Uk Visitor Visa: Is A Change To Proposed Travel Plans A Problem?

[Bananaman]

I'm planning to return to the UK for an indefinite period fairly soon and would like my Thai girlfriend to join me for the full six months that a visitor visa permits. She's already visited once for a short holiday 2 years ago and got the visa on the strength of having a good and stable job to return to at the end of the trip. Since I'll be out of work initially and we'll both be staying with my parents for possibly the entire six months and she will have to quit the job in order to be able to stay that long, I have fears for our chances of getting this visa. How questionable is it to apply for the visa on the basis that she's only planning to stay for a short while again and will return to the job afterwards then later "change our plans" after the visa has been granted? Though strictly speaking this is not being entirely truthful, a genuine scenario such as this could well occur. She could for example be laid off from the job while we were in the UK and decide to stay longer than planned. I could put it another way and say: 'Is it ok to change one's travel plans after a visa has been granted?"

She would definitely return at the end of the six months but my concern is that a future application for settlement might be affected if it comes to the embassy's attention that my lady stayed longer than she had suggested she would on her visitor visa application.

Any thoughts?

[7by7]

Lying on a visa application is never a good idea.

A standard UK visit visa is for 6months and she would not be breaking the law if she were to say on her application that she wanted to stay for less than this, 1 month for example, then once here stayed for the full term.

However, were she to make a subsequent application, of any type, she may well find she is asked why she stayed longer than she said she would, what happened to her job etc., etc. Any inconsistencies in her answers would almost guarantee that subsequent application being rejected, especially if it became apparant that she had lied on this application.

Without looking it up, I believe that any one who is found to have obtained a visa by deception is automaticaly banned from entry to the UK for 5 (or is it 10?) years.

If she wants to stay for 6 months she should say so.

[Mossfinn]

Though strictly speaking this is not being entirely truthful, a genuine scenario such as this could well occur. She could for example be laid off from the job while we were in the UK and decide to stay longer than planned. I could put it another way and say: 'Is it ok to change one's travel plans after a visa has been granted?"

I would suggest strongly not to set out to lie, if you get caught out, then it would not go well for you.

However, I believe it is OK to change your travel plans if something happens during your VV that could be construed as a legitimate change of circumstance, but to set out to change from an already stated game plan, pretty dodgy in my opinion.

Moss

Edited November 11, 2008 by Mossfinn

[CharlieB]

Lying on a visa application is never a good idea.

A standard UK visit visa is for 6months and she would not be breaking the law if she were to say on her application that she wanted to stay for less than this, 1 month for example, then once here stayed for the full term.

However, were she to make a subsequent application, of any type, she may well find she is asked why she stayed longer than she said she would, what happened to her job etc., etc. Any inconsistencies in her answers would almost guarantee that subsequent application being rejected, especially if it became apparant that she had lied on this application.

Without looking it up, I believe that any one who is found to have obtained a visa by deception is automaticaly banned from entry to the UK for 5 (or is it 10?) years.

If she wants to stay for 6 months she should say so.

Lying on a visa application can result in a ban of UP TO 10 years on further applications for all visas to the UK.