Wife's bank balance for 2 year tourist visa

[mick01827]

HI all

And thanks in advance for anyone who gives advice. 

My thai wife is in the process of obtaining a 2 year tourist visa to visit me in the UK.

She visited uk twice in 2017 but looking to spend more time in uk before applying for partner visa.

Does anyone know how much money she needs to show in her Thai bank account? 

Edited April 1, 2018 by mick01827
Forgot one word

[HampiK]

As you are already married, can you explain, why not go for a partner visa?

 

I not a brit so don't know about their visa specials….

[7by7]

19 minutes ago, mick01827 said:

My thai wife is in the process of obtaining a 2 year tourist visa to visit me in the UK.

She visited uk twice in 2017 but looking to spend more time in uk before applying for partner visa.

 I trust that you and she are both aware that whether she has a 2, 5 or 10 year visit visa the maximum time she can spend in the UK per visit is 6 months and, unless there are exceptional circumstances, she cannot spend more than 6 months out of any 12 in the UK as a visitor.

 

21 minutes ago, mick01827 said:

Does anyone know how much money she needs to show in her Thai bank account? 

As with her previous visit visas, there is no fixed financial requirement. She needs to show that she has sufficient funds available to her to cover the costs of each visit. These funds do not have to be just in her account; they can be in hers, yours, even a third party's or any combination of these.

[mick01827]

30 minutes ago, HampiK said:

As you are already married, can you explain, why not go for a partner visa?

 

I not a brit so don't know about their visa specials….

Pretty simple, we've been together just over 5 years, got married last December in Thailand, this was my first holiday in 3 years, due to my mom being sick, so I had 4 weeks in Thailand and 2 weeks in Vietnam, which in total cost me about 5/6k gbp so I just wanted 12 months to save the money for a partner but even if we'd applied for partner visa I'd still want her to visa UK in the meantime due to partner visa taking at least 6/9 months.

Hope that makes sense. 

[mick01827]

2 hours ago, 7by7 said:

 I trust that you and she are both aware that whether she has a 2, 5 or 10 year visit visa the maximum time she can spend in the UK per visit is 6 months and, unless there are exceptional circumstances, she cannot spend more than 6 months out of any 12 in the UK as a visitor.

 

As with her previous visit visas, there is no fixed financial requirement. She needs to show that she has sufficient funds available to her to cover the costs of each visit. These funds do not have to be just in her account; they can be in hers, yours, even a third party's or any combination of these.

I knew it was max 6 months per visit but the visa company said that she could return to Thailand for 1/2 weeks and then return to UK and she could do this for the entire span of the 2 year visa 

[7by7]

48 minutes ago, mick01827 said:

I knew it was max 6 months per visit but the visa company said that she could return to Thailand for 1/2 weeks and then return to UK and she could do this for the entire span of the 2 year visa

Sorry, but no reputable company would say this to you; because it is not true!

 

There is nothing in the actual immigration rules about a 'maximum of 6 months out of 12' allowed in the UK as a visitor. But Para V4.2 says

Quote

Genuine intention to visit

1. V 4.2 The applicant must satisfy the decision maker that they are a genuine visitor. This means that the applicant:
   1. ( a ) will leave the UK at the end of their visit; and
   2. ( b ) will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits.............

 

Furthermore, from the guidance to UKVI staff (page 17)

Quote

Frequent or successive visits: how to assess if an applicant is making the UK their main home or place of work
 

See: paragraph V 4.2(b) of appendix V: visitor rules.
 
You should check the applicant’s travel history, including how long they are spending in the UK and how frequently they are returning. You must assess if they are, in effect, making the UK their main home.

 

You should look at:
 
• the purpose of the visit and intended length of stay stated

• the number of visits made over the past 12 months, including the length of stay on each occasion, the time elapsed since the last visit, and if this amounts to the individual spending more time in the UK than in their home country

• the purpose of return trips to the visitor’s home country and if this is used only to seek re-entry to the UK .........

 

There is no specified maximum period which an individual can spend in the UK in any period such as ‘6 months in 12 months’. However, if it is clear from an individual’s travel history that they are making the UK their home you should refuse their application.

 

Remember that obtaining a visa does not guarantee entry to the UK; the final decision whether or not to grant entry rests with Border Force officers at the traveller's port of entry; and the above applies equally when seeking entry as when applying for the visa.

 

If UK Border Force have reason to believe that, on the balance of probabilities, your wife intends to use a visit visa for de facto UK residence then her visa will be cancelled and she will be denied entry and returned to Thailand. This probably wouldn't happen on her first entry, but almost certainly would if she attempted another entry just 1/2 weeks after leaving the UK following a 6 month stay.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2018 by 7by7
Addendum

[mick01827]

34 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

Sorry, but no reputable company would say this to you; because it is not true!

 

There is nothing in the actual immigration rules about a 'maximum of 6 months out of 12' allowed in the UK as a visitor. But Para V4.2 says

 

Furthermore, from the guidance to UKVI staff (page 17)

 

Remember that obtaining a visa does not guarantee entry to the UK; the final decision whether or not to grant entry rests with Border Force officers at the traveller's port of entry; and the above applies equally when seeking entry as when applying for the visa.

 

If UK Border Force have reason to believe that, on the balance of probabilities, your wife intends to use a visit visa for de facto UK residence then her visa will be cancelled and she will be denied entry and returned to Thailand. This probably wouldn't happen on her first entry, but almost certainly would if she attempted another entry just 1/2 weeks after leaving the UK following a 6 month stay.

 

 

Please don't post on a question that I ask on a forum if you'regoing to insinuate that I'm a liar, unless you were actually there PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE AGENCY SAID!

now please don't post anymore, I'm not interested in your garbage!

[macahoom]

1 hour ago, mick01827 said:

Please don't post on a question that I ask on a forum if you'regoing to insinuate that I'm a liar, unless you were actually there PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE AGENCY SAID!

now please don't post anymore, I'm not interested in your garbage!

 

One of the funniest posts I've read on ThaiVisa for a long time!

[7by7]

1 hour ago, mick01827 said:

Please don't post on a question that I ask on a forum if you'regoing to insinuate that I'm a liar, 

I have no idea why you have said this; I am not insinuating that you are a liar and fail to see how anyone who, instead of taking one phrase out of context, read my previous post in it's entirety could think that I was.

 

1 hour ago, mick01827 said:

unless you were actually there PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE AGENCY SAID

I made no attempt to tell you what the agency said; what I did do is quote you!

2 hours ago, mick01827 said:

the visa company said that she could return to Thailand for 1/2 weeks and then return to UK and she could do this for the entire span of the 2 year visa 

 

I said the company which told you this is not reputable because their statement is not simply not true; as the rules and Home Office guidance I quoted proves.

 

A reputable company would know the rules and the guidance and know this.

 

But maybe I am being too judgemental; maybe they are not disreputable, maybe they are simply incompetent.

 

1 hour ago, mick01827 said:

now please don't post anymore, I'm not interested in your garbage!

Fair enough; if you'd rather take the advice of a company who don't even know the basics, that is up to you. I hope your wife understands the reasons for her being turned away by UK Border Force when she tries to enter the UK after following your agent's incorrect advice that

2 hours ago, mick01827 said:

she could return to Thailand for 1/2 weeks and then return to UK and she could do this for the entire span of the 2 year visa 

 

[AYJAYDEE]

2 hours ago, mick01827 said:

Please don't post on a question that I ask on a forum if you'regoing to insinuate that I'm a liar, unless you were actually there PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE AGENCY SAID!

now please don't post anymore, I'm not interested in your garbage!

he was trying to do you a favour!!

 

[macahoom]

9 hours ago, mick01827 said:

Please don't post on a question that I ask on a forum if you'regoing to insinuate that I'm a liar, unless you were actually there PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE AGENCY SAID!

now please don't post anymore, I'm not interested in your garbage!

 

I cannot believe you haven't apologised to 7by7.  

[rasg]

12 minutes ago, macahoom said:

I cannot believe you haven't apologised to 7by7.  

Nor can I.

 

7by7 is probably the most knowledgeable person about UK visa applications on this forum and has been for as long as I have been on here. The only reason I can think of why you reacted in the way you did is because you misread his post. Congrats. You have probably ensured that he won’t bother helping you at all despite being spot on with his advice. Or anybody else for that matter.

[SirPaul]

You need enough money to prove you can live and support your wife. Your wife needs to show she has some money as an indication of intent that she will return to Thailand as financially she does have a reason to return - the money in the bank acts as some proof of your intent.

[mick01827]

2 minutes ago, SirPaul said:

You need enough money to prove you can live and support your wife. Your wife needs to show she has some money as an indication of intent that she will return to Thailand as financially she does have a reason to return - the money in the bank acts as some proof of your intent.

Thank you very much for your advice, it's appreciated. 

[SirPaul]

5 minutes ago, SirPaul said:

You need enough money to prove you can live and support your wife. Your wife needs to show she has some money as an indication of intent that she will return to Thailand as financially she does have a reason to return - the money in the bank acts as some proof of your intent.

I would guess the amount in the Thai bank would be 100,000 Bhat, and this would have to be backed up with you showing money saved in UK bank accounts. This is a guess as no one really knows what they are looking for. I give these amount for when you sit and Ponder over it, you arrive at these figures!

[theoldgit]

In answer to the OP's question I can confirm that there's no set amount his wife should have in her bank account, she will need to satisfy the decision maker that, on the balance of probablities, she will return to Thailand at the conclusion of her proposed trip to the UK.

 

It's always more difficult when the husband is living in the UK whilst the wife remains in Thailand, a certain figure in the bank, which could easily be withdrawn via an atm, isn't going to convince the decision maker that she would return home, be the figure a thousand or a couple of hundred thousand Baht, her main objective is to prove her strong ties to Thailand.

 

I share 7by7's concern at the incorrect advice by the OP's "visa agent", I'm disappointed that when 7by7 pointed out the incorrect advice given to him the OP tore into him, I'm even more disappointed that he hasn't had the courtesy to apologise for his rant, 7by7 has assisted many people over the years and doesn't deserve that kind of outburst. I do wonder why having engaged the services of an "agent" the OP felt the need to then ask for advice on a forum.  

[FritsSikkink]

17 hours ago, mick01827 said:

Please don't post on a question that I ask on a forum if you'regoing to insinuate that I'm a liar, unless you were actually there PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE AGENCY SAID!

now please don't post anymore, I'm not interested in your garbage!

If you are looking for advise and you get some really good one but you don't like the answer, could you please control your temper. You look a bit silly now. 

[rasg]

5 hours ago, SirPaul said:

You need enough money to prove you can live and support your wife. Your wife needs to show she has some money as an indication of intent that she will return to Thailand as financially she does have a reason to return - the money in the bank acts as some proof of your intent.

No she doesn't. That is why she has a sponsor.

 

5 hours ago, SirPaul said:

I would guess the amount in the Thai bank would be 100,000 Bhat, and this would have to be backed up with you showing money saved in UK bank accounts. This is a guess as no one really knows what they are looking for. I give these amount for when you sit and Ponder over it, you arrive at these figures!

So the 100,00 baht is a guess, yes?

 

Go ahead and stick 100,000 baht in her account without accounting for it and she will get a refusal.

 

Similarly, if the sponsor is paying money into the GF's account and she is financially reliant on those payments and can’t make ends meet each month without it and it will lead to a refusal. I've seen it time and again with people showing visit visa refusals on here. Fine for a settlement visa. Fine for a second visit visa. Do it for a first visit visa and it will be refused. It happened with my now wife. She was made redundant while she was here in the UK and when I explained that I was financially supporting her for the second visit application it was granted without a problem.

 

19 hours ago, mick01827 said:

I knew it was max 6 months per visit but the visa company said that she could return to Thailand for 1/2 weeks and then return to UK and she could do this for the entire span of the 2 year visa 

My wife went for a two year visit visa and got it and at the time we thought that we could pop off for a weeks holiday to Turkey and then she could come back for a further six months. It was only when somebody on here pointed out that the 180 days in a 12 month guideline (it's a guideline, not a rule) and my now wife was close to it that I bought a ticket fast and sent her back to Thailand on day 180. She went back with armed with the paperwork for a settlement visa. Back then settlement visa applications took two or three weeks.

 

An ECO will start to think that your GF's is trying to bypass the settlement visa process if you try and overuse an extended visit visa and she is likely to be refused entry to the UK.

 

If she had overstayed the 180 days, it could have made it difficult for subsequent visa applications.

 

I see the OP still hasn't eaten some humble pie and apologised to 7by7. A real shame as he is a mine of useful visa information.

 

By the way. If you use a visa company, use an OISC accredited company and you will get advice that is accurate. There are so many mickey mouse visa companies in Thailand giving poor advice that are guaranteed to lead to refusals making any subsequent applications far more difficult.

Edited April 2, 2018 by rasg

[mick01827]

11 minutes ago, rasg said:

No she doesn't. That is why she has a sponsor.

 

So the 100,00 baht is a guess, yes?

 

Go ahead and stick 100,000 baht in her account without accounting for it and she will get a refusal.

 

Similarly, if the sponsor is paying money into the GF's account and she is financially reliant on those payments and can’t make ends meet each month without it and it will lead to a refusal. I've seen it time and again with people showing visit visa refusals on here. Fine for a settlement visa. Fine for a second visit visa. Do it for a first visit visa and it will be refused. It happened with my now wife. She was made redundant while she was here in the UK and when I explained that I was financially supporting her for the second visit application it was granted without a problem.

Thanks for the info.

One thing I wasn't going to do was just put money into her account for the exact reason you've stated, one of her friends told her that she needs 200,000b in the bank for a 2 year tourist visa, that's the reason I was asking the original question. Do you know if there's any truth in that statement? 

[rasg]

Reread my post. I've just added to it. "One of her friends" is plain wrong.

[theoldgit]

one of her friends told her that she needs 200,000b in the bank for a 2 year tourist visa, that's the reason I was asking the original question. Do you know if there's any truth in that statement? 

No truth in that statement whatsoever.

 

[rasg]

I've just gone back and reread the original post which I did late last night.  So you have been married a while it's far less irrelevant how much she has in her bank account. An ECO will expect you to be sending money to Thailand. (She's your wife and she's been here before). As the theoldgit kindly pointed out the main thing she needs is a solid reason to return. Far more difficult to show as you are married. 7by7 would have picked up on that in five seconds and somehow I don't think he will be participating because of that outburst.

 

A settlement visa is a far easier option but very expensive by comparison.

 

The only instances I have seen where a married couple have been successful getting an extended visit visa have been where the couple both live in Thailand for six months of the year and stay here in the UK for the other six months.

[SirPaul]

Of course it is a guess, any amount is. You have to use common sense.

 

If you are married you can stick money in your wifes account, why not. Surely no money in the account is not a good idea.

 

A visa application is far more than just sticking money in an account, but this is still an aspect of it. You will not be refused a visa for putting money in a wife's account. I know this for a fact as guess what...

 

[rasg]

3 hours ago, SirPaul said:

Of course it is a guess, any amount is. You have to use common sense.

 

If you are married you can stick money in your wifes account, why not. Surely no money in the account is not a good idea.

 

A visa application is far more than just sticking money in an account, but this is still an aspect of it. You will not be refused a visa for putting money in a wife's account. I know this for a fact as guess what...

 

But for a first visit visa it's not a good thing to do if your GF is reliant on it. The ECO had no idea how much my GF had in her account because we didn’t supply bank statements. No need if there is a sponsor.

 

I had no problems for my then GF's second VV because she was made redundant. I explained that we couldn’t imagine life without each other and that I was happy to send her money each month. And it wasn't that much and I could afford it as she no longer needed to pay rent etc because she was with her family. She ended up only using her two year VV for a Christmas trip here that over ran by eight weeks and we just went for a settlement visa. We married in the UK on a fiancée visa a four months later.

[SirPaul]

On 02/04/2018 at 3:46 PM, rasg said:

But for a first visit visa it's not a good thing to do if your GF is reliant on it. The ECO had no idea how much my GF had in her account because we didn’t supply bank statements. No need if there is a sponsor.

 

I had no problems for my then GF's second VV because she was made redundant. I explained that we couldn’t imagine life without each other and that I was happy to send her money each month. And it wasn't that much and I could afford it as she no longer needed to pay rent etc because she was with her family. She ended up only using her two year VV for a Christmas trip here that over ran by eight weeks and we just went for a settlement visa. We married in the UK on a fiancée visa a four months later.

I think the problem with giving advice on the best way to apply for a visa is difficult as the circumstances and detail in each application is different. For me, the proving of finances in Thailand and the UK led to successful applications.

[rasg]

I am only talking about a first visit visa. If you do a search on here (or other visa forums) for visit visa refusals you will find a lot over the last couple of years where the GF's finances have been a problem.

 

If a sponsor sends money to a GF each month and she is reliant on it an ECO will say that she is unlikely to return to Thailand because her source of income is in the UK. Why does she need to go home?

 

The general Thai grapevine opinion (and for most Thai visa companies) is that it's helpful to stuff a load of money into a GF's bank account prior to a visa application. It usually leads to a refusal. The ECO will wonder how she has saved that much money when she earns 10,000 baht each month.

 

Unless a GF has a very good job and salary, it's better, imho, to leave her bank statements out of the application. When the refusal comes it makes the mountain that much higher for the next application as there is some explaining to do.

 

Just two instances about a visa applicant's finances that have failed, time again, for the same reason.

 

 

[7by7]

On ‎02‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 12:04 PM, SirPaul said:

Of course it is a guess, any amount is. You have to use common sense.

Indeed, as has been said time and time again; there is no minimum amount of funds required for a visit visa application; whether it be for a 6 months, 2 year, 5 year or 10 year visa. All that is required is that the applicant shows they have sufficient funds available to them to cover the cost of the visit. 

 

How much this is depends on what they intend doing during their visit; two weeks staying in five star hotels will probably be more expensive than 6 months staying with family.

 

On ‎02‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 12:04 PM, SirPaul said:

If you are married you can stick money in your wifes account, why not. Surely no money in the account is not a good idea.

ECOs tend to want to know where large amount of money suddenly appearing in an applicant's account has come from and what the money is for. No reason why a husband should not 'stick money' in their wife's account; but why bother when as far as the visa application is concerned there is no reason why it cannot stay in the husband's?

 

No money in the applicant's account is not a problem if they can show that funds belonging to another person, such as their husband, are available to them.

 

On ‎02‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 12:04 PM, SirPaul said:

A visa application is far more than just sticking money in an account, but this is still an aspect of it. You will not be refused a visa for putting money in a wife's account. I know this for a fact as guess what...

Yes, there is much more to a successful application than having money in an account; and  I am certain that in your circumstances putting money into your wife's account had little, if any, bearing on the ECO's decision.

 

You probably wont be refused for putting money in your wife's account; or to be pedantic your wife wont be refused if you put money into her account. But as I said above; why bother? It serves no purpose.

 

But putting money into a girl/boyfriend's account just before they apply can have disastrous consequences unless where it came from and why it's there is adequately explained; such as "I, the sponsor, transferred the money into their account so they can buy their ticket once the visa is issued."

 

The most common reason for refusal being lack of a reason to return. From what you have said, you live in Thailand with your wife. So, provided you have the proper Thai visas, which I'm sure is the case, then the ECO will, unless they have reason to suspect otherwise, assume that your wife will return to Thailand with you.

 

This is often not the case in many applications where sponsor and applicant are not married and the sponsor lives in the UK. In such cases the applicant must convince the ECO that they will return to Thailand. If they fail then they will be refused; no matter how much money they have in the bank.

 

Even more so in the case of a husband and wife, one living in Thailand and the other in the UK. They must convince the ECO that this is just a visit and not an attempt to get around the settlement rules.

[7by7]

20 hours ago, SirPaul said:

I think the problem with giving advice on the best way to apply for a visa is difficult as the circumstances and detail in each application is different. 

Indeed, which is why advice given on this and similar forums can only be general advice; which usually suffices unless there are specific, out of the norm circumstances.

 

Advising about refusals, though, is a different matter where the full details are required; which is why we always ask to see the full refusal notice.

 

20 hours ago, SirPaul said:

For me, the proving of finances in Thailand and the UK led to successful applications.

Everyone has to prove they have sufficient funds to cover the costs of their visit, whether those funds be in their name or someone else's; fail to do so and the application will not succeed.

 

But as you, yourself, have said; finances is not the be all and end all of a successful UK visit visa application. Reason to return is the most important factor.

[SirPaul]

Money in the bank is a reason to return, but is only one of many - there has to be others. However, when you build a case some redundancy in the information you provide is a good idea - it pads it out, looks good and adds  another level of complexity to it all. The more the merrier!

 

I feel If a decision is a margin call, the more padding one can get the better.

 

I also feel that you cannot compare a married couples application to a boyfriend/girlfriend situation (my first visa for my wife failed and it is the only one that ever has. There may have been numerous reasons why it failed, but one of them definately was because we were not married at that time).

[rasg]

I am more of a fan of the kiss principle. The keep it simple camp. Padding a visa out with unnecessary info and giving too much information can lead to an ECO digging deeper. Two many visa applications I have seen on here and elsewhere have been refused because a GFs bank statements were supplied where a large amount of  money had been put into an account to make things "look better".

 

I agreed with your third paragraph up until the last sentence. You don't need to be married to get a visit visa and in some instances it can go against you. You will have received a refusal letter explaining why the visa was refused. I bet one of those reason had nothing to do with not being married.

 

I'm helping somebody with a sponsor letter at the moment after a refusal letter last September. Over complicating it and a couple of serious errors have left the applicant with a mountain to climb.