Tourist visa to the UK ‘to be halved’

The present 6 month visa to enter the UK maybe reduced to only 3 months.

“Visitors to the UK would have to leave after three months instead of the current six under new visa proposals being considered by the government. Families might also have to pay a financial deposit to ensure relatives from outside the EU whose visit they were sponsoring left the UK on time.” BBC News 18 December 2007

The proposals are aimed at those who deliberately overstay or work illegally in the UK.

The government has not revealed how much families would be asked to pay to sponsor an overseas visitor, but press reports suggest it could be a £1,000 bond. This money would be returned to the family, once their visitor has left the country.