A few queries for my Canadian boss please

Hi,

One of my managers is Canadian and currently living in the US working for our US company but needs to relocate to the UK office early next year. I have been given the job of starting the ball rolling on his UK Visa application. We are going to sponsor him on the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer as its a highly specialised role. He has 2 dependants that need to come with him.

Just have a couple of pressing questions really.

Biometric testing - will they have to go to Canada to have this test or can they have it done in the US? At what stage can they have these tests done? They are returning to Canada for thanksgiving and are thinking that if they do need to go to Canada they can do it then.

Also does he have to remain outside of the UK during the whole visa process? He is due to fly here next week for 2 weeks with his family to look at houses and schools so should we avoid even starting the application until he has returned back to the US?

Thanks very much for any help.

begin here

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/visiting-uk/visas/

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... n/working/

it does not matter that he is a Canadian & now working & living in the US.

If he was in Canada all visa's are done through the British embassy in Washington

If he was in Canada all visa's are done through the British embassy in Washington

Just to clarify, for those still living in canada:
Nothing has changed in the visa application for those living in Canada; they still apply through High commissions in Canada, following the instructions in the Cdn websites. It is the application processing that has been centralised.
See:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... isa-ottawa

In general, you apply for a UK Visa from within the country in which you are legally living. Cdns residents, regardless of citizenship still apply for visas in Canada. US residents (like our poster's boss) regardless of citizenship, apply for visas in US, as portico stated.

There was a very recent change in September I believe, regarding where the UK Visa processing is done -

My understanding is that in Canada, we have our biometrics done in a major Canadian city (Vancouver/Edmonton/Toronto etc) & then the Visa is now (as of September or so of this year) processed at the UK Border processing centre in New York, USA. Leads me to think all UK Visas are now processed in NY, for both Canada & USA.

If you're in Toronto, apparently the visa application centre will forward your application to NY & you'll be able to pick up your Visa.


http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/usa/applying/?langname=UK%20English

If you're in Toronto, apparently the visa application centre will forward your application to NY & you'll be able to pick up your Visa.

Our posters boss would be visiting Toronto, not living there.

So, As your link pointed out, it states that US residents must go to USCIS for biometrics, while the link I cited states that Cdn residents would get biometrics in canada.

It is highly unlikely that a person living and established in US would be able to submit their app while visiting Canada -- even a Cdn citizen.


Really, nothing is has changed for the applicant, despite the consolidation of processing; a Cdn resident still submits his visa app in canada, and does his biometrics there, and a US resident still does his app and biometrics in US. Citizenship, and physical location of the processing office is immaterial.

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. We will be doing most of his visa application from the UK and from what I understand it will be submitted to the UK Border Agency here (as we are his sponsors and he'll be on a intra-company transfer). So it would seem he can have his biometrics done in the US so that's good.

The only thing I'm not clear on is whether we we need to wait until his trip (with his family to look at houses schools etc.) to the UK in November is completed before we start the whole application process?

Thanks!