Just wondered what personal experience people have had using agencies for UK visas? All opinions appreciated

Before engaging the services of a visa agent, I suggest that you read the pinned topic; Visa Agents.

We did use an agent for my wife and step daughter's settlement applications; but that was 14 years ago and he has since retired.

The only currently active agent I know enough about to recommend with confidence is Thai Visa Express.

I do know of some agents you should definitely avoid; but unfortunately the draconian Thai defamation laws, and hence this forum's rules, forbid me from naming them.

We used Siam Legal who are based in Bangkok.

They have people who specialise in visa applications and they are very professional.

Highly recomended.

As said before, its not rocket science. read up about it and do it yourself, save yourself a lot of money. Many people of this site have done it before. Me for one and i am no academic,

I was thinking of using Thai Visa Express just to help with the paperwork and make sure we get the application correct for our visit visa to the UK. I just looked at there website and its 500 quid just to help apply for a visit visa. Im sure they do a great job but jesus 500 quid is a bit strong isnt it?

I was thinking of using Thai Visa Express just to help with the paperwork and make sure we get the application correct for our visit visa to the UK. I just looked at there website and its 500 quid just to help apply for a visit visa. Im sure they do a great job but jesus 500 quid is a bit strong isnt it?

I think you will find thats the going rate for a professional service. You will find cheaper but you pay for what you get

I personally wouldn't use an agent for a Visa, but if I were going to I would use Thai Visa Express, I certainly wouldn't use any of the other "agents" around.

Whilst I have no connection with them, I do know that their team includes a very experienced and knowledgeable retired Entry Clearance Officer.

Yes £500 is a lot, but if you don't get a visa you don't pay for their professional services. They are the only local agent registered with the OISC in The UK, they have an office and staff to pay, it all has to be paid for.

I personally wouldn't use an agent for a Visa, but if I were going to I would use Thai Visa Express, I certainly wouldn't use any of the other "agents" around.

Whilst I have no connection with them, I do know that their team includes a very experienced and knowledgeable retired Entry Clearance Officer.

Yes £500 is a lot, but if you don't get a visa you don't pay for their professional services. They are the only local agent registered with the OISC in The UK, they have an office and staff to pay, it all has to be paid for.

Yah I guess that's fair enough. I imagined it to be around 15-20,000 baht so it wasn't a heck of a lot more than I imagined and the fact you only pay if you are successful is pretty good I guess

We were granted a tourist visa last year so when I applied for fiancee visa this year I was confident it would be ok, however it was declined

so this time I'm using Thai visa express.

All Visa agents do is fill in the form for you, all the information you need is on the forms, you can print them off, and you get pages on how to fill the form in, its not rocket science. but your money.

All Visa agents do is fill in the form for you, all the information you need is on the forms, you can print them off, and you get pages on how to fill the form in, its not rocket science. but your money.

So, you are saying that all an applicant needs to do is fill in the form(s) correctly and the visa will be issued ? I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you, as you have oversimplified the application process. I'm sure that the 4,000 settlement applicants ( with applications on hold), where most of the applications will now be refused in the light of the recent court judgment, will also disagree with you. Some of them may have thought that it was just a matter of filling in the forms too.

Whether an applicant uses an agent or not is their own personal choice, and they may choose to do so for many different reasons. Have you ever bought a house ? Did you use a solicitor to do the conveyancing ? Why would you do that ? Surely that is just a matter of form filling too ? Why do people use accountants ? That's only a matter of adding and subtracting numbers ? Visa agents provide a service, and good agents use their knowledge and experience when putting together an application. We have all seen many examples here in the forum of applicants who found out that their application wasn't just a matter of filling in the application form correctly.

Indeed, TonyM, it's a brave man who completes his wife's settlement application, based upon his co directorship of a limited company where his income is augmented from other sources, without having gone through the process previously. Similarly, sponsoring a child's settlement application and drafting a submission in support of the application form dealing with the issue of sole responsibility in terms of precedents and case law must be a piece of cake for anyone who can tick a box.

Or a visit visa application where the applicant has an adverse history and the prior refusal was flawed but had gone unchallenged at the time. Or a settlement application in which the applicant is a previous overstayer.

Sure, who needs professional help when all one needs to do is to fill in a form or two?