Visa Exemption for Holy See Passports and Appendix Armed Forces Updates (HC 887)
Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix
Policy effect
Exempts holders of Service, Temporary Service, and Diplomatic passports issued by the Holy See from visitor visa requirements to enter the United Kingdom, and introduces technical amendments to Appendix Armed Forces and Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) provisions. Phase scope: Visa exemption for Holy See documents and Appendix Armed Forces/Tier 1 changes effective 30 December 2013 (Electronic Visa Waiver phased for 1 January 2014).
Official source excerpt
Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.
Emirates who hold and use an Electronic Visa Waiver (“EVW”) Document in accordance with paragraphs 3 to 9. Where the passport holder does not hold and use an EVW Document in accordance with paragraphs 3 to 9, the passport holder is a visa national and requires entry clearance. (v) persons who hold Service, Temporary Service and Diplomatic passports issued by the Holy See. Exception where the applicant holds an Electronic Visa Waiver Document (Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates passport holders only) 3. To obtain an Electronic Visa Waiver (“EVW”) Document, a person (the “holder”) or their agent must … requirements for holders of documents issued by the Holy See will take effect from 30 December 2013. 4.5 Changes relating to the Appendix Armed Forces and Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) will also take effect from 30 December 2013. 4.6 The Statement of Changes in the Immigration Rules introduces the following changes: 4.7 Passport holders of Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will be able to obtain an ‘Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW)’ Document in advance of travel to the UK. 1 Holders of an EVW Document used and held in accordance with the specified requirements will not require a short-stay … visa for travel to the United Kingdom. 4.8 A person who holds a Service, Temporary Service or Diplomatic passport issued by the Holy See will no longer require a visa to visit the United Kingdom. 4.9 The changes also make minor consequential amendments to the Immigration Rules arising from the inclusion of a new Appendix Armed Forces (see statement of changes presented to Parliament on 8 November 2013) and a minor change relating to Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) applicants endorsed by UK Trade and Investment. 5. Territorial Extent and Application 5.1 This instrument applies to all of the United … specified on the EVW Document. Where a person crosses the land border from Ireland, an EVW holder must cross into the UK no later than 8 hours after the time of arrival specified on the EVW Document. Documents issued by the Holy See (Vatican City) 7.5 Holders of non-national travel documents currently require a visa before travel to the United Kingdom. This rule encapsulates holders of Holy See Service and Temporary Service passports issued by the Holy See. The Government has assessed the procedures for issuance of these documents and their security to be robust enough to merit an exemption from the visit visa requirement. Nationals, citizens and diplomatic passport holders of the Vatican City are already exempt from the visa requirement. Appendix Armed Forces 7.6 Minor technical amendments are being made to the Immigration Rules arising from the inclusion of a new Appendix Armed Forces (see statement of changes presented to Parliament on 8 November 2013). These are consequential changes to the general grounds for refusal, clarification that the 4 year limit on the duration of leave granted to members of armed forces who are not exempt from immigration control includes leave granted under the concession which previously applied to these applicants, and clarification that former members of HM Forces who have been granted limited leave under the current concession to allow for a recovery period following medical discharge are able to sponsor a partner or child. A further amendment replaces the income threshold with a maintenance and accommodation requirement in respect of a child applicant where neither parent is themselves subject to the income threshold e.g. because both parents are serving or have leave on discharge from HM Forces. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) 7.7.Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74c9bded915d3c7d527f7c/hc887.pdf
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