Plain answers to real visa questions, updated every week
Study abroad, visit visas and family visas, explained by the advisers who prepare these files every day in DHA Lahore. Every guide is checked against official embassy and government sources.
Our articles are general guidance, not legal advice. Rules change often, so we confirm the current position for your case at your free assessment.
Never miss a visa rule change again
Join Westside Visa News, our weekly briefing on LinkedIn. Every Monday you get the official visa changes that matter to Pakistani students and families, explained in plain language by our advisers in DHA Lahore.
- Five minute readOnly the changes that affect your plans, nothing else.
- Official sources linkedEvery item points to the embassy or government page.
- Early warningFee rises, funds rules and deadlines before they catch you out.
Start here: the guides families read most
The new monthly amounts, who they apply to and how to plan your bank statements.
What the May 2026 decree changed and what each university now charges.
What the Entry/Exit System means for Pakistani visitors, and why ETIAS does not apply.
Pick your destination
Every guide we have written for a country, newest first. Or search for exactly what you need.
Fresh from our advisers
New guides appear here the moment we publish them. Use the page numbers below to go back through every article.
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Priority and Super Priority From the Inside: What Paying GBP 500 or GBP 1,000 Changes in UKVI, and What It Cannot
Priority buys a place at the front of the queue, not a different officer or a lighter check. Learn how the 5 working day…
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Reading Your Own UKVI File: The Subject Access Request, What Comes Back and How to Use It Before You Apply Again
Everything this series describes, the officer’s notes, interview records, verification results and travel history, sits in a file you can ask to see. Learn…
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Business and Medical Visitors: What the Officer Checks on a Company Letter, a Hospital Letter and the Permitted Activities List
A business trip and private medical treatment are both visits, but the officer reads them against a list. Learn the permitted activities, the remote…
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How UKVI Counts Your Money: The 28 Day Rule, the 30 November 2026 Figures and the Parent’s Account, Explained for 2027 Students
From 30 November 2026 a UK student must show GBP 1,570 a month in London or GBP 1,203 outside, for up to nine months,…
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What UKVI Already Knows From Your CAS: The Sponsor Management System, the Eight Statuses and the Sponsor Note
Your university creates your CAS inside the Home Office’s own system, so UKVI reads it before you upload anything. Learn what fields the sponsor…
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Administrative Review From the Inside: Who Re reads Your UK Visa File, What Counts as an Error and Why Visitors Cannot Use It
An administrative review is not an appeal and not a second look at new documents. Learn who reviews a UK visa decision, what counts…
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Children and Dependants on the UKVI Record: Consent, Biometrics, Accompanied Visas and the Student Family Rules
Every child on a UK visa application has their own record, their own biometrics and their own set of rules. Learn how UKVI handles…
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Withdrawing, Changing or Abandoning a UK Visa Application: What UKVI Records and What You Get Back
Thinking of withdrawing a UK visa application? Learn how withdrawal, variation and voiding work under the Home Office rules, what is refunded, when UKVI…
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How UKVI Tests a Marriage: The Family Route Checks on Income, Evidence and the Genuine Relationship
A UK spouse or partner application is tested three ways: the sponsor’s income against specified evidence, the relationship against a graded evidence scale, and…
The week’s visa changes, in five minutes
Every Monday we check the UK, Canada, Australia, the USA, New Zealand, Europe and the Gulf for official changes that affect Pakistani students and families, and explain what they mean in plain language.
About our guides
Anything else, ask on WhatsApp. A real adviser replies, not a bot.
Ask your questionHow often do you publish news and articles?
We publish new guides most weeks and refresh our Visa News page every Monday. When an official rule changes, we update the affected articles and add a clear update note at the top.
Where does your information come from?
From official sources first: embassy and high commission pages, government visa departments, Campus France and university websites. Where something is only reported in the news, we say so clearly.
Can I rely on one of your articles for my application?
Use our guides to understand the process, not as legal advice. Rules and fees change, and every case is different, so we confirm the current position for your file at your free assessment.
Can you write about my country or question?
Yes. Send your question on WhatsApp. If many students ask the same thing, we turn it into a guide.
How do I get the weekly visa news?
Read it on our Visa News page every Monday, or subscribe to the Westside Visa News newsletter on LinkedIn.
