UK family visa question while in UK.

[adv008]

Hello.

My wife arrived in the UK for the first time on a family visa. In her passport the visa states it is valid for 6 months. When my wife had her interview in Bangkok she said she would like to stay in the UK for 3 months. She was asked at Heathrow about the date she is leaving the UK. My question is that she should leave the UK on the 7th September 2015. But we are having a great time here and i would have liked her to stay longer. The visa she has is valid till December 2015. If she were to stay longer would it damage her chance to get another visa for the UK and should I phone the home office for advice. Any help is appreciated.

[robertthebruce]

From what I have experienced, she can stay the full length of the Visa, as long as she departs on the day it finishes...

All the best and enjoy...

[MaprangHolmes]

She can indeed stay to the end of her visa, When Applying for another visa you will just need to explain why she stayed longer than you put in your application form. Failing to give a proper explanation of why she stayed longer could make your wife lose some credibility in any future application however it should not be a problem if you state the reasons why she stayed longer.

I doubt that you wife was interviewed (Had the ECO required more information from her, he/she would mostly likely had phoned your wife) more likely she just handed her documents in at the VFS building and some person there went about asking her questions about her application, if this is the case then she really should complain. As they are merely a collection point for visa application and have know wright to question anyone about a visa application.

[bigyin]

Any future visa application should explain the circumstances around staying longer than originally planned. These things happen and plans change but come clean next time.

[theoldgit]

As others have indicated your wife would not be breaking any immigration laws by remaining in the UK for the full validity of her visa, despite the fact that she indicated in her application her original travel plans and repeated those plans when she entered the UK.

The only caveat is that if in her original application her reasons to return included employment or other ties, these could be called into question in any future application if she felt able to extend her stay because she's enjoying herself.

There's no point in calling the UKVI for advice, they simply won't give it but, as others have said, she would need to fully explain the reasons for her extended stay in any future application.

Bear in mind that she would normally only be allowed to spend six months in the UK in a twelve month period.

[oldgent]

Quote from Oldgit......( there is no point in calling the UKVI for advice, they simply wont give it ) what is this? are they a secret service

or some thing? How are applicants supposed to know what to do. if you are given a 6 months Visa surely you are entitled to

stay for 6 months.why do you have to explain the reason for staying..IMO this system needs changing. is it only Thais that are treated like this ?

[bobrussell]

There is no point in contacting the UKVI because they are almost completely defended by every kind of 'firewall' imaginable.

If you are an EU citizen within the UK it is easy to get through to a normal rate phone number. It is answered efficiently by people that know what they are doing. Phone the premium rate phone number required for applicants outside the EU and a number of things might happen.

1) It is likely to be engaged

2) You speak to someone and they send you to somewhere else to enter your credit/debit card details then the phone call cuts off!

3) You have your card details taken, calls cost £1 something a minute and you speak to someone totally clueless.

4) ditto but speak to someone who knows what they are doing. Never actually got to fourth base so not sure how often this happens.

You email and nothing happens. They don't understand read receipts!

You email and get a stock answer, probably unrelated to your original issue.

You email the embassy and do get a reply but that tells you to go to the UKVI website for advice and do not get involved further. The visa website has little or no guidance of value.

Some lucky souls have access to 'live chat' at a cost. Never had access to this.

You write (recorded delivery) to various departments but don't get a reply!

MP's seem to be the only ones that get any real access and even they get the run around sometimes.

With the removal of most forms of appeal, ECO's feel (and are) pretty much untouchable. Thankfully most seem to do a pretty fair job most of the time! A bu**er for those cases that are not handled properly!

Hopefully someone will tell me if I have missed anything!

[7by7]

<snip>

if you are given a 6 months Visa surely you are entitled to stay for 6 months.why do you have to explain the reason for staying..

Even though a standard UK visit visa is automatically valid for 6 months, unless the ECO has clear and supportable reasons for granting a shorter period, the applicant will have said in their application how long they actually intend to stay in the UK for and signed a declaration that everything in the application is true and complete.

Staying longer than originally stated is not, as said, against the rules, people's plans can change and UKVI appreciate that, but can call the applicants credibility into question the next time they apply. Especially if they said they can only stay for one month as they have to return to work and then stay for the full six!

A brief explanation of why they stayed longer than intended, and if necessary how they were able to, in that subsequent application clears that up.

I have never heard of anyone who stayed longer than originally stated and provided such an explanation next time have any problems; provided they left the UK when their visa expired at the latest, of course.

......is it only Thais that are treated like this ?

No; all non EEA nationals are subject to the same requirements and provisions of the immigration rules, entry clearance guidance and immigration directorate instructions.