Uk Visitor Visa - Even More Questions!

[supermodel789]

hi all, this is my first post. I’m so sorry it’s so long! I really need my bf to come and visit me in the uk! I just don’t know how to convince them to give him a visa. This post is really really long, and I know it’s an abuse of the posting privilege, but I desperately need help. Any and all help will be so appreciated.

my bf is applying for a uk visitor visa. I will be his sponsor. We have known each other for one year.

1) should we mention that he is my bf? there seems to be some divided opinion here. on the one hand they might not believe he would return home if he has a british gf, on the other hand we might mess up and then be refused, maybe even banned from reapplying. It's unlikely we'll apply for a spousal visa/fiance visa at all, but he might come back for another visit at some point so better not to get it wrong.

2) he would ideally like to come for six months, however we know they are unlikely to grant a visa for this. So at first he will come for one month and then go back. Can he come back again on the same visa? (i've heard they sometimes make you go back to the embassy when you get home so that they can cancel your visa is it's your first one - has anyone else heard this) and will this jepordize future applications? i assume he wouldn't be able to just stay for more than one month, but would have to go and then come back? And how long should he wait to come back?

3) the sponsor letter. I found this information on this forum from the scouser (thanks) “Write an introduction in which you state that you're sponsoring your girlfriend, then, in the next paragraph, state how you met, how long you've known each other, how you've kept in touch whilst apart, how many times you've met etc. In the 3rd para, state what you do in the UK, how much you earn, what your savings are and what accommodation you have, and in the 4th, say what your girlfriend's circumstances are and list the reasons why she has to return to Thailand at the end of the visit.” My bf, from what he’s read on the internet, says that the letter should mostly be about how I feel, ie I really like him, will really miss him, really want him to come to see my family etc etc. Is this right? And he says I don’t need to mention his reasons for return, is this right?

4) He has raised 5,000 pounds to come to the uk, but 3,000 of that is in a frozen deposit (dnt know the proper name for it) in his dad’s account until november, but he wants to come in september. I also have 1,000 pounds to contribute. If he comes for one month, will 2-3,000 pounds be enough, considering accommodation and food will be paid for by my parents, and we’ll mostly be visiting relatives so our entertainment costs will be quite low?

5) If it’s not enough, should I sponsor him? He says he could transfer the funds to my parents account, who would then give it to me? I’m a student, so it would be normal for them to give me money as they support me. However, as all my money comes from them anyway, should they be sponsoring him? And relating to point 3, I don’t earn anything, only have 1,000 pounds in savings. Do I need to mention this if I don’t sponsor him?

We have enough proof of a relationship dating back six months (although nothing before that) but I’m most worried about how to prove he will go back. We have proof my bf has a job and has approved leave (his boss is really flexible and doesn’t mind if he stays in the uk for six months, because he thinks it will help his business. Do we need to mention this, as wouldn’t that make the visa officer think it’s not a genuine tourist trip but a business trip?) proof that his company is a real company (is this necessary?) and his parents property certificates. he lives in a different city to his parents and looks after his brother in that city, which would mean he would need to return, so we have proof that his brother is enrolled at school, and my bf’s rental agreement which lasts for one year, although the flat isn’t very expensive. Is this sufficient? I don’t know what else we can do unless my bf buys some property or gets a better paying job.

Thank you so much for reading!!!

[micky44]

a tourist visa is granted for six months, it is a multi entry visa. proof of contact is needed, a reason for him to return back to Thailand at the end of his stay in the UK, ie job ,house, property.i do not see how you can be his sponsor if you are a student, ie no funds, your parents would need to be the sponsor.sticky wicket , but good luck, perhaps do a search, theres absolutely pages of advice on this site. good luck.

[Thongkorn]

Sorry i smell a rat, "reason to return" Is nothing to do with how you or he feels for each other.You have to prove he will go home , IE he has a good job, family ties , business , land . To me he has no reason to return , You have to have assets, You have to have enough funds to keep him for the duration of his stay , and don't forget he has no recourse to public funds , and he may have a bill if he gets sick and goes to the Hospital or doctors,

[Bukseeda]

Sorry i smell a rat, "reason to return" Is nothing to do with how you or he feels for each other.You have to prove he will go home , IE he has a good job, family ties , business , land . To me he has no reason to return , You have to have assets, You have to have enough funds to keep him for the duration of his stay , and don't forget he has no recourse to public funds , and he may have a bill if he gets sick and goes to the Hospital or doctors,

It's not true that you have to have assets. It helps if you do, but having a job to go back to is enough. My ex was a computer programmer earning 20k Baht a month with a 100k in the bank and got a tourist visa.

As for getting sick, if he's just there for a one month holiday, travel insurance is not going to cost an arm and a leg.

[Thongkorn]

Sorry i smell a rat, "reason to return" Is nothing to do with how you or he feels for each other.You have to prove he will go home , IE he has a good job, family ties , business , land . To me he has no reason to return , You have to have assets, You have to have enough funds to keep him for the duration of his stay , and don't forget he has no recourse to public funds , and he may have a bill if he gets sick and goes to the Hospital or doctors,

It's not true that you have to have assets. It helps if you do, but having a job to go back to is enough. My ex was a computer programmer earning 20k Baht a month with a 100k in the bank and got a tourist visa.

As for getting sick, if he's just there for a one month holiday, travel insurance is not going to cost an arm and a leg.

Yes but she had a History of bank accounts i bet. And she says that she does not have alot of money , who knows just go for it /

[Bukseeda]

Sorry i smell a rat, "reason to return" Is nothing to do with how you or he feels for each other.You have to prove he will go home , IE he has a good job, family ties , business , land . To me he has no reason to return , You have to have assets, You have to have enough funds to keep him for the duration of his stay , and don't forget he has no recourse to public funds , and he may have a bill if he gets sick and goes to the Hospital or doctors,

It's not true that you have to have assets. It helps if you do, but having a job to go back to is enough. My ex was a computer programmer earning 20k Baht a month with a 100k in the bank and got a tourist visa.

As for getting sick, if he's just there for a one month holiday, travel insurance is not going to cost an arm and a leg.

Yes but she had a History of bank accounts i bet. And she says that she does not have alot of money , who knows just go for it /

Yes i suppose so. I was also living and working in thailand at the time which would have made a difference

[lekatai]

As is usual in this section,many innacurate statements here from people who have no idea of what they are talking about.Unless there are special circumstances,all tourist visas to the UK are valid for a 6 month stay and are multiple entry.BUT, that doesn't mean you can stay for 6 months.When you apply for a tourist/visitor visa you have to say how long you intend to stay.If you state you are staying for 4 weeks and subsequently stay 6 months,then,although you haven't actually "overstayed",any future applications you might make will be affected by this fact.In applying there are three points the ECO will take in to account.1)Proof of genuine relationship.2)Ability to pay for the trip without recourse to public funds.3) Reason to return to country of origin.All of these are based on the fact that the burden of proof is on the applicant(not you,but your b/f).The standard of proof required is the "balance of probabilities". From what you have said,if you have known your b/f for only 1 year,but have only proof for 6 months,you will have no chance of him getting a VV for 6 months,maybe as you say,possibly 1 month,but I doubt it.Remember,the burden of proof is on your b/f(not you) to convince the ECO he will return home after his visit.This is a critical point.You say you have heard that he might have to go to the embassy and have his visa cancelled on return here,I don't know where this has come from,but it's absolute nonsense.If he gets a visa and goes to the UK for a month,and comes back here,then he can return to the UK within the 6 month validity of his visa.but he cannot stay in the UK for more than 6 months in any 12 month period on a TV/VV.What is absolutely certain is that you must tell the truth.If you make a false statement or submit any false documents,and you are found out,then you will not get a visa,may be prosecuted,and will be barred from being given a visa for up to 10 years.I haven't seen much from "The Scouser" here recently,which is a shame,because he certainly knows what he's talking about

[micky44]

As is usual in this section,many innacurate statements here from people who have no idea of what they are talking about.Unless there are special circumstances,all tourist visas to the UK are valid for a 6 month stay and are multiple entry.BUT, that doesn't mean you can stay for 6 months.When you apply for a tourist/visitor visa you have to say how long you intend to stay.If you state you are staying for 4 weeks and subsequently stay 6 months,then,although you haven't actually "overstayed",any future applications you might make will be affected by this fact.In applying there are three points the ECO will take in to account.1)Proof of genuine relationship.2)Ability to pay for the trip without recourse to public funds.3) Reason to return to country of origin.All of these are based on the fact that the burden of proof is on the applicant(not you,but your b/f).The standard of proof required is the "balance of probabilities". From what you have said,if you have known your b/f for only 1 year,but have only proof for 6 months,you will have no chance of him getting a VV for 6 months,maybe as you say,possibly 1 month,but I doubt it.Remember,the burden of proof is on your b/f(not you) to convince the ECO he will return home after his visit.This is a critical point.You say you have heard that he might have to go to the embassy and have his visa cancelled on return here,I don't know where this has come from,but it's absolute nonsense.If he gets a visa and goes to the UK for a month,and comes back here,then he can return to the UK within the 6 month validity of his visa.but he cannot stay in the UK for more than 6 months in any 12 month period on a TV/VV.What is absolutely certain is that you must tell the truth.If you make a false statement or submit any false documents,and you are found out,then you will not get a visa,may be prosecuted,and will be barred from being given a visa for up to 10 years.I haven't seen much from "The Scouser" here recently,which is a shame,because he certainly knows what he's talking about

pray tell where are the inaccurate statements ?i bought my then Thai girlfriend to the UK twice on two separate 6 month tourist visas. as i stated a tourist visa is valid for six months and it is multiply entry.when asked how long we were planning on staying in the UK we replied about 4 weeks, each time we stayed almost 6 months, never a problem. we then got a two year settlement visa no problem, then 2 years FLR, and last week ILR, did all the work my self with help from this forum. i think i am more than qualified to pass on some advice.

[7by7]

1) should we mention that he is my bf? there seems to be some divided opinion here. on the one hand they might not believe he would return home if he has a british gf, on the other hand we might mess up and then be refused, maybe even banned from reapplying. It's unlikely we'll apply for a spousal visa/fiance visa at all, but he might come back for another visit at some point so better not to get it wrong.

Why lie? The ECO needs to be satisfied that he is a genuine visitor with a genuine reason to visit. What better than boyfriend visiting his girlfriend? Indeed, even though marriage is not yet on your agenda, many people have been successful when they have had no concrete reason to return simply because the ECO has believed that they are a genuine couple who would not want to jeopardise any future settlement application by overstaying a visit.

2) he would ideally like to come for six months, however we know they are unlikely to grant a visa for this. So at first he will come for one month and then go back. Can he come back again on the same visa? (i've heard they sometimes make you go back to the embassy when you get home so that they can cancel your visa is it's your first one - has anyone else heard this) and will this jepordize future applications? i assume he wouldn't be able to just stay for more than one month, but would have to go and then come back? And how long should he wait to come back?

The standard visit visa is valid 6 months and multi entry, so unless there are exceptional circumstances you haven't mentioned, that is what he will get. In which case he can enter and leave the UK as often and for as long as he likes during the validity of the visa.

My step son was asked to complete an undertaking to return and to report back to the embassy when he visited in 2004. However, this was an experiment by the embassy, unenforceable in law and soon abandoned!

3) the sponsor letter. I found this information on this forum from the scouser (thanks) "Write an introduction in which you state that you're sponsoring your girlfriend, then, in the next paragraph, state how you met, how long you've known each other, how you've kept in touch whilst apart, how many times you've met etc. In the 3rd para, state what you do in the UK, how much you earn, what your savings are and what accommodation you have, and in the 4th, say what your girlfriend's circumstances are and list the reasons why she has to return to Thailand at the end of the visit." My bf, from what he's read on the internet, says that the letter should mostly be about how I feel, ie I really like him, will really miss him, really want him to come to see my family etc etc. Is this right? And he says I don't need to mention his reasons for return, is this right?

You should include a brief history of your relationship, the reason for his visit at this time and what your future plans are, if any; but the ECO doesn't want to wade through something from Mills & Boon!

4) He has raised 5,000 pounds to come to the uk, but 3,000 of that is in a frozen deposit (dnt know the proper name for it) in his dad's account until november, but he wants to come in september. I also have 1,000 pounds to contribute. If he comes for one month, will 2-3,000 pounds be enough, considering accommodation and food will be paid for by my parents, and we'll mostly be visiting relatives so our entertainment costs will be quite low?

Obviously, any funds he will be showing are available for the visit must actually be available!

He will need to show funding for his travel, and any expenses once here. If maintenance and accommodation are mainly being given him gratis, then say so in your sponsor's letter.

5) If it's not enough, should I sponsor him? He says he could transfer the funds to my parents account, who would then give it to me? I'm a student, so it would be normal for them to give me money as they support me. However, as all my money comes from them anyway, should they be sponsoring him? And relating to point 3, I don't earn anything, only have 1,000 pounds in savings. Do I need to mention this if I don't sponsor him?

I don't understand; if he has insufficient funds to pay for himself he can transfer funds to you so you can sponsor him?! If he has the money, keep it in his bank.

Unless you are covering some of the cost, then there is no need for you to provide any evidence of your finances.

You are his sponsor, which means that you are supporting his application; not paying for him. However, if he will be staying with your parents then they should write a letter of invitation, briefly showing that there is room for him and that it is OK for him to stay there; proof if they own or a landlord's letter if they rent.

Provide whatever documentary evidence you can of his ties in Thailand, but be careful about the employer's letter. Most Thais only get 2 weeks holiday a years, so the ECO may doubt that he has been given 6 months leave unless his boss is very convincing. Make sure that there is no grounds for suspicion that he may work while in the UK.

[knortyboy]

If the usual VV is valid for 6 months, is that from the date it is issued or from the date you ask for it to be valid from as I read that you can apply up to 3 months in advance?

[7by7]

You can ask for the start date to be deferred for up to three months, but unless you ask for a specific start date in the initial application the visa will be valid from the date it is issued.

[kimamey]

You can ask for the start date to be deferred for up to three months, but unless you ask for a specific start date in the initial application the visa will be valid from the date it is issued.

I've heard before on this site that you can apply a maximum of 3 months before your travel but I can never find this on the UK Border Agency site. I wish I could but then I doubt you're saying it if it's not true.

[7by7]

I know people who have deferred the start date of their visa, so I know it's possible. But I can't find anywhere official where it says this!

[kimamey]

I know people who have deferred the start date of their visa, so I know it's possible. But I can't find anywhere official where it says this!

I think I've found it.

http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/faqs.aspx

Last paragraph in section 10.How long will my visa be valid for?

[7by7]

That seems to be it!

Ta muchly!