7. How to write a personal covering letter

Even before I applied for this visa, I used to freelance as a resume writer so it helped me in framing my covering letter. Here is, in my opinion, the format of a good covering letter:

- introduce yourself (2-3 lines about who you are, what you do etc.)

- why are you going to UK? (what has inspired you to holiday in UK?)

- why are you going to uk at this time? (what about your job/study/responsibilities?)

- why should you come back? (include future plans/job offer etc)

- a check list of documents attached (optional)

- sign the letter with a nice declaration saying you are looking forward to holidaying in UK

For general tips, please see below after the sample.


SAMPLE COVERING LETTER

Given below is the covering letter I submitted to BHC in my application:

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OFFICIAL LETTER HEAD or NICE WHITE PAPER WITH A BORDER


Dear Visa Officer, British Consulate, Chennai:

My name is Miss. Rads Surname, Indian Passport No: 1234567, a writer with over 20 published books. I currently work as managing editor for ........, a famous children's magazine in India. I hereby seek permission to visit UK for a year as a Working Holidaymaker. Enclosed herewith are the necessary documents required for this purpose. The two main reasons for this working holiday in UK are:

Firstly - I have always wanted to visit the UK and by God’s grace, I’m finally in a position to do something about it. I am a published writer and the fact can be largely attributed to the literary diet fed to me in my teenage - Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie and of course, P G Wodehouse. … it will be an absolute delight to finally see those descriptions from my childhood come alive before my eyes.

Second - I have spent the past six years as an editorial assistant, a copy editor, a senior writer, and finally, a managing editor and right now, I’m at cross-roads of my career where I am ready to start my own firm. I intend to use the WHM visa as an opportunity to rest and re-charge myself for the challenge. As UK is a writer’s paradise, I’m very interested in tracing the history of writing in UK, which, I’m sure, will spur up my muse and induce me to write better.

There is also a very pertinent third reason - I am 28 years old and will be married soon. After marriage comes responsibilities like babies and home loans, so if I don't go on a working holiday in UK now, I may never do it in this lifetime! I want to make hay when the sun shines, as they say.

Thank you for your time. My track record will show that I do not abuse visas. I interned in Pennsylvania on a J-1 visa and I came back to my home country before it expired. I have lived in the US for 10 months, learning so much about myself and my host country, and I hope to have a much more enjoyable experience in the UK.

Sincerely,

Rads Surname

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GENERAL TIPS

1. Do not offer too many information in your letter, because it will give an impression that you are not mature. keep the letter short and to the point.

2. Keep the tone light and natural. Be honest. Do not show that you are desperate or too eager. If you have traveled abroad before, say it in a nice way that you love travelling and you always come back.

3. Include details about yourself in a good light - if you have won a award or fellowship or if you were something college, include it in a very nice way here. Link it with your decision to holiday in UK.

4. Your covering letter should not be more than a page. You can have the list of documents attached to it as a supplement page.

5. Last but never the least, you definitely need to edit the covering letter so that the grammar errors and the typos are removed. If your English is not the best, give it to an editor and get it edited. The British have an obsession for perfection, so it will be wise not to give them a covering letter with errors!