UK Visitor Visa - review of sponsor letter/documentation

[Trevstar]

Hi All,

Me again - I'd be grateful for any advice on my sponsor letter and list of documentation for my girlfriends application for a visit visa for the UK. I think I have the application form number wrong. I have followed advice on here, so hopefully all will be ok. For communications I have included examples not the whole lot - mostly showing times we have called etc and the dates.

Any advice on how to improve would be appreciated

Thanks,

Trevor

Visit sponsor's letter 1.docx

[SantiSuk]

Trevstar.

Unless things have changed a lot in the last few years this is way way way too detailed. They will die of boredom at VFS. You do not need to list out all your telephonic etc contacts since you can demonstrate various visits to Thailand (but do evidence the initial contacts. You do not need to list out every document that your girlfriend is attaching to the application as this will be obvious to them when they get all the documents.

I have attached my very first invitation letter. I suggest you might want to try to get a balance between my approach and yours!

[Trevstar]

Thanks for the response and advice.

My letter was based on the example stickied at the top of this forum. The itemised bills take up a few pages and I've only submitted 3 periods of Facebook/Skype as an example of the dail y communication.

I will perhaps move the list of documents to a contents page

[theoldgit]

I agree that your letter is far too long, the sponsors letter is meant to give the ECO a snap shot of the application, a double sided sheet of paper is about the right length.

yours goes into far too much detail and even includes an index, which would be better elsewhere. Things like "I became aware an app" are not necessary, just make the letter snappy and easy for the ECO to make a quick judgement.

[Trevstar]

Thanks for the advice

It's my first time doing this so maybe have gone a little OTT

I'll move the index to a seperare page, describe my visits and Judy say we communicate via a number of means on a daily basis

[7by7]

The example given in the pinned topic is one and a half pages; yours is three and a half; I agree, it's too long.

No need to give details of your family, just you.

Paragraph about how you met, ok.

Replace next four with: when I am not in Thailand visiting X, we communicate by (list).

Accommodation paragraph OK.

Next four, lose.

Rest, ok.

[Trevstar]

Again thanks

I was under the impression they'd want to see brief details of each visit etc - but you guys have been there and done it.

I will amend today and post a new version.

Is it better to remove the index of documentation to a seperare sheet? Also is there anything missing from it?

[theoldgit]

Yes, move the index to a separate sheet and put near the front of the pack, the ECO can go straight to the relevant section without having to read your note.

[Trevstar]

The example given in the pinned topic is one and a half pages; yours is three and a half; I agree, it's too long.

No need to give details of your family, just you.

Paragraph about how you met, ok.

Replace next four with: when I am not in Thailand visiting X, we communicate by (list).

Accommodation paragraph OK.

Next four, lose.

Rest, ok.

You say lose the next 4 but be explains her reasoning for returning home and another the reason for the length of trip 1- I'm not sure where else I can put this information if I cut it?

[theoldgit]

You might feel it's appropriate for your girlfriend to give her reasons to return in her covering letter, it's after all her app and her that has to satisfy the ECO of her reasons to return home at the end of the trip.

[Trevstar]

You might feel it's appropriate for your girlfriend to give her reasons to return in her covering letter, it's after all her app and her that has to satisfy the ECO of her reasons to return home at the end of the trip.

Thanks, I'd completely forgotten about that letter! The content will no doubt be very much similar to my covering letter, just from her point of view. Obviously this will be in Thai - so will we need to translate this to English too alongside the other documents.

I attach an amended version of my letter down to 1 and half pages which can be shorter if I remove the reason to return section and shorter still if I remove the details for who will run her business while away.

I don't want anything to be missed, so I will maybe reference her letter in mine as the explanation for the above in a brief sentence?

Again, as this is my first time applying for this everyone's advice is much appreciated!

sponsor letter 2.doc

[theoldgit]

Nothing wrong with you drafting her letter and getting her to sign it, make sure she understands what's in the letter though, in the unlikely event they call her.

[Trevstar]

If I draft it should I mentions that in the letter?

I'm thinking it may be best to have it in Thai so in the event they call her, however unlikely, it will be Thai.

[theoldgit]

This is what my partner wrote as the last paragraph of her latest covering letter:

"Whilst this remains my application, my written English is not too good and theoldgit has assisted me to draft this letter."

I honestly don't see the need to have her write a letter in Thai only to have the added expense of a translation, the application itself is in English, and that's hers as well.