Question about UK Visitor Visa Online Application

[kjhbigv]

Hi all, just after a bit of clarification, my wife is currently filling out the online app for a UK visitor visa.

I am a bit confused, page 3 (Family Details) is not clear as to whose details need to be entered, mine of my wifes?

Especially as the next 2 boxes ask for her parents details and state "Place of Birth as stated the passport or travel document"? They are not going!?

Not the clearest of applications!

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The question shown ( current passport details) are your passport details. The question is actually aimed at applicants who may be married to, or traveling with, their spouse/partner who is not British or Thai, and the UKVI want to know his details too.

When it asks for the applicant's parents' details, if they don't have a passport just put none. The form is poorly designed, and ambiguous in places, unfortunately. It is also still in "Beta" (testing) mode since it came into being some time ago.

Tony M

[daveAustin]

Yeah you (heading is SPOUSE / PARTNER), your wife's details were on a previous page. In the process of doing this, again.

[kjhbigv]

It is not a very good form in my opinion.

Do we HAVE to use this online form now or can we still use the old (purple) style one? Personally, I think the old one was better!

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255345/vaf1f.pdf

I just look forward to the UK being forced by Europe to allow spouses to enter the UK without any visa requirements! It is a joke really, all manner of dodgy immigrants arrive from eastern Europe BUT when we want to take our spouse and kid to the UK, we have to go through all this hassle....absolute joke!

[ThaiVisaExpress]

You can only submit applications online. No paper applications.

[kennypowers]

Some of the help tabs are mis-matched with the wrong questions too. And they make you pay in dollars.

That said, my wife got her visa approved within 3 days earlier this month. Wish we'd applied later now; not leaving for a month.

All the best!

[bkk_mike]

It is not a very good form in my opinion.

Do we HAVE to use this online form now or can we still use the old (purple) style one? Personally, I think the old one was better!

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255345/vaf1f.pdf

I just look forward to the UK being forced by Europe to allow spouses to enter the UK without any visa requirements! It is a joke really, all manner of dodgy immigrants arrive from eastern Europe BUT when we want to take our spouse and kid to the UK, we have to go through all this hassle....absolute joke!

The EU ruled on that already, although I think the British Government is intending to appeal...

But basically, spouses of British nationals, with residence permits in other EU states (i.e. living in Spain, etc.) will no longer need to get a visit visa for the UK if accompanying their spouse - which will put them in the same situation as nationals from other EU countries.

I'll agree it's a bit naff when it takes a ruling from the European court to give the non-EU spouse of a British citizen living in Spain the same rights as the non-EU spouse of a Spanish citizen living in Spain to visit the UK with their partner without needing to get a visa beforehand...

Now, if only it covered non-EU spouses living outside Europe...

Edited December 30, 2014 by bkk_mike

[7by7]

I just look forward to the UK being forced by Europe to allow spouses to enter the UK without any visa requirements!

Never going to happen in situations like yours where you live outside the EEA; unless the current regulations are scrapped and replaced with a completely different set! Despite the poor, inaccurate reporting of a recent ECJ judgement in the press. See here.

It is a joke really, all manner of dodgy immigrants arrive from eastern Europe BUT when we want to take our spouse and kid to the UK, we have to go through all this hassle....absolute joke!

The freedom of movement regulations do not apply if the non EEA national is visiting the country of which their EEA national family member is a citizen (except in certain circumstances which don't apply if you live outside the EEA.)

So if you were, for example, a Pole and wanted to visit Poland with your Thai wife then she would have to apply and pay for a Polish visa under the Polish immigration rules; whereas a Brit wishing to visit Poland with his Thai wife could use the EEA regulations to obtain a free visa.

Lots of dodgy Brits using the EEA regulations to live in, for example, Spain!

Edited December 30, 2014 by 7by7

[laislica]

I just look forward to the UK being forced by Europe to allow spouses to enter the UK without any visa requirements!

Never going to happen in situations like yours where you live outside the EEA; unless the current regulations are scrapped and replaced with a completely different set! Despite the poor, inaccurate reporting of a recent ECJ judgement in the press. See here.

It is a joke really, all manner of dodgy immigrants arrive from eastern Europe BUT when we want to take our spouse and kid to the UK, we have to go through all this hassle....absolute joke!

The freedom of movement regulations do not apply if the non EEA national is visiting the country of which their EEA national family member is a citizen (except in certain circumstances which don't apply if you live outside the EEA.)

So if you were, for example, a Pole and wanted to visit Poland with your Thai wife then she would have to apply and pay for a Polish visa under the Polish immigration rules; whereas a Brit wishing to visit Poland with his Thai wife could use the EEA regulations to obtain a free visa.

Lots of dodgy Brits using the EEA regulations to live in, for example, Spain!

Yep, this dodgy brit has been living in Spain full time since 2004 as a resident LOL Since 2000 actually but not registered until I bought property in 2004.

We jumped through all the necessary hoops and my Thai wife has her Spanish residents ID.

She was refused a general visitor visa applied for in 2013 so in 2015, we intend to drive over and see what happens.

We will keep you posted and yes, the treatment of us few genuine folks is not nice at all!

Cheers

[Jonmarleesco]

Your wife is the applicant. All questions refer to her - though that doesn't prevent you filling them in on her behalf. So, her family. But any questions, the answers to which she doesn't know, or is uncertain, she just needs to enter what she does know.

[mxyzptlk]

The question shown ( current passport details) are your passport details. The question is actually aimed at applicants who may be married to, or traveling with, their spouse/partner who is not British or Thai, and the UKVI want to know his details too.

When it asks for the applicant's parents' details, if they don't have a passport just put none. The form is poorly designed, and ambiguous in places, unfortunately. It is also still in "Beta" (testing) mode since it came into being some time ago.

Tony M

There is no option to specify "NONE" for applicant's parents details...all the required fields are mandatory as far as I can see...happy to be corrected though by someone more knowledgeable than me

[mxyzptlk]

I didn't know whether to post a new topic or use this already running thread about a question I have regarding the online visitor visa application. I'm sure a mod will move it if required. I have registered for the online service as I will be doing the donkey work for Mrs M's visa application later this year. On the Spouse / Partner section there is a question asking for details of any dependent children, including passport details etc. If they are not travelling to the UK do you specify No, or do you have to enter the details regardless?? See attachment

Edited January 5, 2015 by mxyzptlk

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The question shown ( current passport details) are your passport details. The question is actually aimed at applicants who may be married to, or traveling with, their spouse/partner who is not British or Thai, and the UKVI want to know his details too.

When it asks for the applicant's parents' details, if they don't have a passport just put none. The form is poorly designed, and ambiguous in places, unfortunately. It is also still in "Beta" (testing) mode since it came into being some time ago.

Tony M

There is no option to specify "NONE" for applicant's parents details...all the required fields are mandatory as far as I can see...happy to be corrected though by someone more knowledgeable than me

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. If it asks for parents details, then you must put something. The applicant must know her parents' names ? If she doesn't know their date of birth, use 1 Jan 1900. If she doesn't know their place of birth, put Thailand. That should do it.

Tony M

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I didn't know whether to post a new topic or use this already running thread about a question I have regarding the online visitor visa application. I'm sure a mod will move it if required. I have registered for the online service as I will be doing the donkey work for Mrs M's visa application later this year. On the Spouse / Partner section there is a question asking for details of any dependent children, including passport details etc. If they are not travelling to the UK do you specify No, or do you have to enter the details regardless?? See attachment

For dependent children, if you click yes, it opens up a sub-menu, as you have seen. If the applicant has dependent child(ren) then click YES. You do need to enter the child(rens) details even if they are not traveling. Just click NO in the sub-menu if they are not traveling with the applicant.

Tony M

[mxyzptlk]

The question shown ( current passport details) are your passport details. The question is actually aimed at applicants who may be married to, or traveling with, their spouse/partner who is not British or Thai, and the UKVI want to know his details too.

When it asks for the applicant's parents' details, if they don't have a passport just put none. The form is poorly designed, and ambiguous in places, unfortunately. It is also still in "Beta" (testing) mode since it came into being some time ago.

Tony M

There is no option to specify "NONE" for applicant's parents details...all the required fields are mandatory as far as I can see...happy to be corrected though by someone more knowledgeable than me

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. If it asks for parents details, then you must put something. The applicant must know her parents' names ? If she doesn't know their date of birth, use 1 Jan 1900. If she doesn't know their place of birth, put Thailand. That should do it.

Tony M

OK I misinterpreted the highlighted line in your post above. I thought you were saying not to enter any details if they didn't have a passport, when you were actually saying don't enter passport information if they don't have a passport.

I already know my wife's father & mothers names and dates of birth etc....after all they live next door....

By the way I don't think Jan 1 1900 is a good date to use as a birth date....after all that would make the person 115 years old.....

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The question shown ( current passport details) are your passport details. The question is actually aimed at applicants who may be married to, or traveling with, their spouse/partner who is not British or Thai, and the UKVI want to know his details too.

When it asks for the applicant's parents' details, if they don't have a passport just put none. The form is poorly designed, and ambiguous in places, unfortunately. It is also still in "Beta" (testing) mode since it came into being some time ago.

Tony M

There is no option to specify "NONE" for applicant's parents details...all the required fields are mandatory as far as I can see...happy to be corrected though by someone more knowledgeable than me

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. If it asks for parents details, then you must put something. The applicant must know her parents' names ? If she doesn't know their date of birth, use 1 Jan 1900. If she doesn't know their place of birth, put Thailand. That should do it.

Tony M

OK I misinterpreted the highlighted line in your post above. I thought you were saying not to enter any details if they didn't have a passport, when you were actually saying don't enter passport information if they don't have a passport.

I already know my wife's father & mothers names and dates of birth etc....after all they live next door....

By the way I don't think Jan 1 1900 is a good date to use as a birth date....after all that would make the person 115 years old.....

It's a date that's normally accepted by UKVI when you don't know the person's actual date of birth.

Tony M

[mxyzptlk]

OK Thanks for letting me know.

Could you give me a link to the origin of this info please?

Edited January 5, 2015 by mxyzptlk

[ThaiVisaExpress]

OK Thanks for letting me know.

Could you give me a link to the origin of this info please?

There is no link any more. It used to be included in the guidance for visa applications, but seems to have disappeared ( unless it's hidden away somewhere). It still works, though, as we use it all the time, and UKVI have never told us that is is unacceptable.

Tony M

[mxyzptlk]

Thanks for the fast reply.

it's quite frustrating that there appears to be very little documentary guidance for using the new (BETA test) online visa application.

I agrre with your earlier comments about the systems poor design which is in some parts misleading and ambiguous.

Let's hope the final release is simpler, easier to use and less ambiguous.

[HollyT]

I'm having problems with this family section too. My partner's father has been out of the picture since he was a kid and he does not know his birthday.. he has his mothers details but his birth certificate/book/equivalent has him registered by his grandmother, so he's always just used her details when asked for mothers info.

[theoldgit]

I'm having problems with this family section too. My partner's father has been out of the picture since he was a kid and he does not know his birthday.. he has his mothers details but his birth certificate/book/equivalent has him registered by his grandmother, so he's always just used her details when asked for mothers info.

Just put an approximate date and clarify in the covering letter, it's a generic form.

[HollyT]

^Thanks.

And I might aswell ask here, I know we can't apply until 3 months before the travel date, but can I confirm the application now and book BKK visit in those 3 months, or do I have to wait until we're inside 3 months to confirm/send this application?

Edited May 7, 2015 by HollyT