The Bar Question

[the scouser]

As a general principle, the applicant is under no duty of candour, so honestly answer the questions you are asked.

Scouse.

[ProThaiExpat]

While I did post that one should consider ommiting a short spurt of employment in a bar in an application for a visa, I certainly did not suggest lying, as few are capable of carrying it off in an interview.

I too picked up on the discrpency between home ownership and a sales clerks salary. Perhaps a gift of the falang sponsor? Anyway the applicant should be prepared with an answer for this anomoly.

As far as telling the truth is concerned, I relate the following experience when my Thai and I attempted to get the first tourist visa to Australia.

Would you believe employed as my "house manager" and the allowance as "salary". Prompt refusal!!

In the immediately requested interview with the reviewing Thai lady presumably making the refusal decision, a full disclosure of the real facts of the relationship was revealed and the economic dependence. It didn't hurt that an Australian, son-in-law had written a guarantee letter with the invitation. Another helpful fact was daughter and son-in-law are higher up managers of IBM and we would be staying with them. My Thais integration into my family had to have helped. Decison turned around and off we went, never to hide anything again in visa applications, although very strict adherence to negative facts is not practiced either.

[coldcrush]

I wonder if they were called Geishas (has a nicer ring to it) rather than bar girls if they would be less likely tobe refused? Anyways best not to lie and hope someone knows that bar girls are human as well!

Edited January 25, 2007 by lopburiguy

[Mossfinn]

I am afraid this looks like a double fault, Ace appears to be wide of the base line as he hasn't even appeared or viewed his own post since he served it.

Some good views all the same, whatever your opinion.

Good Luck

Moss

[waffleuk]

My fiancee got her UK visa granted 2 weeks ago. I'm 25 and she is 22. We put together an impressive portfolio of our relationship, my means of supporting her and our future plans. We gave a brief and basic account of our first meeting on my Sponsors letter, adding that I sent her small amounts of money to support her since our first meeting 5 months ago.

No further questions were asked about our first meeting in her interview, she was in the interview 10 minutes, they asked her my sisters name and what I liked to do in my spare time and that was it. She was asked to wait outside whilst they put the visa in her passport.

I think if you can provide a large amount of evidence supporting your application and show the embassy that your relationship is serious, then her previous employment won't be took into too much consideration by them. If you give them your application with just a phonebill and a couple of pictures, then your not giving yourself half a chance.

Also, not sure if this is of any use to others, and its certainly not a attempt at flaming this forum, but once we'd processed our application, I stopped myself visiting this site and any other visa related sites during the 6 week wait for the interview, I didn't want to read other peoples negatives posts and then start questioning our own application. It can be a long 6 week wait if your constantly questioning your own application.

This is an excellent forum full of great advice. Cheers guys.

[britmaveric]

Bar/Disco - doesnt matter. Could be hostess, cashier - I don't see where relevance of where someone works as anything to do with visa. If you fit the criteria laid out by the visa then you should have no problem, nor should the ECO.

[wimbledon88]

I am afraid this looks like a double fault, Ace appears to be wide of the base line as he hasn't even appeared or viewed his own post since he served it.

Some good views all the same, whatever your opinion.

Good Luck

Moss

Actually I've been reading all the replies with great interest and I'm very grateful for (most) of them. My feeling is that to lie would be a big mistake and therefore I will either just allude to the circumstances of our meeting, or just gloss over it altogether.

Although my girlfriend can be said to be working in her friend's hair salon,this is really just "cash in hand" rather than genuine employment. I provide her with money to get by and the work is really just pocket money and to give her something to do. She is at the hair salon every day but not always working (normally chatting and eating!). The friend is not too keen about writing an employer's letter as she is not decaring everything for tax. Would her chances of a Visa be affected by this situation and should I just explain the situation honestly?

Thanks for all the replies.

[atlastaname]

As her new job is not really a job , it will count for nothing in the Embassy's eyes. Thus you may as well be honest about that bit as you really have no choice about it anyway.

Despite what everyone is telling you (easy for them to say "tell them" as its not their lives being affected remember) , i still can't see how telling them she worked in a bar with all that that entails will be of benefit to you nor do i see its neccessary. It can't help you so i would gloss over that period of time and pretend she was unemployed . She worked in a dept store for 5 years , left , didn't work for a few months , and now works in an unofficial way in a hair salon. You met shopping. How could they ever disprove that or doubt it could be true. It sounds a little better , although you have a tough job here getting a visa anyway , and have to rely on your relationship to satisfy them she will return.

Please let us know how you fare as this is an interesting one.

[wimbledon88]

As her new job is not really a job , it will count for nothing in the Embassy's eyes. Thus you may as well be honest about that bit as you really have no choice about it anyway.

Despite what everyone is telling you (easy for them to say "tell them" as its not their lives being affected remember) , i still can't see how telling them she worked in a bar with all that that entails will be of benefit to you nor do i see its neccessary. It can't help you so i would gloss over that period of time and pretend she was unemployed . She worked in a dept store for 5 years , left , didn't work for a few months , and now works in an unofficial way in a hair salon. You met shopping. How could they ever disprove that or doubt it could be true. It sounds a little better , although you have a tough job here getting a visa anyway , and have to rely on your relationship to satisfy them she will return.

Please let us know how you fare as this is an interesting one.

Will do, although the wedding's not until 12 May so I won't be applying until March (unless you would recommend doing it earlier?).

[Mahout Angrit]

Will do, although the wedding's not until 12 May so I won't be applying until March (unless you would recommend doing it earlier?).

The Visa, if issued, will be valid from the date of issue for a 6 month period. She must leave the UK on or before that date of expiry, she can enter any time before that.

You can ask, on the application form, that the date of issue be deferred upto 3 months if you want to know whether to plan for her trip or not.

[wimbledon88]

I'm very happy to report that my GF successfully got her UK visitor's visa, without any need for an interview. As advised by most people on this thread, I managed to avoid mentioning my GF's previous employment without lying. In my Sponsor's letter I made direct reference to her being currently unemployed (which she is, as the hairdressing could not be dressed up as employment) and that I did not want her to return to "menial" work.

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread.

[Mahout Angrit]

I'm very happy to report that my GF successfully got her UK visitor's visa, without any need for an interview.

Well done, once again it proves that a well prepared application is likely to be successful. Hope you both enjoy your holiday.

[the scouser]

Well done.

Scouse.

[atlastaname]

See... i told you , no need to mention it .... well done and have a great holiday

[topdjdel]

Well done sir,

I have to admit I thought personally your GF would struggle with the application,previous employment,a house built in her name etc etc.Thought to myself I think the embbassy has enough to doubt here.

Well done,you obviously took notes of the posts and put together a well documented application and proved that your in a genuine realtionship.

Nice work.

I've said it before 'Always tell the truth' and I firmly beleive that is the best way.If your open and honest from the begining it narrows down the doubts that could possibly be raised.

Bargirls/gogo-DO NOT be embarressed to say that it is there job or has been-It is LOS after all and bills need to be paid and have to eat rice.

Prostitute lol,wouldn't have put it so bluntly mind but hostess or cashier would suffice.

Its been posted before-Bar girls get visas,liars DONT.

say no more.

Wimbeldonfella well done.

delboy

[Mossfinn]

Well Done and Good Luck for the future.

Moss

[BIGJIMMY]

Nice work squire, I agree with everything that Khun Topdjdel said!!

Right on!!

Hugs and wet ones to all.

Jimmy

[gburns57au]

I think a point needs to be made for clarifications sake.....

A Bargirl should get a visa.....a prostitute may not get a visa....especially in a moralistic country.

By all means tell the embassies that your girl has worked in a bar as a waitress, cashier, cleaner or whatever. There should be no prejudice shown. BUT if you tell them that your girl was a prostitute then you can expect a refusal.

As a few have pointed out....not every bar worker is a prostitute as neither is every massage girl.

[atlastaname]

I know its early on a Monday morning so perhaps i am not firing 100% yet , but i seem to be missing something here from the last post by gburns. We are not talking Arab moralistic countries here but western ,so-called enlightened, ones. So why shouldn't a prostitute/ex-prostitute get a visa anyway ... what exactly is supposed to happen , will the world stop spinning ? Someone indulge me with an answer.

[Mossfinn]

I think a point needs to be made for clarifications sake.....

A Bargirl should get a visa.....a prostitute may not get a visa....especially in a moralistic country.

By all means tell the embassies that your girl has worked in a bar as a waitress, cashier, cleaner or whatever. There should be no prejudice shown. BUT if you tell them that your girl was a prostitute then you can expect a refusal.

As a few have pointed out....not every bar worker is a prostitute as neither is every massage girl.

There has been may debates on this particular question here, in my opinion a good thread is Here

Good Luck

Moss

[BIGJIMMY]

I think its all a load of nonsense about where you met, theres no mention on the form about it (as least not on the vv form) and if you have enough evidence for everything else then I would have thought it shouldn't be a problem. This is of course only my thoughts!!

Jimmy

[wimbledon88]

I think its all a load of nonsense about where you met, theres no mention on the form about it (as least not on the vv form) and if you have enough evidence for everything else then I would have thought it shouldn't be a problem. This is of course only my thoughts!!

Jimmy

This was certainly the case in my application. I just referred to my GF's past employment as "menial work" and gave the approximate date of our meeting in my Sponsor's letter. Had my GF been called for an interview I would have advised her to be honest about the nature of the menial work if she was asked. Luckily the visa was granted without an interview!

I also think it's worth mentioning that her visitor's visa was granted even though she has been unemployed for nearly year (she makes a little from helping a friend's salon and I give her a small monthly stipend), only has 20,000 baht in her account and has no assets in Thailand. It certainly helped that I am employed in Thailand and we are only going to the UK for a short visit.

[Mahout Angrit]

It certainly helped that I am employed in Thailand and we are only going to the UK for a short visit.

Yes... this was her 'reason to return' and you also only applied to be 'on holiday' for 2 weeks, many try for a visit to be a 'trial marriage' and then the reason to return becomes difficult to prove.

[atlastaname]

I think its all a load of nonsense about where you met, theres no mention on the form about it (as least not on the vv form) and if you have enough evidence for everything else then I would have thought it shouldn't be a problem. This is of course only my thoughts!!

Jimmy

Jimmy, of course its all nonsense about where you met. I have asked the question here many times about why its brought into the equation at all, no-one ever answers because there is no good answer. I love the naievity of your coment about there being no mention of it on the application form. Of course there isn't , they don't want you to thin k it will be a question so that IF the applicant is called to interview and they regard him/her as "undesirable " by their definition , they can spring this on the applicant and use it as a excuse to refuse. All political i'm afraidu

[gburns57au]

I know its early on a Monday morning so perhaps i am not firing 100% yet , but i seem to be missing something here from the last post by gburns. We are not talking Arab moralistic countries here but western ,so-called enlightened, ones. So why shouldn't a prostitute/ex-prostitute get a visa anyway ... what exactly is supposed to happen , will the world stop spinning ? Someone indulge me with an answer.

Who was talking about Arab moralistic countries...???

I was talking about a Westernised Country.

[atlastaname]

I know its early on a Monday morning so perhaps i am not firing 100% yet , but i seem to be missing something here from the last post by gburns. We are not talking Arab moralistic countries here but western ,so-called enlightened, ones. So why shouldn't a prostitute/ex-prostitute get a visa anyway ... what exactly is supposed to happen , will the world stop spinning ? Someone indulge me with an answer.

Who was talking about Arab moralistic countries...???

I was talking about a Westernised Country.

Yes i know that is what i was saying . Its NOT like we are talking about Arab countries (where perhaps their culture would make it more understandable ...wrong but understandable) we ARE talking Western ones where this issue should not be a problem ... but it seems it is . The way i read , and still read , your post was that you seem to think that if you declare you are/were ever a prostitute , you can expect a refusal. I agree you can expect that . What i was saying is ....why?? Its not like we are talking Arab ...etc etc.. get it ?

So come on someone ....why does it matter?? What exactly IS the big deal ? I just don't get it

[solo siam]

I know its early on a Monday morning so perhaps i am not firing 100% yet , but i seem to be missing something here from the last post by gburns. We are not talking Arab moralistic countries here but western ,so-called enlightened, ones. So why shouldn't a prostitute/ex-prostitute get a visa anyway ... what exactly is supposed to happen , will the world stop spinning ? Someone indulge me with an answer.

They come over to the UK etc... and become a prostitute there, or the person who helps them migrate is a pimp or whatever, prostitution is illegal - do you think they should invite drug addicts, paedophiles, murderers etc... Since when has an 'enlightened country' welcomed and encouraged prostitutes to settle in their country?

[the scouser]

This issue at hand here is whether a visa applicant's previous occupation can have a detrimental effect on an application, and this thread does not concern a discussion of the occupation itself.

The OP has not only had his question answered, but his girlfriend has her visa, so time to put this one to bed before it degenrates into a general discussion of prostitution, which would be in breach of the forum rules.

Scouse.