Thai Girl Visiting Uk

[Teach]

Sorry fellas I know this has come up many, many times but I can't find the threads so if you can advise it will help her.

A Thai friend (female) is to visit her British friend (male) in UK. I would like to point out to her that it isn't a forgone conclusion that she can.

I need to know what ahe and he has to prove and establish. This is what I know

She:

Hasn't applied for a passport as yet - so never travelled.

Has degree

Has a job - a good one which see will return to

Has a little of her own money

Has not residence in her own name owner/renter

Going for three weeks stay

>>>>>>>>>

He:

Has a job on BR

Has his own house

Has travelled to thailand before

>>>>>>>>

They:

Have no documented history together

No intention to declare marriage etc.

...............

What is likely to be the response from the embassy (UK)

Thanks guys

T.

[alex100]

Porbably have a hard time as it will be really diificult to prove the purpose of her visit and her small amount of money will not support her during stay.

[the scouser]

I wouldn't dismiss her chances out of hand. She should provide a letter fromher emplyer stating for how long she's worked for the company, her salary and when she's expected to resume work. What would concern me is that as the applicant and sponsor have "no documented history together", the visit seems to have little purpose.

[Teach]

So assuming the above, does that mean that the ordinary Thai cannot go to a developed country for tourism purposes the way that we can.

Surely she will not be condemned to spend the rest of her life here just imagining what other countries are like???

Would not the fact that she has a sponsor to pay for her trip and to accommodate during her stay suffice. Does there have to be a reason beyond that if she can prove employment here that she intends to return to.

I'm sure she can...

I guess what I'm asking for from experience already attained here on this forum is the right way to apply and the right things to say that the visa dept. wants to hear.

Come on guys lets be positive, this forum is full of shrewd cookies????

T.

[the scouser]

You appear to be missing the point which is the visit has to have a purpose. By your own admission the two parties have "no documented history together" which will beg the question in the visa officer's mind of why visit then? Westerners who visit Thailand don't do so on some vague whim: they generally have some reason, whether it be for the cultural beauty of the country or to sate their loins on the indigenous population. Likewise, Thais who wish to visit the UK can be expected to have an idea of what they want to do there.

As I said in my original post, her employment will stand her in good stead in terms of getting a visit visa; she just needs to provide a reason why she wants to go. If she is in a relationship with the sponsor, then this will give a purpose to the visit.

Scouse.

[alex100]

Even if she were to get a Visa to vist she could fall foul of the immigration officer on arrival who wil ask all the same questions and if they are not satisfied she will be refused entry on arrival ?

[alex100]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3927241.stm

Authorised discrimination

Ministers have powers to permit frontline staff to discriminate on grounds of nationality and ethnic origin to help them better target illegal immigration.

What in some nationalities is viewed with scepticism will be accepted in others

Mary Coussey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immigration report (442kb)

Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Download and install the reader here

Combined with intelligence reports, this power theoretically helps immigration officers to better target their efforts, rather than randomly stopping visitors. So at airports, immigration officers will focus on flights from key countries. At the ports, they may stop certain coach companies.

Although we don't yet have figures for 2003, the nations with the highest rates of refusal for entry into the UK are expected to include Brazil, Poland and Lithuania.

Last December, London City Airport witnessed a huge rise in refusals of Brazilians after intelligence suggested South Americans believed it was an easier way to get into UK than Heathrow.

Officers at the Eurostar terminal in Paris have long been on the look-out for locally forged Italian or Dutch identity papers.

'Benefit of the doubt'

But where operations become problematic, says Ms Coussey, is in the exercise of discretion.

"It seemed to me that passengers from certain nationalities with a record of refusals or of immigration breaches were less likely to be given the benefit of the doubt when compared with passengers from nationalities with a good record," she said.

"What in some nationalities is viewed with scepticism will be accepted in others.

REFUSAL RATES BY COUNTRY 2002

Jamaica: 6,000 (9.1%)

Lithuania: 3,400 (7.5%)

Zimbabwe: 2,500 (4.1%)

Latvia: 955 (3.5%)

Brazil: 2,400 (1.8%)

Source: Home Office. More up-to-date figures expected soon.

"To this extent, the use of information on adverse decisions and breaches may become self-reinforcing." In one case cited by the report, immigration sent back a Brazilian man who said he was coming for eight days, primarily to go to Carnival in Notting Hill.

He was turned back because he could only give vague details about his trip and apparently not earning enough to pay for a week in London. But while cases like this one demonstrated credible reasons for refusal, says Ms Coussey, there are others that do not.

One case highlighted by the report involved an African student who had confirmation papers for his college course, receipts showing he had paid for it and proof of accommodation with his sister, living legally in the UK.

Immigration officers use special powers to focus on key countries

The report says there was no adequate explanation for why this man had been turned away. While immigration officials are on the watch for college/student scams, there was no evidence this man had any intentions other than to study.

While Ms Coussey says most immigration officers are professional - she says she also came across "case-hardened" staff making derogatory comments about certain nationalities.

Others appear to be turned away for either getting their facts wrong - or being somewhat economic with what they tell officials.

"Once there are discrepancies, if the person is a national of one of the countries being more closely checked, the officer is unlikely to give them the benefit of the doubt," says Ms Coussey.

"Even if such a passenger admits that incorrect information was given, perhaps in the mistaken belief that it was a more convincing explanation than the true reason for visiting, their credibility has been so damaged that they likely to be refused."

Immigration minister Des Browne said the government would make a detailed response to the report later in the year.

"I am pleased that Ms Coussey was impressed with the overall professionalism of immigration officials.

"I also agree with her that the public needs to have clearer information about immigration and asylum and that the Government has an obligation to encourage and lead informed debate, based on fact not fiction, and challenge misconceptions."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[daleyboy]

I persoanlly found it very difficult to get me WIFE into the uk. It took countless hours of paperwork phonebills,letters,emails,bankstatements, photos etc etc.

The embassy staff i found to be extremely un-helpful and very rude. As everyone knows Thais dont like confrontation shame the British embassy staff cant be a little more sympathetic to this.

In the end it took 3 applications lots of tears from my wife a letter from my local MP letters to the ambassador to get her here. That was 3 years ago but i am sure they probably havent changed.

There reason for refusing the application was they didnt beleive we would stay together as man and wife!!! well how wrong they were it will be 4 years of marriage next month.

Anyway best of luck too you.