hello!

It's getting near that time of year again when I start thinking about getting my gilfriend over again. She came over last summer for a couple of months on a tourist visa, but ideally what she would like to do is come over here and study English full time. I expect that the VAC will be looking at the fact she's just using a student visa to gain entry to UK to be with me. Has anyone got any experience with this? She is a genuine prospective student. Guessing need some evidence as to why she wans to study in UK and evidence of a reason to leave at end of the time.

the fiancee visa isjust too daunting an idea.... at 24..

thanks for any advice,

fred

hello!

It's getting near that time of year again when I start thinking about getting my gilfriend over again. She came over last summer for a couple of months on a tourist visa, but ideally what she would like to do is come over here and study English full time. I expect that the VAC will be looking at the fact she's just using a student visa to gain entry to UK to be with me. Has anyone got any experience with this? She is a genuine prospective student. Guessing need some evidence as to why she wans to study in UK and evidence of a reason to leave at end of the time.

the fiancee visa isjust too daunting an idea.... at 24..

thanks for any advice,

fred

If she gets accepted by an accredited school, the school should take care of it and as long as she doesn't have any of the red flags that lead to denial (which she obviously doesn't or they'd have denied the tourist visa) it should be straightforward.

thanks for the quick reply. Should give it a shot. She has a degree already and cansay that to stand a better chance of getitng a higher paid job is to be fluent in English, and what better place to learn!

That your g/f has a history of further education in Thailand will assist and it is reasonable that she would wish to improve her English in order to increase her job prospects of a better job in Thailand. If she will be studying only English, she must be enrolled on a course at a DfES-recognised college which will involve at least 15 hours per week of classroom-based study. Additionally, she will need to meet the usual maintenance and accommodation requirements. Although she can work up to 20 hours per week during term-time as a student, she has to show that there is enough money for her support for her not to have to work unless she wants to.

Your relationship will be a factor, but you have to present the application in such a way as to show that the benefit of being able to spend more time together is secondary to your g/f's desire to study.

Scouse.

That your g/f has a history of further education in Thailand will assist and it is reasonable that she would wish to improve her English in order to increase her job prospects of a better job in Thailand. If she will be studying only English, she must be enrolled on a course at a DfES-recognised college which will involve at least 15 hours per week of classroom-based study. Additionally, she will need to meet the usual maintenance and accommodation requirements. Although she can work up to 20 hours per week during term-time as a student, she has to show that there is enough money for her support for her not to have to work unless she wants to.

Your relationship will be a factor, but you have to present the application in such a way as to show that the benefit of being able to spend more time together is secondary to your g/f's desire to study.

Scouse.

Some schools insist that you take accomodation organised by them. At a very high price by the way. In Cambridge where there a ton of these English language schools they push flyers through your door all the time offering £450 a week to let an Asian student stay with you, so I can only imagine how much they're charging the poor students.

thanks for the helpful advice. Are DfES-recognised colleges the same as British Council colleges? Wonder if its worth writing that by studying in UK it will help to broaden th horizons, so to speak. as long as its made obvious education is priority, the relationship 2nd place. Obvious what our relationship is to the VAC as already had a visa. Do future plans for our relationship need to be included, as when my gf arrived in UK,the immigration chap quizzed me on our future intentions nd where we wanted to live etc. I wasnt sure what was the "right" answer.

Im hoping that we will marry in UK one day, when my degree is finished and live in UK also, they need to know this or best they didnt?

thanks

fred

thanks for the helpful advice. Are DfES-recognised colleges the same as British Council colleges? Wonder if its worth writing that by studying in UK it will help to broaden th horizons, so to speak. as long as its made obvious education is priority, the relationship 2nd place. Obvious what our relationship is to the VAC as already had a visa. Do future plans for our relationship need to be included, as when my gf arrived in UK,the immigration chap quizzed me on our future intentions nd where we wanted to live etc. I wasnt sure what was the "right" answer.

Im hoping that we will marry in UK one day, when my degree is finished and live in UK also, they need to know this or best they didnt?

thanks

fred

My advice would be to say absolutely nothing until the school tells you exactly what to say and don't say another word beyond that.

Honesty is the best policy, but volunteering information is just making yourself a hostage to fortune. The schools do these visas all the time. Their business depends on it, so let them do it all and do exactly what they tell you to do and not a single iota more!

thanks for the help!

hello again,

is it alright submitting documents in thai such her degree and previous exam results and also references from previous and current employment?

thankyou,

fred

hello,

my g/f has got a letter from a school saying she has been accepted on a 1 year course of study, but they seemed to think it was best that the b/f wasn't the sponsor of a student visa. Has anyone got any advice/ experience on this one? Little bit disheartened by this as she is a genuine student,

thanks

fred

hello,

my g/f has got a letter from a school saying she has been accepted on a 1 year course of study, but they seemed to think it was best that the b/f wasn't the sponsor of a student visa. Has anyone got any advice/ experience on this one? Little bit disheartened by this as she is a genuine student,

thanks

fred

They know their job Fred. Their livelyhood depends on it.

As I've just mentioned in another thread, the government has recently tightened up the Immigration Rules which now say that anyone who practises deception when applying for a visa will have any further applications summarily dismissed for a period of 10 years.

If your girlfriend conceals your relationship and the embassy finds out about it, it could be curtains for your relationship. Additionally, I seem to recall that your g/f visited you in the UK last year, so it will already be apparent to the embassy that she has a boyfriend in the UK. In that event, you can't realistically conceal your presence and, indeed, the embassy will find it strange that you are not the sponsor. In that case, they would probably decide that the studies are a ruse for your g/f to spend a prolonged period in the UK with you, and deem her not to be a genuine student.

I think in all the circumstances, you have to put yourself forward as the sponsor. That, per se, is not in breach of the Immigration Rules.

Scouse.

Thanks Scouse,

that was what I was thinnking, as she has already visited the UK, but the lady at the school seemed to think because this is an entirely different visa that the previous one wouldn't come into it! Deception is the last thing anyone should be attempting at the moment, just got to present the facts I guess and let them make a decision.

I really appreciate the help from this forum, thanks very much!

fred

Well, ask "the lady at the school" whether she is registered for the provision of immigration advice. If not, then steer well clear of her.

Scouse.

Seems like whether she has a boyfriend or not in the UK, that if she is accepted into the program, attends classes as required, then she is a real student. Just because she decided to study in her boyfriends home country does not make her not a student.

Seems like that would be like them saying that someone that got a work permit to work in the UK, because their boyfriend was there, would not be a real worker and was only getting the work visa to be near their boyfriend.

Who cares why they chose that location, they are either a student or they are not.

But that is just a layman's way of looking at it. Maybe immigration would think differently.

And, to be honest, providing that the visa applicant comes across as a genuine student, there's no reason why the presence in the UK of a boy/girlfriend should adversely influence the application.

In general terms, if the person has a history of further education, wishes to follow a course which is of relevance, and is of a suitable age, then it is reasonable to conclude that s/he does intend to study in the UK. However, if s/he didn't get through high school, and now wishes to take a degree in the UK at the age of 37, the conclusion is that it's not a realistic proposition.

Scouse.

She came over last summer for a couple of months on a tourist visa, but ideally what she would like to do is come over here and study English full time.

She is a genuine prospective student.

Given that she's already come to the UK on a VV - and complied with conditions by returning - and she's a genuine student, provided the paperwork is in order I can't see any valid reason for refusal for her, fred.

Thanks for the reassurance guys. Will let you know how we get on with the application,

fred

hi,

my girlfriend made her application on monday and received a call today asking her to come in for an interview on the 16th. Unfortunately, this is the day that she is meant to start her course. She is now writing a letter to explain her situation as her flight is booked for the 10th June. I know, we should have got the application in earlier. I am wondering if there is any chance of getting an earlier interview. Also, is being called in for an interview a bad indication for the application? Do most student visa applications get called in for interviews?

Thanks,

Fred

I would think the chances of an earlier interview are pretty slim. I'd contact the college and advise them of the situation and contact your travel agent in order to establish whether the flight can be changed.

It's impossible to tell unequivocally why they want to interview your girlfriend, but it is likely that they want to establish that she is a genuine student rather than someone who's applying as a student as a means of spending a prolonged visit with her boyfriend.

Scouse.