Funds required for sponsor for Thai wife' UK tourist visa?

[Pat in Pattaya]

Hi,

 

Planning on a trip to the UK this summer. The trip is only for 2 weeks, how much money, approx, would I  (as the sponsor) need to show (in my Thai account) for the (whatever those guys are called who decide whether you can have a visa or not) to be satisfied we can comfortably afford the trip? I really have no idea.

 

Don't know if it's relevant, but she has been to the UK before with me for a visit a number of years ago.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

PIP

[Tanoshi]

What's your reason and itinerary for the trip.

 

Accommodation provided free, or staying in hotels.

Public transport or car hire.

Home cooked meals or eating out.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by Tanoshi

[Pat in Pattaya]

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

What's your reason and itinerary for the trip.

 

Accommodation provided free, or staying in hotels.

Public transport or car hire.

Home cooked meals or eating out.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't be silly. I'm not talking about how much I'm going to spend. 

 

They know you could be lying about how much you may spend or not, so there must be some kind of figure that gets a tick?

 

Say for example they can see 200k Baht in my acc, would that likely to be deemed as sufficient?

[simoh1490]

11 minutes ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

Don't be silly. I'm not talking about how much I'm going to spend. 

 

They know you could be lying about how much you may spend or not, so there must be some kind of figure that gets a tick?

 

Say for example they can see 200k Baht in my acc, would that likely to be deemed as sufficient?

The poster is correct, if you want to arrive at a figure you think will be acceptable to the Immigration people it will depend on the factors he mentioned. If for example you owned your own home and car in the UK and were planning on staying locally, a much lower figure would probably be acceptable. But if you're planning on travelling around, staying in hotels and eating all meals out, a far higher figure will apply.

[johng]

My wife recently got her 3rd UK visa...on the application form where it asked about available funds I put 2500 pounds. Length of stay 60 days.

Copy of my bank book with more than that in along with the other paperwork was submitted at the "trendy" application center in BKK

 

 

[Pat in Pattaya]

Ok, thanks. A proper answer at last.

 

And yes I think we are all aware of where we submit the application.

[7by7]

7 hours ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

how much money, approx, would I  (as the sponsor) need to show (in my Thai account) for the (whatever those guys are called who decide whether you can have a visa or not) to be satisfied we can comfortably afford the trip? 

 How long is a piece of string? There is no fixed minimum figure in the immigration rules.

Quote

V 4.2 The applicant must satisfy the decision maker that they are a genuine visitor. This means that the applicant:

(e) must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds. This includes the cost of the return or onward journey, any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities such as private medical treatment.

 

As others have said, but you have dismissed, it all depends on the details of the trip. For example, if staying with friends or family then obviously you will need less than if staying in hotels; if staying for 2 weeks then you will need less than if staying for 6 months: a two week visit to family will cost less than a two week tour of the major tourist spots.

 

I have sponsored several visits by members of my wife's family; the last being in January when my stepson and his wife visited us for the second time. In their applications we put £20 per week each for their personal expenses, explaining that the figure was low because we were providing accommodation and food so this was just their spending money.

 

Obviously, you have to show the cost of travel is affordable as well.

 

BTW, the money does not need to be in your Thai account; it can be in any account in your name, your wife's name or both your names jointly. It can even be in the name of a third party as long as that party confirms they are willing to financially support your wife during her stay in the UK.

 

Obviously, all monies your wife claims in her application to be available to her must be evidenced by bank statements or similar. You either have the money available, or you don't and I have to wonder what you would do if someone suggested a figure and you didn't have that amount money?

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by 7by7
Addenda

[Pat in Pattaya]

''and I have to wonder what you would do if someone suggested a figure and you didn't have that amount money?''

 

 

I would find the tallest building near me and jump off it. Thanks for the post anyhow. 20 quid a week?? LOL!

 

Must admit I had overlooked the flight costs having to be shown, and yes I know funds don't have to be shown in a Thai account.

[7by7]

28 minutes ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

20 quid a week?? LOL!

That's what we put, both for their one week, the maximum holiday my stepson's employer would allow him to take in one go, visits and my sister in law's 6 month visits. In my sponsor's letter for each of my sister in law's visit applications I wrote 

Quote

I will provide accommodation and food free of charge. Therefore I anticipate that her expenditure whilst in the UK will be minimal

I put similar in the letter supporting my stepson and his wife's visit applications.

 

Obviously acceptable as they got their visas!

 

Don't over complicate things, don't try and make the application conform to what you believe to be required; simply provide the facts.

 

One fact being that consistently for the 15 years plus I have been taking an interest, around 95% of standard visit visa applications in Bangkok each year have been successful. Based on what I have read on this and similar forums and been told personally, of those that failed many did so because sponsor and/or applicant adjusted the facts to fit what they thought the decision maker wanted to hear rather than tell the simple truth.

 

Surely a quick calculation of what the visit is going to cost you is not beyond your capabilities; and you either have that money available or you don't!

 

Read the UKVI guidance; it's there to help you.

Edited February 18, 2018 by 7by7
Spelling

[theoldgit]

Insulting post removed, UKVI staff, current and former, contribute to this forum, insults are unwarranted.
As 7by7 and others have said there is no line to cross when demonstrating that you have sufficient funds in your bank account to sponsor your wife's trip, there are so many variables.
As has been pointed it depends on how long you and your wife intend spending in the UK, where you are staying and what you intend doing, you just need to satisfy the ECO that you have sufficient resources to fund the trip.
My wife has made a number of successful applications by just satisfying the decision maker that she/we could afford the declared trip.
You seem to be aware that financial support is only part of the application, the reason to return is as, or probably more, important than affordability, you seem to be living here in Thailand so providing she can provide evidence of your joint life here I would have thought you were more than halfway there.


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[Mattd]

21 hours ago, 7by7 said:

One fact being that consistently for the 15 years plus I have been taking an interest, around 95% of standard visit visa applications in Bangkok each year have been successful. Based on what I have read on this and similar forums and been told personally, of those that failed many did so because sponsor and/or applicant adjusted the facts to fit what they thought the decision maker wanted to hear rather than tell the simple truth.

This is very good advice and the OP would do well to heed this.

A good percentage of the failures will be due to the application being falsified in some way or another, or appears to the ECO as that.

Be honest in the application and provide the evidence needed.

[glasswort]

Sorry but how long is a piece of string? I took my Thai wife to UK last year for the eighth time. All I submitted was a copy of my UK bank statement (showing substantial funds) and indicating that I would be paying for the trip. I did the same thing on the previous seven occasions and the visa was issued without any problems. Personally I do not see the relevance of funds in a Thai bank account.

[StevieDee]

Hi OP,

Hopefully this will be deemed a 'proper answer'.

From previous (painful) experience the trip's itinerary does become one of their considerations for the monies available/required for the trip.

My only suggestion is to, within reason, provide detailed information of your intended itinerary. 

So, if you are staying with friends or family while there get them to send you a mail confirming their pleasure at having you and your lovely wife staying with them between whatever dates they are and supply it with application.

Pain in the arse maybe but it does not allow them to assume expenses that don't exist and in turn refuse your application on their wrongful assumptions.

Hope that helps & enjoy the trip !

[theoldgit]

Personally I do not see the relevance of funds in a Thai bank account.

But not all sponsors have UK bank accounts, many sponsors live here in Thailand, including the OP, so a Thai account is totally relevant.
In my case when my wife applied for her latest visa in December she supplied copies of our individual Thai accounts as well as our joint Thai account.
Her five year visa was issued within days.

[nellyp]

Sorry if I am hijacking this topic, but I am also trying to work out my approach to affordability.

 

I have returned to the UK to work while I build up 6 months of income to show immigration for my wife's settlement visa, but would like my family to come over and stay for as long as possible before my wife returns to Thailand to complete the application.

 

Though I can show enough money in our joint account in Thailand for travel and some spending money and have a few thousand in the bank for over here, I want my wife to be here for around 4 months. Is it possible to show that I have enough extra income to support my family (we will stay with my nephew) from my actual wages? I earn more than the minimum income required to pass affordability for immigration, but I have only recently started this job.

 

My wife will be bringing my sons with her (they have UK passports and were born in the UK), so do we also need to declare them on the application or is it only my wife that I need to show I can support?

 

We will not be treating this as a holiday, but as a family visit to spend time together. Therefore I would simply be declaring expenditure on food and day to day living (though I have no idea how I am going to figure out what that amount should be.

 

Thanks in advance for any help

[sandyf]

On 2/18/2018 at 6:34 PM, Pat in Pattaya said:

''and I have to wonder what you would do if someone suggested a figure and you didn't have that amount money?''

 

 

I would find the tallest building near me and jump off it. Thanks for the post anyhow. 20 quid a week?? LOL!

 

Must admit I had overlooked the flight costs having to be shown, and yes I know funds don't have to be shown in a Thai account.

The application does not hinge on how much money you have. I am in the process of doing the seventh application for my wife and at no time have I ever submitted any financial information in respect of my wife. The first 2 applications were made at a time when I had very little money and a relatively small income but it wasn't a problem. In both cases the trip was around 2 weeks and I used the statements from my UK account showing an average balance of under £2000.

As has been mentioned there are more significant factors that will be considered, notably a very good reason that the applicant will leave the UK on the date specified. The fact that a spouse lives in Thailand and will leave the UK at the same time goes a long way in supporting the application and it should be pointed out in the sponsor letter.

If you haven't done an application recently, I would suggest you make a dummy application which can then be deleted. You would get a feel for the questions and how to add answers before the real thing. There are a few questions relating to the costs involved.