roamer

You,ve known her for a year...planning for next April, thats two years and thats a good start. From now keep records of everything, use phone companies like Onetel where you can get a printed record of calls. Theres no harm with her staying on the farm as the type of job she would need to be deemed likely to return to would need usually to be a professional position. Dig up...or somehow "obtain" docs that prove you have known her for the period you state. Normal reasons for refusal are "...unlikely to return etc"...your protestations that you intend to return to live in LOS count for ZERO. However, for various reasons it becomes harder to refuse visas when you can point to a relationship of a couple of years as these are refusals more likely to be overturned on appeal and they prefer not to lose too many on appeal. When you have proof of a relationship over that period the fiancee visa is hardest to refuse if all paperwork correct ( by definition the unlikely to return part can't apply). Conversely if every thing not in order its the hardest to obtain. If its the tourist visa your going for....money in the bank helps, is an important part of it....but is far less important than length of relationship.

Make sure every single item on the visa form is properly prepared...leave nothing to chance. Then be prepared for a knockback and accept you may have to appeal.

Last but not least, appearance and demeanour count. Deduct 10 points for a t-shirt etc, another 10 for anything other than the correct manner.

Getting a visa is as much an art as a science.

Good Luck.

The email address for the Embassy was, and probably still is, a general FCO address for all UK embassies, never known a reply on any subject. Beleive the extra pages etc went out with terrorist probs and the ever growing centralisation of all things in the UK.

last summer I got a flyer for a shop in World Trade Centre offering exactly that,,Only Fools etc. No more details I'm sorry, and don't know whether the place still in business. Not a lot of help I know but it night jog someone's memory.

Throw away the potatos. Buy Ethyl Acetate (easy) add equimolar amount of Sodium Hydoxide (Lye, Caustic soda). What distills over under 90 degrees is pure ethyl alcohol. Dilute.

Comment on Linguaphone. Good, its used as the basis of the Thai course at SOAS London University. Pricey, but heres a tip if your not in a hurry. Inquire about it, let them send you the bumph then do nothing. Wait. Sometime later you get an offer of a 50% discount. The waiting time varies but this has worked for a few people. However only seems to work if you phone and ask for the initial bumph...doing it via the website doe'nt seem to bring a discount offer.

Seem to recall the requirement is you have known each other for at least 2 years? (Its on the app form) My approach to dealing with the British Embassy was not to even think about going near it till I had EVERYTHING in place. My girlfriend, now my wife, entered on a tourist visa and we married here, not an option for you as you have already shown your hand. Also, a tourist visa depends even more on her status rather than yours. Plus, I know a change to the law of marriage here giving a right to stay is either impending or already in place.No doubt others can advise you if the situation re visa requirements has changed in the last few years, but the first point holds true.

If you appeal and your still outside the required period I see little chance of a change in the original decision.