UK airside transit visa for Jamaican citizen - help

Dear all,

I just returned from Negril and as always I had a lovely time.

I have a good friend who I know well out there who wants to visit me in Malta (I recently moved to Malta from London due to a job opportunity that came up within my company).

To get to Malta from JA my friend is likely to have to stop in London (of all places!) I've tried every possible country to try and avoid the UK, but without joy.

My friend need to get a UK airside transit visa which allows the change from one flight to the next as long as it's within the same airport.

I have heard that it's pretty difficult to get a visa for Jamaicans, but that's normally in the context of Jamaican citizens moving abroad to work in another country.

My friend would visit for a month. I have a good job, I work in finance and a big enough place for my friend to stay for the entire holiday and of course I wouldn't charge anything - I live in a company flat so it's free for me too.

My friend owns land in JA and one property on that land, is self-employed and a trades man. So no regular income as such and although paying property tax,I'm not sure about normal tax, a lot of it is cash in hand.

How difficult can it be to get that airside transit visa? Anyone here who have got any experience of a similar situation? Even if it's a tourist visa to the UK I'd just like to get an idea on what we are up against.

Anyone of you boardies who have gone through something similar and used an agent in JA to help out with the application and been successful?

I appreciate all comments, experience, opinions, suggestions on this.

Much love!

I believe he would be classed as a visa national basically meaning he will need a visa-I am not sure if he will need just a transit visa or a visit visa going through uk he will be subject to border control at london which is the UK main airport
In addition to needing a visa to enter the United Kingdom, nationals of Jamaica also need a visa to transit through the UK, known as Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV).
All I can tell you is from experience is that trying to bring someone to the UK can be hard not only hard but takes effort time and money.UK rules about visas and I note in particular Jamaican visas but do not know the reason why are becoming harder to obtain -Much harder than ever before.People who try to bring their own blood relatives or children to the UK even for a holiday are having an extremely hard time of doing so right now.The situation I know of the person has a very good stable job here in the UK and they owned their own property plus money in the bank.Eventually 1 person out of the 2 applied for got through.
It was not a quick simple easy thing but I do not know exactly what you have to go through on Jamaica side.
I hear now not only do you have to proove you can keep the person but they have to proove that they have something worthwhile back in Jamaica that officials would think they would not want to leave forever.I also hear you have to now put up a bond of £1000 or something similar to that amount and you lose it if the person absconds.
This is just getting them to the UK,I have no idea how easy or hard it would be to then get them to malta you will have to check again on Maltas rules on Jamaican citizens travelling there.
Seems like your friend found a nice friend in you!own job house nice holiday place!Anytime you want a lodger let me know:D

I think it is a 6 mnth visa they get

From 3 March 2009 onwards, Jamaican nationals in transit through the UK will be required to obtain a transit visa before they travel to the United Kingdom.
Travellers will need to apply for one of two visas:

• a Visit-in-Transit Visa if seeking to enter the UK in transit with a connecting flight within 48 hours; or
• a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) for anyone remaining airside to take a same-day, same-airport connecting flight to another destination.

Applications for Transit visas and DATVs are made in the same way as every other type of visa. Applications in Jamaica must be made at the WorldBridge Visa Application Centre in Kingston, Jamaica.

WHEN YOU SAY DOES ANYONE KNOW OR USE AN AGENT IN JA LOL WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU MEAN?!

LOLOLOLOLOL @ Tictoc BAP!

Didn't even realise how it sound :)

When I said agent, I was referring to travel agent or agencies that help out with visa applications.

In regards to the visa. I realise that 'bringing' people to the UK has gotten a lot tougher, but I was hoping that simply passing through wouldn't be? He would spend a couple of hours at the airport until the next flight.

The visa fee for the visa he needs is £51 which isn't too bad. Virgin flight to London about £360 and flight to JA is about 100EUR, it's well within his budget. He has got money but just not in the bank.

In my mind it's just a holiday! Why it has to be so b-clawt comlicated!

I've got a friend who just opened a reggae bar in Malta and will start serving Jamaican food in the next few months and I suggested that my friend tutor him since he's a chef as well as a tradesman. Everybody wins, but bwoy, never knew how difficult it would be.

Yeah ever since I moved to Malta I've had a constant flow of friends and family coming to visit and I'm loving every minute of it, it feels great to be able to share the experience and likewise I'm well looked after whenever I travel to JA or any other place where I have got friends or family.

Tictoc thanks again for your comments it really made me smile out loud!

:)

Sweets he will need an airside visa if he says at airport and does not pass through immigration, there are details and forms to download herehttp://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/cu...ansit-airside/ which should be on top right of screen,

Markus

sounds pretty straightforward it is just the same as going for any other visa it is either a yes or no,Bummer if you have to keep trying and you keep getting a no though dont say nothing about the cooking part LOL
they will probably ask him what he does for work if they want to scrutinise him they may ask to see bank statements which could in turn lead to them checking if hes up to date with paying taxes etc.
I guess that is easier to sort out in Ja than in UK as people often say they live off their land and if they own a house they do not need much money to live
How to apply

To apply for a visa, you must:

• complete, submit a visa application form online; and
• book an appointment to submit the application and your biometric information at the visa application centre at the British High Commission in Kingston.
• be ready to enrol your fingerprints and photograph (known as biometric information) at the visa application centre at the British High Commission.

All applications and payments must be made online.
all you can do is apply and wait and see.Please let us know how he gets on

Tic as he will only be in UK as tranist the reason why he's going to Malta isn't of interest to UK, I can't see any problems in getting him an airside visa, i take it he would be flying via gatwick??

I thought anyone who passes through London needing a visa is of high interest?If he is not of interest at london then he will be at malta at some point he is going to be investigated.Most likely from Jamaica side then?I think all of the prooving has to be done in country of residence-once you have the document you need you're good to go.I think its the prooving that is the hard part.The situation I know personally of they wanted to know the ins and out of EVERYTHING.

if hes got to pass through our border of course his journey is of interest but i guess once hes got his paper no need to worry about any questions that may pop up on the journey as he's already sorted