Immigration Corner | How to apply for an ETA and what can be done with it

Dear Mr Bassie,

A few weeks ago, you advised us on under what circumstances an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) could be used. I would like you to advise me on how to apply for an ETA and for what it can be used.

BR

Dear BR,

Persons should be aware that when applying for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) it costs £16 to apply online or through the United Kingdom (UK) ETA app. It should be noted that applicants cannot get a refund after applying and that they cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app.

The applicant will need:

• The passport he/she will travel with

• An email address

• A credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay

When applying, he/she will need to upload or take photos of the face of the person applying.

APPLYING FOR SOMEONE ELSE

Persons can apply for someone else’s ETA on the United Kingdom (UK) ETA app if they are with them.

If the person being applied for is not present with the person applying on their behalf, then that person must apply for their ETA online. He/she will need a photo of their passport and a photo of their face.

APPLY ON THE UK ETA APP OR APPLY ONLINE

When applying on the UK ETA app persons will need to use their phone’s camera to scan their passport and their face. Persons should download the UK ETA app from Google Play or the App Store. If the app cannot be downloaded on to the phone then they should try to apply online. If applying online applicants will need a photo of the passport and the face of the person applying.

AFTER APPLYING

After applying, persons will get a decision by email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), usually within a day. The email will contain your 16-digit ETA reference number. Persons should contact UKVI if they have not had a decision after three working days. Please note that persons may get decisions at different times to other people that they applied for.

Please be aware that the ETA will be linked to the passport that it was applied with and that people only need to show their passport when they travel to the UK.

HOW LONG IT LASTS

An ETA lasts for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner. Persons can travel to the UK as many times as they want while they have an ETA.

Please be aware that persons can obtain assistance by reading the guide to using the UK ETA app; watching the ‘What is an ETA?’ video on YouTube; or by watching the ‘How to apply for an ETA’ video on YouTube.

WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE WITH AN ETA

Please note that whether persons need to apply for an ETA depends on the reason why they are travelling to the UK.

An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. Those persons who have a criminal record or were previously refused entry into the UK, may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.

WHAT PERSONS CAN DO WITH AN ETA

Persons can:

• Go to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, on a business trip or for short-term study;

• Go to the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession;

• Go to the UK for a permitted paid engagement;

• Transit through a UK airport if they pass through border control – check with their airline if they are not sure.

If they aregoing to the UK for another reason, they should check if they need a visa instead.

WHAT PERSONS CANNOT DO WITH AN ETA

Persons cannot:

• Stay in the UK for longer than six months;

• Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless they are doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession;

• Claim public funds (benefits);

• Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits;

• Marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership – they will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa.

I hope this helps.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com