There is no 180 day a year rule for visitors to the UK

 One of the most popular UK immigration fallacies is that UK visit visa holders can only stay for 180 days per year (or six months in a year).

This notion has been spread not only by migrants, but also by consultants and UK Border Force personnel. In actuality, no such rule exists.

The urban legend

The widely held assumption is that a non-EEA national visitor to the UK can spend no more than six months out of any twelve months inside the UK, or no more than 180 days each year. For example, if a visitor spends three months in the UK between January and March, then returns in the summer with a fresh visit visa, they will only have three months "remain" in the UK for the year - even though the new visa allows them to stay for six months.

As with other myths, the version of this storey varies, with some believing that the six-month limit runs from January to December and "resets" each calendar year, while others believe it is based on a rolling 12-month period. I've seen some outstanding Excel spreadsheets charting both, sometimes at the request of an overzealous / bored immigration official.

Despite the fact that there is no such law or necessity, people who believe this myth have an easier time getting into the UK as visitors. This is because remaining in the UK for an extended amount of time increases the likelihood of being denied a visit visa for the next trip, since it may be interpreted as an indicator that the stay is not a legitimate visit. It's just that spending 181 days in the UK in a year isn't much more of a red signal than spending 180.

Before any visitors reading this excitedly rub their hands at the idea of some magical loophole allowing them to overstay past their visa's expiry date: you must still stick to your visa's expiry date. What I mean is that if you are granted leave to enter for six months, you can stay for the entire six months (subject to the health warning further down in this post). And if you are granted leave to enter for another six months not long after, you can stay for an additional six months.

Let's go over the actual requirements, as well as why the 180-day rule is a fiction — and why adhering to it might still work in your favour.

The rules governing visit visas

Appendix V to the Immigration Rules contains the actual visit visa rules. A visitor is someone who comes to the UK for a short period of time, usually up to six months, for a transient reason, such as a tourist, to see friends or relatives, or to conduct business.

I can't find any mention of a "six months in 12" visitor rule anywhere in the Immigration Rules, past or present (and Colin can't either, for what it's worth!). Perhaps someone with more wisdom and experience can recall a time when such a law existed, but as far as I can tell, the myth arose from confusing various immigration rules and practises, as well as basic prudence on the part of visitors.

There is, for example, a time limit on how much time can be spent in the UK on any given trip.

Per-visit maximum stay

The maximum stay in a single normal visit is six months. The six-month validity term will be noted on their entry clearance vignette in their passport for "visa nationals," i.e. individuals who must get entry clearance prior to travelling to the UK. The holder may stay in the UK for as long as they choose within that time, and may even leave and re-enter, as long as they do not exceed the expiry date. Section 4 of the Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) Order 2000 explains how this works.

The six-month stay limit applies even if the visit visa is valid for a significantly longer period of time, such as a two-year, five-year, or ten-year multi-entry visa. The visitor is only allowed to stay in the UK for a maximum of six months from the date of admission (or up to the expiry date on the visa, whichever is soonest). Regardless of whether they have entry clearance, when they arrive at the border, the immigration officer will scrutinise them and decide whether or not to permit them admission in accordance with the visit visa criteria.

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