Timeline For Uk Visa Visit Application

[husseinfatal]

Hey all hope your well,

I am looking to help my girlfriend apply for her first visit visa to the UK, we are aiming for her to spend a month (or maybe only 3 weeks as that is the maximum i can get off work in one hit), in late June/July. My sister is getting married in July so she is being invited to it, and will be the perfect opportunity for my girlfriend to finally meet my family.

My question is, what are the timelines i should be looking at for application? I have started already in terms of getting phone records together etc, but when should we make the confirmed application?

Bit of background, we have been together for 5 years this May, and although we have lived apart, i have been to visit her many times, including spending 6 months with her in Jan where i took university classes studying Thai. We have also travelled together to many places in Thailand, Singapore & Bali. We Skype - Skype everyday as well (shame you cant get records for that!)

In Thailand she holds down 2 jobs and i believe she can get letters that say the job will be held open for her (British style pub in the day and night market in the evening).

I live with my parents at the moment, but my sister has a room in her house which she will let us use (lives approx 40 mins drive away). I will be her financial sponser and pay for her flights.

Ultimately we want to live in Thailand as she has 2 small kids (not mine and they live in a village looked after by her Aunt) but i need to keep the money coming in! I work for a big multi national company, and am continuing Thai home study with the aim to make a move across in the coming years. This visit really is so she can see England and meet my family.

Just wish i kept hotel records from when we were together in Indo & Singapore...i never thought it would evenually lead to me asking for visa for England which is why i never kept early records!

Anyway i have gone off track a bit, just thought i would share some info as i'm sure to be asking a few more questions i can't find answers to!

Thanks!

[7by7]

How long is a piece of string?

Processing times depend mainly on how many applications have been recieved. The only recommendation I can make is the same as that on the UKBA website

Our standards say that we will process:

90 per cent of non-settlement applications within 3 weeks, 98 per cent within 6 weeks and 100 per cent within 12 weeks of the application date

Note that you can ask for the start date of the visa to be postponed for up to three months, and as it will be valid for 6 months anyway applying and receiving it early should not present a problem for her; based on the time she intends to stay in the UK.

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics helpful.

[husseinfatal]

Yes I checked the visit visa basics link before, very helpful indeed. I think I have everything I need, and I think we'll do it 3 months before.

Thanks for the advice!

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com