Uk Public Funds,wife To Visit

[Freddie212]

I married in Thailand 3 years ago and have a son of 4 years and a daughter of 3 years both of which have UK passports.I brought my son to England in march this year and put him in nursery,to which he has settled very well,and now he is due to start school in september,now I intend to do the same for my daughter.I own my own house,however now that I am a single parent im getting public funds.Does this mean that the wife will not be able to visit her 2 children?

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I married in Thailand 3 years ago and have a son of 4 years and a daughter of 3 years both of which have UK passports.I brought my son to England in march this year and put him in nursery,to which he has settled very well,and now he is due to start school in september,now I intend to do the same for my daughter.I own my own house,however now that I am a single parent im getting public funds.Does this mean that the wife will not be able to visit her 2 children?

She will be able to visit you i presume it is a family visit ?

[Freddie212]

I married in Thailand 3 years ago and have a son of 4 years and a daughter of 3 years both of which have UK passports.I brought my son to England in march this year and put him in nursery,to which he has settled very well,and now he is due to start school in september,now I intend to do the same for my daughter.I own my own house,however now that I am a single parent im getting public funds.Does this mean that the wife will not be able to visit her 2 children?

She will be able to visit you i presume it is a family visit ?

Yes it would be a family visit,but would she be able to stay with us as the house is getting public funds via council tax benefit,and Im on income support?

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Yes are you sponsoring her i presume and you are entitled to public funds she is not.

Do you have any savings etc ?

Who is paying for the trip ?

Can she meet the cost of an onward journey ?

Feel free to contact me should you require any professional help.

[Freddie212]

Yes are you sponsoring her i presume and you are entitled to public funds she is not.

Do you have any savings etc ?

Who is paying for the trip ?

Can she meet the cost of an onward journey ?

Feel free to contact me should you require any professional help.

I would be sponsoring her,im getting public funds via council tax and income support,I can show saveings of 5k,and I would be paying for the trip and a return ticket to Thailand.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I cannot see you having any problems.

[Freddie212]

So then folks,what do I do,just bang in a family vist visa application and sit back?

[7by7]

Yes.

But read all the relevent guidance first.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Bang in a good application by all means the visa is not guaranteed remember that.

[Freddie212]

Is it possible to apply for a family visit visa online?

[7by7]

Yes. You can apply online and at the same time make an appointment to attend the VAC to hand in supporting documents and have biometrics taken.

Edit: or rather, your wife can.

See How Do I Apply?

Edited July 6, 2009 by 7by7

[Freddie212]

When the supporting documents are handed in,is that when my wife would be interviewed.Thanks for previous reply.

[7by7]

No.

The staff at the VAC are not Entry Clearance Officers. They will simply collect the application, documents, fee etc. and then forward them to the embassy where an ECO will look at the application and make a decision.

There are three options open to the ECO.

1. If all the documents show that, on the balance of probabilities, the criteria for the visa are met then the visa will be issued.

2. If the documents fail to show this then the application will be refused.

3. If there is a small area of doubt, though not enough to refuse outright, the applicant will be interviewed. Sometimes over the phone, more usually by appointment at the embassy.

These days they try to decide as many cases as possible without an interview, especially visit applications. So make sure that you supply the necessary documents (see links from page linked to above) and write a sponsor's letter supporting the application explaining any points you feel the ECO may be concerned about; such as why she lives in Thailand when her husband and children live in the UK.

Edit: You don't need to tell us the reason for this; it's none of our business. However, the ECO will need to be satisfied that she will leave the UK at the end of her visit, so I feel this needs to be explained in the application.

Edited July 6, 2009 by 7by7

[Freddie212]

Is there any advantage applying for a visa online,as you have to visit the office in Bangkok anyway.?

[7by7]

If you apply online you will be given an appointment to submit the paperwork etc.

If you don't, then you turn up at the VAC and join the queue.

[Freddie212]

Many thanks for your replys,spose what worrys me most now is the isue of finaces,as I look at the online form it says what does your sponser do in the UK,well I dont work im on public funds, the house she will be staying at gets council tax payed from public funds,all be it I can afford to pay for her trip it doesnt look good from the Bangkok visa office,so the 2 questions on the form of what does your sponser do in the UK and what is their empoyment are my main concerns.Im an home owner and hold the deeds,bout 5k saveings and on single parent income.What do you think?

[7by7]

From Maintenance and accommodation

MAA2 Public funds

There is no objection to the British citizen/settled sponsor receiving any public funds to which he/she is entitled in his/her own right.......

If the sponsor is in receipt of public funds, it does not mean that they will be unable to support the applicant, although clearly a person who is heavily dependent on the state because they don't have sufficient means of their own will find it difficult to support another person for any length of time.

The important factor to consider is whether there will be a need for the sponsor to claim additional public funds to support the applicant if leave to enter granted.

[Freddie212]

If we apply for a family visit visa online,how long might it be until she has to go to Bangkok with supporting documents.?

[7by7]

Up to her, she makes the appointment when she submits the online application, alternatively she can not make an appointment and just turn up at her convenience.