Visa To England

[barnaby666]

my girlfriend of 3 years would like to visit me on a holiday for about 2 or 3 months. iv just a few questions.

- do you need an agency or can it be done alone?

- whats the cost of a tourist visa through an agency (are they worth the money)?

- if a tourist visa can be done alone hows best to get started (application forms, medicals ect)?

any help would be a big help.

kind regards

[the scouser]

For your girlfriend to qualify for a visit visa she will need to meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules as a visitor. These principally state that she has to be maintained and accommodated whilst in the UK and that she must intend to leave at the end of her holiday. She can't work whilst in the UK.

Maintenance and accommodation are usually quite straightforward to meet: either the support is there or it isn't. However, the hurdle upon which most refused applications fall down is the intention to leave the UK. In order to demonstrate this, your girlfriend will need to show that she has a compelling reason for her to leave. Principally this could be a job to return to in Thailand. However, any perceived negativity attached to a lack of employment etc. may be outweighed by the length of your relationship. You should therefore submit evidence that you have been in a relationship for the length of time you claim.

People use representatives for a variety of different reasons, and whether you wish to use one to prepare your girlfriend's application depends upon how confident of the process you feel within yourself. If you do decide to use a representative, though, instruct one from the UK that is either registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or is a solicitor and a member of the Law Society. The agents in Thailand are, to the best of my knowledge, not qualified in UK immigration law and many are full of largely false promises. Indeed, the way the Immigration Rules are now written, they could end up doing your girlfriend's case more damage than good.

Scouse.

[vinny]

- if a tourist visa can be done alone hows best to get started (application forms, medicals ect)?

See also Visitors (INF 2) and Sponsors (INF 3) and 10.2 - Requirements for a visitor under the Rules and advice on strong ties.

Visitors do not require TB testing.