1. Who we are
The Visa Guru is an independent, India-based online visa application assistance service serving people in the UK, India and elsewhere through https://thevisaguru.com/. The Visa Guru is the trading name used for this service. The person operating the service determines how and why information submitted through the website is used. The business is not currently registered as a company.
For questions about this notice or how we use your personal information, contact us at thevisaguru@gmail.com.
2. What information we collect
When you contact us, complete a Free Visa Assessment form or speak to us by email or WhatsApp, we may collect:
- Your name, email address and telephone or WhatsApp number.
- Your intended destination, reason for travel or visa enquiry and relevant dates.
- Information about your current immigration or visa circumstances that you choose to provide.
- The contents of your messages and any documents you voluntarily send for assistance.
- Limited technical information required to run and protect the website, such as your IP address and information collected through website cookies.
Please do not send passport copies, financial records or other sensitive documents unless they are needed for a specific enquiry and you are comfortable sharing them. If your enquiry concerns a child, a parent or legal guardian should provide the relevant information.
3. How we use your information and why
We use personal information to:
- Respond to your enquiry and assess what information or administrative support you have requested.
- Communicate with you about possible next steps and, if you choose to proceed, provide agreed services.
- Maintain records of communications, operate and secure our website, and deal with complaints or legal obligations.
We handle information in accordance with applicable data protection law. Where the UK GDPR applies to our services for people in the UK, our lawful basis may be our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and operating a secure business, taking steps you request before entering into an agreement, fulfilling an agreement with you, complying with a legal obligation, or your consent where required.
We do not use an enquiry as permission to send unrelated promotional messages. If we offer optional marketing updates, we will explain your choices and any consent requirements separately.
4. Where enquiries are stored
Information submitted through our Free Visa Assessment form is stored in our WordPress website system and is also delivered to our business Gmail inbox. Information you send by WhatsApp is handled through WhatsApp, and email correspondence is handled through Gmail.
We take reasonable steps to restrict access to people responsible for handling enquiries and to protect the information we hold.
5. Sharing information and service providers
We do not sell personal information or pass your enquiry details to independent visa consultants, agents or referral partners. If you ever ask us to involve another professional, we will explain the proposed disclosure and seek any permission required before sharing your details.
To operate the service, information is nevertheless processed by technology providers, including our website hosting provider (Hostinger), Google for Gmail, and WhatsApp/Meta where you choose that communication channel. These providers handle information to deliver hosting, email or messaging services. We may also disclose information where legally required.
Our service is operated from India, so information submitted by people in the UK or other countries may be accessed and handled in India. Our technology providers may also process information in other countries. International data transfers may be subject to legal safeguards, depending on the laws that apply. You may contact us for further information about where your enquiry information is handled.
6. How long we keep information
We normally delete routine enquiries that do not become active cases within 12 months after our last meaningful contact with you.
If we provide a paid service or need to keep certain records to meet legal, accounting or dispute-resolution requirements, we may retain the necessary records for longer. We review and securely delete information when it is no longer needed.
7. Cookies and links to other services
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies necessary for its operation and, where enabled, for analytics or other functions. Please see our Cookie Policy for details of the cookies actually used and your choices. Any optional non-essential cookies requiring consent should only be used after the appropriate choice has been obtained.
Our website also links to third-party services and social media platforms. Their own privacy notices apply when you use them.
8. Your privacy rights
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to ask for access to, correction or deletion of your personal information, to restrict certain uses, to object to processing, or to receive certain information in a portable format. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting earlier lawful processing. Some of these rights depend on whether UK or Indian data protection rules apply to your information.
To make a request, contact thevisaguru@gmail.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
If UK data protection law applies to the handling of your information and you are unhappy with our response, you may also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/.
9. Changes to this notice
We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, forms, technology providers or legal obligations change. The date at the top indicates when this notice was last revised.