UK Visit Visa for GF if Sponsor Separated But Still Married?

[mlkik]

25 minutes ago, claffey said:

 

 

Finally, if your girlfriend is of a similar age as you it helps. And wear conservative clothes when you visit the embassy. Sorry to be blunt but that's the way it works, Cover up any tattoos etc 

You do not visit the British Embassy ,you complete your application online and the submit your documents after receiving an appointment at VFS office Trendy Building Sukhumvit soi 13 Bangkok.

Your documents will be checked and scanned to an office in India where they make the decision.

If they need to interview her they will contact her by phone and conduct the interview over the phone. So she can wear what she wants !

 

[Rolanddrums]

Hi , so we get an appointment /interview and go to Suk Soi 13, or just telephone?

Or we go there just to hand in the documents, and she will get a telephone call interview in addition? 

[mlkik]

4 minutes ago, Rolanddrums said:

Hi , so we get an appointment and go to Suk Soi 13, or just telephone?

You complete and submit  the application online. You then email the VFS office and tell them you would like an appointment to submit your documents. In that email you should provide 3 possible dates that you can attend.

They will reply and confirm your appointment by email. You will need to print the attached appointment letter.Take it with you to Trendy Building to have your documents scanned over to India.

[Rolanddrums]

ok thanks.

[theoldgit]

51 minutes ago, Rolanddrums said:

Hi , so some conflicting opinions here. Ok we all agree be open in my sponsorship letter about married but divorced. This wont be a problem. Show my ability to fund trip (My bank statements and my accommodation house book in UK.)

Get her to to stress the point that we live as a family 3 years already in Thailand. Include proof of this if poss . ( Bills /Driving License etc in joint or her name at our condo might be difficult to get.)

Provide copy my retirement visa(s) and copy my house book in Thailand to .

Reason to return she is effectively my wife and housewife. I take care of her and her family to. She has strong family ties

Showing her bank statements + regular income from me is probably not advisable nor required ? I feel showing her bank statements with some money in ( For say 6 months) may be beneficial?

Yes, I'm afraid there is always conflicting "advice" on a forum such as this, there are a few people on this forum that offer meaningful advice that can usually be relied on, and there are some others whose suggestions are well meant but often out of date, or simply wrong. I'm reluctant to censor peoples views or to say that my experience or that of a couple of others can be relied on, whilst the experience of others can't, so I'm afraid you'll have to sort out the wheat from the chaff and decide for yourself.

As I mentioned earlier on your girlfriend is the applicant and her application will be considered on its own merit, she will need to satisfy the ECO that she is a genuine visitor, the trip is affordable and that she has a stable life in Thailand.
The trip itself shouldn't be an issue, you spend most of your time in Thailand, you live together here most of the time using an extension of stay based on retirement and want to spend a couple of months in the UK during your sons school holiday, that's probably at the top end of the reasonable length for a visit, but in your circumstances it should be fine. One small point, your lad is a dual national, not half Thai half British, pedantic but that's what he is.
You seem to have a subsisting relationship here in Thailand and own a condo, that should go a long way to proving her ties here.
You are living together in a relationship akin to marriage, so it's not unreasonable for you to fund the trip. that's what couples do, it has been stated that the UKVI will require that your partner must have her own income, I've never heard of this requirement before, and I don't believe it to be true.
You will need to demonstrate somehow that you do actually live together, a driving licence isn't acceptable, bills in her name would be, you need to think outside the box on this one, my girlfriend/wife was on our condo lease, yours is owned, that might be sufficient, does she have any sort of insurance in her name.
As others have said, don't pad her account with cash, that would ring alarm bells, if you provide cash for general household living expenses, then say so and if it's paid cash then say that.
Having a bank account here shows your life is based here is good, a joint account might be even better, if only to hold your monthly household expenses, not the bulk of your funds.
Your business in the UK is managed by your son, don't call him a farrang in any covering letters, make sure you declare this, the ECO could be forgiven for thinking that your life is based in the UK otherwise and that your girlfriend would choose to stay with you there.
The advice that your girlfriend should dress conservatively when she visits the embassy has already been proved wrong, and the advice indeed was wrong, she doesn't visit the embassy and there are no interviews at the Visa Application Centre, the centre itself is a glorified mail drop, I'm afraid that advice was an example of out of date application being given, this advice was many years out of date.

Don't over think the application, your role is to make sure that your girlfriend presents a compliant application with no reasons to make the decision maker concerned, do include covering letters briefly describing your relationship. 
After the application is submitted online, she will be directed to the screen to make an appointment to visit the Visa Application Centre.

[Rolanddrums]

Hi yes opening joint bank account is good idea. Referring to my adult son in UK as a farrang was purely for ref for TV readers . Yes stressing he runs the business now in UK without me I will include in the application. He is a Director to.

To confirm my (young) son was born in UK . His real mum was/is my Thai wife. He is British passport Holder. British Birth Certificate to.  

Ooh my son has been 3 years already at Int school here in Pattaya. Never been to a UK school in his life. I'm on my third retirement Visa to.

[7by7]

On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 12:55 AM, Rolanddrums said:

At time of split she had a 'Indef Leave to Remain Visa' but no UK passport. As a matter of interest how long are these valid for , forever?...thanks

 

On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 9:28 AM, KhaoYai said:

ILR is as it says - Indefinite Leave to Remain = forever, she is no longer reliant on being married to a British citizen to maintain her visa status.

 Indeed; but it is indefinite, not permanent.

 

ILR will lapse if the holder spends a continuous period of 2 years or more outside the UK (except in exceptional circumstances such as accompanying a British spouse employed by HMG on an overseas posting). Once lapsed the person will need the appropriate visa to enter the UK again.

 

In addition, if upon entering the UK Border Force have reason to believe that the holder is not a UK resident and is using their ILR to enter as a visitor, then, if proven, they can cancel the ILR on the spot; although the holder would be allowed in as a visitor on that occasion.

[7by7]

7 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

To confirm my (young) son was born in UK . His real mum was/is my Thai wife. He is British passport Holder. British Birth Certificate to. 

I believe that, even though born in the UK, he is also Thai due to having a Thai mother. Does he have a Thai passport? 

 

If not, get him one before you leave Thailand so he can use that to leave and enter Thailand; using his British passport to leave and enter the UK.

[KhaoYai]

On 6/6/2019 at 2:04 PM, mlkik said:

My girlfriend was refused a visa and the reason stated was the person who applies for the visa has to prove their financial status and not the sponsor.

It is all about the reason for returning to Thailand. No job,no money,no property equalls a good chance of refusal.

Do not give this person false hope!

Nobody is giving anybody false hope - you've been involved in for how many UK visa applications? I absolutely, categorically assure you that the applicant does not have to show any cash whatsoever if the sponsor is meeting the full cost of their visit.

[KhaoYai]

19 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

Hi , so some conflicting opinions here.

Sorry but its not a conflicting opinion, sometimes people are simply wrong.  I am not a professional but I have completed 4 successful visit visa applications for a previous girlfriend and my ex wife.  I have also helped quite a few friends with their applications and advised many members on another forum.

 

If there was a need for the applicant to have their own finances, there would be no place for a sponsor.  Please read theoldgit's post but I would add this: Now that you have stated your girlfriend's age, you need to be even more careful that you get this right.  You have 2 potential risk areas that the ECO will consider in addition to their usual criteria:

 

1. Although you live in Thailand, you still have ties to the UK. Residing in Thailand can be a big plus if you establish that fact fully and show that you are stettled and live together. The risky part of it is that the ECO will also consider whether or not you are simply trying to get your gf into the UK and avoid the very expensive settlement visa route - once there she will simply disappear, it happens. Theoldgit's points about your UK business are particularly valid.

 

2. Being 23 she is in a higher risk category and will come under closer scrutiny. You should be able to work out why without me spelling it out.  Of course many young girls successfully obtain UK visit visas but those aged between 18 and, I think its 35 are vetted more closely.

 

Your main aims are:

 

Establish your relationship is credible and subsisting.

Prove your girfriend's ties to Thailand (living with you in the life you have is one of them).

Show evidence that either you as sponsor or your girlfriend as applicant has sufficient funds to cover the entire visit. That DOES NOT mean bunging some cash in her bank account. It is 100% acceptable for you to pay for everything. However, you have mentioned a joint bank account - as you have 9 months to go before the visit, that is a good idea.

 

Other items are:

 

Show where you will stay in the UK, if its with family or friends, you need a letter from them stating they have sufficient space and that they are happy for your girlfriend to stay with them. If you are staying in a hotel - show that and that either you or one of you has the additional funds for that.

 

If you establish all these things, you should not have any problems but remember this - there is no right of appeal with a visit visa and if an ECO is simply unhappy with any aspect of the application, he/she will simply refuse it on the grounds of 'insufficient reasons to return" - why? Because for most people its the hardest thing to prove, subjective and therefore difficult to argue with. When they are inhappy with another aspect but its outside their remit, they simply use the old 'reasons to return' thing.

 

Remember this, there are Thai girls working in massage parlours and 'working' flats all over London. Most of them entered on a tourist visa and never returned. When its a younger girl, that's one of the catergories the ECO is looking out for.

 

In your case, handled correctly, your girfriend's reasons to return are probably easier to prove than most.

 

I am not calling mlkik a liar but I'd like to see the refusal notice where his girlfriend was refused because she didn't have her own finances - I suspect there was a little more to that. In 18 years, I have never once seen that used. My thoughts are that if this was included, it was most likley part of a wider reason for refusal, possibly linked to lack of proof of employment - i.e. "you state that you work in a restaurant as a waitress yet your bank account shows no evidence of any salary being paid in" - seen that or very similar a couple of times where the applicant has failed to mention that they are paid in cash.  Thankfully, these days ECO's often call employers to establish some details.

[KhaoYai]

10 hours ago, 7by7 said:

ILR will lapse if the holder spends a continuous period of 2 years or more outside the UK (except in exceptional circumstances such as accompanying a British spouse employed by HMG on an overseas posting). Once lapsed the person will need the appropriate visa to enter the UK again. 

Yes, sorry I forgot about the 'returning resident' - other than that and providing they don't committ a very serious criminal offence, an ILR holder can stay in the UK permanently.

[Rolanddrums]

Thanks Khao Yai, I am one of those people who likes to listen to all advice, absorb, then choose which to use in my own style. Thanks to all the people that have contributed.  Some points I will clarify though-:

 

1) I own a nice condo in UK when I'm not there no one lives in it. It has enough rooms to offer her a degree of privacy to. I can prove mortgage payments on my bank statements.

2) My business in UK is run my my son. He doesn't need (or want) me to work there. Good as I'm retired , I had a stroke a year ago, so my health is slightly reduced now. I  have good savings, so funding the trip is peanuts for me. 

3) We will open a joint BA at Kaisikorn, 6 months + evidence of housekeeping money going in should be enough. No chucking 200k in....just a trickle of say 10- 20k per month.

4) Yes shes young . Other than our established life here ,I don't know what else to put as reason for her to return. We come back sure. My son has school here. She has family in Khun Haan. No kids ( Yes 100 sure of that) though.  She is effectively mum to my son in every way. 

[brewsterbudgen]

25 minutes ago, Rolanddrums said:

Thanks Khao Yai, I am one of those people who likes to listen to all advice, absorb, then choose which to use in my own style. Thanks to all the people that have contributed.  Some points I will clarify though-:

 

1) I own a nice condo in UK when I'm not there no one lives in it. It has enough rooms to offer her a degree of privacy to. I can prove mortgage payments on my bank statements.

2) My business in UK is run my my son. He doesn't need (or want) me to work there. Good as I'm retired , I had a stroke a year ago, so my health is slightly reduced now. I  have good savings, so funding the trip is peanuts for me. 

3) We will open a joint BA at Kaisikorn, 6 months + evidence of housekeeping money going in should be enough. No chucking 200k in....just a trickle of say 10- 20k per month.

4) Yes shes young . Other than our established life here ,I don't know what else to put as reason for her to return. We come back sure. My son has school here. She has family in Khun Haan. No kids ( Yes 100 sure of that) though.  She is effectively mum to my son in every way. 

Evidence from your son's school showing that he will be returning there might help as it will re-inforce your ties to Thailand (and hers).  If you have a joint bank account, I'd forget about showing "house-keeping" money.

[Rolanddrums]

Hi yes I have considered how I can show evidence that he will return to school. Only problem is invoice for new year doesnt come till about 2-3 months after we already apply for Visa. ie (Apply say Feb, go to UK end March, return early May. New school term starts 18th May 2020).

So open a joint account is good idea, but don't use it or put any money in for next  6 months?

[brewsterbudgen]

4 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

Hi yes I have considered how I can show evidence that he will return to school. Only problem is invoice for new year doesnt come till about 2-3 months after we already apply for Visa. ie (Apply say Feb, go to UK end March, return early May. New school term starts 18th May 2020).

So open a joint account is good idea, but don't use it or put any money in for next  6 months?

If it's a joint account it's your money too. 

[KhaoYai]

6 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

Thanks Khao Yai, I am one of those people who likes to listen to all advice, absorb, then choose which to use in my own style. Thanks to all the people that have contributed.  Some points I will clarify though-:

 

1) I own a nice condo in UK when I'm not there no one lives in it. It has enough rooms to offer her a degree of privacy to. I can prove mortgage payments on my bank statements.

2) My business in UK is run my my son. He doesn't need (or want) me to work there. Good as I'm retired , I had a stroke a year ago, so my health is slightly reduced now. I  have good savings, so funding the trip is peanuts for me.

These can both be 'double edged swords' if not explained correctly.  Both show ties to the UK - believe me, a visit visa can be very easy with little evidence required or it can be very difficult depending on the circumstances - I'd say your girlfriend's application could easily fall into the difficult category.  Things that you may understandably think are a plus may be viewed in a negative way by an ECO.

 

Clearly your property in the UK is not rented out as its available for your visit - in that case, I would not even mention it.

 

Your UK business - theoldgit pointed out the potential pitfalls on that one and he was right to do so. You'd be well advised to follow his comments.

 

Rarely does someone seek advice so far in advance - most ask advice after they've been refused. You have plenty of time to get your 'ducks in a row'. Your girlfriend may well be short on the number or 'reasons to return' - its often a difficult one to sort but she actually has one very important reason - your established life together in Thailand. You should focus on that.

 

Just noticed your comments to a previous poster regarding your bank account - no, use the account, don't let it look like its just there to support the visa application.

[Rolanddrums]

Hi, i understand some things could go for us or against. I think not even mentioning my company in UK would be better as that could be seen as a reason to all stay in UK.

The UK home I own I'm not sure how I can not mention that. They want to know where we will stay, which normally needs to include is it rented or owned.

I will open joint bank account with modest monthly monies going in and out.

[7by7]

9 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

Hi yes I have considered how I can show evidence that he will return to school. Only problem is invoice for new year doesnt come till about 2-3 months after we already apply for Visa. ie (Apply say Feb, go to UK end March, return early May. New school term starts 18th May 2020).

 Ask the school to write and confirm his attendance and that he is expected back at the start of the new term on the 18th May. I would be very surprised if you were the first parent to ask them this.

 

9 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

So open a joint account is good idea, but don't use it or put any money in for next  6 months?

I see no point in doing this. She does not need a bank account at all as you are paying for the visit. Therefore it is you who has to show you can afford it.

 

You do need to show the relationship. She lives with you, I haven't read every post, but assume you have evidence of this? If nothing else, is she on the Tabien Bahn? What address is on her ID card?

 

20 minutes ago, Rolanddrums said:

Hi, i understand some things could go for us or against. I think not even mentioning my company in UK would be better as that could be seen as a reason to all stay in UK.

I don't see why it would go against you as long as you explain the circumstances as you have here: "2) My business in UK is run my son. He doesn't need (or want) me to work there. Good as I'm retired , I had a stroke a year ago, so my health is slightly reduced now. I  have good savings, so funding the trip is peanuts for me."

 

But, unless it is relevant to the application, e.g. you receive income from it, there is also no need to mention it.

 

Your property in the UK does need to be mentioned because you will be staying there and your girlfriend, the applicant, needs to show she will be adequately accommodated whilst in the UK..

 

[Rolanddrums]

Hi yes I think I do have to mention that I have a home in UK as its there we will be staying. OK I wont mention my business in UK, I can show more than enough savings etc without any income from business needing taking into account. I'm not on payroll anymore anyway, but as a Director I can take dividends whenever I choose.

Regarding a joint account with Thai condo address and both names on it and a modest regular money going in and out , I believe it will show an extra degree of truth that we genuinely live here as a family.

Getting a letter from the school confirming his future re attendance is a good idea to...thanks.

 

ps I am seeking advice a long way in advance so anything ( eg letters/ new bank accounts) can be started now and not last minute . I don't want to wait a whole year for my sons next 2 month summer holiday if we miss the boat through doing or saying something wrong.

[KhaoYai]

5 hours ago, Rolanddrums said:

Regarding a joint account with Thai condo address and both names on it and a modest regular money going in and out , I believe it will show an extra degree of truth that we genuinely live here as a family.

Absolutely - and it should help to explain how your girlfriend lives rather than her being handed 30k every month.

[Celer et Audax]

Very informative guys, many thanks. I'm slowly absorbing it all. Ok couple of questions.  Regarding the money I give her each month, is it worth switching to bank transfer from now on so it shows on her bank statements? Is it worth her providing bank statements at all?
All condo papers and bills my name only, however she gets umpteen things in post delivered here in her name. Evidence of that any good? ( Mostly small items of clothing, sometimes fruit etc.

My gf recently got her visa to visit the uk
She did not submit any bank statements as she has no regular income
She is a house wife and looks after our son and our home
I wrote a letter in support of her application stating that I provided for her financially here in TH and would be doing the same when we traveled to the uk for our holiday
I also included a letter of invitation from a family member in the uk stating that they would be providing accommodation and day to day living expenses(food) for her during her visit
I also provided bank statements and payslips for the last three months to show I had the funds to support her during stay in the uk
The icing on the cake for us was I also included a letter from my employer confirming my salary and the fact I was
This is the second visit visa we have applied for and received
Good luck with your application



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[Celer et Audax]

She will need to prove an income and will also need to prove her finances with her bank statements to prove she can fund herself .A monthly bank transfer is the best method as she has no wage slips to prove employment.
Do not put in a lump sum as this will raise suspicions.

Nonsense


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