Trip To The Uk

[lime12]

Hello I was planning on taking my girlfriend back to the UK for Christmas for 2 weeks to meet my family.

I know its still a way away but I'm keen to get the flight tickets booked so I don't have to pay more for the ticket closer to the time. I read on the UK border agency website that you can apply up to 3 months before. I realise its more like 5 months before however seeing as we're just staying for 2 weeks I don't care if the 6-month visa starts ticking away months before hand, and we enter the UK towards the end of the visa expiring (and obviously return before it expires). Do you guys think the staff handling the application will be ok with this?

I've also been with my currently girlfriend about 6 months but we are living together, have a 1 year lease in both our names, have plenty of evidence to back our relationship up, she has a stable professional office job which she's been in for over a year and I have more than enough money to fund the trip. From what I last read this should be enough for her to get the visa (providing all the documentation to back it up), is this still the case?

Kind regards

Lime

[beano2274]

You could apply and put dates in October, then after getting the visa book tickets for December if you wanted to. I noticed flight prices now for December quite high, but Aeroflot have been constantly low.

Remember if she is asked about it in London, just say you had to change the dates because something came up unexpectedly.

The reasons to return are always the sticking point, but a good job is a plus point. Remember to do it online and she will have to go alone to VFS. Make sure you write a good letter to accompany the application maybe an itinerary, and also where in the UK are you gonna stay ( invitation letter from Mum, copy of passport of Parents, proof that the house can accommodate you all).

Keep this topic opened and ask any questions here, the guys will always help you

[lime12]

You could apply and put dates in October, then after getting the visa book tickets for December if you wanted to. I noticed flight prices now for December quite high, but Aeroflot have been constantly low.

Remember if she is asked about it in London, just say you had to change the dates because something came up unexpectedly.

The reasons to return are always the sticking point, but a good job is a plus point. Remember to do it online and she will have to go alone to VFS. Make sure you write a good letter to accompany the application maybe an itinerary, and also where in the UK are you gonna stay ( invitation letter from Mum, copy of passport of Parents, proof that the house can accommodate you all).

Keep this topic opened and ask any questions here, the guys will always help you

Thanks very much Beano

[exeter]

I may want to do this one day, what is VFS?

[tw25rw]

I may want to do this one day, what is VFS?

The company that handles visa applications. The embassy still makes the decision however.

[7by7]

As long as the visa is valid there is no reason why it cannot be used to enter the UK at any time.

I would, though, follow the UKBA's advice and not pay for tickets until you know she has the visa; unless you are certain you can get a refund should she be refused her visa.

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics helpful.

[lime12]

Sorry to bump my thread but Beano mentioned I should provide evidence that my Mother's boyfriend's house where we'll be staying has sufficient space to accommodate us when we visit - I couldn't find anything on the home office site to what kind of evidence I can provide. Photos or something else?

Many thanks

Lime

[tomcreeduk]

I also stayed with my family during my GF VV and with there help I provided the land registry document which was 8 to retrieve online. I produced yearly mortgage statement to show how much was owed & paid off per month, home insurance cover and was lucky enough to have a leaflet from estate agent which showd picture of house and broke dimensions of how many rooms along with sizes of rooms too..

Edited August 8, 2012 by tomcreeduk

[7by7]

With respect to both Beano and Tom, whilst I do believe that too much is better than too little I do think they are being a bit OTT.

As I say here,

If staying in a private household the person offering accommodation should write an invitation letter briefly describing the property to show that at least one room is available for the exclusive use of the applicant; although sharing with their sponsor or a friend or relative of the same sex is fine. It will help if the person offering the accommodation supplies proof of ownership or a letter from their landlord granting permission for the visitor to stay; whichever is applicable.

Some people advise photos of the accommodation available, or even an estate agents report, but I have never done either.

When we applied for a visit visa for my step-son we were living with my father, he simply wrote a letter to say that he owned the property, how many people were living there and that it had x number of rooms. We didn't even include proof of ownership as the mortgage had been paid off years before and the deeds were in a safety deposit box at the bank. Visa issued.

When we applied for a visit visa for my sister in law we had moved to a rented flat and I described the property in my sponsor's letter and my landlord was good enough to confirm that there was room and they had no objections to her staying there. Visa issued.

As for your parent's passports; I fail to see what relevance they would have to the application. You don't need to be a British citizen, or even settled in the UK, to invite a visitor to stay with you.

[beano2274]

With due respect 7 by 7, but they both live in Thailand as per the opening post.

So therefore they will be sponsored and would then require proof of identity and proof of accommodation, it does not matter what you use, I used a letter from the mortgage company, the year before my uncle sent me a copy of the letter from the building society proving he owned the house. Copy of his passport to prove he was a British Citizen and not someone on holiday there.

Passport, letter of invitation and proof of adequate accommodation provided - 3 visas done in this way, all granted.

Edited August 8, 2012 by beano2274

[7by7]

The OP will be his girlfriend's sponsor. A copy of his passport should be included to show his status in Thailand.

His parent's are simply providing accommodation. To do this they do not need to be British citizens or even settled in the UK.

A UK based sponsor does not need to be a British citizen, or even settled in the UK. Though they should provide a copy of their passport to show how often they have visited the person they are sponsoring; if at all, and if they are not British then their status in the UK.

[beano2274]

From the UKBA

What documents should a sponsor provide to support a general visitor's application?

Sponsoring a general visitor

This page explains what documents you may need to supply to support your general visitor's application.

The documents we need will depend on the circumstances of the case. We may ask you to send us:

• evidence of your own immigration status in the United Kingdom; and
  
• a letter of sponsorship explaining your relationship to the person who is applying, the purpose of the visit and where your general visitor will stay.
  

If you will provide financial support and accommodation for your general visitor and/or pay for his/her travel to the United Kingdom, you should send us the following as evidence that you are able to do so:

• copies of your bank or building society statements and payslips for the last six months; or
  
• a copy of your savings account book.
  

And by reading your post above, how can you prove your Immigration status in the UK? Answer - by your passport. And they do not have had to have visited the person they are sponsoring, they might have never met before.

My wife went home to the UK with me the first time for my fathers funeral, she had never met my mother, or my uncle who provided accommodation. Second time my wife and MIL went with me, my MIL had also never met my mother and my mother supplied accommodation, by giving accommodation you are sponsoring a visit.

Edited August 8, 2012 by beano2274

[bobrussell]

We have a Thai friend over from Switzerland at the moment and the visa application asked for the number of rooms in the property etc. As this was for a short term visit I confirmed that there would be a room available for this friend and that the children would be 'bedding' down in the caravan in the garden!

I included my passport number and my wife's Thai passport number and they did request a copy of my passport picture page! Interestingly enough when she went for biometrics etc in Geneva they questioned her closely on how long my wife had been in the UK and how long they had known each other as well as why she did not have a Swiss passport.

I was not the sponsor (between her and her husband they are far, far wealthier than I will ever be) but as the provider of the accommodation I did have to provide evidence of my immigration status and accommodation.

Don't go overboard but it is better to send more than they want than risk delays or rejection.

All a bit of a faff particularly for a visitor whose husband walked into a VW showroom and paid the equivalent of £26000 cash for a sporty Golf for his wife last month because she liked the colour!

[7by7]

With respect Bob and Beano, you are both making the same mistake that many others, myself included, have made before you. That is over the meaning of the word 'sponsor.'

Sponsor has several meanings, one of which is "a person who vouches or is responsible for a person or thing." (Dictionary.com) another being "a person taking official responsibility for the actions of another: they act as sponsors and contacts for new immigrants" (Oxford Dictionaries)

Although any undertakings or guarantees provided by the sponsor of a visitor would not be enforceable in UK law, the definition of a sponsor in a visa application is, basically, the person supporting the application, the person the visitor is traveling to the UK with or to visit; the person who is the reason for the visit, if you will.

In the OP's case he is his girlfriend's sponsor. In Beano's case he was his wife's sponsor and in Bob's case he and his wife were their friend's joint sponsors.

I admit that I had forgotten that sponsor's need to provide evidence of their own immigration status in the UK by providing their passport; or a copy of. That the sponsor may live outside the UK does not effect his UK immigration status if he is a British citizen; British citizens have the right to live in the UK. In addition, a non British citizen does not need to be settled in the UK. A person in the UK under the PBS, study or work, can sponsor a visitor.

Accommodation and/or finance for a visit can be provided by the applicant, the sponsor, a third party or any combination of these. If a third party is contributing toward the finance or providing accommodation their passport is not required.

[7by7]

I admit that I had forgotten that sponsor's need to provide evidence of their own immigration status in the UK

That should read "may be asked to provide........." as the quote in Beano's post above says.

I cannot find any mention in the immigration rules that the sponsor of a general visitor needs to be a British citizen or resident in the UK.

[DannyDakota]

Sorry to bump my thread but Beano mentioned I should provide evidence that my Mother's boyfriend's house where we'll be staying has sufficient space to accommodate us when we visit - I couldn't find anything on the home office site to what kind of evidence I can provide. Photos or something else?

Many thanks

Lime

I would always suggest providing as much information as possible.

However, for my GF's successful application we simply included a letter from mum inviting us to stay, saying there was plenty of room and describing the house (numbers of rooms etc).

No proof of ownership, ID or anything else.

In fact, it wasn't even the original letter but a print out from an email as the original letter never arrived in Thailand.