Application for u.k visit visa for my Thai girlfriend

[jamo 99]

Hello to all , my name is James. Im a u.k National currently living in Phuket

Im half way through completing the application for a 6 month u.k visit visa for my Thai partner .

Ive just joined this site today and would gratefully appreciate any help in the following questions :-

1- The Visa im applying for i take it is the easiest, cheapest and will have the best success in acquiring the visa in the shortest time scale - I presume ?

2- Do i really need to use an agent ? - The price as I'm aware is about £86 for the application if i do myself - but if i use an agent 20,000 - 30,000 baht !!!!

3- My Thai partner works at a 5* hotel at present and has worked for the thai immigration for over 2 years also .She also has full education including studying at university for 4 years .She has never applied for an overseas visa and has a thai passport . No children and no criminal convictions . She is currently 29 years old

4- Im self employed but have been living in Thailand for the past 10 months so have no proof of earnings . I do have property and Money in the bank which i can prove though.

I understand the visa im applying for she can only stay for 6 months and will have to return to Thailand for another 6 months before she could return again .

The Main concern is getting the visa as soon as possible , but if there was another visa that i would be better applying for where I/we wouldn't have to go back and forth to Thailand i would be grateful to know about

Thanks in advance for any advice

[brewsterbudgen]

No need for an agent. Currently you'll need to allow around 30 days for a visitor visa, although normally it's 15.

You shouldn't have a problem if your GF has a job to go back to and you have a letter confirming this.

[robertthebruce]

DEFINETLY no need for an agent, but just make sure you have all the correct paperwork, as they are sticklers...

All the best.

[apiwan]

Do it yourself shouldn't be a problem.

If you were to use an agent from my correspondence with Thai visa express. Paul is on the ball.

If you want to be sure sure. Then he's your man..

There are loads that say they can deliver. Then let you down.

Some don't get back to you.

Whatever you decide. Good luck mate

[7by7]

1) If what she wants to do is temporarily visit the UK then a visit visa is the correct visa; if she wants to enter the UK for another purpose or remain longer than 6 months, then it isn't.

2) From Visa agents:

Whether to use an agent to help you prepare a visa application or not is a personal choice. Most applications are straightforward and with a little time and effort spent on research most people are capable of preparing the application themselves.

However, some may not have the time or patience to do this, or there may be complications such as a previous refusal to consider. So, one may decide to use an agent to help and advise.

3) If using her employment as a 'reason to return' then she should obtain a letter from her employer confirming her employment, that she is being given the time off from work and that they will keep her job open for her return; if this is true. But, the longer she intends to spend in the UK, the more sceptical the Entry Clearance Officer will be about this letter; most Thais only get 2 to 3 weeks holiday a year. Someone from the embassy will almost certainly phone her employer to check the contents of the letter.

Her previous employment and education are not really relevant as the Entry Clearance Officer will be interested in her current situation in Thailand when judging the likelihood of her returning, not her past.

4) Your situation in Thailand is not relevant; unless she lives with you and you are showing that you will return to Thailand and so she will as well. If so, you will need to show your immigration status in Thailand.

If you are paying for the visit then, obviously, you will need to show that you have the funds to do so.

For more on visit visas and the above points, see UK visit visa basics.

The maximum time a general visitor can spend in the UK on any one visit is 6 months. There is also a convention that a visitor should not spend more than 6 months out of any 12 in the UK.

So, whilst she does not have to wait for 6 months after returning to Thailand before applying again, if it appeared that she would be spending more than 6 months out of 12 in the UK then, unless she had a very good reason for so doing, that subsequent application would almost certainly be refused.

You say

The Main concern is getting the visa as soon as possible ,

UKVI aim to process non settlement visa applications within 10 working days; but we are coming to the end of a busy period due to student visa applications. Some members have reported that it has recently taken up to twice that.

This processing time will reduce as demand falls and the backlog is cleared.

but if there was another visa that i would be better applying for where I/we wouldn't have to go back and forth to Thailand i would be grateful to know about

What is it you actually want? If you want to live together in the UK, then she needs to apply for settlement.

However, you are not married. To qualify as your unmarried partner she and you must have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the past two years.

If you were to marry, then she would qualify as your spouse; provided all the other requirements are met, of course.

But do not get married simply to get her a visa! Marry in haste, repent at leisure!

See UK settlement visa basics for more.

[jamo 99]

Wow , thanks to everyone for there time to answer and advise me on the numerous questions i asked .

I think the visit visa is going to be the best option to start with because even i'm not looking forward to feeling the cold / wet / miserable weather of the u.k again - and she will have never experienced less than 16 deg c before !! - so the English winter with an temp range of -14 to 5 deg will certainly come as a big shock to her I'm sure.

The reason I'm wanting to get it sorted as soon as possible is i can get a flight - bkk to manchester for £235 at the moment with a 14 hr travel time - which is very cheep but can't really book anything until i get the visa .

On the last page of the application form it says -Is there any other information you wish to be considered as part of your application? -

Is there anything i could put down on here that will aid my application ? - or will it not make any difference if i just leave it blank ?

​Also on the section income and expenditure - it says - ' is someone paying for part or all of your trip ' ? - To which she has replied yes

Then it asks what is the total amount in GBP - to which i have put £500 ? - which will cover the flights . Does this sound reasonable or should i put a different amount ?

Thanks for any replays in advance

iiii

[7by7]

Any other information?

Anything you may think will help; such as a brief history of your relationship, the reasons for her visit at this time and your future plans together.

I believe it would be better for you to put this in your sponsor's letter rather than on the form.

Costs of the visit?

You should enter the total cost of the visit, not just the flights. As I say in UK visit visa basics

There is no minimum amount of available money required. Everyone's circumstances are different and the amount of money needed is variable. For example someone touring for 4 weeks and staying in hotels will probably need more than someone staying for 6 months with friends or family. The applicant does, though, need to show that sufficient finances are available to them to cover all the costs of their visit.

Finance can come from the applicant's resources, the sponsor's, a third party's or any combination of these. Whoever is contributing to the finances should provide evidence of their ability to do so,6 months bank statements are best, and if a third party say why they are doing so.

[jamo 99]

Id just like to point out that my line of work in the uk is property developing and I'm a electrician by trade so please excuse my computer skills regarding quoting and multi-quoting etc as I'm new to forums - but I'm sure i will pick it up fairly soon

[7by7]

No problem, the punctuation etc. police tend to stay out of this forum; I'm glad to say!

[jamo 99]

Thanks 7by7 for your valuable advice .

One more question though -

Ive been self employed for the last 14 years ,but i haven't worked for the last 3 years - so i don't have any pay slips or wages going into my bank account .

I did however own 2 houses outright without any morgage and sold one of them last december which gave me the funds to support myself over here for the last 10 months .

When i go back to the u.k , i will finish the renovation of my last house with the remainder of my funds and then sell it to generate money to buy more property and do the same again .

When you mention sponsor - I'm assuming that will be me ?

I will be staying at my parents house when i return home as the house i currently own will take 2-3 months of work to get to a stage where i can live in it .

I have sufficient funds in the bank - 30k + . Will this be sufficient to prove i can support her during her stay ?

[7by7]

£30K, for 6 months; that's a lot more than many British families has to live on for a year!

So, yes, it's enough. You should provide evidence that you have the money, though.

Staying with your parents is fine, but see under accommodation in the linked to topic.

Yes, you are the sponsor; the person supporting her visit; the reason for her visit, if you like.

BTW, if it is your intention to later settle in the UK with her, have a read of the financial requirement for settlement and start thinking about how you will be able to meet it.

[jamo 99]

I have submitted the application and have chosen an appointment date for monday the 15th of september in Bangkok .

Because i am her sponsor will i have to compose a letter outlining the reason for her visit, plans for her stay , and that i will cover any costs for her while she is in the u.k ?

And because im supporting her then she wont need to provide a letter from her employer ? ( I cant see her employer keeping her job open for 6 months ) and wont need bank statements and pay slips either or do you think getting as much evidence as possible would be better ?

Also i presume i will be able to attend the appointment with her ?

Will printed bank statements from my internet banking suffice as evidence ? I can take my ipad and log on to my internet banking to show them my accounts in front of them if this is better - or do i need actual original statements from the bank showing my finances ?

I have opted to pay 3,000 baht extra for the premium service just to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible.

I presume after the appointment she should get the visa within 15 days if it is a clear application as it should be ? But to be on the safe side i cant really book any flights back to the u.k until she gets conformation of the visa .

[robertthebruce]

The appointment is only to hand in the documents...

Then after that it can take up to 15 days.

All the best

[7by7]

You do not have to write a sponsor's letter, but it will certainly aid the application. I recommend that you do. There is an example in the pinned topic linked to above.

If she is leaving her employment so she can spend 6 months in the UK, then an employers letter will serve no purpose.

If you are paying for the entire trip, then you need to provide evidence of your ability to do so; if she is paying nothing then she does not. However, her bank statements may help toward showing her stability in Thailand. Her pay slips may also help in this regard, but she will need to explain that she has left that employment so she can make this trip.

Except in certain circumstances, child applicants for example, usually only the applicant is allowed into the VAC.

Internet printouts, and photo copies, can easily be altered, not that I'm saying you would. Therefore they may not be acceptable unless certified as correct by your bank. Therefore I advise, if possible, obtaining original hard copies from your bank.

The Guide to supporting documents offers more suggestions.

UKVI aim to process non settlement visas within 15 days (note; that's working days) and the latest figures, July, show that they achieved this for 96% of general visit applicants.

However, processing times vary depending on the overall demand for every type of visa and there is no guarantee that they will be able to do so for your girlfriends application. It may be less (I personally know of visit applications being processed in one day), it may take longer.

[beano2274]

i always believed that only the applicant could go to the appointment, and not the sponsor. If so then he would have to wait outside whilst she goes in the office alone.

[jamo 99]

Thanks for the replies. I've read the list of evidence required and supporting documents needed but non of them relate to my circumstances .

I wasn't aware that I could not join her in the application room which could be a problem . If the printed bank statements wasn't good enough I could have logged on to my internet banking and showed them the balance there and then - but that's not an option now . There isn't enough time to get an original statement sent from my bank in the u.k , so I will just have to hope a colour PDF bank statement will do . Other than that I will just gather as much info as I can .

I've told her to get payslips , proof of employment , bank account books etc .And I will compose a letter explaining why she is coming to the u.k and that she will be living with me during her stay and that I will cover any costs required during her stay in the u.k , that's all I can do .

Its Sod's law there is some cheap deals going from bkk to manchester at the moment with Finn air - £235 inc taxes for one way and that's with a short 14hr total travel time also !! . Guaranteed by the time we get the decision on the visa the offer will have finished !

Fingers crossed

[Upnotover]

Thanks for the replies. I've read the list of evidence required and supporting documents needed but non of them relate to my circumstances .

I wasn't aware that I could not join her in the application room which could be a problem . If the printed bank statements wasn't good enough I could have logged on to my internet banking and showed them the balance there and then - but that's not an option now . There isn't enough time to get an original statement sent from my bank in the u.k , so I will just have to hope a colour PDF bank statement will do . Other than that I will just gather as much info as I can .

I've told her to get payslips , proof of employment , bank account books etc .And I will compose a letter explaining why she is coming to the u.k and that she will be living with me during her stay and that I will cover any costs required during her stay in the u.k , that's all I can do .

Its Sod's law there is some cheap deals going from bkk to manchester at the moment with Finn air - £235 inc taxes for one way and that's with a short 14hr total travel time also !! . Guaranteed by the time we get the decision on the visa the offer will have finished !

Fingers crossed

Logging on to your bank account in the office wouldn't achieve anything, the only purpose of the appointment is to hand over her documents and get biometrics done. It is the embassy staff that evaluate the documents, not the Trendy staff. I would say the biggest hurdle you face is her reason to return, that needs proper thought and explanation in your sponsors letter.

[jamo 99]

What do you suggest upnotover ?

She has just gone to work now and is going to tell her manager today that she will be resigning and she is going to ask about getting her to write a letter stating that her job will be left open for when she returns in 6 month - but I think the chances of her doing that are pretty slim

[7by7]

To be honest, jamo, even if her employer were willing to give her such a letter, the chances of the ECO accepting it alone as a reason to return are very low.

How many UK employers would give someone 6 months off so they could visit Thailand with their Thai boyfriend?

If she does get such a letter, someone from the entry clearance office is almost certain to phone her employer to verify it. They will want to speak to the signatory, and if the letter is written in English will doubt it's authenticity if that person is unable to speak to them in English. If it is written in Thai, then they will be happy to talk to the signatory in Thai; though you should include a certified English translation with the application as per the supporting documents guide linked to above.

Does she own any property? If so, provide evidence of this.

What is your immigration status in Thailand? Explain this and provide evidence; a copy of your passport (each page, self certified "I (full name) certify this is a true copy of page (number) of British passport (number) signed, dated."). You should do this anyway even if you don't live in Thailand to show how often and for how long you have visited her in Thailand.

Does she live with you? If so, provide evidence of this.

In your sponsor's letter, briefly outline the history of your relationship, the reasons for her wanting to visit the UK for 6 months at this time and your mutual plans for your future together. Stress that you and she are both aware of the rules regarding visits and that you both know that breaching those rules will jeopardise any future UK settlement application she may make.

It may seem flimsy; but people in your girlfriend's situation, with no concrete reason to return, have successfully applied for UK visit visas purely on the strength of their relationship with their sponsor.

But the only way to find out for sure is to apply and see what happens. Worst case scenario; she is refused. But you can then use the reasons for her refusal to help build a future application with more chance of success.

[Trevstar]

Can I just say something. The application I made for my gf was successful. I submitted print outs of online bank statements and my work payslips where also print outs.

I'm not advising you to do this just saying it worked on this occasion.

Might have been the fact she had property and business in her name too aswell

[RAZZELL]

Well done

But to be honest it sounds like you got a bit lucky as it didn't sound like you had the most organised of applications evidence wise - sponsors letter, bank statements, bills, chanottes, etc etc etc?

RAZZ

[Trevstar]

On the contrary. The application had all that was required.

I was just referring to the bank statement part! I don't receive paper statements! But I had comprehensive evidence, sponsors letters pay slips etc etc

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[RAZZELL]

On the contrary. The application had all that was required.

I was just referring to the bank statement part! I don't receive paper statements! But I had comprehensive evidence, sponsors letters pay slips etc etc

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Sorry - I thought you were and I was referring to the OP!

RAZZ

Edited September 10, 2014 by RAZZELL

[fishism]

I went into the application centre 2 weeks ago and am waiting for the result so cannot help too much at this point but they use a check list that the applicant signs to confirm the evidence given, they tick either original or copy.

I noticed they marked 'copy' for the evidence of owning land checkbox so I showed the original but they insisted on keeping rather than verify it was the same and give back the original.

But there were 2 checkboxes we had no evidence for, one I cannot remember but knew we couldn't provide, the other was for evidence of family remaining in Thailand. I have never read anywhere as this being required. I can only guess at a copy of the blue book, you know the one, but that doesn't really prove anything.

I will give more info when we get accepted or rejected.

Bat of background info, the room itself has about 22 counters 8 being for Australia with the rest for uk. There are about 200 seats, we went in at 12 and it was full. Make sure your gf eats before they go in or they will get cranky by the time they get out, hehe. By 3pm the queue screen showed nearly 500 for the uk visit visa and the room was still full of applicants waiting.

We were out by 2 but I popped back in after getting a document translated on the 1st floor, this took about 30 minutes.

Good luck.

[mattk1]

Some excellent advice in this forum section as usual.

Keep up the good work guys, all this info is vital for people like me in planning our next trip to the UK :-)

[jamo 99]

Visa rejected !! the immigration officereven said in the letter that he didnt even think we had even met before !!

[Trevstar]

Sorry to hear that.

If you upload the letter and redact the personal info then members may be able to offer advice as to how you can improve your application.

Quick check list. Did you include phone records, skype, Facebook, pictures together with captions saying where and when taken, flight tickets/electronic receipts and copies of passport stamps?

[jamo 99]

This is the letter of rejection

Edited October 3, 2014 by theoldgit
Files deleted as they contain personal information.

[jamo 99]

In my application i was advised to be as honest as possible so i was . We met on a dating website then met in person two weeks later over a meal and have been together ever since -that was nearly 5 month ago and she has lived with me 4 month. But the only proof was my worfld and a reciept from the condo owner stating she had been living with me for the 3 months we stayed at his guest house.

[7by7]

Without knowing exactly what was said in the refusal notice any comments on the refusal would be pure conjecture and of no real help to you at all.

The mods have deleted the copy of the rejection letter you posted as you had not removed names and other identifying information; remember this is a public forum which any nutter can access!

If you can post it again, this time removing such information, then we may be able to advise on how to overcome this so she can make another application.