Overdrafts / Finances

[lamonster]

Hi,

I am currently starting the process to get a Fiancee visa for my thai girlfriend. Having spent a few hours reading through the excellent information on these very forums I though I would put my concerns out to you guys and see what you think

The way I read it I have to satisfy the following to keep the ECO happy (and me happy )

I have to have somewhere for us to live (I live in a house with my mother, sounds sad I know but I can get a letter to show that my intentions are ok with her etc etc)

I have to have met her and have an ongoing relationship / proof of contact (I have been to see her 3 time so far in the last year and probably at least once or twice more before she would have her interview, this along with almost daily phone calls which are currently around 2hrs I assume I can demonstrate (phone bills, flight stubs, hotel bills, gifts I have bought etc) we have an ongoing relationship

Be able to support her

Now the last point I am a little bit concerned about. I definitely have the cash available i.e. almost £1K per month "spare", but I am in my overdraft and pretty much have been since being a student! Obviously once my gf is here I won't have to spend best part of £250 a month on phone bills and £500 a month on saving for my next trip to Thailand, so do the ECO chappies / chapesses take this into account or will I get shot down purely on the basis that I use my overdraft on a regular basis? or can I assume that as long as I have £55 a week (I have seen this figure thrown around as a min requirement to live) spare I am in the clear?

Sorry for such a long post. Hope someone can advise!

[the scouser]

Hi Lamonster,

Yes, get a letter from your mother saying that she's happy for you and your fiancée to live in the house. She should also state how big the house is and provide proof of her ownership.

In relation to proof of an ongoing relationship you should show, in addition to the stuff you've already mentioned, photos, greetings cards, e-mails, letters etc. Basically anything that proves you have a relationship.

The ECO is not concerned if people dip in to their overdfarf as long as their income is larger than their expenditure and that it is apparent that they can take care of their fiancée/wife without having to claim benefits. The ECO will expect to see your last 6 months' bank statements and the last 3 months' wage slips.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[lamonster]

Thanks Scouse, you have confirmed my thoughts on the matter and appears that as usual the ECO do actually have a reasonable take on such things.

I think I will make it abundantly clear however how much spare monies I will have once my gf is here just to make sure.

Looks like I will be busy filling in forms and finding all the extra bits and pieces I need to give her for the application.

[Vulture]

Lamonster,

Obviously not for me to tell anyone how to live their lives but £250 a month on phone bills. Think a financial advisor might say something like talk for one hour not two and spend £125 a month and pay £125 towards your overdraft.

Also are you sure there are no cheaper ways, ie like chatting online, surely someone on this forum can advise you of a cheaper way.

Best wishes

[poochi]

hey leymonster,

go buy a phone card from chinatown, i call home a lot too but never costs me £250, the most I spend on phone bill is just £30 a month, less more often than none.

Hope that helps

[bkk_mike]

The problem with phone cards in his situation is he wants phone bills as proof of a relationship.

However, £250 a month is still ridiculous... (although if he really is calling for 2 hours a day, he's paying about £4/hour which means he's not using BT - £40 is more like the BT rate for an hour...)

I would have suggested Superline or One-Tel or whatever (still have bills for immigration showing the number you're calling - but a lot cheaper than BT), but if he's paying only £4/hour I think he's got something cheaper already. Superline is 17p/min.

TUK Telecom is 5p/min to Bangkok (£3/hour), so that might be worthwhile - but then the phone bill will only show that you've phoned abroad, not the number you've called...

[lamonster]

OK I hold my hands up that 250 is not the amount I pay every month (currently got it down to 150) just the average over the last year - I currently use smalltalk which is 6p a minute and no messing with funny cards from chinatown and I do have a one.tel phone line but they are not that cheap I think about 30-50p a min.

I am not pleeding poverty I earn quite nicely but as I am contractor I can't always rely on cash being in the bank when I want it to be thus the overdraft.

Any budding FA out there that have the inside story on the Nigerian oil mines for sale let me know

Once again thanks for everything.