Uk Tourist Visa Check List

[james_baldrey]

Could anyone give me some advice on obtiaing a tourist visa to Uk for my thai girlfriend please? Would really appreciate it! We have bee together for a year and a half. She works for her cousin as a stock checker with a salary of about 8,000 baht a month, and i am 24 and have been with the same school for 2 years living here making about 32,000 baht.she has a child from a previous relationship which i hope is a good enough reason for her to show she will come back to Bkk.lWe have evidence of our relationship with photos , phone calls etc. The problem comes with the financial support for her when she is in the UK. I have very little cash in my english bank account since i have been living here for 2 years, and since it is difficult to save here ! However my parents have no problem in being the financial gurantee in terms of providing salary slips, bank account details and letters saying they will incur all financial costs while living in our house.They can also put some cash into my account. Any ideas as to how much that shoudl be, or if it is even necessary if they are the sponsor?

Just wondering if you could check my documentation list and see if you can suggest anything else.

My mum+her partners bank statements and pay slips for 6 months

Copies of my thai bank account for 6 months.(not much money in there!)

A letter from my mother stating she will be the sponsor and incur all costs.(Typed or hand written?)

My work permit. Copies of my passport pages. My contracts for my last 2 years at the same school.

Letter from my school stating a 1 term (4 month) leave of absence.

Some information about our house.

Some love letters, pictures and telephone call evidence.

Yet to be acquired

A letter from her job giving her a leave of absence.

Her bank account (very little money in it!)

Also i have a few questions! Can anyone help me? I am so nervous.

1)If i can't make it to the embassy with her because of work commitments, is that a big problem?

2)How do i include information about the fact that she has a child, and that we are returning home for Xmas to meet my family since i havent been back for Xmas for 3 years? Do i write it in a letter and how shoudl it be structured? or should she?

3) Is it a problem that she speaks only a tiny bit of english and that we comunicate in Thai?

Thanks once again for so much help.

james

[the scouser]

Hi James,

It doesn't matter if your mother's letter is typed or handwritten, although for presentational purposes it may be better to have it typed. To answer your other questions point by point:-

!. It's not a problem if you don't accompany your g/f to the embassy. The visa officer won't want to speak to you anyway.

2. Write a covering letter. Just a normal formal-type letter; e.g.

Dear ECO,

I am writing in support of (insert name)'s visit visa application.

Xxxx and I have known each other for ..... and have been boyfriend/girlfriend since ..... We live together at the above address and I include some letters/photos etc as proof of our relationship.

I have not been to the UK for 3 years so I have promised my family that I will visit this Xmas. My g/f wishes to accompany me as she has never been to the UK before and my family wants to meet her. Xxxx is employed as ...., a job she has held for ..... years. Please see the letter from her employer as evidence of her employment and that she has a job to which to return. I work as a teacher in Thailand and I enclose details of my work permit and a letter from my employer confirming my leave entitlement. I shall travel with her both to and from the UK.

When in the UK we shall stay with my mother and her partner. Please find enclosed a letter confirming their willingness and ability to accommodate us. Furthermore, should my funds be deemed insufficient to provide for my g/f's stay in the UK my mother is willing to financially support us too. Again, please refer to the letter from my mother.

Miss Xxxx does have a x-year-old son/daughter in Thailand by a previous relationship. The child is cared for by his/her grandmother and will not be accompanying his/her mother on her short trip to the UK.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Should you have any further questions then please contact me on 12353673874.

Yours sincerely,

3. It doesn't matter how you and your g/f communicate as long as you do so. The visa officer may ask her how you talk to each other if she does not speak English but all your g/f has to say is that you speak Thai.

Hope that's of assistance.

Scouse.

[sua yai]

I agree with what the scouser has said and don't have much to add, except PERSERVERE.

My experience of The Embassy is as follows. Bear in mind it was a number of years ago and I believe the situation has become more relaxed.

My ex applied for a tourist visa to visit me. At the time, I had a good job and owned property, so the question of my being able to support her in the UK never arose.

She supplied the death certificate for her Thai husband, birth certificates for her three children, proof of her job - jewellery shop - and land registry documents for her sole ownership of a house and land in Buriram. Still the Embassy didn't find this sufficient to satisfy them that she would return.

I took the matter to The House of Commons through my MP. Still the Embassy, FCO and HO refused entry. I moved to Thailand.

Bear in mind that this was 6 years ago and things will have changed. Get your story straight with the g/f and keep at it.

If you're hoping to go back for Xmas, I would suggest you get your documentation in to The Embassy asap to get an interview in time.