UK Visitor Visa extra information help

[M12MKD]

Hello all,

Just after a little help with providing information for a general visitor visa for my girlfriend. I've spoken to a few agencies whilst currently in Thailand and all seem to want to go down the "marriage route" as this is cheaper and would be best.

Although yes at some stage marriage has been spoken about but I guess you could say that we both come from traditional families and a quick marriage would not be seen as acceptable by either of our parents.

So we have decided on going for a 6 month visitor visa to try living together for 6 months and see how things work out, then after 6 months we will both come back to Thailand and possibly get married.

My issue is with the sponsorship requirements, I meet the financial need but proof of accommodation is not so easy. Basically I rent a room from family so there is no "tenancy agreement", would a letter from them giving permission for my gf to stay be acceptable? And if so what other information would they need to provide?

Also will the UK immigration accept a full 6 months as staying in the UK as a visitor or should we give slightly less?

In order to save money we are trying to do this ourselves, or would we be better paying an agency as it might end up costing more money as we are not sure of the process.

Any help would be great as if would be good if we could get most of it done whilst I'm in Thailand.

Thanks

Mike

[theoldgit]

The agents you've spoken to have probably advised that a six month stay in the UK, to test the water so to speak, isn't what a visit visa is really designed for.

A visit visa is just that, somebody who wants to visit the UK for a holiday, how many people do you know who could swan off on a six month holiday.

There isn't a "test the water" visa, maybe there should be.

For your girlfriend to succeed in a visit visa application, she would need to convince the ECO that the visit is genuine, affordable and that at the conclusion of the visit she would return home.

Six months is a heck of a holiday, if you are working what would she do all day? There are no financial requirements, but she would need to demonstrate that she could support herself, or if you are doing so, that's affordable and reasonable to do so, she would need to demonstrate her ties to Thailand.

I think you are right in not considering the marriage route just for a holiday, has she thought about going to the UK to study?

[7by7]

Certainly you must not marry simply to get her a visa; marry in haste, repent at leisure!

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics useful.

[7by7]

I assume that this is the same girl as in this topic from December.

Saying she wants to visit the UK for 6 months to see what it's like isn't really going to work when she's already lived there as a student and met you in the UK!

There are some unanswered questions there, such as what the refusal notice says, which need to be answered before we can advise on how best to prepare another application.

For our advice to be worth anything, we also need to be given all the facts.

[M12MKD]

I probably should have also said that we met in the UK in the first place, rather than in Thailand or over the internet. She was here (UK) to study English and had to return back in November 2013. Since then we've spoken etc through the usual means. I came out for a two week holiday (couldn't get anymore time of work) to see her and some of her family.

Yes 6 months is a long time for a visit but she also has friends in the UK to spend time with and visit. As last time she was here under the general study visa, she reapplied back in December but was declined due to being more than so many months in a 12 month period. I cannot remember the exact wording without looking on the UK Border agency website. So she would be able to occupy herself whilst I'm at work.

We have also been saving so we have some visiting funds to allow her to do things whilst I'm at work, plus I will also be able to take time off to spend with her.

So the other option is to study, but she would have to wait until the period has passed in order to be successful (unless of course I've totally misunderstood the wording).

I've looked at a possible partner visa, but I'm sure this one has been stopped so the only option is a fiancé visa which means we would have to be married within the 6 months, again this is not a possibility for us. Regardless of us both being adults what our parents blessing and well wishes is a must, and for that reason we want to wait as long as it takes until both families have accepted each other's partner. And a family visa is not possible as we do not meet all the requirements, again I could have misunderstood this.

Most of all we both want to do this the correct way, for us this is a long-term thing and either of us want to cut corners and end up making it worse.

Would a couple of shorter term visa's be better i.e. two month holiday then back for a few months to Thailand?

I guess what I'm asking is what is the best way to go without going down the marriage route because that is not an option.

7by7 thanks for the link I will read this and hope it helps.

[M12MKD]

I assume that this is the same girl as in this topic from December.

Saying she wants to visit the UK for 6 months to see what it's like isn't really going to work when she's already lived there as a student and met you in the UK!

There are some unanswered questions there, such as what the refusal notice says, which need to be answered before we can advise on how best to prepare another application.

For our advice to be worth anything, we also need to be given all the facts.

yep, and the refusal is still the same, it was the wrong visa because of the time limit (would be too long of a stay within a 12 month period), though but to date we still have not received the refusal notice or any reference despite asking the agency several times. One has to wonder if the agency even bothered as they refunded almost all the money apart from an admin fee.

If I knew how to obtain the information myself I would bypass the agency and ask directly but I'm not even sure its possible.

I'm a little frustrated at this because like yourself I need to know why so that I can take the next step, at the moment I'm going semi blind.

As I'm in Bangkok at the moment, I might ask her for the address of the agency and maybe see if I can visit them myself.

[7by7]

she reapplied back in December but was declined due to being more than so many months in a 12 month period. I cannot remember the exact wording without looking on the UK Border agency website.

The UKBA website wont tell you why her visa was refused; you need the actual refusal notice for that.

As ThaiVisaExpress said in the other topic, obtaining a duplicate refusal notice is possible; but I'm not sure if that is still the case after this amount of time.

So the other option is to study, but she would have to wait until the period has passed in order to be successful (unless of course I've totally misunderstood the wording).

Again, as TVE said in the other topic, if she is applying for a student visa under the PBS then there is no minimum time she needs to have been out of the UK.

Ditto if she was in the UK under the PBS, returned to Thailand and then applied to come back as a visitor. Many students do this because their course has finished, they've returned home and then want to come back for their graduation or some other reason.

What was her original visa; a student visa under the PBS or a student visitor? What visa did she apply for in December; student visitor, general visitor or something else?

I've looked at a possible partner visa, but I'm sure this one has been stopped so the only option is a fiancé visa which means we would have to be married within the 6 months, again this is not a possibility for us.

not sure what you mean by a 'possible partner visa.' As far as I am aware, no such thing has ever existed. A fiancé visa is a type of settlement visa, with the same fee and same financial requirements etc. as a, for example, spouse visa. Only apply for a fiancé visa if you do intend to marry within the 6 months and settle in the UK.

Would a couple of shorter term visa's be better i.e. two month holiday then back for a few months to Thailand?

If applying for a visit visa then, however long she says she wants to stay in the UK for in her application, it will be valid for 6 months. Even if using the same visa, she could still fall foul of the "no more than 6 months out of 12 in the UK as a visitor" convention and be refused entry by immigration at her port of entry to the UK.

It may be a good idea if you take up TVE's offer in your other topic of a free consultation; but he will need to see the actual refusal notice.

As do we if we are to be able to offer any useful advice.

If you do obtain a copy and post it here remember to delete all names and other identifying information.

Edited February 3, 2014 by 7by7

[M12MKD]

The UKBA website wont tell you why her visa was refused; you need the actual refusal notice for that.

As ThaiVisaExpress said in the other topic, obtaining a duplicate refusal notice is possible; but I'm not sure if that is still the case after this amount of time

.

Sorry, I meant from what the agency has told my gf it relates to something I read on the UKBA's website, but again I possible may have misunderstood the wording, sadly I cannot find it again to quote this

Again, as TVE said in the other topic, if she is applying for a student visa under the PBS then there is no minimum time she needs to have been out of the UK.

Ditto if she was in the UK under the PBS, returned to Thailand and then applied to come back as a visitor. Many students do this because their course has finished, they've returned home and then want to come back for their graduation or some other reason.

What was her original visa; a student visa under the PBS or a student visitor? What visa did she apply for in December; student visitor, general visitor or something else?

I wish I could fully answer this one, as for as I'm aware it was the same type of visa as before, in other words they just reapplied using the same reason and information as the first student Visa. It was a general visa which does not allow you to work unlike the tier 4 visa tat allows up to 20 hours a week. Again this is from what I've been told and read on the UKBA's website. So I think is was a student visting Visa originally and then reapplied as the same in December.

I think maybe taking up TVE's offer might be the way forward. Either way without the extra information I understand that its not possible to best advice further. I will see what extra information I can get when she comes "home" from work today.

Thanks again

Mike

Edited February 3, 2014 by M12MKD