English speaking lesson · Services & Admin
Visa appointment
You're at a visa office for your appointment about a residence permit. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A visa office · you talk to the visa officer
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What you have to do
Explain what you're applying for, say how long you're staying, hand over documents, and find out what happens next. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Good morning — please take a seat. What are you applying for today?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the visa officer.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Say what you're applying for
Say what visa or permit you're applying for.
“Good morning! I'm applying for a visa — it's for work.”
- 02
Say how long you're staying
Say how long you plan to stay.
“I'd like to stay one year.”
- 03
Hand over documents
Say what documents you have with you.
“Here's my passport, my photo, and the form.”
- 04
Check the application
Check the application details are correct.
“Yes, that's correct.”
- 05
Find out what happens next
Ask a question about the process if you have one, and finish.
“How long will it take? Thanks very much!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the visa officer.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- visa
- official permission to enter a country
- “I'm applying for a visa.”
- work
- your job or profession
- “It's for work.”
- year
- twelve months
- “For one year.”
- stay
- to remain in a place
- “I'd like to stay one year.”
- passport
- your official ID book
- “Here's my passport.”
- photo
- a picture of you
- “Here's my photo.”
- form
- an official document you fill in
- “Here's the form.”
- correct
- right, with no mistakes
- “Yes, that's correct.”
- long
- used to ask about time — 'how long'
- “How long will it take?”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks very much.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- permit
- official permission to do something
- “I'm applying for a residence permit.”
- residence
- the right to live somewhere
- “It's a residence permit.”
- employment
- having a paid job
- “It's for employment.”
- intend
- to plan to do something
- “I intend to stay a year.”
- contract
- a formal written agreement
- “Here's my employment contract.”
- proof
- evidence that something is true
- “Here's proof of address.”
- application
- a formal request, usually with a form
- “Here's my application.”
- correct
- right, with no mistakes
- “Yes, that's correct.”
- processing
- the official handling of a request
- “What's the processing time?”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I appreciate your help.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- sponsorship
- an employer's official support for a visa
- “My employer provides sponsorship.”
- eligibility
- whether you qualify for something
- “Could you confirm my eligibility?”
- duration
- how long something lasts
- “The duration would be one year.”
- extend
- to make something last longer
- “Could I extend it later?”
- certified
- officially confirmed as genuine
- “These are certified copies.”
- originals
- the first, genuine documents
- “Do you need the originals?”
- biometrics
- fingerprints and photo taken for ID
- “When would biometrics be taken?”
- decision
- the official outcome of an application
- “When would I get a decision?”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- paperwork
- the official forms and documents
- “The paperwork is all here.”
- backlog
- a build-up of unprocessed work
- “Is there much of a backlog?”
- expedite
- to make something happen faster
- “Can you expedite an application?”
- watertight
- with no gaps or weaknesses
- “I've tried to make it watertight.”
- limbo
- an uncertain waiting state
- “I'd rather not be in limbo.”
- chase
- to follow up on something (informal)
- “When should I chase it up?”
- turnaround
- the time taken to complete something
- “What's the realistic turnaround?”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged, thank you.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, that's sorted.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
More Services & Admin lessons
- Opening a bank account
- Customer service call
- Courier claim
- Making an insurance claim
- Registering at the town hall
- Renewing your ID
- At the tax office