UK General Visitor Visa - Just need a little guidance.

[LostOnEarth]

Hello all,

This is my first post & I hope to stay & help as many people as I possible can this is such a useful place!

This place is such a treasure trove of really helpful information it’s a credit to all the community for keeping this such an amazing helpful forum. I have got so many useful insights from here & me & my fiancé are preparing the application now. We are pretty good on the letters but have a few questions on documentation which I am hoping the kind people in the forum can help answer

A little background on us. She is Indonesian & I am British, we've been together since December 2010 when I was travelling Indonesia I been back & forth 6 times & we got engaged in last year. I usually stay over for 3-6 months. We are planning on getting married this year but not in the UK. I’d love for her to come to the UK to visit me & my family before we marry I am hoping straight after her exams she can come over. She is apply for the General Visitors visa for 4 weeks.

Her:

Student at a local university studying a degree in has another year to study

Works in a local restaurant to make ends meet

This year’s exams should end in about mid-June then she’s free until September

Property:

Just a motorbike in her name no land or homes with her

Accommodation:

Lives at home with her parents

Me:

Working as a engineer in the UK earning over the 18000 limit & saving around 1000+ every month

Property:

1 house which I rent out & earn a small amount each month it’s located in a different city.

Accommodation:

Lives at home with his parents

Evidence from her:

A letter of introductions.

A letter from her University stating her course, grades so far, semester timings.

Receipts showing she has paid the relevant fees.

Letter from employer stating salary, permission to be given leave & guarantee she has a job when she returns.

6 months bank statements

Evidence of communications Skype log, instant messaging

Picture of us together over the years

Birth Certificate

Passport (Does she need to hand this in when she goes to hand in the evidence?)

Itinerary of places she wants to visit

It’s likely all except her letter of introduction are going to be in Indonesian. Does she need to get these translated & countersigned?

Where does she need to provide originals & where are photocopies acceptable?

Is there anything else she should provide to make her case stronger?

She’s only been abroad once to Malaysia with me.

Feel free to mark/append the list above

Evidence from me:

Invitation letter

Payslips

Bank statements of main account where my salary is paid into.

Bank statements from second account showing rental income from a house I own.

Current valid passport (Should this be a photocopy? If so does it need to be countersigned by a solicitor?)

Itinerary of places she will visit

Letter from parents showing they invite her to stay in their home

Parents mortgage statements

Architects drawings of the house

A photo of the house

Pictures of together us over the years

Tickets/boarding passes of my visits there

Evidence of communications Skype log, instant messaging

Where do I need to provide originals & where are photocopies acceptable?

The Architects drawings are on a big A1 size & they are originals so I’m too keen on sending the originals for that.

All except two of my visits were made on a previous passport I had to renew because I had no more pages remaining. I’m wondering whether it’s worth me sending that passport as evidence to prove I have visited on many occasions.

Feel free to mark/append the list above

Seeing as we are planning on marrying this year should we provide evidence to show planning etc?
Is there anything I have over looked or other things we should provide to make this strong?

Thank you so much for helping & sorry for so many questions

[theoldgit]

First of all have a read through this pinned topic uk-visit-visa-basics and also have a read through the forum in which your questions have been asked, and answered, many times.

Though this forum is based in Thailand and reflects the experience of those applying in Bangkok, those applying in Indonesia are subject to the same levels of proof.

Your girlfriend will have to apply and pay the visa application online and visit the Visa Application Centre in either Jakarta or Bali to submit a hard copy of her application, supporting evidence and have her biometric details captured. vfs global - Indonesia

From what you have described I would have thought that her application would have a fairly good chance of succeeding, her studies, properly evidenced, should satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that she is likely to return at the conclusion of her visit. The letter from her University should indicate how long she has been studying, the Uni term times and the fact that she is enrolled to continue with her studies, and that the fees have been paid. If the letter is not in English it should be translated.

Your evidence seems fine, though the £18,600 figure only applies to Settlement Visas. Your covering letter should give details of your relationship, the trip, what she will be doing for four weeks whilst you are at work, maybe even your plans for the future, don't make the letter too long. You don't need to include architects drawings of your parents house or their mortgage statements when applying for a visit visa, just a note from your parents confirming that it's ok for her to stay during her trip and that there's suitable accommodation available.

You don't include your passport, just a photocopy of the relevant pages showing trips, and a copy of any old passport you may have.

Her evidence also seems fine, when you say letter of introductions I assume you mean a covering letter, as you have indicated this must be in English or a translation supplied, any other documents should also be in English or have translations.

All documents that are submitted need to be originals, copies of all documents will be retained and the originals returned.

She will need to include her original passport, this will be returned hopefully with a visa vignette stuck inside, she should also include any previous passports.

Good luck to you both

[LostOnEarth]

Thank you for the very informative reply.

I have read through a lot already & it's helped tremendously in preparing her applications now we have list of what we need we can go out get it all done.

Your girlfriend will have to apply and pay the visa application online and visit the Visa Application Centre in either Jakarta or Bali to submit a hard copy of her application, supporting evidence and have her biometric details captured. vfs global - Indonesia

Does anyone know where I can find the latest fees? I've read here & it seems like the £80 fee is going up from April this year.

You don't include your passport, just a photocopy of the relevant pages showing trips, and a copy of any old passport you may have.

From talking with a few friends who have sponsored others they mentioned a photocopy of my passport verified by a solicitor is required but reading here it seems like just a photocopy will suffice?

Her evidence also seems fine, when you say letter of introductions I assume you mean a covering letter

Yes sorry it's her covering letter.

All documents that are submitted need to be originals, copies of all documents will be retained and the originals returned.

So it looks like all my documents, payslips, bank statements etc. will have to be originals not photocopies?

Thanks

[theoldgit]

Yes the fee is going up to £83 from sometime this month, I think next week, the new website makes things more difficult to find.

You have to pay online when the app is submitted, in Thailand the fee is paid in US$, I don't know what it is in Indonesia.

The copy of your passport doesn't have to be certified by a lawyer, you can do it yourself if you wish, I never have.

Yes all documents, especially bank statements and pay slips, must be originals, you should provide copies if you want the originals returned.

[LostOnEarth]

This may sound like a silly questions I found this form SU07 & wondering if it's needed for General Visitor Visa?

Also you can get to the old Border Agency site using this be careful as this won't always be up to date as they're focusing on the new site.

[7by7]

No, SU07 is not normally required for a visit.

[LostOnEarth]

Thanks 7by7!

I have another silly question What is the correct way to address the letters in support of the application, seeing as we will be applying at the new centre in Bali.

Should it be:

Dear Consulate General

Dear Sir/Madam

To Whom it may concern

And also should put the address of the consulate at the top of the letters as this:

Visa Section

The British Embassy Jakarta

Jl Patra Kuningan Raya Blok L5-6

Jakarta

12950

Indonesia

When including photos do people get these printed in Boots or will it acceptable to just print them out on plain white paper?

I know these may sound like trivial questions but I don't want to give them any reason to refuse approval.

Thanks

[7by7]

I usually address it to "Dear Sir/Madam" but any of your options will be fine.

I don't normally put the address of the embassy on.

Doesn't matter where your photos are printed; just don't include too many. 15 to 30 is fine.