Is It Really That Hard To Get A Uk Tourist Visa?

[markr]

Hello all

i'm quite new to all this so please bear with me, any help will be much appriciated

we are hoping my thai gf can come to visit england next month she is financially secure(more money than me anyway) and has a good job with a large company. she has visited the uk before and i have visited her twice, i will be sending the usual invitation letter and so will my parents as i unfortunatly stiil live at home :(is it possible just to sponsor her for a place to stay or do i really need to send bank staments etc?as i said she has more than enough money. I have looked on many websites but they all seem a bit vaugue as to exactly what needs to be in the letter,also is ther anything else i can send to reinforce the fact she will be going home in two weeks?i'm sure you have been asked this many times but i just want to get it right first time. thanks again

[taxin]

Hello all

i'm quite new to all this so please bear with me, any help will be much appriciated

we are hoping my thai gf can come to visit england next month she is financially secure(more money than me anyway) and has a good job with a large company. she has visited the uk before and i have visited her twice, i will be sending the usual invitation letter and so will my parents as i unfortunatly stiil live at home :(is it possible just to sponsor her for a place to stay or do i really need to send bank staments etc?as i said she has more than enough money. I have looked on many websites but they all seem a bit vaugue as to exactly what needs to be in the letter,also is ther anything else i can send to reinforce the fact she will be going home in two weeks?i'm sure you have been asked this many times but i just want to get it right first time. thanks again

Was it you who she visited when she was in the UK last time ?

[markr]

No she came with her dad to visit a friend who he works with in saudi arabia, he works for the phillipine government(she is half thai half philipino) will it make any difference? thanks

[taxin]

No she came with her dad to visit a friend who he works with in saudi arabia, he works for the phillipine government(she is half thai half philipino) will it make any difference? thanks

What makes a difference is what her passport says, if it says "Thai" shes Thai !

As for how much money shes got this is not what they will be looking for, they just need to be sure that she has every intention to go home after the 2 weeks.

They will want to see how much time you have spent together, that means together as in being in the same country. 2 trips to Thailand is not a lot, there are people with dozens of trips who are getting knocked back everyday.

Did you meet her in England ? If you didnt you could still tell the embassy you met her in England on her last journey, but then again lying to the embassy is not always a good idea, they are very good at spotting lies and you could blow your chances.

They will ask to see your bank statements (I think its the last 6 months) and proof of residency in the UK. This will need to have your name on such as a mortgage statement or council tax bill, if its in your folks name you might have a problem.

If shes smart, speaks ok English and can follow simple instructions at the Embassy (i.e. capable of filling out a form in English) she will be OK. Most simply cannot do this and happens to be the main reason for girls being declined.

[markr]

cheers

we should be ok hopefully i spent three months there in total, she has two passports one thai and one philly the last time she came she used the philly passport, but she is living in thailand now so will be using that one, is one passport better? i.e would she have a better chance as a phillipino??

[Jockstar]

they just need to be sure that she has every intention to go home after the 2 weeks.

Tell her to get a letter from her employer stating that there is a job to come back to. They are looking for a reason to return.

They will ask to see your bank statements (I think its the last 6 months) and proof of residency in the UK. This will need to have your name on such as a mortgage statement or council tax bill, if its in your folks name you might have a problem.

Only if he is acting as her sponsor.

Can she prove that she has enough funds to support herself? Then no need for you to show any bank statements.

Did you meet her in England ? If you didnt you could still tell the embassy you met her in England on her last journey,

DO NOT LIE! She can tell them that she is coming over to see her boyfriend. Though he is not sponsoring her. Scouse can you confirm this?

[Jockstar]

the last time she came she used the philly passport

Did she get a visa for the Uk the last time?

she has two passports one thai and one philly

There is no law against this now.

but she is living in thailand now so will be using that one, is one passport better?

Doesn't matter where she lives now. Use the Phillipines one. Makes life easier. Leave Thailand on the Thai one and arrive Uk on the other one. Simple.

[Jockstar]

Have a look here regarding visas for Phillipinos.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/UKVisasD...cation=Thailand

[the scouser]

Hi Mark,

Your girlfriend has to demonstrate that she can be accommodated and maintained whilst she is in the UK, and thast she intends to leave at the end of her stay. Funds can be either from her own resources or yours. If the former, then she should submit evidence of her ability to pay for the trip and does not need to show your bank statements. She should also present evidence of her job which should state what she does, when she started with the company, her salary, and the date she is expected to return to work. She should also demonstrate that you have an ongoing relationship that has lasted as long as you claim it to have. From your end, all you need to submit is a letter from your parents confirming that they are willing to accommodate her for the duration of the proposed trip.

Certainly, that she has previously visited the UK to visit a family friend will stand her in good stead and don't lie as should this be found out, you will really then have a mountain to climb.

Scouse.

[atlastaname]

You say she has enough money and that will be a positive for her. If she has substantial savings (in excess of a million baht would be enough) then you don't need to sponser her as although there is no stated amount , a million would be far more than enough for a 2 week holiday to the UK. If she hasn't then i would suggest her bank statements plus yours as well for the last 6 months.

If she is to stay with you and your parents then she will need to show the Embassy an invitation letter from them, a description of the accomodation available to HER along with ideally some proof of that along with either a copy of the properties deeds or , if your parents rent, a letter from the landlord permitting her to stay.

The fact that she has a history of past visits to the UK will be a big plus assuming she didn't breach any conditions.

As to reason to return , well you say she has a good job so a letter confirming how long she has worked there and stating that she will return to her job once the 2 weeks is up will also be a big help. Of course you don't give any details so your idea of a good job and theirs COULD be different.I know a girl who has worked since graduating from uni in BKK in a travel agency and yet she got refused. The job wasn't considered strong enough reason to return. So be aware.

Also mention the usual bit about how she will abide by her visa conditions so as not to jepodise any future applications you may both want to make etc.

If she applies in BKK then she will use her Thai passport , so she will enter on that as well. Remember that once the visa is issued , and it sounds like yours will be without problem , then she cannot be refused entry to the UK on arrival except in a very few situations , none of which would apply to her is she has done no wrong in the past.

GOOD LUCK

[Jockstar]

I'd use the Phillipines passport though since thats the last one she used.

[Thaddeus]

I would hope that Scouse will back me up on this.

If she has a good job, steady income and savings (or an income that is high enough that savings are not required) the use of a sponsor is probably pointless and potentially would make matters worse.... especially if it is just a holiday.

I know a few Thais that are perfectly capable of funding their own trip and obtaining a VV has never been a problem.

[markr]

wow thanks guys

i've just heard so many horror stories of the miserable eco on rag week not giving out any visas today thanks for coming!! sort of thing if you know what i mean,

she is quite confident as she has been around the world but i guess i just want to get it right first time

[gbswales]

What makes a difference is what her passport says, if it says "Thai" shes Thai !

As for how much money shes got this is not what they will be looking for, they just need to be sure that she has every intention to go home after the 2 weeks.

They will want to see how much time you have spent together, that means together as in being in the same country. 2 trips to Thailand is not a lot, there are people with dozens of trips who are getting knocked back everyday.

Did you meet her in England ? If you didnt you could still tell the embassy you met her in England on her last journey, but then again lying to the embassy is not always a good idea, they are very good at spotting lies and you could blow your chances.

They will ask to see your bank statements (I think its the last 6 months) and proof of residency in the UK. This will need to have your name on such as a mortgage statement or council tax bill, if its in your folks name you might have a problem.

If shes smart, speaks ok English and can follow simple instructions at the Embassy (i.e. capable of filling out a form in English) she will be OK. Most simply cannot do this and happens to be the main reason for girls being declined.

It sounds to me as if she can satisfy the big question - about returning to Thailand - she has a job and money here. My advice is to be as open and send them as much information as you possibly can. My boyfriend has just got a visa on a second attempt and he doesnt have the advantage of job or money to prove it- we must have sent about 60 sheets of paper in all - bank statements, telephone bills, mortgage statements, photos of my home and of us together in Thailand. I have know him for 18 months and had only visited twice at the time of the application - so take heart IT CAN BE DONE - the best advice I can give is (1) Be honest about everything (2) give more evidence than you think they could possibly need and (3) AVOID VISA AGENCIES

[markr]

someone told me just to pay a company to do it for us! not a good idea i take it? thanks for the advice we'll get there in the end, i suppose all this hassle just makes it even more exciting!! no pain no gain sort of thing! cant wait

[Jockstar]

someone told me just to pay a company to do it for us! not a good idea i take it? thanks for the advice we'll get there in the end, i suppose all this hassle just makes it even more exciting!! no pain no gain sort of thing! cant wait

DO NOT USE AN AGENCY!!!! ######ing rip off for something you can do yourself.IMHO

[Mossfinn]

someone told me just to pay a company to do it for us! not a good idea i take it?

Well, you said it Mark.

As Jockstar says they can be a rip off, if you get a wrong-un.

Have a bash yourself and see how you get on, Previously to finding TV I never used an agency and did it all myself, however, after having a certain amount of difficulty with a complication, used a reputable agent for advice.

See how you get on and then let this sub-forum know of any difficulties you might encounter.

As people are telling you, satisfy the reason to return and that is a large bite out of eating the whole elephant!

Good Luck

Moss