UK visa for girlfriend

[scottyp1980]

I'm looking for some info on a visa for my girlfriend to visit the U.K.

My son will be coming too but he has a U.K. passport so won't be any problem for him. 

In regards to my girlfriend applying for the visa, what type of visa should she apply for if we are just coming to the U.K. for about a month?

Just a visitors visa?

She has no assets in Thailand or a job so I take it I would have to be her sponsor, is this correct?

How much money do I need to show if I go down this route?

We will put down that she will be staying at my mums house whilst in the U.K, will my mum have to write a letter to confirm this? 

Is there anything else any one can help me on?

 

Thanks

[theoldgit]

Much of the information you seek is in the pinned topic near the top of the Forum page 

 Many of your questions have been answered many times, have a look through some of the previous threads.

 

In order to satisfy some of the requirements for a succesful visa application your girlfriend has to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer, the person in New Delhi that makes the decision, that her her visit is genuine, affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities, she will leave the UK at the conclusion of her visit.

 

It's not clear from your post if you live together in Thailand, but if you are she needs to provide evidence of your life together here, in any case she would need to convince the decision maker that she has a stable life here in Thailand.

 

Yes, you can sponser her and you must provide evidence of your ability to do so, there is no set amount, a person visiting the UK and staying in top class hotels is going to need considerably more that a person intending to stay with a relative in the UK.

 

Have a read through the pinned topic and feel free to come back if you have any specific questions. 

[scottyp1980]

Thanks for the reply, I'll have a read through that.

Edited August 20, 2018 by theoldgit
Unnecessarily long full quote removed.

[scottyp1980]

Just have a question maybe you  can answer?

we live together in Thailand, I work offshore and when my trip finishes I go back to Thailand and the house we share.

but how can we prove this?

all my passport entry stamps?

we rent the house and it's in my girlfriends name.

but I have the form stapled to the back of my passport saying I'm registered staying there.

 

thanks 

Edited August 20, 2018 by theoldgit
Unnecessarily long full quote removed.

[Maradona 10]

33 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

Much of the information you seek is in the pinned topic near the top of the Forum page 

 Many of your questions have been answered many times, have a look through some of the previous threads.

 

In order to satisfy some of the requirements for a succesful visa application your girlfriend has to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer, the person in New Delhi that makes the decision, that her her visit is genuine, affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities, she will leave the UK at the conclusion of her visit.

 

It's not clear from your post if you live together in Thailand, but if you are she needs to provide evidence of your life together here, in any case she would need to convince the decision maker that she has a stable life here in Thailand.

 

Yes, you can sponser her and you must provide evidence of your ability to do so, there is no set amount, a person visiting the UK and staying in top class hotels is going to need considerably more that a person intending to stay with a relative in the UK.

 

Have a read through the pinned topic and feel free to come back if you have any specific questions. 

'convince' is quite a strong word, og? I thought the term was 'satisfy' or have the goalposts moved?

Edited August 20, 2018 by Maradona 10

[theoldgit]

Just have a question maybe you  can answer?
we live together in Thailand, I work offshore and when my trip finishes I go back to Thailand and the house we share.
but how can we prove this?
all my passport entry stamps?
we rent the house and it's in my girlfriends name.
but I have the form stapled to the back of my passport saying I'm registered staying there.

One of the most important elements of your girlfriends application is her ties to Thailand, the fact she has evidence of a rented house will go a long way to meet that requirement, she should provide a copy of her lease.
The offshore working is quite common, do as you suggest and copy your passport stamps and the residence card you mention.
Include details of your offshore work and the length of your contract, you don't want the decision maker suspecting that you'll be returning to the U.K. shortly with your girlfriend and child in tow.
When providing evidence of affordability, include evidence of the financial support you provide to your girlfriend and child here in Thailand,

[scottyp1980]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

One of the most important elements of your girlfriends application is her ties to Thailand, the fact she has evidence of a rented house will go a long way to meet that requirement, she should provide a copy of her lease.
The offshore working is quite common, do as you suggest and copy your passport stamps and the residence card you mention.
Include details of your offshore work and the length of your contract, you don't want the decision maker suspecting that you'll be returning to the U.K. shortly with your girlfriend and child in tow.
When providing evidence of affordability, include evidence of the financial support you provide to your girlfriend and child here in Thailand,
 

Thanks for the reply again. 

The info you have given looks very useful. 

 

Also Should we take pics of the house to show the application people?

And pics of us together through the years?

 

thanks

[theoldgit]

Also Should we take pics of the house to show the application people?
And pics of us together through the years?

The UKVI specifically advise against sending photos in respect of applications for visit visas.

[Jip99]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

The UKVI specifically advise against sending photos in respect of applications for visit visas.

 

VfS are likely to refuse to accept them......photos are on the list of "DO NOT SEND.

[scottyp1980]

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

The UKVI specifically advise against sending photos in respect of applications for visit visas.

OK that's all understood.

[darren1971]

Some advice you never get on this forum (it's generally the same people replying - with a very fixed mindset on the system) - There are big problems in the system and even if you meet all the criteria a refusal is possible. Don't make too many plans until you have the visa granted.

Make the information as simple and clear as possible, documents are routinely lost , overlooked or misread. If they make a mistake you have little option but to reply again so start the process as early as possible.

 

Good luck but eyes wide open as they say.

Edited August 20, 2018 by darren1971

[Maradona 10]

2 hours ago, darren1971 said:

Some advice you never get on this forum (it's generally the same people replying - with a very fixed mindset on the system) - There are big problems in the system and even if you meet all the criteria a refusal is possible. Don't make too many plans until you have the visa granted.

Make the information as simple and clear as possible, documents are routinely lost , overlooked or misread. If they make a mistake you have little option but to reply again so start the process as early as possible.

 

Good luck but eyes wide open as they say.

Yes, spot on. It's time people lke OG and to an extent 99 were held accountable?

[Jip99]

9 minutes ago, Maradona 10 said:

Yes, spot on. It's time people lke OG and to an extent 99 were held accountable?

 

 

Coincidence that OG, 99 and Pouchay never had problems getting any of their visas.....

 

Evidence the 3 key criteria to the satisfaction of the ECO and you will not get a refusal..... simples.

[thonglorjimmy]

3 hours ago, darren1971 said:

Some advice you never get on this forum (it's generally the same people replying - with a very fixed mindset on the system) - There are big problems in the system and even if you meet all the criteria a refusal is possible. Don't make too many plans until you have the visa granted.

Make the information as simple and clear as possible, documents are routinely lost , overlooked or misread. If they make a mistake you have little option but to reply again so start the process as early as possible.

 

Good luck but eyes wide open as they say.

All this information is included by TOG in his pinned topic, it certainly helped me with my partners applications, if people can't be bothered to read the advice, they shouldn't blame those that offer help with little or no thanks.
There are plenty of agents who will be only too happy to take your money for advice.

[darren1971]

2 minutes ago, thonglorjimmy said:

All this information is included by TOG in his pinned topic, it certainly helped me with my partners applications, if people can't be bothered to read the advice, they shouldn't blame those that offer help with little or no thanks.
There are plenty of agents who will be only too happy to take your money for advice.

Nobody is being blamed for anything, what's your point?

 

If you don't think the advice I gave is good advice that is up to you.

[Scott]

One member has been put on a suspension.   Keep it civil and helpful or face a suspension.   The decision is entirely up to you.

 

[thonglorjimmy]

31 minutes ago, darren1971 said:

Nobody is being blamed for anything, what's your point?

 

If you don't think the advice I gave is good advice that is up to you.

No problem with the advice you gave, my point is the very same advice has already been given by the OG and other regulars for you to suggest that's only you who can impart it is a bit rich.

[rasg]

I think you are very wrong about that. My wife's two visit visas were in the middle and late 2015. Settlement in 2016, FLR later that year. FLR No 2 next April.

 

So the last three years.

 

All I have heard you do is blame the system when things don't go the way you want them. Visit visa refused. Must be the system. Next visa application granted requesting a month. Stayed five months and now blame the system. You are worried that the next visit visa will be refused because she stayed so long. You then start exploring the possibility of a student visa.

 

You then decide to go for a settlement visa. Girlfriend goes for A1 language test and fails. Of course! It's a terrible system! It's all I hear from you and it's really tedious.

 

If you didn't try and change system to your way of thinking and simply fulfill the criteria the way that the majority of people do, it would cause you a lot less worry.

[theoldgit]

Flame removed.

[darren1971]

On 8/20/2018 at 9:12 PM, rasg said:

I think you are very wrong about that. My wife's two visit visas were in the middle and late 2015. Settlement in 2016, FLR later that year. FLR No 2 next April.

 

So the last three years.

 

All I have heard you do is blame the system when things don't go the way you want them. Visit visa refused. Must be the system. Next visa application granted requesting a month. Stayed five months and now blame the system. You are worried that the next visit visa will be refused because she stayed so long. You then start exploring the possibility of a student visa.

 

You then decide to go for a settlement visa. Girlfriend goes for A1 language test and fails. Of course! It's a terrible system! It's all I hear from you and it's really tedious.

 

If you didn't try and change system to your way of thinking and simply fulfill the criteria the way that the majority of people do, it would cause you a lot less worry.

You are incapable of taking on any information that disagrees with your opinion and now it seems incapable of reading. You yourself started a thread complaining about the system (selective memory too), even the department that runs the system has said in Parliament there are problems with the system. Any rational person armed with the evidence available should be able to see this, you don't and that's fine, how weird that is offends you. What is tedious is you rapping on about how perfect your visa process was some time in the middle ages.

[darren1971]

On 8/20/2018 at 3:54 PM, thonglorjimmy said:

No problem with the advice you gave, my point is the very same advice has already been given by the OG and other regulars for you to suggest that's only you who can impart it is a bit rich.

I never said that, just point me to where I said it

[rasg]

11 hours ago, darren1971 said:

You are incapable of taking on any information that disagrees with your opinion and now it seems incapable of reading. You yourself started a thread complaining about the system (selective memory too), even the department that runs the system has said in Parliament there are problems with the system. Any rational person armed with the evidence available should be able to see this, you don't and that's fine, how weird that is offends you. What is tedious is you rapping on about how perfect your visa process was some time in the middle ages.

Middle ages? How about 2015 (2 visit visas), one settlement visa and FLR, both in 2016. The visa process wasn't perfect then and it isn't now but all the visas I prepared for my girlfriend/wife were successful. First time. I think Ket had a successful visit visa too at some point and then she stayed for five or six months after requesting a month.

 

I remember now. I wrote your sponsor letter for the visa that was successful...

 

Fulfill the requirements for a visa, don't take the Mickey, and it will be granted. Spend ages arguing with others trying to give you helpful advice, who have been successful, alienate them all and then nobody can be bothered to answer your posts. Why would they?

[bobrussell]

Most of the 'old hands' on this site keep giving similar advice because that is what works most of the time.

Sometimes the ECO's make mistakes, sometimes they miss things but in reality for most people that meet the criteria all that is required is a well thought out application.

We cannot judge the quality of any application because we don't see them!

Padding bank accounts with unexplained money will ring warning bells. 200 page applications are likely to fail because the ECO's are unlikely to see the wood for the trees. 

Arrogance and an I am entitled to have my wife/husband/gf/bf come to visit me because I am British will hold no sway. It is their application, not yours.

The requirements of ECO's are quite simple. They have to be convinced that on the balance of probabilities the applicant will comply with the terms of the visa. 

Anything that affects credibility will make it easier for an ECO's decision process to end in rejection. 

 

[rasg]

4 hours ago, bobrussell said:

Most of the 'old hands' on this site keep giving similar advice because that is what works most of the time.

So true. I don't see myself as an 'old hand" but I have helped a few people who have been refused who got themselves in all kinds of trouble. Staying a lot longer than they requested, telling fibs but not big ones, wrong things said by employers, supplying financial information that could not be backed up when called and one that really was a 50/50 that was refused because the reason to return was non existent. Not all were successful and a couple probably didn't deserve to be.

 

So much better to put a solid application together the first time and making sure the applicant knows the contents of it, rather than having to explain something after a refusal.