Version 18.0 of the Visit Caseworker Guidance, published for Home Office staff on 8 October, gives fresh insight into how front-line officials will assess visitor applications. The document introduces additional scenarios for PA7 ‘permitted activities’, covering experts paid to provide short-term consultancy and performers at UK-ticketed events. It also adds a dedicated section on Erasmus+ participants, confirming that EU scholars attending UK institutions for up to six months may engage in limited research and receive allowances without triggering a work visa. Creative-sector visitors receive more granular direction on acceptable rehearsal time, while caring for relatives is clarified as a non-permitted primary purpose. For corporates, these examples act as an unofficial ‘playbook’: aligning invitation letters and itineraries with the language used in the guidance can significantly speed up decisions. Travel managers should circulate the new rules to overseas subsidiaries and remind applicants that failing to match documentation to PA7 descriptors can lead to refusals. The guidance also reiterates that decision-makers will automatically route complex cases, such as those with previous refusals, to specialised units, potentially lengthening processing times in the peak holiday season.
Source: GOV.UK
