Uk Tourist Visa

[Scully]

My girlfreind applied for a UK visitors visa in feb this year and unfortunately failed, so this time I thought it might be a better idea to use an agency.

However I went to see this agency yesterday and instead of the 275 pounds that is advertised on their website they informed me it would be 20000 baht(400ish pounds). The agency are OISC registered and seemed to know what they were talking about.

My questions to all of you on here that know about these things is :-

a, Does this sound too expensive to process a uk visitors application?

b, Is there any more chance of obtaining a visa if you use an OISC member? (which they led me to believe).

Thankyou in advance

[kennkate]

Reason for Refusal would be good

Maybe you just need to address these Issues

That is what the agent will do for your money

[stevehaigh]

My girlfreind applied for a UK visitors visa in feb this year and unfortunately failed, so this time I thought it might be a better idea to use an agency.

However I went to see this agency yesterday and instead of the 275 pounds that is advertised on their website they informed me it would be 20000 baht(400ish pounds). The agency are OISC registered and seemed to know what they were talking about.

My questions to all of you on here that know about these things is :-

a, Does this sound too expensive to process a uk visitors application?

b, Is there any more chance of obtaining a visa if you use an OISC member? (which they led me to believe).

Thankyou in advance

unless you are 100% confident you will get a full refund if they don't get the visa, i wouldn't go anywhere near it. all an agency can do is help fill out the application and prepare the documents which i'm sure you can easily do. if the facts remain the same, she will likely get refused for the same reason as before.

does she have money in the bank or are you sponsoring her? can you prove the length of your relationship? without that, i think there's no way.

[theoldgit]

To me it sounds far too expensive, they can only help the applicant fill in the form, though no doubt they are experienced in doing this, they are no part of the process whatsoever. They will be experienced in what is required to convince the ECO that it is a valid application and that the applicant is likely to conform to the visa requirements and return, but there is no more chance of getting a visa by using an OISC agent than there is by doing yourself.

If you are absolutely sure that you need to use an agent then yes you are better using one that is registered with OISC, but if you address the reasons for the previous refusal there is absolutely no need to waste 20,000 Baht, not an insignificant amount.

As Kennkate has indicated you would be better posting the reasons for the refusal on this forum and you will get some good advice, though you will need to sort the chaff from the wheat.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

It depends really does it include translations taking the girl to do her biometrics etc ?

In Pattaya they charge average 25000 baht however we have had many people visit our office having used a non qualified agent and failed.

One clients partner had just returned from the UK on a tourist visa and he put a new application in straight away doomed of course as she needs to spend 6 months in her host country before she can re apply. The agent should have known this however he never did submitted it and failed of course and he paid him 30,000 baht !!!!

Feel free to pm me if you require any help good luck.

[Scully]

Thanks for all your replies, we have now decided to go it alone.

The reason for refusal was proof of relationship, however we have now got a lot more evidence together so fingers crossed.

The agency cost was purely for the application only and total costs were closer to 25000baht. Our case is fairly straight forward and I am sure we can complete the application ourselves.

Thankyou

[theoldgit]

Good luck to both of you, when you give all the details make sure you point the ECO to points you are making perhaps with a summary, he or she doesn't have a lot of time to look at the application so just ensure they understand the case you are making, leaving no room for doubt.

Again good luck.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Good luck.

[Thongkorn]

You don't need Thai translations. you have a right to appeal, Ask for the reason for refusal; biometrics are done at the Embasy where you take you visa applications. If i can help you pm me,

[ThaiVisaExpress]

You don't need Thai translations. you have a right to appeal, Ask for the reason for refusal; biometrics are done at the Embasy where you take you visa applications. If i can help you pm me,

He has no right to appeal on this application, translations are required for filling the application form in. The biometrics are not done at the Embassy they are done at UK/Vac who handle the applications on behalf of the British Embassy.

Its quicker to actually re apply for a Tourist visa.

Edited May 11, 2009 by ThaiVisaExpress

[7by7]

It is correct that you do not need to provide translations of Thai documents. However, I don't know how many translators work in the entry clearence office, but I bet it isn't 1 per ECO. Therefore not providing translations may cause a delay in processing the application as it could be put to one side until a translator becomes available. For the relatively small cost involved it is better, I believe, to provide translations.

This was an application by the OP's girlfriend, and so is a social visit. Social visit applications do not have a right of appeal.

There is no need to ask for the reason for refusal as it would have been given to the applicant along with her passport at the time. All reasons for the refusal must be addressed in any new application or that application will fail too.

Biometrics are taken not at the embassy but at the VAC when the application is first submitted.

Edit;

TVE beat me to it.

Edited May 11, 2009 by 7by7

[Thongkorn]

Thai translations do not cause delays , it actualy says Thai translations not needed

[ThaiVisaExpress]

As i said 7by7 unless you can read Thai you require certified translations to fill the appropriate application forms in.Also try handing your wife's birth certificate to your doctor or your bank manager in Thai !

Yes it does say they are not needed but how good is your Thai ?

When you are inserting children's details etc these must be correct you have already quoted the OP has the right of appeal when he clearly does not.

Edited May 11, 2009 by ThaiVisaExpress

[Thongkorn]

As i said 7by7 unless you can read Thai you require certified translations to fill the appropriate application forms in.Also try handing your wife's birth certificate to your doctor or your bank manager in Thai !

Date of birth is on the passport in Thai and ENGLISH

[7by7]

Further to TVE's reply, it is correct that one does not need to provide translations with a visa application as the entry clearance office has Thai staff to translate for them. As I explained before, this could well cause delay.

Also, as hinted at by TVE, if applying for a settlement visa then translations of birth, wedding etc. certificates will definitely be needed once in the UK, and it is cheaper to get thenm done in Thailand.

Finally, again as said by TVE, applicationforms must be completed in English, so unless the sponsor can read Thai or the Applicant English translations can be useful for this purpose too.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

As i said 7by7 unless you can read Thai you require certified translations to fill the appropriate application forms in.Also try handing your wife's birth certificate to your doctor or your bank manager in Thai !

Date of birth is on the passport in Thai and ENGLISH

And that is all you require to fill a vaf form in ?

You obviously have not filled many of these forms in ?

[7by7]

Thongkorn,

You seem hung up on this translation point. Yet neither TVE nor I have said that you were wrong to say that translations are not required; we are simply saying that it is better to have them than not.

I notice that you have ignored the corrections we made to the factual errors in your first post. Presumably you accept that you were wrong on these points; which makes you pedantry on the translation point more difficult to understand.

Edit to correct typo.

Edited May 11, 2009 by 7by7

[ThaiVisaExpress]

We generally get most things translated for future applications such as sole responsibility etc. And not only that it offers a good service to our clients, only this week i have had 2 emails from clients wanting documents translated such as marriage certificates etc.

[cuddleypete]

Hi there Scully why do you want to use a agency which costs so much money when you can do it yourself so many people have done with the help off this forum,and the internet, i did mine myself with help off this forum and scouser, i would say only use a agency if you feel no other way.And there is plenty off place's where you can get things translated a lot cheaper then an agency.

Edited May 11, 2009 by cuddleypete

[Thongkorn]

Yes i stand corrected , for future use yes , translation is cheaper in Thailand, but can your Thai girl or wife not translate, I know you can get offical stamps, but are they realy needed.

[7by7]

In the UK, for NI number, driving licence etc., yes, translations need to be certified.

At least, that's what the DWP and the DVLA told me.

Also, at the time we applied, although my wife could speak English reasonably well, she could not read or write it.

I repeat, too, that I beleive that not supplying translations with a visa application may very well delay the processing; particularly at busy periods such as at present.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

What i was advising is you will require them in the UK such as Marriage/Birth certificates translating etc, these should cost between 300/400 baht at most translation shops.

And further ensure you use online application service for settlement applications.

Good luck.

Edited May 11, 2009 by ThaiVisaExpress

[Thongkorn]

Yes i accept i never thought about marriage certificates or driving license. 300/400baht is not expencive with a stamp,

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Yes i accept i never thought about marriage certificates or driving license. 300/400baht is not expencive with a stamp,

Good luck with your application.

[cuddleypete]

Yes Good luck with your application.

Pete

[Thongkorn]

Thanks will need it , by asking silly questions you get good infomation.

[cuddleypete]

Thanks will need it , by asking silly questions you get good infomation.

That is what this forum is here for to help everyone, we all at sometime need advice and help and like you say silly question's will get you the right answer.

Pete

[Scully]

Thanks again, however I got the answer I was looking for on Sunday and made up my mind then(post 6).

We have applied before so know the procedure regarding biometrics,translation etc so sorry for any pointless debate.

Thankyou again for your opinions, my mind is now made up.

p.s. theoldgit did say I needed to sort the chaff from the wheat, how right you were.

[sweeneythailand]

translate all docs as it costs 40 quid in the uk per page and takes a long time and then you need to have it verified 400bt is cheep