Business and special visitors

New immigration rules for business and special visitors will take effect from 27 November. Business visitors include academic visitors, film crews and representatives of overseas news media. The special visitors category will include child visitors, parents visiting their children in UK schools, and those coming for private medical treatment.

You can find out more about the new immigration rules on the UK Border Agency website.

The age at which someone can apply for a marriage visa was raised this month. From 27 November, the couple would both have to be at least 21 to qualify for a marriage visa. This is one of several measures to prevent forced marriages, as set out in the document, Marriage visas: the way forward.