Holiday visa UK

[jimBaaaa]

I'd like to bring my gf to England for 3 months but is it possible to sort the visa application out if she is in Thailand and I am in the uk?

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[theoldgit]

Yes it is possible, it's her application and it's she who has to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that her proposed trip is genuine, affordable and that she has enough strong ties with her home country that would satisfy the ECO that she would return, always difficult with a three month holiday.

She has to apply and pay the application fee online and then submit her supporting documents at the Visa Application Centre in Bangkok. http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/thailand/

You might also find this helpful uk-visit-visa-basics

There's nothing wrong with assisting her to prepare the application but it's her that has to submit the hard copy with her supporting evidence. If you are sponsoring her then you must convince the ECO that it's reasonable and affordable for you to do so, but again it's her that must submit this evidence.

[billybatson]

I'm about to do the same thing, so yes I hope and expect it is possible. I'll be sticking to everything theoldgit said above, except I'll be paying online and doing the online application from here in the UK. I'll send my GF the application print out (along with all the supporting docs) and she can then sign it and take everything to the VFS.

[theoldgit]

When I said assisting with an application, what I was suggesting was exactly what billybaston is saying, you can complete the form and pay the fee from anywhere in the world, it doesn't matter who does it.

But it's your girlfriends app and it's she who must hand it in at the application centre with her supporting evidence,

She must be fully up to speed with the contents of the form just in case she is asked at any stage of the application process, however remote that may be.

[jimBaaaa]

Even if I can proved all evidence needed as the sponsor of her visit and she can provide evidence for her visitor visa, do I need to show that I am earning £18,600? Or do they make a judgement based on the 6 month bank statements ? Even though I don't earn £18,600, I know she would be well looked after, I earn around £15,000

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[theoldgit]

The £18,600 figure is for Settlement Visas. If you are sponsoring a Visit Visa you just have to convince the ECO there are sufficient funds available taking into account the details of the trip, it really needs to be affordable as well.

[billybatson]

I would imagine they look at monthly disposable income (based on last 6 months) but if you feel this isn't enough to pay for the trip, you might have to show evidence of savings as well ?

[jimBaaaa]

My next is question is if I were to move from my current location (which is a house share so she couldn't live there regardless) to my sisters house, which she rents, would I be able to have my thai gf living there with a note in the application from my sister acting as the landlord rather than going directly to the landlord for permission? Please note I won't be paying council tax at my sisters house and the council will have no knowledge that I am living there.

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[jimBaaaa]

Plus if she was living with me on a holiday visa, would the council be expected to know she was living there or because it's a holiday, would they not have to be notified?

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[theoldgit]

I think you need to be thinking along the lines that your girlfriend will be staying with you during her holiday, not living with you, I believe there is a subtle difference.

Having guests visiting would have no effect on Council Tax status.

Your girlfriend needs to be honest in her application about where she is staying, if she is staying with your sister then a note needs to be included in the app. Doesn't matter how close you and your sister are, three months is a long time to stay with a relative.

[jimBaaaa]

I see, so a note from the landlord is not applicable nor do the council need to be notified of her visit? As long as they are satisfied with the layout of the house plus the note from my sister, that is all I will need for the living arrangement part of her application?

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[jimBaaaa]

Also, my sisters would be my permanent residence and she is happy with it, so if I didn't notify the landlord of my girlfriends visit, I could say it was my property, so therefore I wouldn't need the approval of either my sister or the landlord?

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[thepool]

Also, my sisters would be my permanent residence and she is happy with it, so if I didn't notify the landlord of my girlfriends visit, I could say it was my property, so therefore I wouldn't need the approval of either my sister or the landlord?

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Telling lies is a guaranteed means of ensuring the g/f would enjoy a ten year ban from making any further visa application.

What is wrong or so difficult about just telling the truth.

[jimBaaaa]

Also, my sisters would be my permanent residence and she is happy with it, so if I didn't notify the landlord of my girlfriends visit, I could say it was my property, so therefore I wouldn't need the approval of either my sister or the landlord?

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Telling lies is a guaranteed means of ensuring the g/f would enjoy a ten year ban from making any further visa application.

What is wrong or so difficult about just telling the truth.

Right, so as the sponsor, if i state I live with my sister and that is my permanent residence, get a letter from my sister stating she is happy for the visit to happen then that is all I need for the living arrangements part of the application, no need to get the landlord involved?

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[jimBaaaa]

Btw my sisters will be my permanent residence, no lies

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[marstons]

If they smell a rat you will get refused, best to stick with the truth and its easier for girlfriend should she be questioned. Best to remember they are doing this day in day out and also live here and are aware of the BS put on applications.

Edited April 7, 2014 by marstons

[7by7]

My next is question is if I were to move from my current location (which is a house share so she couldn't live there regardless)...........

Why couldn't she stay there with you?

It would be fine as far as UKVI are concerned; it is perfectly acceptable for a girlfriend to share a room with her boyfriend whilst visiting.

Why make things complicated by moving to your sister's for the duration of the visit?

Unless the owner of your current residence and/or the other residents object to her saying there.

If you do move in with your sister then you only need to notify the council if she is claiming the single occupant discount on her council tax; which she would lose were you to move in with her.

There is certainly no need to notify the council that a guest is staying; even if it's for a few months.

Wherever you end up saying she'll be staying a letter from the landlord can help and I recommend getting one if possible as it confirms that there is room for her; but UKVI understand that not all landlords are willing to do so in writing and will only give verbal permission, so it's not essential.

Maintenance and Accommodation

MAA11 Adequacy of accommodation

The ECO’s judgement should be based on the evidence from the applicant. If the ECO is not sure of the credibility of the applicant, he / she should ask to see a letter from the owner of the property (which may be a housing authority, housing association, landlord or a building society). This should confirm particulars of tenure and occupation of the dwelling, together with a description of the accommodation and, if rented, a copy of the lease.

The onus is on the applicant to provide confirmation that there is no objection to an additional resident moving into the accommodation.

[jimBaaaa]

If I were to fly to Thailand for two weeks, with my evidence for her Uk visitor visa ( bank statements, accommodation for her, covering cost of her visit, printed copy of call log, photos) and help her fill her application form out and she had all her evidence, we went to Bangkok to apply, how long would it take for her to get approved/declined, how would she be notified of the decision? would I have gone home before the decision was made?

Or would it just be easier to extract the info from her bit by bit and fill the application myself for her from the UK and send the completed form to her with my sponsor evidence and let her deal with it alone once she had it?

Very irritating when she can't write English very well to send me the info I need to finish the application form

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[7by7]

Application processing times vary depending upon how busy the Entry Clearance Office is; i.e. how many applications they have to process.

The latest UKVI figures (Jan 2014) show that in Bangkok 91% of general visit applications were processed within 10 working days, 99% within 15 and 100% within 40.

However, there is no guarantee that these figures represent current or future performance.

The official service standard is to process 90 per cent of non-settlement applications within 3 weeks, 98 per cent within 6 weeks and 100 per cent within 12 weeks of the application date.