Thai National Standard Visit Visa for UK - sponsorship query

[PETERTHEEATER]

My wife and I, both UK nationals living in UK, are inviting my wife's widowed sister to visit UK at our expense.

We will provide a letter of sponsorship to her sister to support her application for a Standarrd Visit Visa.

Apart from pledging financial support and attaching signed copies of our UK passports, what other 'evidence' would the VFS agency in Bangkok require?

 

Clearly, with the current time taken to process visa applications, it is not sensible to book a return flight yet, from what I can glean from viewing the UK Govt Visa Application

site, they are asking for travel dates.

 

Any pointers willl be appreciated.

[theoldgit]

VFS don't require anything, they are not involved an the decison making process whatsoever, they will simply capture the applicants biometric details, and hold onto the passport and, hopefully, insert the vignette when Entry Clearance is granted by an Entry Clearance Officer outside of Thailand.

 

Your sister in law will need to apply online and can also upload her supporting evidence, though VFS will be happy to scan the and upload documents on her behalf, for a fee.

 

The applicant will need to satisfy the decision maker that her proposed trip is genuine, affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities she will return home, or at least leave the UK, at the conclusion of her proposed trip. Probably the most inmportant thing is the latter, she will need to demonstrate her ties to Thailand, and that they are strong enough for her to return to. 

 

In pledging financial support you must demonstrate that it's reasonable for you to do so, whilst it's certainly not unreasonable, don't take anything for granted. If you're providing financial support you should provide evidence of your ability to do so, include statements and the source of the funds, along with an indicitive estimate of the total expected costs.

 

If you are providing accomodation, detail the accomodation available, no need for things like Title Deeds just a description of the accomodation available.

 

Your covering letter should also detail the length of her proposed stay.

 

The UKV specifically advise that non refundable shouldn't be purchased before Entry Clearance has been approved, she should just give indicitive details of the proposed travel dates in her application.

 

I've taken the liberty of changing the caps in your title, I'm assuming this was done in error. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks for the comprehensive response.

The on-line application made on a UK Government website provides visit details and evidence to the UK Immigration and also links to VFS Bangkok who issue an appointment date and time to gather the applicants biodata (photo/fingerprints)

I need then to to send the applicant my original sponsor letter for her to upload with her other required documents.

 

She is not English speaking and will be travelling alone. This is her first UK trip. My wife will meet her at LHR but in anticipation of being questioned by the UK Border Force agent should I provide a letter of introduction with our names and address and contact numbers stating she is to be met at the exit?