Any experience of applying for a 2 or 5 year tourist visa to the UK

[Almer]

Has anybody applied successfully for a 2 or 5 year UK tourist visa, it would be more convenient especially with an ageing family in the UK for urgent visits, i understand the terms regarding 6 months max stay but it would more be a piece of mind  to both me and Mrs at a minutes notice to travel if and when need be, many thanks 

[theoldgit]

My girlfriend obtained two six month visas, then a two year visa before applying for and being issued with a five year visa as my wife, she had no problems obtaining any of them.
I'm aware of a number people who have successfully applied for longer term visas, even ones with a ten year validity.
We had the same thinking as yourself, that whilst they were not necessarily cost effective the longer term visas would allow to travel at short notice if required, thankfully our trips have only been social.
I understand that, at least when we applied, the UKVI preffered to issue longer term visas, less processing and more revenue, but the applicant still needs to prove strong ties to Thailand as well as the need to visit regularBly, she will still need to satisfy Border Force Officers that she's a genuine visitor, we've never had a problem with this.

[Almer]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

My girlfriend obtained two six month visas, then a two year visa before applying for and being issued with a five year visa as my wife, she had no problems obtaining any of them.
I'm aware of a number people who have successfully applied for longer term visas, even ones with a ten year validity.
We had the same thinking as yourself, that whilst they were not necessarily cost effective the longer term visas would allow to travel at short notice if required, thankfully our trips have only been social.
I understand that, at least when we applied, the UKVI preffered to issue longer term visas, less processing and more revenue, but the applicant still needs to prove strong ties to Thailand as well as the need to visit regularBly, she will still need to satisfy Border Force Officers that she's a genuine visitor, we've never had a problem with this.

Many thanks

[kevinmartyn]

Yes! And my Thai wife was refused! I would be considered by many rich!

Anyway she was refused here in Bangkok! Only given a single entry visa. What i will say about the UK they issue more visas to Nigerians than Asians! A true fact

[Almer]

6 minutes ago, kevinmartyn said:

Yes! And my Thai wife was refused! I would be considered by many rich!

Anyway she was refused here in Bangkok! Only given a single entry visa. What i will say about the UK they issue more visas to Nigerians than Asians! A true fact

Was there any reason for the refusal ? When you say single entry do you mean 6 month? 

[Binger]

Yes we got a 10 year visa this year with no problems we have been getting the normal 6 months for last few years but like you wanted a bit more freedom to visit family and if any emergencies arise i would say if you have had some uk visas in the past then give it a go  

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, kevinmartyn said:

Yes! And my Thai wife was refused! I would be considered by many rich!

Anyway she was refused here in Bangkok! Only given a single entry visa. What i will say about the UK they issue more visas to Nigerians than Asians! A true fact

The fact that you're "considerd by many rich" is immaterial, it's your wife that had to prove she had a compelling reason to visit the UK on a regular basis and had strong ties to her own country.

The UKVI website is very clear that if a longer term visa isn't considered appropriate then a shorter term visa can be issued and there is no refund of the higher application fee. It has to be said that such decisions aren't taken lightly, yours is the first I've come across, and have to be authorised by an Entry Clearance Manager, I too would be interested in the reasons.
Regarding the "true fact" that "they issue more visas to Nigerians than Asians", that simply isn't the case, and whilst it's not really what this thread is about, in the latest figures published by the UKVI, for 2018, it reports that 82,780 visas were issued to Nigerians whilst 1,765,856 visas were issued to Asians   

[Almer]

23 minutes ago, Binger said:

Yes we got a 10 year visa this year with no problems we have been getting the normal 6 months for last few years but like you wanted a bit more freedom to visit family and if any emergencies arise i would say if you have had some uk visas in the past then give it a go  

Many thanks

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, kevinmartyn said:

Yes! And my Thai wife was refused! I would be considered by many rich!

Anyway she was refused here in Bangkok! Only given a single entry visa. What i will say about the UK they issue more visas to Nigerians than Asians! A true fact

Were you the bloke I saw on you tube from the Uk...I'm considerably richer than you? He wasn't as I recall.

[UKresonant]

A while ago now.

The wife got a single entry visitor visa and came over in 2006 before we got married in Thailand later in the year.

Then she applied for a 10 year visa (mainly because she does not have a time time off of work and it's inconvenient for the trip to Bangkok etc, for the application) about 5 years ago, she has only been once just after she got it! But useful to have it on stand-by as you say.

 

I think if you have done one trip on a 6 month one, and show you have done what you say, and returned, it may support the longer term application perhaps?

[Denim]

1 hour ago, Binger said:

Yes we got a 10 year visa this year with no problems we have been getting the normal 6 months for last few years but like you wanted a bit more freedom to visit family and if any emergencies arise i would say if you have had some uk visas in the past then give it a go  

 

How soon did you apply before your intended visit ?

 

My wife has been three times over the past 10 years and we intend to go again some time next year but not sure when.

[Almer]

2 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

How soon did you apply before your intended visit ?

 

My wife has been three times over the past 10 years and we intend to go again some time next year but not sure when.

Many thanks for info, a longer visa for the Mrs is very much an insurance policy should we need a quick home  visit, it would be fine if you could be guaranteed a compassionate within a few days but what i read is that is not the case and the event at home is over before a visa is granted, hence the question, how easy is a longer term

[richard_smith237]

My Wife applied visa as follows:

6 months 

6 months 

1 year 

2 years 

5 years 

10 years

 

Application needs to be not before 3 months of your intended visit

 

We applied for the 10yr visa to coincide with the expiry of the 5 year visa to give us freedom should plans change etc, but were emailed by the FCO that we’d applied too early, but ‘this time’ they’d process the visa !!! 

(snotty buggers, our application was within 3 months of stated travel dates!) 

[Almer]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

My Wife applied visa as follows:

6 months 

6 months 

1 year 

2 years 

5 years 

10 years

 

Application needs to be not before 3 months of your intended visit

 

We applied for the 10yr visa to coincide with the expiry of the 5 year visa to give us freedom should plans change etc, but were emailed by the FCO that we’d applied too early, but ‘this time’ they’d process the visa !!! 

(snotty buggers, our application was within 3 months of stated travel dates!) 

Thankyou

[welshboy454]

My wife had 3 6 month tourist visas and the average stay was 4.5 months then a 10 year visa was applied for and  granted this year.

[rasg]

In 2015 we had known each other for four months when my then GF applied for a six month VV. For Christmas that year she applied for a two year VV and it was granted. No issues. Went for settlement a few months later.

[Almer]

4 hours ago, welshboy454 said:

My wife had 3 6 month tourist visas and the average stay was 4.5 months then a 10 year visa was applied for and  granted this year.

Many thanks

[Almer]

3 hours ago, rasg said:

In 2015 we had known each other for four months when my then GF applied for a six month VV. For Christmas that year she applied for a two year VV and it was granted. No issues. Went for settlement a few months later.

Many thanks