Has anyone spent the 6 months in the UK allowed w/ tourist visa?

[greggraham]

Getting ready to apply for my Thai (duh) girlfriend (of 6 years) first UK tourist visa. Due to a few weddings, Christmas, and my parents moving house and us wanting to help out with the decorating, we're thinking of applying for 4 months. We have a number of sponsors, including my parents in my hometown and sister in London (and myself). Even though the standard tourist visa is 6 months, I have a feeling that applying for 4 months will go against us. Has anyone successfully applied for a longer duration like this and passed? Thanks

[CharlieH]

The standard is 6 months. There is no 4 month application, you can state how long you "intend" to stay but the visa is 6 months. (afaik)

[greggraham]

17 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

The standard is 6 months. There is no 4 month application, you can state how long you "intend" to stay but the visa is 6 months. (afaik)

Yes, aware of that thanks, as stated.

 

My question is, given that (I'd assume) most tourist visa applications are actually for a much shorter duration (a week to a month), would applying for 4 months go against us? And, if anyone here had actually taken a partner to the UK and stated they intended to stay for 4-6 months when applying. 

[CharlieH]

Yes atleast 10 times personally, and stated varying times from 2 months to the full 6.

The duration of stay is obviously reflected in the funds available purpose of visit etc. 

 

The main criteria or concern, based on many posts here, is not so much duration of stay and more on "reason to return"  in my experience.

[theoldgit]

Staying in the UK for the full validity of a visit visa is totally legal and, as Charlie H has rightly indicated, will not cause any issues and will not create any problems with future applications, unless, and of course there's also an unless.

If an applicant applies for a visa for a short holiday indicating that they only wish to stay for a few weeks, but really intends to stay longer, the visa will in all probability be issued, but the original application will be on file and can be accessed by the Border Force Officer at the UK Border, and an Entry Clearance Officer who will decide on future applications. When a Border Force Officer questions the passenger on arrival at the UK Border they might be concerned enough to check their application, if they have indicated that they intended to stay for a couple of weeks and then it's obvious that the passenger is going to stay for a few months, that could be regarded as a material change in circumstances and the passenger could be refused entry and returned home, it doesn't happen a lot, but it can and does.

Likewise if the person has indicated that they plan to visit for a couple of weeks and then stay for six months, again totally legal but could cause a problem with future applications as it may cause the ECO to doubt any reasons to return, especially if they're the same ones used when the applicant visited previously, and despite the fact that there are no longer any embarkation controls when leaving the UK, carriers to pass on the details of all passengers leaving the UK to the Home Office.

I would always advise applicants to be totally honest of their plans when applying for a visa, of course the longer an applicant intends to stay in the UK the more robust the reasons to return must be, also bare in mind that ECO's are required to satisfy themselves that applicants for visit visas don't use those visas for extended and too regular stays in the UK, whereby they might be regarded as being semi resident there. 

[rasg]

As always, the Oldgit is spot on with his advice. What will your girlfriend's reason(s) to return to Thailand be? If it's a job to return to and you ask for four months, the ECO will doubt that anybody working in Thailand will be allowed four months holiday from their employer.

 

If she requests a month, and then stays for four, you will need to give a valid reason why in the next visa application.

 

My wife applied for a months holiday back in 2015 and when she was laid off from her job which was her reason to return) she stayed 18 weeks. She then applied for a second visa to stay for Christmas with my family (she went back to Thailand in the middle of October), and there was no problem as we explained why she stayed longer than originally requested.

[Waterloo]

Yes, we successfully applied late last year stating the MIL would be visiting for a duration of 5 1/2 months would have said 6 months but wanted to leave some wriggle room on booking flights.

She has previously visited for periods approaching 4 months.

As always we took great care in addressing her reasons to return. 

[greggraham]

You’re right, she won’t have a job to come back to given the length of the trip, so what might some good reasons for return? Ta

[BanMuangFarang]

Sound advice; my wife has visited the UK for 3 weeks, 3 months, 5 months and is currently over here in the UK for at least 6 months and hopefully longer when I submit her Spouse Visa next month.

 

The online application form does state when you think the applicant will return home. So try and be specific, although I'm sure the odd week either side would affect any future applications.

[Yinn]

How much it cost application?