Uk Toursit Visa Application

[S4161]

Hi All,

Im new to this forum so forgive me for asking a question that must have been asked a thousand times already but here goes...

My girlfriend/partner and I have been together almost 3 years and we have a 10 month old son together. I am a UK national and my son has a Thai passport and a UK passport.

My girlfriend is 26. I am 25 and at university full time but i have a part time job which is going to be full time over the summer(which is when we intend for her and my son to come and visit the UK), I also have quite a few savings. I live with my mother who is employed full time and is a home owner.

We have just applied for a 6 month tourist visa for them to come and visit my mother and I over the summer.

We have given the following evidence:

i) All my biometric data, copy of passport, letter of sponsorship including details of relationship etc and 6 months bank statements.

ii) All my mothers biometric data, copy of passport, letter of sponsorship and 6 months bank statements.

iii) 6 months bank statements from my girlfriend showing a total of 500,000baht in savings.

iv) Letter from my girlfriends employer granting her leave for the 14 weeks we want her to stay in the UK.

v) Emails, photographs etc.

vi) Copies of my sons birth certificate in Thai and English.

vii) My sons Thai and UK passport.

The only thing is, my girlfriends employer pays her in cash so the money she gets does not show up as a direct payment into her account and as far as tax goes she can show no evidence of paying it? Just evidence of money going into her account that she chooses to deposit.

Given all the info i have given , what are your valued opinons on the chances of our application being succesful?

Thanks for any help

Regards

Edited May 3, 2010 by S4161

[7by7]

You say

We have just applied for a 6 month tourist visa for them

I assume you mean 'her' as your son being a British passport holder does not, of course, need a visa to visit the UK.

I can foresee two possible problems, both to do with her intentions to return to Thailand.

1) She has been granted 14 weeks leave by her employer. Most Thais only get about two weeks leave a year, so why would her employer grant her 14 weeks? Has her employer explained in their letter why they are being so generous?

2) She is your long term partner and you have a son together. There is a strong possibility that the ECO may suspect that she will use this visit visa to enter the UK to be with you and then not leave when her visa expires. Have you explained in your sponsor's letter why you do not want to live together at this time and what your future plans are?

[S4161]

You say

We have just applied for a 6 month tourist visa for them

I assume you mean 'her' as your son being a British passport holder does not, of course, need a visa to visit the UK.

I can foresee two possible problems, both to do with her intentions to return to Thailand.

1) She has been granted 14 weeks leave by her employer. Most Thais only get about two weeks leave a year, so why would her employer grant her 14 weeks? Has her employer explained in their letter why they are being so generous?

2) She is your long term partner and you have a son together. There is a strong possibility that the ECO may suspect that she will use this visit visa to enter the UK to be with you and then not leave when her visa expires. Have you explained in your sponsor's letter why you do not want to live together at this time and what your future plans are?

Hi thanks for the reply,

1) She is employed by her sister who owns a large construction materials business. However we were advised against explaining that she was allowed so much leave due to it being a familiy memeber who employs her due to the fact that it may not look so credible.

2) I didnt explain in my sponsors letter our future plans or why we dont live together at this time. I just wrote about our relationship, my financial status and why i want her and my son to come and visit.

The point about 14 weeks being a long time is the point i most worry about i have to admit.

3) Yes I meant to say 'her' not 'them'. My son obviously does not need a visa.

Do you think they may refuse her first time or simply ask for an interview? Do you think they my call her employer and ask why they are allowing her so mcuh leave?

[7by7]

The ECOs try to determine as many applications as possible without an interview. They only interview if there is an area of doubt, but not enough doubt to refuse outright.

The rules state that the onus is upon the applicant to provide all the necessary evidence to enable the ECO to make their decision, so there is no requirement for the applicant to be interviewed at all, nor for the ECO to speak to third parties such as an employer.

However we were advised against explaining that she was allowed so much leave due to it being a familiy memeber who employs her due to the fact that it may not look so credible.

Advised by whom? Being given 14 weeks leave by her employer who is also a family member seems more credible to me than being given so much leave by someone else.

It seems from your posts that you have already submitted the application; in which case all you can do now is wait and see.

[S4161]

The ECOs try to determine as many applications as possible without an interview. They only interview if there is an area of doubt, but not enough doubt to refuse outright.

The rules state that the onus is upon the applicant to provide all the necessary evidence to enable the ECO to make their decision, so there is no requirement for the applicant to be interviewed at all, nor for the ECO to speak to third parties such as an employer.

However we were advised against explaining that she was allowed so much leave due to it being a familiy memeber who employs her due to the fact that it may not look so credible.

Advised by whom? Being given 14 weeks leave by her employer who is also a family member seems more credible to me than being given so much leave by someone else.

It seems from your posts that you have already submitted the application; in which case all you can do now is wait and see.

Good point. Well fingers crossed ey. Thanks for your advice.

[S4161]

Oh actually I forgot to mention one thing.

My girlfriend has been grated a tourist visa on two sperperate occasions for visiting friends in Austrailia. Do you think this may give her a little more credibility with regards to adhereing to immgration rules i.e coming back to Thailand.?