The rule is that you can spend only 6 months out of any 12 on a visitor visa. Usually that means you wait for 6 months before applying for another visa, but you can come sooner if the combined duration of your visits is less than 6 months.

 

It is indeed well hidden, but you will find it under 10.2 on UKvisas.

The problem is that after more than 6 months residence within one year your status becomes resident, unless there are exceptional factors. If you have income, you may also become resident for tax purposes (luckily in the UK that applies only to UK based income until you are a permanent resident).

 

What constitutes a 'year'?

[a] When you say 'maximum period of 6 months in any given year', i would like to clarify - what do you mean by a 'year'?

- Is it a calendar year (Jan-Dec)
- Is it the 12 month period starting from the first date of your first entry on Visitor visa?

If a person on visitor visa enters UK 2-3 times for 1-2 months each (totally not more than 6 months) in a period of say Sept 2007 to Sept 2008, then should he/she wait for 6 months <from the date of last exit from UK> before re-entering?

[c] How will the new proposed rule (stay <= 3 months) work with all of this?

Any advice will be very appreciated, as there seems to be no black and white answers in the rulebook!