Can anyone help with regards to obtaining a tousist visa for my thai gf. I am planning to bring her back to the uk next april.

Basically what do i need?

I have known her for a year. she had a job in a shop, but now has gone home to work on her parents farm. As ahe was not happy and missed home. I send her money every month so she can do this and be happy.

She calls every every week, and we have photos, reciepts of hotels, emails etc to show our relationship. What else do i need? what is the charge? and whats it for?

I understand she needs money in her account to show she can support herself in the uk. How much is this?

What would be the first step in bringing her over for a holiday? She has no intention of stopping because i want to move to los.

Please any help would be grateful as i go back over in september and really would like to get the ball rolling.

You,ve known her for a year...planning for next April, thats two years and thats a good start. From now keep records of everything, use phone companies like Onetel where you can get a printed record of calls. Theres no harm with her staying on the farm as the type of job she would need to be deemed likely to return to would need usually to be a professional position. Dig up...or somehow "obtain" docs that prove you have known her for the period you state. Normal reasons for refusal are "...unlikely to return etc"...your protestations that you intend to return to live in LOS count for ZERO. However, for various reasons it becomes harder to refuse visas when you can point to a relationship of a couple of years as these are refusals more likely to be overturned on appeal and they prefer not to lose too many on appeal. When you have proof of a relationship over that period the fiancee visa is hardest to refuse if all paperwork correct ( by definition the unlikely to return part can't apply). Conversely if every thing not in order its the hardest to obtain. If its the tourist visa your going for....money in the bank helps, is an important part of it....but is far less important than length of relationship.

Make sure every single item on the visa form is properly prepared...leave nothing to chance. Then be prepared for a knockback and accept you may have to appeal.

Last but not least, appearance and demeanour count. Deduct 10 points for a t-shirt etc, another 10 for anything other than the correct manner.

Getting a visa is as much an art as a science.

Good Luck.

However, for various reasons it becomes harder to refuse visas when you can point to a relationship of a couple of years as these are refusals more likely to be overturned on appeal and they prefer not to lose too many on appeal.

I don't think you could appeal against the refusal of a visitor visa. There used to be no appeal against refusal of visitor visas for the UK; there is now a right of appeal for family members - see Visiting the United Kingdom: United Kingdom Visitor Requirements dated September 2000. I suspect the only way your girlfriend could count as a family member is if you are 'a person with whom she lived as a member of an unmarried couple for at least two of the three years before the day on which she applied for her visa' (pronouns adapted)

However, for various reasons it becomes harder to refuse visas when you can point to a relationship of a couple of years as these are refusals more likely to be overturned on appeal and they prefer not to lose too many on appeal.

I don't think you could appeal against the refusal of a visitor visa. There used to be no appeal against refusal of visitor visas for the UK; there is now a right of appeal for family members - see Visiting the United Kingdom: United Kingdom Visitor Requirements dated September 2000. I suspect the only way your girlfriend could count as a family member is if you are 'a person with whom she lived as a member of an unmarried couple for at least two of the three years before the day on which she applied for her visa' (pronouns adapted)

A visitor visa refusal is not formally appealable.

Getting a visa is as much an art as a science.

How true..

Well its bloody annoying is what it is! (UK Govt just worried they will end up on the books)

Nah, brit, getting a visa here is still easier than at another big embassy.

Well its bloody annoying is what it is! (UK Govt just worried they will end up on the books)

Unfortunately a lot of ' visitor's ' go missing in the west. Some actually finish up on the game.

Well its bloody annoying is what it is! (UK Govt just worried they will end up on the books)

Unfortunately a lot of ' visitor's ' go missing in the west. Some actually finish up on the game.

or rivers