Sponsoring My Girlfriend; Uk

[Scousebkk]

Apologies if this is in the wrong thread, I'm new to this.

I'd like to sponsor my girlfriend to come to the UK for a month and I'm wondering what documents/evidence I need to prepare and how do I produce this.

I have been in a relationship with her for 18 months and lived with her for 4 of those but how do I prove all this? I'm confused! Do I need to print off Facebook conversations etc?

I have just returned from Thailand and I'm about to start uni again next month but I don't have a job. I have a couple of thousand pounds in savings. Is this enough? She will be staying in my parents house.

Ive heard contradictory stories from many farang whilst in Thailand so it's left me wondering if a visa can be obtained without being wealthy!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Scouse

Edited August 20, 2012 by Scousebkk

[Thongkorn]

I think the mods will move this to the Visa section.

Yes you can get a Visa, but you will have to prove your relationship, and reason to return to Thailand are the biggest problems, also you will have to get a letter from your parents explaining that she can stay at there house and that it has enough rooms to accommodate you and her, You will have to prove you can support her while she is in the UK . Go on the boarder agency site it will tell you all the criteria it has been done before many times best of luck.

[Scousebkk]

Thanks Thongkorn,

I've been searching all day for info but only found links to websites that offer a fee-paying service to obtain a visa without giving what you need.

I'll have another look on the border agency website now

Cheers

[7by7]

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics helpful.

Have a read of that and then come back and ask if you have any questions.

Topic title amended to show country.

[Scousebkk]

Thanks 7by7

The link you provided is perfect! I just struggled to find it. When I find my feet, I won't be such a hassle.

Now you provided that link, this this thread can be deleted. Once again, I'm either ignorant or stupid and cannot find the 'delete thread button'

Cheers.

[cobby27]

Dude you need to get back to Thailand and pay an agency

You then need bank statements receipts for

Money you send which mustn't exceed 4k per month copies of emails between you copies of payslips if u ain't got a job your gonna struggle if she's a bargirl kick it into touch but if not and she can provide docs your in

[RAZZELL]

Why do you need to pay an agency?

Easy to do it yourself.

RAZZ

[7by7]

Now you provided that link, this this thread can be deleted. Once again, I'm either ignorant or stupid and cannot find the 'delete thread button'

You can't find it because it isn't there!

I'll leave it open in case you have any follow up questions; but strongly suggest you ignore posts like that from cobby27, which contains nothing based upon fact.

[Ch23]

I have just returned from Thailand and I'm about to start uni again next month but I don't have a job. I have a couple of thousand pounds in savings. Is this enough? She will be staying in my parents house.

Ive heard contradictory stories from many farang whilst in Thailand so it's left me wondering if a visa can be obtained without being wealthy!

I have just been through this and about to go back and finish my degree in a few days time ... Its been 5 long years (im doing an extened degree) and i dont know if i would do it again but there are somethings i guess you dont choose. Only getting to see her for only 4 months of the year is hard, espesh with whats going on around you with your peers (walking street/ soi cowboy aint nothing compared to the SU durin freshers week). realistically i dont know how you could do it without working at uni. I spent my pre uni savings on her i mean us within the first year and i had alot. back then we had alot of fun, now its living at her place with a 1000bht a day. luckily my part time job is very good and the missus doesnt need supporting financially when i am back home.

i have sponsored her twice and this year the whole family came over to visit during my long summer break (TW, step daughter and conyai, yai sponsored herself and we jointly showed funds to pay for the rest of the trip, I used an invitation letter from my mum stating we could stay at her house and used a landownership deed thing (off the net cost a fiver) to show that the house belonged to her. I used my student loan (and even hardship fund) payments as proof of my income (i could show from bank statements i didnt spend a penny of it during my time at uni as my job paid for all my expenses), basically free money if your not one of the typical 'uni lot' that blows it all on drink the uk government gives you loads (i know its a loan but the cheapest u'll ever get and takes forever to pay off at £5 a week or watever, many of my friends have never paid towards it and they're approaching 40, even a lecturer mentioned he only just paid it off last year, even before this £9000 a year malarky). correspondance/proof of relationship: I showed my entry stamps, 4 pics together at various places eg in KL as proof we travelled together before, meeting my parents when they were on holiday in thai one time, meeting relatives on previous visits to show our intentions were genuine, also gave them 4 months skype phone records of proof of contact outside of bkk. with her work i even added a picture of her band and links to her youtube channel to back up work permits to other countries that were in her PP. not a great deal of info but enough. everything i put down was backed up with proof, translated, certified and photocopied (if needed).

i wrote her whole application from her first person perspective (if you do this though make sure you read the whole thing back with her as things often get lost in translation and could look like a lie if found out, even if it was a genuine mistake of what you thought she said/does/did).

so yeh, check out the link 7 by 7 gave u, dynamite stuff there. hardest stuff is reason to return. What job does she have? like i said the TW is self employed and has travelled to many countries on work permits or holidays (so getting time off work was no problem and she could prove she had done it before, also proof that she respects visa regulations etc), then she boosted that with house, car, daughter, company, savings etc etc.... all good reasons to come back after her short holiday. the visa lasts 6 months and can be back dated 3 months (hopefully someone can explain where in the form and how exactly you ask for it to be back dated; i have often wondered?) so you can apply in jan, get it back by feb and book some cheap flights and everything will be rosey for a mid may/ june months stay. it doesnt matter if the visa is running before they use it. just so long as it is used and they return before it expires (having said that the missus got asked twice in a row, this question: (by the same immigration officer at LHR) " why have you waited so long (around 3 months) before you used your visit visa" the visa was still valid so puzzling why he asked that and even more so why he asked her twice. she said she replied 'so I would have time to make a plan for my holiday/schedules with work and get a good price by booking ahead' both times then he let her in. entering the UK sounds like getting into a dodgy back alley pub, with a password, rather than an actual country (remember to ask for Jim). i promise i will never complain that the guys at swampy dont smile again, so long as there aren't any riddles, conundrums or exam based questions barring my entrance.

not ganna lie though doing all the docs from this side and directing her from place to place was a ball ache but achievable. The visit was vastly more expensive than me visiting her in thailand (and more expensive than i thought it would be), all the documents we had to prepare, visa costs, direct flights as she is scared of getting lost in dubai, shopping money for her whilst shes here, gifts for family, family pets, friends, teachers, people at work.... etc the list goes on. This is likely their first time to europe and they are going to try to bring as much of it home as they can (fine if i had a full time job). but like everyone else on TV they would say it was worth it in the end. smiles were had by all, and i couldnt believe they were finally trooping round my town meeting my friends.

good luck, nice to know im not the only one that met someone on there gap year.

PS: most of the older guys you meet in bars talking about this 'situation' are either talking rubbish (oldies love a good story) or have tried sponsoring bar girls where, unless your a millionaire (and you wont be for much longer) its never going to happen. in these stories theres always a girl that gets her visa rejected, but somehow on the way home looses the money, her sim card and changed her name. but astonishingly, two weeks later she finds her phone and is desperate for medicine for her sick buffalo. incidentally, judging by another ongoing thred taking the buffalo to the vets and getting it in fighting shape might be a money maker. does anyone know of any buffalo gyms (outside of pattaya of course)? i digress... anyway dont let them put you off! TIT you can do what you want (or afford)!

[7by7]

A nonsense, off topic post has been deleted.

[Thongkorn]

Dude you need to get back to Thailand and pay an agency

You then need bank statements receipts for

Money you send which mustn't exceed 4k per month copies of emails between you copies of payslips if u ain't got a job your gonna struggle if she's a bargirl kick it into touch but if not and she can provide docs your in

Dude, You don't need a Visa agent at all . it easy enough to do yourself , its been done 100s of times, all a visa agent wil do is fill your form in and post it, or deliver it by hand. its still the same process if you do it yourself. save yourself some money.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Guidance is on the relevant UK/BA websites ensure you include the following evidence.

1. Asses & ties to Thailand
   
2. Land/house
   
3. Strong family ties
   
4. employment
   

[iancnx]

Hi Scouse,

Firstly about me - I rarely post here, but your predicament has struck a note with me. I have been an FCO officer in the past in another country before BA existed (last century...lol) - so I know my way around consul issues and visa apps and what gets approved and what does not.

I have been in Thai now for 7 years, been all over, done the Issan extended Tour (!) the islands, central plains and have lived in the North for the majority of that time. Also I have been to Cowboy and Nana and had all the fun (and the potential despair) that goes with such nite spots.

I am now bit a older and wiser and married to a (legitimate) school teacher (graduated in English). My previous girlfriends (4) prior to meeting her were 2 Issan girls; both with dubious employment history, an ICT graduate and an MBA post graduate. I can tell you the first two girls were not bar girls of the cowboy/nana variety, but in my opinion the 'restaurant waitress' and 'tour guide' stories didn't quite add up. These two would never have got a visa to UK IMO.

The two university educated girls with 'favourable' employment records and a track record that adds up would have got the visa IMO without any difficulty.

My wife got her visa after going through the interview process in BKK last year. I did not have to attend (indeed they would not want me to attend). I was still meticulous with providing every scrap of paperwork and evidence that BA required. She speaks good English. But don't misunderstand me - she comes from an incredibly poor rice farming family - so this proves you don't need to have huge sums of money. Just enough to sustain the UK visit and of course pay the return flights. A good employment history with sustainable salary payments is key here.

I would NOT recommend using an agency - I have heard and witnessed countless stories of how easy it is to part with many hundreds of pounds/euro's using these services unneccessarily.

If the girl 'adds' up you don't need an agent. If something is fishy the BA will smell it with or without an agent.

I have read here 'its easy, many have done it before'. I would be very surprised if the visa approval rate was any more than 10% of the total applications the BA actually receive.

Don't be put off. Be meticulous with the paperwork she submits and be completely truthful. Good luck.

Last bit of advice I always give to everyone I meet - go and buy a copy of 'Private Dancer' by Stephen Leather - you can download some of it on his website. It's an education!