Hello,

I've lived in thailand for the best part of 2 years working as a teacher and have just returned home to UK. I've been together with the same Thai girlfriend for 1 1/2 years and now plan for her to visit my home here over the summer for 2 months. I'm a little stuck for reasons for her to return to Thailand on the application as she has only just finished her degree in marketing and helps her friend manage a restaurant but gets paid cash. She has no property either. How could I prove she would want to return? She has a job to go back to but its not a company.

Any help would be great!

farmer fred

You're right to be concerned, after a degree she is now helping out a friend for cash in hand does look like it's a stop gap until she rushes off to you and UK. With a degree why doesn't she apply for a 'proper job'.

I understand she may not want to start before she comes to you on holiday but if she could get a job offer with the employment to start on a date after her return or enrol in another Uni course it would be a lot more convincing she will return.

If you got yourself another contract to work and live in Thailand in view of your relationship (which I assume you can prove) then that relationship and your location would be a reason for her to return to Thailand.

thanks for the advice. proving our relationship is going to be based on a letter from the company i worked for stating that weve been in a longterm relationship etc. I have all the birthday, christmas cards etc, emails from each other when been away, hopefully the manager of the apartment we lived in can confirm we lived together. but nothing in the way of telephone bills or flights booked together. oh and photos.

In regards to the advice you gave me mahout, I think the school I worked for will offer her a job for when she returns. Or perhaps that I have a job to return to. Which would work best? Hopefully that will cut it. oh-and that she hates cold weather!

Thanks for the help here!

farmer fred

I think the school I worked for will offer her a job for when she returns. Or perhaps that I have a job to return to. Which would work best?

Either, or better still both. If it is based on you returning then you have to be thorough with the proof of the relationship and have a definite offer.

If she has an offer it must be genuine, credable, neat and official on headed paper

hello again,

is there any sort of figure on how much money i would need to have in my bank account for a 2 month visit as my gf's sponsor? I am now back at work on my family's farm and am earning money again. If I include my savings account bank statement with recent payslips would this satisfy them I have sufficient funds for her visit? Also, as I live at home with my family on a farm, the property is in the company's name (same name as mine) would proof of company ownership (inc house) be enough to prove she has somewhere to stay? It might have to be a joint sponsorship between me and the company!

Thanks for any help!

fred

Fred,

There's no set figure, it's simply a matter of showing that you either earn enough to pay for the trip, or that you have sufficient savings, or that a third party can act as a sponsor, or a combination of these. If you can provide a letter from your family explaining that they own the company which owns the house and there is no objection to your girlfriend staying, that should be sufficient for satisfying the accommodation requirement.

Scouse.

Thanks for the help! appreciated very much

farmer_fred

Good luck Fred, I tried the exact same thing a few years back with no luck.

At that time, they really wanted tangible proof of desire to return- assets, children, job, etc.

Are you Fred from Patra Fred? If so, this is Will from Patra Will. Hi.

hey will,

yeah thats me alright! well thats a bugger. She just started work at a company but not sure how long they would give her off work after just starting, what a kafuffle.

fred

hi,

just wondering as i have to send my last 6month bank statements, does that mean savings or do they want to see my current account? I keep my money in my savings and transfer it as I need it. Or maybe both?

Thanks for any help. Oh and if I send a copy of my passport, does it need to be attested by a solicitor?

Thanks,

farmer_fred

just wondering as i have to send my last 6month bank statements, does that mean savings or do they want to see my current account? I keep my money in my savings and transfer it as I need it. Or maybe both?

Thanks for any help. Oh and if I send a copy of my passport, does it need to be attested by a solicitor?

If you look at the Sponsors notes you will see it says you should show "evidence of your ability to pay for the trip" so it would be wise to include the bank account statements that can do that. (A poster recently complained the embassy missed one of the accounts he submitted(which had the bulk of his funds in it) so maybe better to send just one account if that fulfils the need)

I have never had my passport attested when acting as a sponsor but there are those on here that will say you should however it doesn't specify you should. A solicitor recently did one for me for another purpose and charged £5 so it's really up to you.

thanks very much mahout!

ok, this should be the last point i need clarifying! took me a while all this.

I read in the notes a letter from thai company including dates of leave should be included. My girlfriend has actually now been working for a company for a week now! but i cant see anyone giving leave after only working for a short time! is this necessary as i am the sponsor and am returning to thailand on same date/flight as my gf to work? im hoping this is guarantee enough that she will leave with me. r should she try and get a letter of leave somehow?

and paying for it all..!!

Thanks for the help here- i've really needed the advice.

regards,

fred

If your g/f will have a job to return to, then get a letter confirming this from her employer. If she has no job to come back to, then do not present a bent letter. In such a situation, you'll then rely soley upon the fact that you'll be returning to Thailand with her.

Scouse.

As Scouse recommends but don't dismiss out of hand that your g/f can't get a letter stating she has a job on her return. Sure they probably wont give her paid leave but if she is performing her job well enough and she is only going to UK for a few weeks they may well keep her job for her until she returns and would be prepared to state that in a letter.

Otherwise the evidence of your relationship and the fact that you are returning to Thailand to work should be enough.

hello again!

ive written and sent my sponsor letter back to thailand but i've missed out on a few points. Is it best to re-write the whole letter and sign it and post it, or could i just write another page and email it through without a signature, add it as kind of P.S.?

thanks,

fred

Perhaps write a second letter beginning, "Further to my letter of....".

Scouse.

ah thanks,

i haven't sent anything to the VAC yet, but you think it should be signed by me?

It probably doesn't matter if you send an addendum provided you cover all the points but if it was me I would rewrite it as I would feel it would be more complete that way.

You cannot submit the application next week anyway as the VAC is closed.

i haven't sent anything to the VAC yet, but you think it should be signed by me?

Why, then, ask in the first place?

Scouse.

hi,

Just had a thought- is a print out of my bank statement from internet banking enough? i hope so, as handing in tomorrow!

thanks,

fred

Thanks for all the help and putting up with my stupid questions! Girlfriend has got her visa and will be visiting in the near future. Thanks again for the help here.

Fred

Well done, Fred.

Scouse.

Goodnewsfred!

Mark