A quick glance at some visa and immigration companies reveal, somewhat unsurprisingly, that their preferred sales tactic to get us to sign up is to scare the hell out of us first! Which to be fair, is very easy. After all, who is not naturally terrified by Government applications and processes? Especially when our future careers and travel adventures are at stake. With words like failure, decline and rejection, it is no wonder we succumb so quickly to such scaremongering. But just how complicated is it to do your own visa? And more importantly, should you?
We decided to ask those who used our guaranteed visa service, why they did. The following article is based on their feedback.
You don’t know where to begin
If you are sitting there completely at a loss of how to start a visa application, then it should not necessarily mean you jump straight into paying someone to help. If however, after ten minutes of research on the UK Government website your anxiety kicks in or you’ve just concluded you really have no idea where to start, then perhaps engaging some help is the right route for you. There is absolutely no shame in this, sometimes we just have to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses!
The visa application requirements are not black and white
If a visa can lead to you settling in the UK permanently, such as the UK Ancestry, then the application process is going to be a lot more complicated than that of the short-term visas. However when you visit the UK Ancestry page on the UK Government website there is barely any guidance there, it all really seems quite vague.
If you are not clear on what evidence they (UK Visas and Immigration) are looking for and what support documents are required, then it may just be too risky to guess your way through it, especially with the high costs involved. This is when you should consider some professional assistance.
You are time poor
It could be that you managed to line a job up for yourself before you leave and need to get things moving along quickly, or your calendar might be so full of work commitments, that finding the time to research and apply independently is simply out of the question. Having someone steer you through the process and advise you on the supporting documentation will certainly save you a lot of time. The additional benefit of using a professional service will mean that you can go ahead and book flights, because your visa consultant / service should guarantee you a positive outcome.
You would feel more confident enlisting professional help
You know yourself and how adept you are at official application processes, form filling and gathering evidential documentation and I think it is fair to say most of us would rather avoid these at any cost! If you have even the slightest doubts about going it alone then you are certainly going to find having someone guide you through the process a much less stressful experience.
You want to be able to guarantee a positive outcome so you can book flights
There is no doubt that the most stressful part of the visa application is the waiting part, the “am I going to get it, will my visa be granted, should I book my flights?”. I think that one of the main benefits of using a visa service is that we know exactly what is required and will often guarantee that your application will be successful. In this situation you are in the envious position of being able to proceed with all things related to your move, such as booking flights, tours, accommodation etc.
You have the money to!
Why put yourself through the stress of it all if you can pay someone to take that away and make it a painless process? Absolutely, we hear you!
So, if the question is now, ‘in what circumstances should I apply for my visa without professional assistance?’, I would say the answer is when none of the above apply to your situation!
If there is anything you want to reach out to us about, regarding your visa conundrums then feel free to phone or e-mail us – britvisa (at) britbound (dot) co.uk
If you are looking to use BritBound to assist with your visa then you can sign up to our Membership Package 'The Visa One' here and then just select the visa you are looking to apply for.