Visa Best Approach

[nibaru]

Thai girl visited her sister here in UK, for 4 month this year. Whilst here she helped in their family shop and at home. I met her and we ended up a couple. She is now back in Thailand. Her Sister wants her to come back to help out again, another child is on way. I also want her to come back to further our relationship. visiting sister is only allowed 6 month out of 12, so this is not an option. I looked at option of her coming back to uk on education visa. Unfortunately, the course has to be full time and course we looked at is not sufficient hours per week to qualify for education visa. The cost is also verging on prohibitive. A close friend of mine could possibly offer private tuition. I have doubts that she would be accepted on a work visa to work in a shop? She is qualified to degree level in business. One possible option, I could offer her an accountants job in our family business. I don't know if this would be sufficient for uk working visa criteria? I would be prepared to go through a visa agency, if I felt I was not being ripped off. I feel that you maybe only get one chance with this visa application and would appreciate any advice.

Edited August 7, 2009 by nibaru

[7by7]

Forget about any type of work permit. For her to obtain one the first thing her employer/sponsor would need to show is that it is impossible for them to fill the vacancy from within the EU. Not likely for shop work or accountancy, is it?

See Guidance - Work permit holders (INF 13)

As you have found out, a student visa is possible but she wold have to show that she has been accepted on a course by a government approved educational establishment. See here.

She could apply for another visit visa, or even use her old one if it has not yet expired, but she would only be allowed a maximum for 2 more months in the UK at present, even if she applied as a child minder for her sister.

As you say, the convention is that visitors should only spend a maximum of 6 months out of any 12 in the UK.

Other than that, her only option is to wait until she has been out of the UK long enough to obtain another 6 month visit visa. You can, of course, always visit her in Thailand during this period.

NB, don't start thinking about marrying her to get her a visa; you haven't known each other long enough to consider marriage, IMHO.