hi

my girlfriend came here last year on a tourist visa, spent 2 months here & then went back to thailand, we are looking at applying again this year & only stay for 2/3 months again but if i remember right...

is there a condition that states you must travel within 30 days of the tourist visa been granted?

it wasnt a problem last year as she travelled about 15 days after it was granted.

if any one has first hand experience and can answer, it would be gratefully appreciated

jt

You can use the visa at any time between its issue ( valid from...... ) date to it's expiry date. If you didn't use it for, for instance, 5 months and two weeks after it was issued, then you could only stay in the UK for 2 weeks ( that is, until the expiry date ).

I think you can defer the start date by 3 months if you are not intending to travel straight away.

ECB9.5 What if applicant is not intending to travel straight away to the UK

The ECO should check the applicant's visa application form (VAF) for the proposed date of travel in order to prevent unnecessary applications for an extension of stay, and possible claims for a refund of the extension fee.

Where an applicant may not intend or be able to travel to the UK immediately following their application they can apply for a visa at any time before the date of travel to the UK, however, we can only defer the start date of the visa up to a maximum 3 months from the date of application. You may need to ensure that applicants applying under the various employment categories (and importantly under PBS Tier 2 and Tier 5) or as students under PBS Tier 4 would be acceptable to their UK sponsor, should entry be deferred by 3 months

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/ecg/ecb/ecb9/

cheers guys, wasn't sure & didn't really wanna problem later