Visa application question re: my partner to the UK

[nij68]

Hi Guys

Am thinking of my partner coming over to visit me for a few weeks to the UK. She had never been before and has her own established business in Bkk.

Could someone tell me the process of obtaining a visa and what type of visa she would require to visit the UK for vacation ?

Thanks

[rasg]

You need a Standard Visitor Visa. They will typically give her a six month multi entry visa.

Lots of hoops to jump through for the first one.

She can apply in her own right or you can sponsor her but the big reason is that she has a reason to return to Thailand. Her business may be enough and that she has the money to support herself in the UK. You also have to prove your relationship is genuine.

I apologise for copying and pasting a reply I gave to somebody a few days ago but 95% applies and I have edited quite a bit.

Everybody has their own ideas of what they should included based on their experience because there are no hard and fast rules about what you should include.

I have submitted two VV applications for my girlfriend this year and been successful with both.

I was the sponsor for my GF on both occasions where I showed my income, bank statements, mortgage details etc.

Don't waste money on a visa company as long as you have the time to put the application together. In the end if you use a visa company they will ask exactly the same questions and you or your partner will have to supply them with the same information that you can compile yourself.

I just did it myself with no bother but the first one did take considerably longer than the second because you need parents dates of birth and other stuff that wasn't that easy to get hold of. Make sure the application looks good. Professionally laid out without spelling mistakes and reread it a dozen times over to check that all is good. And then get at least one other person to check it again. I split the application into three plastic see through folders. Sponsorship details. Applicants details and then Proof of relationship for the third. All with labels on each folder. This is assuming you are the sponsor. If your partner applies in her own right, probably split it into two folders. Applicants details and then Proof of relationship.

If you are the sponsor you need to complete the sponsorship undertaking form SU07/12. My sponsorship letter ran to two pages of A4 and the third listed everything that was included in the whole application. That last page is a "map" to everything within the application.

The sponsorship letter was separate to a semi formal invitation letter to my girlfriend to visit. For the latest two year Visitor Visa I included a letter from one of my sisters who invited my GF to spend Christmas with us as a family as she was missed so much after her first visit.

I included a letter from my girlfriend explaining why she would return to Thailand, edited a little. Her written English is not great.

We included dozens of photos of the two of us from all over Thailand and each photo had text embedded in the photo explaining where and when the photos were taken. Also photos of her family with me and photos of her with my family.

I supplied translated copies of my Gfs divorce papers.

You might do things differently but I prepared almost everything in the UK and took the laptop with me to Thailand where I did the last little bit. The online application asks about your latest trip to Thailand. That date can't be in the future so I had to wait until after midnight on the day we flew to Bangkok to complete and pay for the application and book the appointment. My own sponsorship letter needed a little tweaking when i got back to Thailand and the hotel reception allowed me to email them the PDF and they printed it for me.

You need to book an appointment for your girlfriend to visit VFS at the Trendy Building in Bangkok to submit the application and it can take up to ten days to get a decision.

It is pretty daunting when you see the information you have to supply but the main bulk of information can be submitted online.

It isn’t easy but it's not that hard either and very satisfying if you do it yourself.

I'll dig out a couple of links where you can go to explain a bit more a lot of what I have said.

Here is the main one for the online application. Register and account and take a look.

https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome

Edited November 30, 2015 by rasg

[theoldgit]

Some useful tips in the previous reply, but bare in mind that you don't make the application, your partner does, it's her application and it's her that needs to satisfy the UKVI that the visit is genuine, affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities, she will return to Thailand at the conclusion of her visit.

As well as the link for the UKVI application portal, the VFS website website contains some useful information, and as has been pointed out she will need to access it to make an appointment to submit the hard copy of the application, her supporting documents and have her biometric details captured: http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/thailand/

Sponsorship isn't a requirement, if she's paying for the trip then she needs to provide evidence of her ability to do so.

If you're providing sponsorship then you need to provide evidence of your ability to do so as well as the reasons as to why it's appropriate to do so.

She will need to provide details of her proposed trip, fairly easy if it's of a standard length, not so easy if she's talking about a trip of some months.

Reasons to return are the main issue, you say she has a business, she should provide evidence of her business, and who will be taking care of her business during her proposed holiday.

There are more general details in the pinned topic above, it's a bit out of date but the basics are correct, and various posts in the forum describe others experiences.

I would agree with the previous poster that the services of an agent aren't generally required for an uncomplicated application.

[7by7]

If you are the sponsor you need to complete the sponsorship undertaking form SU07/12.

No, you do not. I never have.

This form is only required in certain circumstances; usually for adult dependent visas. I have never heard of anyone being required to provide one for a visit visa nor of a visit application being refused due to the lack of one.

nij68, as well as the pinned topic theoldgit refers to, see Standard visit visa from UKVI.

[bobrussell]

SU07/12 is not appropriate for a standard visit visa. It was primarily for sponsors of dependent relatives. It is an old UKBA form and not relevant.

As recommended above, to show the visit is affordable then the person paying should show evidence of funds, bank statements etc. The pinned visit visa thread still has it pretty much summed up.

I would also avoid pages of sponsors letters. Keep it brief and to the point. Outline the relationship, reasons for the visit and reasons to return. A small number of photos spanning the relationship and fully explained, is more helpful than a photo album!

The poor ECO has minutes to process the application so quality, not quantity!

[rasg]

I will bow to your experience but all I can say is that what I outlined has worked for me.

The decision for my GFs first 6 month VV that we applied for back in June came through in four days. The decision for her two year VV that starts today came through in three days.

I will repeat what I said in an earlier post.

Everybody has their own ideas of what they should included based on their experience because there are no hard and fast rules about what you should include.

Your mileage may vary but it worked for us.

[nij68]

Thanks for the the great input guys , this has really helped . I am looking to go back to Los in the next few months and then hopefully before my return back start the ball rolling for the application .

What is the usual time span if all goes well with the application and would she require a ticket before hand as that's what I heard or best to obtain visa first then ticket

[7by7]

Applications are processed in the order they are received and the actual processing time depends on demand.

The quality of evidence submitted and the result of the application have no bearing on this.

UKVI advise allowing 15 working days to process a visit visa, click here for the latest (September) figures. I suggest that you check that page again closer to the time.

UKVI advise not buying tickets until the visa is issued, and as can be seen from Section 4: documents you should not send unless specifically requested of the guidance they are not required with the application. Neither are photographs, other that the passport sized photo of the applicant specified in Section 1.

You'll see that health insurance is also not required, but as she could be charged for any NHS treatment she received while in the UK, apart from initial emergency treatment in A & E, it is strongly recommended.

Edited December 2, 2015 by 7by7

[bobrussell]

ECO's used to be very enthusiastic about photographs to document a relationship and my wife had her first visa rejected partly because there were no photos. Recently it has been changed to photographs should not be submitted!!

I would still enclose a handful of photos covering the period of the relationship. The ECO can chose to ignore them if they wish.

Applications do not succeed on the basis of weight. It is much easier for the ECO to process something that is clear, concise and well thought out. It is easy for them to miss crucial information if it is not clearly presented.

[daveyravey]

Goodluck. My wife just got her second 6 month visit visa although our initial 2 applications were turned down.

With hindsight our applications were now strong enough and we were married.

Make sure her documents are all in order, and she has proff that she has a job/business to come back to.

Do not tell lies as the ECO's are very good at catching you out. They might phone people to check on what you tell them.

When you complete the application think of these requirements and think if you have satisfied them with irrefutable proof.

1. Is this a genuine tourist with a genuine reason to visit?

2. Can this person afford the visit?

3. Does this person have a reason to leave the UK ?

Satisfy these and you will be fine.

In my eyes your biggest hurdle will be proving your GFs business is genuine with company papers or a lease and tax papers.

Goodluck.