    • Victoria Memorial
    • Green Park
    • Hyde Park
    • 10 Downing Street
    • Piccadilly Circus
    • Oxford Street
    • Tower Bridge
    • Barbican Center
    • Tower of London
    • Trafalgar Square
    • St. Paul's Cathedral
    • St. Margaret's Church
    • Marble Arch
    • The Shard
    • Tate Modern
    • Borough Market
    • Shakespeare's Globe
  • Cambridge (University of Cambridge, King's College Chapel, Peterhouse College, Trinity College, Bridge of Sighs, Punting)
  • Oxford (University of Oxford)
  • Worcester (Worcester Cathedral, River Severn, Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty)
  • Birmingham (The Bull by Laurence Broderick, Bourneville Cadbury World)
  • Manchester (Manchester Town Hall)
  • Lake District (Windermere, Ullswater, Pooley Bridge)
  • Bath (The Roman Baths)
  • Salisbury (Stonehenge)
  • Marlborough
  • Oswestry
  • Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's Birthplace)
  • Bourton-on-the-Water (River Windrush, low bridges, traditional stone houses.)
  • Dover (Dover Castle, White Cliffs of Dover)
  • Canterbury (a historic English cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • St. Neots
• Scotland
  • Glasgow
  • Loch Lomond
  • Glencoe
  • Fort William (Glen Nevis)
  • Kyle (Shiel Bridge, Glenelg, Dun Troddan, Eilanreach, Moyle)
  • Isle of Skye (Kylerhea, Broadford, Sligachan, Portree, Old Man of Storr, Staffin, Flodigarry, Kilmuir, Uig, Dunvegan Castle, Glendale, Kyle Lochalsh, Eilean Donan castle at Dornie)
  • Bridge of Orchy
  • Tyndrum
  • Callander
  • Edinburgh (Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Edinburgh Central Mosque, )
• Wales
  • Llangollen
  • Conwy (The Smallest House In Great Britain, Conwy Castle)
  • Snowdonia (Llanberis, Nant Peris, Betws-y Coed)
• Northern Ireland
  • Belfast
    • Castle Place (famous city street square)
    • The Big Fish Sculpture ( printed ceramic mosaic sculpture)
    • Titanic Belfast (visitor center near yard where RMS Titanic was built)
    • Stormont Parliament Buildings
    • Lower Newtownards Road (Wall Murals)
    • Belfast City Hall (city hall)
    • Great Victoria Street (famous hotels, bus and train stations)
    • University Road (Queen’s University, Botanic Gardens and Ulster Museum)
    • Garden Of Remembrance, Bobby Sands Mural
    • Falls Road International Wall Murals (International Wall Murals and Peace Walls)
  • Dunluce Castle (now-ruined medieval castle)
  • Giant's Causeway (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Ballintoy Harbour (a small fishing harbour; Game of Thrones location)
  • Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede)
  • Portaneevy Cliffs (Cliffs from where you can see the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge)
  • The Dark Hedges (tunnel-like avenue of intertwined beech trees, planted in the 18th-century; Game of Thrones location)

UK Visa Application Procedure

Intro

VFS Global manages the visa application centre for UK Visas and Immigration in Qatar where you submit your completed visa application form, supporting documents and biometric data.
- https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/qatar/

Steps

• Go to https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa and find out the visa requirement and type of visa.
  • A Standard Visitor visa - if you’re coming to the UK for conferences, meetings, training, academic research or a sabbatical or holiday or to visit family or friends.
• Start the visa application online at https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa
  • There is a lot of questions to be answered and data to be provided. It is possible to save whatever data we already entered and then come back to it later.
• After completing the form, the final step will ask to book an appointment at VFS Qatar and then make payment. Choose a convenient date and time and make the payment online.
  • After the payment, there will be an option to download the filled application along with a document checklist. Download them all.
  • Print and organize all the documents required
• On the appoitment day, go to the center (VFS Global, 3rd floor, Jaidah Square, Airport Road, Doha). It is okay to reach there an hour or more earlier than appointment time.
  • They will collect the application form and all supporting documents and the original passport. Then they will take a photo, fingerprint scans and digital signature. They will then issue a receipt.
• Go the center again after receiving email or after 15 working days with the receipt to collect the passport. We will know if visa is issued only when we open the passport.

Online Application Form

• Please select your language: English
• Select your visa type: Standard Visitor visa
• Select your location: Qatar
• You must be able to attend an appointment at Doha: Yes
• Read info and click on Start Now
• Enter email: xxxx | Password: xxxx
• Given Name: SAMEER | Family name: xxxx
• Any other names: No
• Home address: xxxx
• Town or city: DOHA
• Province/State: DOHA
• Postcode: 5825
• Country: Qatar
• Telephone number: xxxx
• How long have you lived at this address? : xxxx
• Gender: Male | Married
• Nationality: India | xxxx | Country of birth: India | Place: xxxx
• Passport number: xxxx | Place of issue: xxxx | Issue date: xxxx | Expiry date: xxxx
  • Another passport?: Yes (Expired passports)
• Passport number: xxxx | Place of issue: xxxx | Issue date: xxxx | Expiry date: xxxx
• Another passport?: No
• Do you have a national identity card? Yes | xxxx
• What permission do you have to be in Qatar? I am a permanent resident
• What is your employment status? Employed
• Your employer: xxxx
• Employer's telephone number: xxxx | Date you started working for this employer: xxxx
• Job title: xxxx | sal: ? QAR
• Job role: xxxx
• Your income and savings: Savings | How much money do you have in savings?: bank esavings account balance
• How much money are you planning to spend on your visit to the UK? xxxx QAR (Estimate ticket + hotel + daily expense)
• What is the total amount of money you spend each month?: xxxx QAR (rent + loan + expenses)
• Will anyone be paying towards the cost of your visit?: Yes
• Who is paying towards the cost of your visit?: My employer or company
• How much money will they be paying towards your visit?: Calculate ticket plus allowances
• Why are they helping to pay for your visit?: I'm going to London to attend Software Development & Design Conference/Training as per our company's policy of employee empowerment by allowing them one conference/training per year outside Qatar. As per this policy, company provides return air tickets and per diem allowances during my training time. The daily allowance of xx QAR per day is meant to cover hotel, food and other miscellaneous expenses.
• Will anyone else be paying towards the cost of your visit?: No
• Date you will arrive in the UK: 11 05 2017
• Date you will leave the UK: 21 05 2017
• Main reason for your visit: Business, including sports and entertainment
• Reason for your business visit: Business-related training
• Will you be paid for any of your business activities while in the UK? No
• Deatils of visit: I will be attending the Software Development & Design Conference/Training (sddconf.com) from May 15th to May 19th at Barbican Centre in London. During the few weekend days before and after this event, and during the evenings of the event days, I plan to visit major tourist attractions in and around London.
• Spouse Given name: | Family name| Date of birth: | Nationality: India | Do they currently live with you? Yes | Will they be travelling with you to the UK? No
• Do you have people who need you for financial support? Yes (kid)
• Kid Given name: | Family name: | Date of birth: | Do they currently live with you? Yes | Will they be travelling with you to the UK? No

• Other dependants? No

• Mother Given name: | Family name: | Date of birth: | Nationality: India | Have they always had the same nationality? Yes

• Father Given name: | Family name: | Date of birth: | Nationality: India | Have they always had the same nationality? Yes
• Do you have any family in the UK? No
• Will you be travelling to the UK as part of an organised group? No
• Will you be travelling in the UK with someone who is not your partner, spouse, or dependant? No
• Have you already made arrangements for where you are going to stay in the UK? Yes
• Where are you planning to stay in the UK?: Holiday Inn Express London City | Address: 275 Old Street | Hackney | London | EC1V 9LN | When will you arrive there?: 11 05 2017 | When will you leave there?: 21 05 2017
• Will you be staying anywhere else in the UK? No
• How many times have you been to the UK in the last 10 years? Once
• What was the reason for your visit? Tourism | Month/Year: 06 2013 | Duration: 2 Weeks
• Have you ever been given medical treatment in the UK? No
• Have you applied for leave to remain in the UK in the past 10 years? No

• How many times have you visited the following places in the past 10 years (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Schengen area)?: 2 to 5 times

• Which country did you visit last? USA | Reason: Business | Date: 06 2016 | Duration: 1 Week

• Which country did you visit second last? USA | Reason: Business | Date: 04 2012 | Duration: 1 Week

• Other countries visited:
  (Sample data)

• India | Home country visit to spend time with parents and extended family | 01 2017 | 2 Weeks
• Sri Lanka | Tourism | 01 2017 | 3 Days

• Georgia | Tourism | 12 2016 | 1 Week

• Problems with immigration to the UK?: No

• Problems with immigration to countries other than the UK?: No

• Will you be visiting a company or organisation in the UK? No

• Convictions and other penalties? No

• War crimes? No
• Terrorist activities? No
• Terrorist organisations? No
• Terrorist views? No
• Your previous employers Govt/Security/Judiciary/Media? No
• Extra information? No, leave blank
• Review and Continue
• Mandatory documents: India Passport, Qatar RP ID.
• Declaration: I Accept
• Visa options: Choose 6 Months
• Service: Standard service : pay 113.00 USD
• Choose Visa Application Center: VFS Qatar
• Choose date and time:
• Make payment through credit card
• Wait until payment processed
• Download completed application form and documents checklist alsong with payment confirmation

Documents to submit

• Original Current Passport
• All original previous passports for travel history
• Document checklist (downloaded after filling application). Sign in only at the appointment.
• Filled Application form (downloaded after filling application)
• Visit day plans document (a single page document detailing all travel days and the plans for those days)
• Air ticket copy
• Hotel booking copy
• Conference invitation letter (Contact the conference team to get it by email)
• Conference schedule (get from conference site)
• Training approval emails and travel request signed copies from Office
• Office Letter to the UK Ambassodor with my position and salary details (get it from ERP)
• Last 3 months payslips
• Last 3 months bank statements
• Rental agreement copy
• My current passport copy
• My old passport copies
• My Qatar ID copy
• Marriage certificate copy
• Wife Passport copy
• Wife Qatar ID copy
• Kid Passport copy
• Kid Qatar ID copy
• Letter from kids school stating he is a student there.

Notes: No need of passport size photos or originals of wife and kids passports and ids. Take original of my Qatar ID.