Tourist Visa Question To The Uk

[agsnowdon]

Hi

My GF will be applying for a tourist visa for her to visit me in UK. We are both in Thailand at the moment and I would like to get the visa sorted before I go back.

She will be sponsoring herself but I have a few questions.

She has no job but helps out around her families home and she live off interest that she earns with a fixed saving account.

She has 1.2 million BHT in a fixed savings account and the contract finishes in August and she is thinking of coming to UK in October so the contract will have finished and she will be able to draw on her money to sponsor her trip.

She also has 300,000 BHT in another fixed savings account which is renewed every 3 months and has 100,000 BHT in a government lottery scheme.

This money came from when her grandmother sold land and her grandmother gave all the family a portion of the money.

My question is if we produce statements concerning the above accounts will this satisfy the embassy she has enough money to sponsor herself?

Also as she has no job what will we have to do about this? Is this a problem?

Thanks for your help in advance hope that hasn't confused you.

Cheers

Edited May 7, 2006 by agsnowdon

[vinny]

Without a fixed job, she would have to show that she has other strong and close family ties to Thailand; she has to convince the ECO that the purpose of her trip is to enter the UK temporarily for a visit.

If she has traveled to the UK or to other countries previously, her good record may help.

See also Visitors. If you are planning to provide accommodation, see also Sponsors.

There is no fixed amount of money that she is required to demonstrate. She has to have enough to maintain and accommodate herself while she is in the UK without using Public Funds.

[the scouser]

Ash,

The visa officer should take into account your g/f's circumstances in the round. The decision will therefore represent a balancing act, a list of pros and cons, and at the conclusion whichever side is lengthier is going to dictate the result.

Obviously it's not possible to predict absolutely the outcome, but, balanced against your g/f's lack of employment will be that she doesn't need to work because she is effectively of independent means and she is unlikely to foresake her 1,500,000 baht in order to remain unlawfully in the UK. Indeed, why should she want to? Additionally, the duration of your relationship will be a factor in the decision and the longer the better.

You might care to write a letter to accompany her application in which you can raise these points.

Right, that's my sole contribution for today. Now off down the boozer with Mr Bojangles and Falangaman.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[agsnowdon]

Vinny,

Thanks for your reply there are some good links there that I shall look into, cheers!

Scouse,

Cheers for your post here’s an update to what yourself and Vinny have said maybe you can comment better with this updated info.

We have been in a relationship for more than 3 years in which I have probably spent 60% of time in UK and 40% in Thailand. We can prove this with phone records, email, letters, photos and such items.

She traveled to Singapore for a friends wedding last year that went with no problems.

She also owns a car probably worth about 900,000BHT in her name (in Thailand) and also has a plot of land in her name which is near to her families home.

She lives at home with her grandmother and parents on a nice plot of land and their new house is a year old. (The house is in her grandmothers name)

She will be staying with me at my parents home which they can provide the obvious letter of guarantee to say she will leave the country (although I know this has no legal standing but will a good piece of evidence) and invitation letter explaining they wish to meet bla bla and also they could provide statements to show they are paying the last of their mortgage off.

Cheers for your help so far guys! Hope you can put some more input in now you have read the above. Should have explained all that in the first place.

Thanks

Ash

[the scouser]

Hi Ash,

From the details you have posted, your g/f's circumstances would appear to be relatively affluent and, as such, she should be in with a shout when it comes to getting the visa. I would say that the length of your relationship and the various other factors such as her car ownership and money in the bank etc., augur well.

Scouse.

[agsnowdon]

Cheers Scouse,

Another question is that she is thinking of putting together papers to show she has been working for herself for the last 6 months as a freelance make up artist. She has another account which has on average 10,000BHT+ cash going into it from various other sources, she has this idea to say this is money she gets from her clients and show these statments and portfolio and other documents to show she has been working.

Is this worth it? For me it sounds risky ans still has no real proof to say she will return to LOS as she will be her own boss.

What are you thoughts on that? I'd be very interested.

Cheers for your help so far.!

Hope you didn't have oo many beers the other night.

Ash

[the scouser]

Ash,

If it's not true, it would only serve to potentially jeopardise the entire application, and that's not worth it.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[GU22]

Quite, never be tempted to make something up in an attempt to make the application look better. You may fool the ECO, but if you don't then there is no chance of the visa.

The ECOs base their decision on the balance of probabilities. Your g/f has a large amount of capital in Thailand and owns land, so what reason would she have to overstay? She has a strong chance of being issued with the visa automatically, especially as she has already been to Singapore and come back. Don't blow it by telling porkies!

A bargirl who is the sole support for her family could increase her earnings in the UK tenfold, so would be looked upon with more suspicion than someone like your girlfriend. But even bargirls get visas if they can satisfy the ECO that the relationship with their sponsor is genuine and therefore the reason for the visit is genuine. (whether this is 'fair' or not is a subject for another thread.)

She will be staying with me at my parents home which they can provide the obvious letter of guarantee to say she will leave the country (although I know this has no legal standing but will a good piece of evidence) and invitation letter explaining they wish to meet bla bla and also they could provide statements to show they are paying the last of their mortgage off.

I don't see the need for a letter of guarantee, and as such a guarantee is not enforceable in law it wouldn't count for much anyway. However you parents should write a letter inviting her to stay, with a brief description of the property to show that there is room for her and a recent mortgage statement to show that they own the property.