Likelihood Of Obtaining Multiple Entry Uk Visa?

[HTC]

I am in the process of assisting my wife obtain a UK general visit visa. This will be the first time she has applied for a visa to the UK. My question is what is the chances that she would be granted a multiple entry long term visa for 1 year, bearing in mind this is her first time to apply?

Our circumstances are as follows.

I am a British citizen living and working abroad. I am currently a UK non-resident. I work in Oman on the oil fields for a 6 week period and then return to Thailand where My wife and I rent a house together in Koh Samui.

We have been married for 1 year and have been living together for 1.5 years. I am currently visiting Thailand on a non resident type O visa.

My wife is a Thai national and is not currently working at my request as I moved her from her job in Bangkok to Samui. I support her financially and will be her sponsor for our visit to the UK. She has only traveled out of Thailand once when we when to Bali on a holiday.

I would like us to visit the UK a couple of times a year or more, if I can afford it, of a period of 2 weeks per visit and it would aid us to have a multiple visit visa.

We are okay regarding the process and the documentation required. The main problem I can see is proving that she has a real reason to visit the UK regularly as it states in the guidelines. The reason we will visit is to see my family and a little tourism. We have no intention of moving back to the UK to live.

So has anybody been successful in obtaining a multiple visit visa for a year or more the first time they applied?

Many thanks.

[7by7]

The rules and guidance say VAT1.4 Visa validity - What period for a multiple entry visit visa?

There is no requirement for a person to have held a short term visit visa before being issued with a visit visa which has a longer validity. For example, an applicant does not need to have been issued with a standard six months visit visa before being issued with a five year visit visa. Unless there are grounds for not issuing a long term visit visa, the ECO should issue the visa applied for.............

However, anecdotal evidence here and on other forums suggest that she is unlikely to get longer than 6 months if this is her first application.

So she can apply, but they may issue one with a shorter validity than that asked for, and there wont be a refund of the difference in the fee!

From the above link

In all instances, if an ECO decides that a shorter validity of visit visa is more appropriate than the one applied for, the ECM should approve it and notes should be added to Proviso. In such cases, no refund (full or partial) is available. The ECO should ensure that clear explanatory information for the decision is provided in a covering letter when the passport is returned.

As you are probably already aware, no matter how long the visa is valid for she will only be able to spend a maximum of 6 months in the UK per visit and, usually, no more than 6 months out of any 12 in the UK.

BTW, all UK visit visas, including the standard 6 months one, are usually multiple entry; unless there is a specific reason for limiting the number of entries. See VAT1.3 Visa validity - When to issue a single-entry visit visa.

Edited March 26, 2013 by 7by7

[bifftastic]

Also, seeing as she's your wife, she can apply for a Family Visit Visa as opposed to a General Visit Visa. Terms are the same, just more suited to your circumstances. It's just my opinion, but I think there's more of a 'right to visit her husband' attached to these visas. Less chance of being refused on 'reason to return' as the relationship is obviously 'real and subsisting'.

If you can show reasons why you need visits to the UK that don't fit in to a 6 month visa, like two family weddings to attend in May and in November, plus another trip for Auntie Brenda's 60th birthday near Christmas, for example. You might stand more of a chance.

And, the 6 months out of 12 is a guideline, not a rule.

[7by7]

The same criteria have to be met for a family visit as for a general one; except that for a family visit the applicant needs to show that they are a qualifying family member of a UK resident(s), in-laws count, and are traveling to the UK to visit that family member(s).

The only real difference is that if refused a family visit can be appealed; a general visit cannot.

I know that the '6 months out of 12' is not a rule, that's why I said 'usually' !