Uk Family Visitor Visa Help

[damslund]

Hi everyone

My girlfriend i have know for 5 years would like to come here in the UK to visit me.

Together we have a 2 years old child there is register as my as the dad.

In UK i have a full time work and a rent apartment. I am not english but danish.

But know all the question..

1. Is the Family visitor Visa the right visa to ask for?

2. Is it best that i will support her or is it better that she can show she can support her self?

3. How much do i/she need to show of money for support?

4. What kind of document do i/she have to show and what other can help to show?

5. Do we need to visa, one for my girlfriend and one for our child?

5. Do my child need a passport or is it ok if our child is in the mom passport?

6. Which way is the best way to ask for visa? online, personly or is it better to can help from a visa company?

7. How much do it cost each time to ask for visa?

Maybe there is other things i need to know so if somebody have something i need to know i will be happy to know it..

I wish and hope for a easy way to do this...

Thanks for all the help there will come..

Patrick

[ThaiVisaExpress]

As she is your girlfriend its a Tourist visa not a family visit she is not your wife.

Edited May 15, 2009 by ThaiVisaExpress

[cuddleypete]

HI there damslund as ThaiVisaExpress says it is a Tourist visa your girlfriend needs.

best of luck pete

[7by7]

1) As said already, she is not your wife therefore is not eligible for a family visit visa, so she should apply for a social visit or tourist visa.

2) Either, or a mixture of both. In the application she will need to provide evidence of the finances available for her visit.

3) There is no definite figure. If you are providing accommodation and food then she will only need spending money; how much is up to you.

4) See How Do I Apply? and the relevant links from that page.

5) Yes, children are no longer allowed to travel on their parent's passport. If he travels on a Thai passport then he will also need a visa, but if he is eligible for a Danish passport and uses that then he obviously wont.

6) See the above link. There should be no need for you to use an agent, but if you do decide to do so then ensure that they are competent, qualified and regulated. The only way to ensure this is to use an agent registered with the OISC. (Most agents in Thailand are mere form fillers. They will overcharge you and give bad advice.)

7) See Visa Application Fees

You may also find the following useful:-

VAT2 Visitors: Visiting family; friends; as a tourist

Guidance - Visitors (INF 2)

Guidance - Sponsors (INF 3)

[lekatai]

Actually I believe the information given by the previous posters is incorrect.She does not have to be your wife to qualify for the status of "family" I do not have the exact wording of the definition of "family" in front of me,but it runs something like this "Having lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for a period exceeding two years in the three years immediately preceding the application date" So,if you have been together for 5 years,then she would qualify.The advantage of this visa class is that,if refused,there is a right of appeal.

[beano2274]

Lekatai

The OP does not state if they have been living together at the same address, therefore maybe the workding "family" does not enter the equation.

To the Op

Tourist visa for England.

[lekatai]

All I can go by is my own personal experience,My girlfriend applied last year for a "Family visit" visa on the grounds that she had been with me for the necessary length of time,as defined in the Entry Clearance guidelines.I had lived in Thailand and Cambodia with her (on and off) for 3+ years,while still paying UK taxes and retaining a home in the UK.I was travelling to the UK with her,she wasn't going to the UK to meet me.As I understand it,if you are travelling with the applicant,it is counted as the same as if you were actually in the UK already,and she was coming to see you,which is the logical way to look at it.I am not sure if this will come up as a hyperlink,but the relevant url is <www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/visitandtransit/vistortransitvisa2> which contains the definition I tried to quote in my previous post.I didn't get it exactly right then,so this is the official wording. My girlfriend was granted the visa,and they didn't say she had applied under the wrong category,so it must have been correct. Obviously not all circumstances are the same,and whether a relationship qualifies will depend on the facts of that particular case.Such factors as length of time together,periods apart,joint bank account,children etc will all tend to prove or disprove the status of the relationship.So I would say that as long as the criteria are met,then the OP should apply for a "Family visit" visa,as this carries a right of appeal if refused.

[7by7]

The OP says he lives and works in the UK and his girlfriend lives in Thailand.

Therefore, based upon the information provided by the OP, she would not qualify as family under the unmarried partners rule.

Of course, if the OP were to give us extra information which shows that he and his girlfriend do meet the unmarried partners criteria then I (and others, I'm sure) will change my advice.

We can only base our advice on the information given by the OP; just as the ECOs can only base their decision on the information given them by the applicant/sponsor.

(BTW, to insert a hyperlink, first click on the 4th icon from the left above the reply box)

Edited May 16, 2009 by 7by7

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Its not a family visit simple.

[damslund]

Thanks for all the answer...

I can say i olso stand between those to kind of visa tourist and family.

I just move to england 2 month ago. in those 5 years we have know each other i have been away from her 1,5 year.

we have house, car, land, child together.

one of my problem is the financial circumstances becouse that why i go to england and it is not money i have most of so that why i need to know what it is take as min to get a yes to visa.

yes i will give a sleeping place and food so it will just be pocket money she will need.

She dont have any work becouse she is very busy with our child and farm.

The land is one the way to be in her name.

I send 25000 baht to her every month so there will be something to so at the bank.. but not many cash.

[lekatai]

Its not a family visit simple.

Well,I disagree with you.As I said in my second post,and as "7 by7" has said,it depends on the circumstances of the OP's relationship.If he has lived with his girlfriend for a period exceeding two years in the three years immediately preceding the date of application,then as far as the Immigration rules are concerned,she counts as "family" That's what is simple.It's defined in the guidance to ECO's,to which I gave the URL.Visit My WebsiteOf course he has to prove that fact on the balance of probabilities,and meet all the other requirements.From the OP's latest post,again depending on the length of time he has been with her in the last three years,as long as it is more than two years,then she does qualify for a "Family visit visa"Clearly the additional facts such as having a child together,and joint ownership of assets such as a house ,car and land will support the assertion that they have lived together as a married couple. The only simple thing is the (at least)2 out of 3 years.If this criteria is met then it's a "family visit".In addition,if the child is travelling as well,and has a Danish passport,and therefore does not need a visa,then it may be that the visit would qualify on that basis,(if it happens that the OP and his wife have not spent 2 out of the last three years together),she can be said to be visiting her child.As I said before,the fact that they are travelling together is irrelevant.As far as the amount of money needed,I don't believe there is a fixed amount,but you must satisfy the ECO that you have sufficient funds to support her and the child,without recourse to public funds,so I imagine the amount is what a reasonable person would think sufficient.You must also satisfy them you have appropriate accomodation,and that she will return here when she says she will. Good luck.! (BTW thanks to 7 by 7,I didn't know how to insert the hyperlink before).

Edited May 16, 2009 by lekatai

[7by7]

From the OP's latest post,again depending on the length of time he has been with her in the last three years,as long as it is more than two years,then she does qualify for a "Family visit visa"

We now have more information than before, but I am still not convinced they qualify as unmarried partners. If they have lived together for at least two of the last three years then it may qualify as a family visit. However, as the criteria for a family visit and a social visit are essentially the same, I would advise applying for a social visit unless the OP is absolutely sure that they qualify as unmarried partners. IMHO, the risk of being refused because she doesn't qualify as an unmarried partner outweighs the benefit of being able to appeal if a family visit application is refused. Why risk being refused and then going through the lengthy appeals process (6 to 12 months I understand) when if they had applied for a social visit it would have been granted?

In addition,if the child is travelling as well,and has a Danish passport,and therefore does not need a visa,then it may be that the visit would qualify on that basis,(if it happens that the OP and his wife have not spent 2 out of the last three years together),she can be said to be visiting her child

How can she be visiting her child? The child lives with her in Thailand and is travelling with her!

[Tee2008]

You are an EEA national. If you can persuade the Embassy that she is your dependant, then the visa would be free. If not, you could always marry her and then she will definitely be an EEA dependant.

[7by7]

To qualify under the EEA rules they would have to be married.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Definition of a family member

A “member of the applicant’s family” is any of the following persons

(a) the applicant’s spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, grandfather,

grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, brother, sister, uncle,

aunt, nephew, niece or first cousin; (NB: “first cousin” means, in

relation to a person, the son or daughter of his uncle or aunt);

( the father, mother, brother or sister of the applicant’s spouse;

© the spouse of the applicant’s son or daughter;

(d) the applicant’s stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter,

stepbrother or stepsister; or

(e) a person with whom the applicant has lived as a member of an

unmarried couple for at least two of the three years before the

day on which his application for entry clearance was made.

In addition:

• Children adopted under an adoption order recognised in UK

law are treated as if they are the natural children of the adoptive

parents; and,

• The Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations 2003

pre-date The Civil Partnership Act (2004). Civil partners are

considered “a member of the applicant’s family” in the same way

as a spouse for the purposes of the Family Visitor Regulations

[damslund]

can i get a link to the rules and what it take to get "social visit" visa becouse i have seen that anywhere

becouse i dont would like to not get the visa.. better to go for what it sure... i only would like to see my family that all... dont care what kind of vise it would be..

so less need there is at the visa... better it would be..

thanks for all of the help

[7by7]

See the links I gave in my first post on this thread.

[damslund]

See the links I gave in my first post on this thread.

Thanks a lot

i thaik i have seen you can ask for visa online somewhere is that true?

[7by7]

You can complete the application form online, see How Do I Apply? But she will still have to attend the VAC to submit her supporting documents and have her biometrics taken.

[lekatai]

OK as I have said before,it doesn't matter whether the "family member" is already in the UK or is travelling with the applicant. As far as the law is concerned it is exactly the same thing,because obviously the family member could land one step ahead of the applicant and would therefore be in the UK in order for the applicant to visit them.If you study the guidelines,then this is exactly what it says.Why is there a problem with you understanding these rules. It's quite simple. Secondly; also ,IF the two people have lived together for at least two years in the the three years immediately preceding the date of application then they qualify for a "Family visit visa",if they haven't,then they don't.That's it. It's not difficult to understand.In legal parlance it is "De Facto" not "De Jure" If they qualify as unmarried partners then they do,if they don't,then they don't.That's it :period.If they meet the criteria then they are qualified.And of course that's on the balance of probabilities: that's what it says.And what is a "Social visit"? I don't see that on the Visa application forms,which I am looking at now.Also,the obvious advantage of applying for a "Family visit" visa is that is has a right of appeal if refused,whereas a tourist visa does not.Now,I may be being cynical,but the ECO at the British Embassy is much less likely to refuse a visa if he knows there is a right of appeal,than if he knows there is nothing you can do about it,and it's not going to cause him problems.If the ECO refuses a visa,and subsequently the appeal is lost,then you are talking about costs being awarded against the Embassy/Government or whatever,and not only that,but then a legal precedent has been set.

[7by7]

And what is a "Social visit"? I don't see that on the Visa application forms,which I am looking at now.

If you look at Form VAF1, on the first page you will find:-

Which type of Visitor Visa are you applying for? Put a cross (x) in the relevant box

Tourist Visit friend(s) Other (please specify)

Surely you can make the connection between 'social visit' and 'visiting friends'?!

As for the rest of your post, you are repeating yourself so I refer you to the answers given you before.