My wifes eldest daughter who is 26 is hoping to come to the U.K. soon on a visitor visa,....last year she was in the U.K. as one of the last places of the now scrapped sbs scheme for manual workers outside EEAU....She left U.K 1st March 2007...within the time limit.....Her younger sister has just given birth to her second child here in the U.K..and so her main reason to visit here is to see the new baby and her mother and sister....She has been told by a visa company in bangkok that a 5 year visitor visa is only usually granted after a couple of 6 months then 2 year visitor visa.....is this correct?.....Last time I sponsored her as her employer although I was married to her her mother it was still allowed eventually after 2 appeals!...I have suggested that it might be o.k if her sister(who has leave to remain and her husband )who is a british citizen were to sponsor her, as I am reluctant to ask my mother who guaranteed her financially ,and accomodation last time,as she previously had faxed the british embassy direct with her bank details,but would not like any third parties to have her private details,....so how much is enough for a sponsor to have available financially ?....considering that her younger sisters husband has full time work and council property which he tops up with evening work.......any advice would be much appreciated.

SCOUSER!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, the embassy in Bangkok no longer issues 5-year visit visas. Two years is now the max, and even then the visa only allows entry for six months at a time. If it becomes apparent that the holder is effectively living in the U.K., the immigration officer at the airport may refuse entry.

In your step-daughter's case, there's no harm in asking her sister to sponsor her, but the best she can really hope for at this stage is a six-month visa. However, I'd be prepared to have to go to appeal again as given that she's only relatively recently left the U.K. having been working and her mother and sister are in the U.K., the visa officer is likely to be concerned with her incentive to return to Thailand at the end of the visit.

Scouse.

Thanks scouser,...next time a bit quicker!eh!

well if its not a good reason birth of child relative ,I don't know what is.....what should we do plan our births around visa regs?.......why should recent visit be in consideration as birth is not connected to timing.

What sort of criteria are sufficient funds available?...steady weekly income for a short visit...is that suffice?

The birth of a child is a perfectly valid reason for a visit, but the visa officer will balance that against the other circumstances of the case.

Her sister will need to demonstrate that she/her husband has enough income/savings to not only pay for their own upkeep, but also support your step-daughter whilst she's visiting.

Scouse.

ok so it might have to be my mother and I who put the sponsor and financial support and accomodation together if her sisters husband is a bit short of savings but what is the best way to get your bank statements to the embassy without every tom dick and harry knowing you private info?

There's no harm in giving your mother sponsorship rights, but you'll have to make it plain to the visa officer that the purpose of the visit is to see family otherwise your step-daughter, in the event of a refusal, might be denied a right of appeal.

If you're worried about identity theft, conceal the bank account numbers and address as they appear on the statements and explain in a covering letter that this is what you've done. Other than that, there's not a lot that can be done as the visa officer will need to establish that the claimed sponsor has the available funds.

Scouse.

Thanks again scouser!......Up the SPURS! .......I think its more of a case of mum not like showing me and others how much savings she has.

has anyone one got the actual fax number that we can fax bank statements directly to the office of the visa section now dealing with visitor visa's?

well....I have the number (+66 2 254 9579).....which is the visa section of the british embassy bangkok,wireless rd,....but not the visa application centre which now deals with all visa applications ,....who are based in lumpini.........will the faxed statement be connected through to lumpini?.....lumpini application centre has no fax number!......?

As far as possible, the documents should be submitted with the application and should be either originals or certified copies.

The embassy website specifically states:-

Applicants should make sure they include all supporting papers with their applications, and not send, or fax us any papers separately.

Scouse.

another good observation scouse.thanks

but last time my mother faxed on the day of application,...but as scouser says technically this is not the right way of presenting your application.....this will cause me some problems persuading my mother to give her details to a third party....hmmm?

oh well she will just have to present them a sealed envelope.....which says for personal attention of uk embassy staff only....or something like that....

It'a all right, you can have a quick shufti at the statements and see how much your ma is worth when the embassy return them to your step-daughter.

Scouse.

It'a all right, you can have a quick shufti at the statements and see how much your ma is worth when the embassy return them to your step-daughter.

Scouse.

I would laugh mate ,but I've just had a flaming row with my missus now a wall of silence while the bucks been passed on to the Thai side to be the sponsors....

Not being nasty or anything, are you sure you know what the Thai side of the family are planning, they may have her set up for illegal restaurant work, etc. Don't think the actual sponsorship has any actual financial implications but I am sure your mother would not be very happy if things went pear-shaped!

......HERE'S AN UPDATE......Everything finally sorted ,arrived yesterdy but had to attend interview why she wanted to go back to uk so soon and why she could take time off from her thai employer,........2 year visitor visa granted....thankyouto scouser for his clarification etc