Uk General Visa For Thai Girlfriend

[dixy1964]

I would be grateful for any advice about applying for a general visa fo my Thai girlfriend so she can visist me in Uk,

I have known her for 21 months and we have been together for about 16 months, I have been to Thailand 6 times during this period and will be going back in September.

I can supply 6 months phone records of calls I have made to her, we have many photos of us together and I can provide copies of the immigration stamps in my passport.

I will be paying for her flights and she wiil stay at my home which is owned by my mother, I will pay all her expenses and costs while she is here.

My girlfriend wants to apply for her visa before I arrive so she will need the above documents,

1; Can she use copies of my bank statements if I e-mail them to her or does she need originals? the same applies to phone records.

Another problem could be 'reason to return' as she has just started a new job and is unlikely to get permission to holiday for 1 or 2 months by her employer.

2; Would it be better to wait until I arrive in September before we apply?

I hope this makes sense!!!

[hotwinter]

the made problem is reason to return, ive got a letter form my gf's boss granting her time off and that holds alot of weight in her visa application. probably more than anything else in there!

pages upon pages of evidence is useless without a reason to return IMO

also id like to know about photocopies, id like to email over wage slips but not sure if they want the originals? dont trust the thai postal system atall

[irlguy1]

All paperwork needs to be original and the biggest reason for visa refusal is as you said. No reason to return.

She needs a job that's gonna give her the time off and a letter from them.

Land and money in the bank is also a bonus anything less and your gonna have very little chance that they will even read the application.

Waiting till September won't make a difference with only 4 months in her job your just wasting your time mate. Trust me been there done it.

Edited July 5, 2012 by irlguy1

[tribalfusion001]

Do you bank online or have paper statements dixy1964? I bank online and have always included print outs of my bank statements, never had a problem with them, certificates should be originals plus a copy.

You would be best asking for a 2 or 3 week stay in the UK, her new employer may let her have 2 or 3 weeks off in September and then you gained a reason to return.

[tw25rw]

Reason to return can be that you want her to make repeat visits and to travel to other places and understand the implications of overstaying. You can put this kind of stuff in the covering letter.

[brewsterbudgen]

If she can't get permission for a 2-3 month holiday (which is hardly surprising!), then unless she's going to quit the job, you'll have to go for a much shorter holiday which, in any case, is advisable for a first visit.

[dixy1964]

thanks for all above info, I find it very helpful especially regarding planning a shorter first visit.

[tw25rw]

Mine came over for 2 months with no money and only a domestic cleaner job at home. She did have permission to take the time off, but for a job like that it wouldn't matter much.

I promised to pay for her life and make sure she left on time.. No problem at all getting the visa.

Have the right intentions and the right evidence and explain the situation where it isn't clear from the paperwork.

[7by7]

There is no legal reason why a visitor cannot remain in the UK until the expiry of their visa; usually 6 months from the date of issue. But:-

If she says in the application that she will be staying for 2 weeks and then stays longer this could raise questions about her credibility should she ever apply for another UK visa; especially if she produces an employers letter stating she only has 2 weeks holiday.

To avoid such complications in any future application she should explain why she stayed longer than originally stated and how she was able to considering her job.

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics helpful.

[tw25rw]

There is no legal reason why a visitor cannot remain in the UK until the expiry of their visa; usually 6 months from the date of issue. But:-

If she says in the application that she will be staying for 2 weeks and then stays longer this could raise questions about her credibility should she ever apply for another UK visa; especially if she produces an employers letter stating she only has 2 weeks holiday.

To avoid such complications in any future application she should explain why she stayed longer than originally stated and how she was able to considering her job.

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics helpful.

What if she goes home, then wants to come back within the validity of the visa? Does she have to apply again and would it work against her if she showed up at LHR?

[7by7]

The visa will be endorsed with a number or with 'Mult.'

If a number then this is the number of times it can be used. If 'Mult' it can be used as often as the visa holder likes during it's validity.

The vast majority of visit visas are multi entry. From VAT1.3 Visa validity - When to issue a single-entry visit visa

The ECO should only issue single-entry visit visas in certain cases, such as children visitors sponsored by charities or in exceptional borderline cases where the applicant has not quite established on the balance of probabilities an intention to leave, but there is nonetheless a clearly established, verifiable and compelling reason to visit the UK...............

But the same caveat regarding her employment applies; the ECO in any future application may wonder how she was able to take so much time off; especially as she has not had the job long. This will need to be explained in any future application.

[dixy1964]

I think the main problem will be her employment status because when I visit her in September she does not intend to work as she wants to spend all her time with me, therefore unless I can persuade her otherwise she will not have a job as she is unlikely to be granted 19 days holiday when I visit. As she intends to come to England in October I think this could be a major stumbling block.

[thaiphoon]

1 unhelpful/off-topic post has been removed.

[MrZM]

Most girls that go back on tourist visas don't have jobs.

Dies she have any children?

You can use this as a good case, as she can state she will return to take care her child.

Does she have a friend with a small business who can write a letter in confidence?

My wife has been back on tourist visas twice, she never had a job, but her mum has a laundry business, her mother wrote a letter saying she works for her, and allowed the time off to see somewhere new. A few pics of the shop and them both working together.

You have to remember that the tourist visa is about your lady, does she have money in the bank? Reason she will return? Why she wants to go? And proof of relationship!

If you are not present in Thailand whilst she is applying don't worry to much about your information as long as its correct and true. They don't expect you to fly to Thailand give all original documents and go home.

It is an easy visa to gain!

[7by7]

Dies she have any children?

You can use this as a good case, as she can state she will return to take care her child.

The UKBA do not consider children to be a reason to return. This is because many Thais leave their children with relatives while they travel away, often abroad, to work.

Does she have a friend with a small business who can write a letter in confidence?

Not a good idea. Lying on a visa application, if discovered, can result in a 10 year ban from visiting the UK. ECOs do check employment.

Most girls that go back on tourist visas don't have jobs.............It is an easy visa to gain!

True; see the topic I linked to earlier.

[irlguy1]

Most girls that go back on tourist visas don't have jobs.

Dies she have any children?

You can use this as a good case, as she can state she will return to take care her child.

As another poster already said,This is no reason to return.Logically look at most of the bar girls in Thailand that have kids,they leave them behind for months or years at a time.

Does she have a friend with a small business who can write a letter in confidence?

They will check this so if the friend screws up on the back story your in the crapper

My wife has been back on tourist visas twice, she never had a job, but her mum has a laundry business, her mother wrote a letter saying she works for her, and allowed the time off to see somewhere new. A few pics of the shop and them both working together.

You have to remember that the tourist visa is about your lady, does she have money in the bank? Reason she will return? Why she wants to go? And proof of relationship!

If you are not present in Thailand whilst she is applying don't worry to much about your information as long as its correct and true. They don't expect you to fly to Thailand give all original documents and go home.

They may not expect it but it makes a big difference if you do and for the record ALL documents do have to be origional.

It is an easy visa to gain!

no its not

[tribalfusion001]

Have to agree with irlguy1, visit visas are not easy to get. My wife had a job when she was granted a visit visa, she didn't go back to the job though, she stayed for 5 months!

[irlguy1]

I actually had other points as well as the "no it's not "but they didn't change font on the post so have a read of my previous post to see the other comments

[7by7]

Have to agree with irlguy1, visit visas are not easy to get. My wife had a job when she was granted a visit visa, she didn't go back to the job though, she stayed for 5 months!

So let me get this straight. You have been involved in one successful visit visa application and based on that you conclude that UK visit visas are not easy to get????????????

The success rate for visit visa applications in Bangkok is consistently around 95%.

Posts on this and similar forums show that people without a job or other firm 'reason to return' do get visit visas; often based on their relationship with their sponsor.

From posts on this and similar forums it seems the main reason for refusal isn't that the applicant didn't qualify, but that they didn't show that they did.

If a poster has no chance, I will say so; but I cannot understand why some posters appear to take great delight in attempting to put people off from applying rather than advising them on the best way to prepare an application to achieve success..

[tribalfusion001]

3 visit visas, first 2 were refused.

[7by7]

Care to say what the refusal notices said?

[tribalfusion001]

I'll dig them out.

[Tigger01]

I agree with 7by7, you need to make sure all your paperwork is correct! I had only known my girl for 4 months and managed to get her a visa OK for a 1 month stay in the UK, my freind used my paperwork as his template and he brought his girl over for the full 6 months!!! Mine is returning in 2 weeks time for a second visit on the same visa and will stay for 2 months. I think most visit visa refusals are because paper work is not supplied that proves a relationship (phone calls, emails etc), where she will live (utinlity bill etc) and finances (pay slips, bank statements etc), she does, however own land which I think helps..

[tribalfusion001]

I didn't have any help with these applications, was not a member of a forum, just tried to follow the guidelines. Both refusals were from May 2011. I've posted the refusal letters to help people.

Edited July 9, 2012 by tribalfusion001

[7by7]

Thanks for posting the notices.

First refusal because you didn't provide any evidence of your relationship nor that there were funds were available for the trip.

Second refusal because you claimed to be living and working in Thailand but provided no evidence of this (a copy of your Thai work permit would have been enough!) Also a change of financial sponsor with a sudden, unexplained increase in said sponsor's bank balance.

All of which seems to prove my earlier assertion that the main reason for refusal isn't that the applicant didn't qualify, but that they didn't show that they did.

[Tigger01]

Tribalfusion, your refusal letters are exactly what would be expected as it clearly staes you haven't provided the evidence, proof of relationship (photo's, phone calls etc) and finances (payslips, bank statemets didn't show enough cash to support her).

[tribalfusion001]

I was working in Thailand, but without a work permit, hence the "permitted" in the 2nd refusal letter, I managed to wriggle out of that on the 3rd application and I forgot one of my fathers bank accounts on the 2nd application. The change of sponsor on the 2nd application was due to myself running out of money.

The 1st two applications were quite bad and it shows that mistakes can made when you don't know what you are doing!

[MrZM]

Dies she have any children?

You can use this as a good case, as she can state she will return to take care her child.

The UKBA do not consider children to be a reason to return. This is because many Thais leave their children with relatives while they travel away, often abroad, to work.

Does she have a friend with a small business who can write a letter in confidence?

Not a good idea. Lying on a visa application, if discovered, can result in a 10 year ban from visiting the UK. ECOs do check employment.

Most girls that go back on tourist visas don't have jobs.............It is an easy visa to gain!

True; see the topic I linked to earlier.

It's a white lie, 90% of Thai businesses aren't registered, as long as you show proof and insert a letter, it is considered adequate enough!

I have done a tourist visa twice on my own. As previously stated its about 2 things.

1. The lady involved

2. Proof of a relationship

Insert as much information as possible.

[7by7]

A nonsense post and response to it have been deleted.

MrZM, a lie is a lie. It is irrelevant whether the business is registered or not. Eco's often phone employers to check on and question further about details in the employer's letter.

Uncertainties or discrepancies in this phone call could result in a refusal. If the ECO discovers the letter is untrue then, as said before, the applicant could be banned from visiting the UK for 10 years.

If you have used false information in visa applications previously and got away with it then you have been very lucky; others may not be.

As I say here, it's about three things, not two:-

1) The applicant is a genuine visitor with a genuine reason to visit.

2) The visitor be adequately maintained and accommodated whilst in the UK without working or claiming any public funds.

3) The visitor will leave the UK when or before their visa expires (reason to return).

[MrZM]

I apologise for my comment. I sound like a dodgy visa agent now.

7by7 statement is correct.