sattahipchris

In early 2010 my wifes cousin aplied for a visa. I was sponsoring her for a family visit. She was going to pay for her own ticket to the UK. I had filled the form in for her but still needed to give her extra details unfortunately on the advice of some friends she decided to go ahead and apply through and agency, as a result she applied with an incomplete set of documents and was refused a visa BUT she did not have a refusal letter nor was her passport stamped in any way. Plus I don't know what the agency did or said only that they charged her 60,000 baht that so depleted her saving she could not really afford to pursue the matter further.

Chris

In early 2010 my wifes cousin aplied for a visa. I was sponsoring her for a family visit. She was going to pay for her own ticket to the UK. I had filled the form in for her but still needed to give her extra details unfortunately on the advice of some friends she decided to go ahead and apply through and agency, as a result she applied with an incomplete set of documents and was refused a visa BUT she did not have a refusal letter nor was her passport stamped in any way. Plus I don't know what the agency did or said only that they charged her 60,000 baht that so depleted her saving she could not really afford to pursue the matter further.

Chris

Looks like some people here are burying their heads in the sand ( even though its quite wet).

Fact, global temperatures are increasing, the ice caps are melting at a worrying and recently increasing rates and all this is in the scientific domain. All national governments went to Durban recently to come up with further ways to reduce man-made emissions which are affecting our systems. Respectfully, I would hope most people here are of sufficient education to recognise this ongoing problem or else why do we have all those specialists in all our universities across the globe researching these problems. I believe too these global changes are/ will affect the hotter regions of the world first because temperature increase has greater effect in places like far east rather than western Europe. Of course Thailand's problems this year could be a very big blip but I think its worth going with the scientists too.

Read Michael Crighton's STATE OF FEAR Yes alright its a work of fiction but just check up on the references he uses they are also in the scientific domain. Look at the graphs of temperature increase over the last 100-150 years, explain why some glaciers are advancing not retreating and why the thickness of some icefields is increasing. How many of the predictions of global warming made by these scientists have been correct? Remember that these experts can't even predict what the weather will be like in a months time.

She went to the UK on the 30th APRIL and returned 30th October. The dates for a subsequent visit would be the same. We took her to Scotland for 2 weeks the lake district for a week and had a canal boat holiday in the Milands for a week. Although at 67 I had intended to work less I found myself really busy that meant we were unable to go to many places we planned to go to. London got missed as did Land's End, Clovelly, trips to the Broads and Yorkshire moors. I also promised her that I was hapy to take again in the future. My wife and I are both extremely fond of this niece and she behaves as if we were her parents, probably she spends more time with us than them. She had wanted to go to University this year but circumstances are against it.

Hi there,

Last year we took our 18 year old niece to the UK for a 6 month Holiday on a tourist visa. We had no problems getting it.

As our niece stays with us most of the time when we are in Thailand (we even took her on a holiday to Laos this year) she has expressed a desire to come back to England with us again this year and both my wife and I would be only too happy to have her stay with us again.

I see when perusing the UK border site that there is a family visa available:-

1. Would this be a more appropriate visa?

2. Can you get the family visa for more than 6 months, as it was inconvenient for us the drop everything we were doing to take her back to Thailand.

3. Can you get more than 6 months on a tourist visa?

My wife a Thai has UK nationality and a UK passport. We have been married/together for 14 years.

Now my niece has a UK visa we wanted to take her to France and Hungary or Greece for a short break. We have friends in these places. Has anyone had experience of getting a schengen visa in either embassy and how long they actually take. We are leaving on the 3rd May

Thanks to everyone for their advice. My niece was granted a UK visa you should have seen her face, it really was the land of smiles as she had resigned herself to not going to the UK. I can only assume that the faxes I sent to the embassy were taken into consideration. New letter of invitation,apology regards the rules and an undertaking that she will not study(which she won't)

I feel that it shows that the ECO's are fair and reasonable when it comes to the applications.

Chris

My niece had been contacted by mobile phone which automatically records the callers number. I phoned it back it was the British embassy. I have sent a couple of faxes to them that they will hopefully take into consideration. The course if you could call it that is a local government initiation and has no qualification at the end. I spoke late last night to the chap that runs it and he said he would have checked her visa status before allowing her to attend as its mostly intended for our new eea partners.

Thank you for your advice I clearly did the wrong although it was well intentioned and my niece may now miss out. I shall if it comes back with a refusal either appeal or get her to reapply.

The mention of of my offer to pay for her to improve her English only appeared in my original invitation letter and not in the application or supporting documents.

Thanks Raz

Can you give me the link where it says no study I've searched and I can't find either on the embassy site or the VFS site. I'll fax the visa section tonight saying Iwas unaware of the the restriction on studying whilst on holiday and ask them to reconsider.

Chris

I'd contact the ECO and say she isn't going to study and you didn't understand/know the Visa rules (although it's clearly stated on the website...NO WORK...NO STUDY)

Draw attention to your previous visa apps. Or apply for a study visa.

RAZZ

My wife who is a naturalilised British subject (since 2005) wanted our 18 year old niece to come to the UK during her gap year for an extended 6 month holiday. Our track record is good with all the visa's we have sponsored for her family none have overstayed or worked.

My niece was phoned today by either the VFS or embassy and told she was being refused a visa as I has stated in my supporting letter that I was happy to pay for her to have English lessons while she was there and I had already spoken to the teacher of an ESOL course. According to whoever spoke to her it was not within the remit of a holiday visa to allow her to attend classes to learn English while she was in the UK.

In the words of Victor Meldrew "I can't believe it!"

The prime reason for the application was one of a holiday. She didn't want a students visa. The lessons occur once a week and last for 3 hours my wife attends them to improve her English.

Do I have grounds to appeal the refusal.

Chris.

Hi there

Has any one had experience in obtaining a domestic visa for the UK. My wife's sister has been working as our maid (nothing like keeping the money in the family) and we are now considering returning to the UK. I see that there is a domestic's visa and I have heard of Indian families bringing their servants with them.

Is it possible as she is dependant on us that she could get a settlement visa.

I would be grateful to hear if any one has had experience in a similar situation

There's a lot of borrowing both on credit cards and big loans to finance property developement if the baht strengthens much further reducing exports with the associated loss of jobs and there is a failure to service loans then the whole lot can coming crashing down as it did in the past. How much specultive building is being done at the moment and how much still remains empty?

I know of an British ex-police inspector in the Korat region that has a legal permit for a Glock Hand gun in his own name.

Maybe its different for Ex coppers

My wife and I would like to adopt her niece. A 9 year old girl. Both her mother ans father approve of the adoption as it will mainly for UK schooling etc. Has any one had any experience of doing this

My wife and I have kept all Thai Documents in Thai name. We Married in the UK and all UK documents are in her married name. Joint choice so she can apply for a UK passport etc without it being linked to Thailand.