Whether entry clearance is required to enter the United Kingdom depends on where a person might be travelling from. People come from all over the world to for a vast range of reasons, to visit family members or friends, to work to study, for business as a tourist, for treatment to marry and also to settle here in this county.

Perhaps the one conundrum facing visitors to the United Kingdom are the entry requirements applicable to each category of entry as the rules and requirements vary slightly or significantly for each particular category and this determines whether or not this required. There are several British High Commission posts and embassies in various countries around the world each of which provide adequate information to prospective applicants and potential visitors as stated in most “visa refusal decisions”.

Potential visitors can determine whether they require a visa to enter the United Kingdom and this is set our in pretty straightforward questions as to the purpose for the visit, the applicant’s nationality and where they are actually living currently and where they may indeed be travelling from. The distinction being, certain visits do not require visas or entry clearance from certain countries into the UK.

Applicants also need to be aware of whether the particular entry they require is either under the points based system or a non-points based system.

Points based applications essentially relates to the system of regulating immigration from outside the European Economic Area and where applicants are assessed for entry clearance under one of five tiers.

Consult with immigration solicitors for information on other entry clearance categories under the Non-points-based system which include:

• EEA & Swiss nationals: Entry for European Economic Area and Swiss nationals and their family members
• Overseas domestic workers in private households: Those who qualify as domestic workers and qualify having been employed and remunerated for a particular period in their country of origin
• Permit free employment: Relates to employment of foreign nationals in the United Kingdom
• Returning Residents: Holders of UK citizenship or settlement within the United Kingdom returning to the UK after a period of absence.
• Right of Abode: Applications for the right of abode within the United Kingdom i.e. holders of foreign passports with an endorsement of right of abode within the United Kingdom.
• Settlement – (information for partners, children and other family members): Applications relating to settlement after a qualifying period of leave by virtue of marriage or family relationship to a person with settlement/indefinite leave or citizenship within the UK
• Visitors: General, family, student and medical visitors to the United Kingdom for a limited period with prohibitions on employment and recourse to public funds.

The forms of Points-based system include Tier 1, Investor Tier 1, Post-Study Work Tier 2, Skilled Worker Tier 5 and Youth Mobility Scheme Tier

You can obtain useful information regarding an immigration services by contacting an immigration solicitor or immigration lawyers who can advice on how to deal with complex immigration matters.