Whether you are applying for a UK visa to visit, work, study or settle with family members in the UK, your supporting documents play the most important part of your application. As these are how you demonstrate that you satisfy all the relevant requirement(s) to the Home Office. Part of your supporting documents will be made up of certain letters that are relevant to the type of application you are making and your specific circumstances at the time of applying.

In this article, we will cover some of the most common types of letters, as well as the lesser known items that are required for specific types of visa/settlement applications.

Invitation Letter

Visa Applications this relates to: Visitor Visas

A letter of invitation (also referred to as an invitation letter or sponsorship letter) is usually required for visitor visa applications when:

• The Applicant(s) will be visiting and/or staying in the UK with family, friends or partners.
• The Applicant(s) needs to carry out activities relating to your employment/profession or study outside the UK (e.g. attending business meetings or performing as a musician, participating in an academic exchange).
• Participating in a (permitted) paid engagement for UK-based organisation or client.

The letter of invitation serves as (further/additional) evidence of the purpose for your visit, what you will be doing during your stay and any other critical information that is relevant e.g. your family member or friend will be providing you accommodation and/or financial support for your trip.

Ultimately, you want to emphasise to the Entry Clearance Officer that you will be coming to the UK as a genuine visitor and will not be breaching the rules of your visit visa when you come to the UK.

More about what to include and structure an Invitation Letter is covered in the following article here.

Cover Letter

Visa Applications this relates to: All Visa/Settlement Applications

Cover letters are the best way to summarise your case and confirm how you meet all of the requirements for your visa. It also offers you the opportunity to address any potential weaknesses or concerns in your visa application. Whether it's a gap in employment, an unusual travel history, or a complex family situation, applicants can use the cover letter to provide context and clarification.

To make your cover letter as effective as possible, it is essential to keep everything to the point i.e. how all of the requirements are being met. The common mistake individuals make is including too much detail about their personal circumstances or relationship history with their sponsor, which has no (or very little) relevance to satisfying any of the immigration rules for the respective application.

Another article where we discuss whether or not you should include a cover letter with your visa application can be found here.

Employer Confirmation Letter

Visa Applications this relates to: Visas with a Financial or Employment Requirement

UK Spouse/Partner Visas

A fundamental requirement of the UK Spouse/Partner visa is that the sponsor (and/or applicant, for applications being made inside the UK) are earning or receiving income from their employment or other sources to financially support themselves and their partner for the duration of their visa. The minimum income requirement they must meet for this is £18,600 (gross) per annum (for single applicants applying without any child dependants).

If they are relying on their employment income to meet the financial requirement, as well as payslips and bank statements, an official letter from their employer must also be provided to confirm that they have been working for the company for at least 6 months and earning the required level of salary at the time of submitting the application.

Skilled/Health and Care Worker Visas

If you are applying for a Skilled or Health and Care Worker visa (formally Tier 2 General) , you will need to provide an official confirmation of a job offer from a UK company that is licensed to hire foreign workers.

If you are already in the UK with a Skilled Worker visa and are extending your visa, or applying for your partner and children to join you in the UK as your dependants, you will need to provide an official letter from your employer to confirm that you are still working for the organisation in the relevant role.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (Skilled/Health and Care Worker Route)

For applicants applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain as a Skilled/Health and Care Worker (Set O), a letter from their employer must be submitted with relevant details of their current work sponsorship, including their salary, contractual hours and confirmation that the employer will continue to sponsor them for the foreseeable future.

Employers must also provide a letter detailing reasons for any work-related absences the applicant had throughout the time they have been sponsored by them, including any periods of paid annual leave from the UK.

Visitor Visas

Two of the most important criteria for a Visitor visa to be granted is that the applicant has significant ties to their country of residence, and that they have the funds required to cover all the costs for their trip to the UK. If the applicant is currently in full-time employment, earns a good salary and has been in their job for a considerable period of time (at least 6 months or more), the Home Office can consider this as being a significant reason for the individual needing to return back to their country upon completing their visit in the UK. Likewise, if the applicant will be using their income from their employment to fund their trip, they will need to prove that they are earning the level of income (and if relevant, put together savings from this) to cover all their expenses for the duration of their visit.  Therefore an official letter from their employer must also be provided, confirming that they work for the company, including details of how long they have been with the organisation and their current salary. Applicants will also be expected to provide pay slips and bank statements to evidence that the funds they will be using originate from their employment income.

Letters of Support from Family/Friends

Visa Applications this relates to: Family Member Applications, such as Spouse/Partner and Dependant Visas

Letters of Support are different from cover letters (discussed earlier). These are statements from either the applicant's spouse/partner (the sponsor), family relatives, or close friends.

Sponsor Spouse/Partner Letters

Letters should be written by the sponsor spouse/partner and should confirm that the relationship is genuine and subsisting. It must also convey that they are willingly sponsoring their partner’s visa application.

Letters from Family/Friends

Family/friends can write a letter which can act as additional proof that a couple's relationship is genuine and subsisting. Such letters do not need to be too detailed and only need to be 1 to 2 paragraphs confirming the relationship and how they know one / both of the couple.

Consent Letter from Property Owner(s)

Visa Applications this relates to:  All Visas with an Accommodation requirement

Where an applicant will be living in rented accommodation where they are not currently a named tenant, a consent letter from the landlord or lettings agent (whichever is applicable) must be provided to confirm that the individual(s) have permission to reside at the property.

If the visa applicant will be living with their/their partner and/or parent(s) in a property owned by family/friends, a consent letter from the owners will need to be provided.

Official Items of Correspondence

Visa Applications this relates to: Visa and Settlement Applications with a continuous residence or proof of cohabitation requirement

Some visa/settlement applications have a requirement of continuous residence in the UK, continuous cohabitation with your sponsor, or, in the case of some applications, even both of these, e.g., spouse/partner and dependant visa extensions.  The evidence the Home Office requires to prove that individuals meet these criteria is official items of correspondence covering each year of the qualifying period (and from multiple sources). For most applications, the qualifying period ranges from 2 years to 5 years (but this can be as much as 20 years in the case of settlement under long residence). Official correspondence includes items such as Tenancy Agreements, Council tax bills, utility bills, bank statements, government letters, employment letters, etc.

Unmarried Partner Visas

Partners of a British Nationals or individuals with valid immigration status in the UK who have been living together with their (sponsor) partner continuously for at least 2 years may be eligible to apply as an unmarried partner (dependant) to enter or remain in the UK. - The 2-year qualifying period of continuous cohabitation will need to be evidenced with official letters of correspondence addressed to both the applicant and sponsor, either jointly or individually, at the address(es) they have been living together.

Spouse/Partner and Dependant Visa Extensions

As with unmarried partners (see above), family visa extensions i.e. individuals renewing their existing spouse/partners or dependant visas, also have a requirement of continuous cohabitation of the applicant and their sponsor. To meet this, they must submit official letters of correspondence addressed to both the applicant and sponsor, either jointly or individually, at the address(es) they have been living together, covering the last 2 years they have been in the UK with their current visa.

Indefinite Leave to Remain Applications

Depending on the route the person is applying under, the current qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) can be 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years of continuous leave in the UK. Therefore, official items of correspondence addressed to the applicant (and sponsor, if applying under a partner or dependant visa route) must be submitted covering each year of the respective qualifying period of continuous residence (and cohabitation if applicable) in the UK.

Naturalisation (British Citizenship)

Individuals applying for Naturalisation are required to provide official items of correspondence addressed to them in the UK, covering the last 5 years. If the applicant is married to a British Citizen, only the last 3 years must be covered.

EU Settlement Scheme Applications

EU Nationals or their family members wishing to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme may need to submit evidence of them residing in the UK. If applying for Settled Status, official items of correspondence in the UK covering the 5 year qualifying period may need to be submitted. Instances where this is not required are when the Home Office is able to look up the applicant's UK tax records, which confirm that they have been residing (and working) in the UK throughout the qualifying period.