MK14

A huge thank you to all the regular and occaisional contributors to this forum. The advice given by and to various correspondents has either directly or inderectly helped my g/f and I make a successful application.

A few points from our experience may help others in a similar situation. My g/f had overstayed and worked in UK on a tourist visa.

Nevertheless, following the advice given in this forum we presented a strong paper application collated and indexed in a 4 ring binder. The binder contained:

a letter of sponsorship from me staing among other things that we have known each other for nearly two years, how and where we met, when and where we became engaged;

proof of my income (pay slips, bank statements and a letter from my employer)

proof of suitable accommodation being available (tenancy agreement and letter from landlord)

copies of all e-mails that I had sent her;

copies of all e-mails that she had sent to me;

listing of all SMS messages sent to her and received from her;

copy phone bills (landlines, mobile phones and indirect dialing accounts)

all letters, birthday cards and postcards from me to her (including the envelopes);

same from her to me;

photographs of us together annotated with date and place; and

copies of all correspondence with the embassy.

In addition, my letter of sponsorship (cross referenced to the relevant e-mails) gave details of our wedding plans so far - ie the planned date and place for the wedding to take place.

My g/f went to the embassy smartly dressed.

Whilst waiting for her an unsuccesful applicant emerged into Wireless Road who was asked about but did not know the ages and dates of birth of close members of her boyfriend's family. Another was asked about her wedding plans, but none had been made, and a third was turned down because she had not submitted any photographs of her and her b/f together - very sad particularly as the b/f and his parents had travelled to the LOS to support her application and were waiting outside the embassy.

She was interviewed twice for a total of an hour and a half. During her interviews the ECO cross questioned her about her previous tourist visa application.

Of more direct interest to other applicants is that she was cross questioned on my telephone bills! The ECO wanted to know what other telephone numbers I had been calling in Thailand. As it happened, they were all numbers that she had given me to call her on, and she was able to answer this question.

She was also asked who had bought and paid for her engagement ring. Fortunatly, we had included the receipt for her ring in the bundle of documents, which clearly showed it was bought on my credit card.

Know your application, It pays to be well prepared.

Once again, a huge thanks to all who have helped us through this forum.

Hi all,

Having read the item on the website (following the link on GU22's posting) I phoned the embassy in BKK to check it out as my g/f interview date is 14 December.

They confirmed that this policy applies only to new applications that are made on or after 1 December 2005.

Having read the other comments in this, I doubt that having the TB test done in BKK will make much difference when she arrives at Heathrow.

Having read this thread I e-mailed the visa support officer dealing with my fiancee's visa application (submitted in July) to enquire if her interview date had been changed. After about 10 days I received an e-mail from said CSO inviting me to call the visa section at the British Embassy to arrange to bring the interview forward although the Embassy staff had not themselves changed the date.

I duly telephoned as requested. When I was put through, I spoke to the same VSO with whom I had been in e-mail contact.

He was very courteous and appreciated that I was telephoning from Blighty. He immediately offered a new interview date 2 weeks hence! In fact he had several dates and times he could offer. We settled on a date that was convenient to the Embassy, my fiancee and I. I had a choice of 5 interview times on that day!

I have e-mailed the VSO to thank him for the courteous manner in which he dealt with my enquiry - it can't do any harm and may even help!

Hello Howard,

My Thai g/f used the services of a visa representative ("a friend who says he can get me a visa") in July of this year to to apply for a tourist visa to visit Australia. I have been round the sun many times, so when the rep met us at the airport between internal flights, blagged a free lunch and wanted payment in cash (albeit only 10,000 Baht) I was suspicious and not surprised when he failed to come up with the goods.

On quizzing him on my g/f's prospective application for a UK settlement visa it became apparent, even to me, that he was not familiar the requirements of our man in Bangkok.

For my pennyworth, I say take note of what the wise heads on this site say. They have been there, done it and have the mental scars to prove it. Then get professional advice if your g/f needs it.

Sorry to change track, but Scouse mentioned professional representation at the interview. Please enlighten me as this may be appropriate to my g/f particulary as I will not even be allowed into the Embassy let alone her interview.

Hello,

I entered UK on a 6 months visitor visa in 1999.I overstayed and married a British man in 2002.Solicitors said that in order to regularise my status I had the choice of either going back to Thailand and apply for spouse visa or wait until after 2 years marriage,living together in Uk,and apply inside Uk.But after this period was over(in 2004)solicitors changed their tune:they said the law has changed and I had to go back to my country and apply there,which I did.

It's been now over a year of hel_l,waiting.I applied and was refused on following grounds:

1-my husband/sponsor low income

2-accomodation small

3-suspecting marriage is genuine

But I am graduate and have many skills which offer reasonable chance of work and I have documents and bills from the days we met before marriage as evidence of our genuine marriage.

I was given right of appeal.I appealed.I dont know how long it will take?

Now I have an idea.Please forgive me if it is a silly one.Do I have the right to apply for a short normal visitor visa to UK?

So what do you think about my application in general and this idea?

Thank you in advance for your help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>