5 Year Family Visit Visa

[brizzle]

I have just printed off the UK application form for the family visit visa and there is a box to tick under 1.4 to confirm that you are applying as an unmarried partner.

Currently we have lived together for nearly 3 and half years and have a 2 year 3 month old daughter together. We have visited the UK during the past two summers following successful 6 month tourist/visit visa applications and the main purpose of future yearly visits will be to allow my parents who are not well enough to travel to share in at least some of our daughters growing years.

Am I correct in assuming that although we are not married my immediate relatives would still be considered my partners "family" in view of our daughter and our long term relationship/ co-habitation together? I realize that the clue to the answer is probably in the application form as per the unmarried partner’s option but just want "to be sure to be sure" before filling out hours of forms and going on my annual holy pilgrimage to Bangkok!

We hope to successfully apply for the 5 year family visit visa this time but maybe this is a little ambitious?...anyone’s thoughts please. Thank you.

[doctormann]

Hi Brizzle

I see that no-one is coming up with any info for you so here is my tuppence worth:

The information on what constitutes a family member is in section 8 of the VAF1B form. Unmarried partnerships of more than 2 years are covered so you should be OK on that score.

As far as getting a 5-year visa is concerned, that might be a little ambitious. I asked UKBA for some information on this, back in June, last year, and got the following reply:

Thank you for your e-mail of 21 June.

Obtaining a longer term visit visa such as a 2 year, an applicant generally must have previously obtained at least two 6 months visas. The issuance of longer-term visas is a gradual process and is based on individual qualification, therefore issued at the discretion of the Entry Clearance Officer. Please note that the visa fees are non-refundable therefore we cannot refund the difference of visa fees if the longer term visa is not issued.

Information on the application process can be found on the following web site - www.vfs-uk-th.com. Straightforward visa application takes 2-5 working days to process. However, if an Entry Clearance Officer has further queries and/or needs further clarification on some of the issues, an interview may be required. The waiting time for an interview for a visit visa is around 6 weeks.

I have just obtained a 2-year family visit visa for my wife, who has had 2 previous 6-month visit visas. We were not certain that we would get the 2 years but the gamble came off. Maybe we should have gone for 5!

As the application fee for the 1 and 2 year visas is the same you might as well go for the 2-year option. If you're feeling lucky then go for 5 years, although this is a more expensive option.

As always, prepare the application carefully and remember that 'reason to return' is of paramount importance.

Good luck and I hope that this info has been of some use to you.

DM

[brizzle]

Hi Brizzle

I see that no-one is coming up with any info for you so here is my tuppence worth:

The information on what constitutes a family member is in section 8 of the VAF1B form. Unmarried partnerships of more than 2 years are covered so you should be OK on that score.

As far as getting a 5-year visa is concerned, that might be a little ambitious. I asked UKBA for some information on this, back in June, last year, and got the following reply:

Thank you for your e-mail of 21 June.

Obtaining a longer term visit visa such as a 2 year, an applicant generally must have previously obtained at least two 6 months visas. The issuance of longer-term visas is a gradual process and is based on individual qualification, therefore issued at the discretion of the Entry Clearance Officer. Please note that the visa fees are non-refundable therefore we cannot refund the difference of visa fees if the longer term visa is not issued.

Information on the application process can be found on the following web site - www.vfs-uk-th.com. Straightforward visa application takes 2-5 working days to process. However, if an Entry Clearance Officer has further queries and/or needs further clarification on some of the issues, an interview may be required. The waiting time for an interview for a visit visa is around 6 weeks.

I have just obtained a 2-year family visit visa for my wife, who has had 2 previous 6-month visit visas. We were not certain that we would get the 2 years but the gamble came off. Maybe we should have gone for 5!

As the application fee for the 1 and 2 year visas is the same you might as well go for the 2-year option. If you're feeling lucky then go for 5 years, although this is a more expensive option.

As always, prepare the application carefully and remember that 'reason to return' is of paramount importance.

Good luck and I hope that this info has been of some use to you.

DM

Thank you DM, your reply is most helpful. In light of no previous replies and due to the fact that I travel to Bkk tomorrow I had contacted the visa helpline and as you have advised they did indeed confirm that 2 year relationships qualified for family visa application.

I agree about "the reason to return" being the primary consideration in my case (I can prove the relationship bit beyond any doubt) but this year I can provide no more evidence than in our previous two successful 6 month visa applications which is basically that we are financially secure and wish at least for the foreseeable future to spend most of our time in Thailand.

As far as the 5 year bit goes...yes I guess it is a gamble. However as with your wife my partner has demonstrated her good intentions by sticking to the rules within her tourist visas so I am hoping that common sense will prevail and the visa will be granted. After all if she had any bad intentions or ulterior motives she has certainly had the opportunity over the last two visits to abuse the system.

My gut feeling is that we may be offered the 2 year visa for the 5 year price but in view of the fact that my partner has clearly demonstrated her good intentions in the past then the cynical in me would see this as a cash raising exercise on the part of the BE.

I think I’m going to risk it for a biscuit….a biscuit that could turn out very expensive indeed!

[brizzle]

Footnote:- if a 2 year visa is granted then the only other reason I can see for not giving a 5 year visa would be based on the asumption that our relationship might not last that long,but surely these decisions should be based on facts rather than asumptions....in theory at least?

Edited February 23, 2010 by brizzle

[7by7]

See VAT1.4 Visa validity - What period for a multiple entry visit visa?

Unless there are grounds for not issuing a long term visit visa, the ECO should issue the visa applied for.

[brizzle]

See VAT1.4 Visa validity - What period for a multiple entry visit visa?

Unless there are grounds for not issuing a long term visit visa, the ECO should issue the visa applied for.

Thanks for that 7 by 7.

And from the final paragraph:-

"In all instances, if an ECO decides that a shorter validity of visit visa is more appropriate than the one applied for, the ECM should approve it and notes should be added to Proviso. In such cases, no refund (full or partial) is available. The ECO should ensure that clear explanatory information for the decision is provided in a covering letter when the passport is returned."

So at least it looks like they will have to give clear reasons if a shorter visa is given. In our case I can't think what they would be ...but we shall have to see what happens.Apart from visiting my immediate family such as my mother and father I will be taking our daughter who also has a British passport to the UK on regular visits for the foreseeable future so on these grounds alone her mother (my partner) must have reasonable grounds to visit her while she is in Britain? At least thats what I'm hoping for.

Edited February 24, 2010 by brizzle

[brizzle]

Well for those who might be in a similar situation to mine in the future I am happy to report back that the 5 year family visit visa was granted after a 5 working day wait. Needless to say we are very pleased.

Thank you once again for the advice offered,very much appreciated.

[doctormann]

Well for those who might be in a similar situation to mine in the future I am happy to report back that the 5 year family visit visa was granted after a 5 working day wait. Needless to say we are very pleased.

Thank you once again for the advice offered,very much appreciated.

Well Brizzle, that's very good news. I just wish that, in retrospect, my wife had applied for the 5-year visa rather than the 2-year variety, which was granted. I think that next time we'll go for 10 years!

DM