Uk Visit For Sister-In-Law

[Trebilcock]

Hi, Looking to bring my Thai sister-in-law to the UK for a visit. The UK Border Agency website seems to say Thai citizens can only apply online, but my wife's friends say you can print form VAF1B, fill it in and take it with you to Regent House in Bangkok and apply that way. Can't find the form to print, and I suspect if we apply online (ie on sister-in-law's behalf) it will be rejected as we are in the UK. Can anyone advise please?

[AyG]

(1) Paper forms are available at VFS. One can fill in a form there, and get it typed in by VFS staff for a fee.

(2) You can download the form yourself from http://www.ukba.home...visas/vaf1b.pdf (It's the first item if you Google for "VAF1B", so you can't have searched too hard for the form to print.)

(3) There should be no problem whatsoever your filling in the online form on behalf of your relative. You do need to take a print out of it with you to VFS, though.

Edited October 9, 2011 by AyG

[7by7]

The system changed earlier this year.

All applicants now have to complete an online form and make an appointment at the UKVAC to submit their supporting documents and have their biometrics taken..

There is no problem with you completeing the form on her behalf. Once completed and the appointment made the form should be printed out, signed and taken to the appointment along with the supporting documents.

See Applying for a UK visa in Thailand.

[Trebilcock]

Many thanks for the helpful replies. Searched several times for on the Border Agency website for VAF1B, but all I got were guidance notes, not the form itself.

[Trebilcock]

Just a couple more questions, if I may.

If we apply online on her behalf here in the UK, does that automatically generate an appointment? The border Agency website says "As part of your online application, you must use the online appointment calendar to book an appointment to attend the visa application centre. You can book, change or cancel your booking online....Your appointment must be no more than 30 days after the date when you completed and submitted your online visa application form." I'm a little worried that we won't have time to get the printed form out to her in Thailand before the interview, ie if the only interview slots available are at short notice.

Also, we'd like her to make the most of her trip and possibly stay for 3 or 4 months, during which time we will be providing accomodation, transport, food, etc. However, as she's recently lost her job, I'm worried Immigration will suspect she's really coming her to look for work (or have I just been watching too much "UK Border Force" on telly?)

Once again, many thanks for any help or advice.

[AyG]

(1) Does she have access to a computer and printer? If so, she can log on after you've completed the application and print the form herself. Alternatively, consider using a courier firm to deliver the printed document to her. Expensive, but fast.

(2) Her not having a job is definitely going to count against her. A 3-4 month stay seems suspicious to start with. She'll need to provide some very strong reasons for returning to Thailand if she's going to have any chance of success with her application.

[Trebilcock]

Thanks for replying again AyG. There is a house in her name in Thailand, which might help? In the circumstances, what would you suggest is a reasonable or realistic length of time to ask for? Thanks again.

[AyG]

The house in Thailand will help, but on its own it's unlikely to be enough. Does she have children or elderly relatives in Thailand that she cares for? That would help. It would also help if she has a track record of visiting other countries and returning back to Thailand. However, without her having a job to go back to, I wouldn't hold out too much hope for the application being approved.

Rather that go for a several month stay, it would be better to apply for a "normal" holiday length, say a couple of weeks. If the visa is granted and she visits, getting a subsequent visa should be easier. Note that (if granted) the visa will actually be for longer than the period applied for (normally 6 months). She could stay for the full visa period if she wanted to, but would then find it very difficult to get another visa for the UK.

[7by7]

She could stay for the full visa period if she wanted to, but would then find it very difficult to get another visa for the UK.

Not would but might. Not very difficult but just difficult.

There is nothing in the rules to say that a visitor cannot stay longer than originally stated; plans and circumstances can and do change. However, doing so can damage their credibility the next time they apply; unless they have a satisfactory explanation of why they did so.

Obviously, people must not say in their application that they intend to stay for 2 weeks when they actually intend to stay for 6 months!

You should explain in your sponsor's letter her circumstances and why she is visiting at this time. Provide as much evidence of any and all ties she has to Thailand. Say that you and she understand that a visit visa is just for visits and she cannot use it look for work or stay in the UK.

You could even turn the loss of her job into a positive by saying that she is using the gap in her employment as an opportunity to visit her sister in the UK!

[Trebilcock]

Thanks for the reply 7by7, which I've only just seen. Just to update, in case anyone else is in a similar situation, we got the visa. Sister-in-Law applied via an agency in Bangkok, and got an email about 10 days later saying the application was ready for collection. No interview or anything, and turned out to be quite easy in the end.