• Thinking of working or studying in the UK?
• New student immigration system launched in UK

Please note: From the 1st October 2009, for PBS applications made overseas, the amounts required to meet the maintenance criteria must be held in your personal or your parent(s)/ legal guardian(s) bank account for a minimum period of 28 days. The end of that 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of your application, for which you must show bank statements/other evidence.

The transitional arrangements that were in place allowing funds to be held on the date of application only will no longer apply to overseas applications made on or after 1 October.

How to apply for a UK visa

All visa applications must be made and paid for online. You can also find all of the information you need to decide whether you need a visa for the UK, which visa is best for you and what documents you will need via the free website of our commercial partner, WorldBridge.

Where can I get more information about UK visas?

All of the information that you need to make your application is available free of charge from WorldBridge's website, our commercial partner. We recommend that you visit the WorldBridge site before you make your online application.  You will find links to all of the UK Border Agency's information about visas for the UK as well as the link to our official online application platform.  Please note this link will redirect you to the WorldBridge website.  If you need to confirm any of the information that you find on the website, WorldBridge also provide a free email enquiry service.

If you would like to speak to a visa operator to confirm any information, WorldBridge also provide a premium rate telephone enquiry service:

• 1 900 528 5280
  (Premium rate $3.20 CAD/minute plus tax)
  

• 1 514 667 3698
  (Flat rate $12.00 USD/regardless of length of call)

The WorldBridge service is available Monday to Friday from 0900 to 1700 (East Coast through West Coast).

All of the information provided by WorldBridge has been supplied and approved by the UK Border Agency.

Where can I get advice?

WorldBridge and its staff cannot give you advice on how to complete your application, or what type of visa you should apply for. If you need help with your application or advice about the UK's immigration rules and requirements, you should seek advice from a qualified immigration adviser. In the UK these are immigration advisers regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or legally qualified professionals regulated by designated professional bodies. Their websites are:

• Law Society of England and Wales
• Law Society of Scotland
• Law Society of Northern Ireland
• Institute of Legal Executives
  

How do I submit my application?

All visa applications must be made and paid for online.  

After you have made your online application you will be prompted to make an appointment at a WorldBridge Visa Application Centre to have your fingerscans and digital photographs taken. (See www.visainfoservices.com for details).  

A small number of visa application categories are exempt from the biometrics requirement (for example, children under the age of 5 and applicants for Right of Abode).  If you are exempt the online application system will instruct you how to proceed.

Who decides whether I will get a visa?

Your visa application will be processed and decided by UK Border Agency staff in Ottawa. Neither WorldBridge, nor any of its staff play any part in deciding whether you qualify for a visa, nor can they influence the outcome of your application.  If any member of staff employed by WorldBridge claim to be able to influence your application you should inform the UK Border Agency office in Ottawa as soon as possible.

Service standards - complaints and compliments

The UK Border Agency aims to offer a fair and professional service to all our customers.  We welcome feedback, which helps us to focus on where we need to improve

If you have any comments, or are concerned about the standard of service you received, please let us know. We investigate all complaints fully and will send you a reply within 20 working days:

• If you wish to complain about the service you received from the UK Border Agency at this office, please address your written complaint to:
   
  Head of Consular and Visa Services
  UK Border Agency
  80 Elgin Street
  Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5K7
  
  
• If you wish to complain about the service you received from WorldBridge, you may submit it direct to their website, or to the Head of Consular and Visa Services at this office in writing.