UK Visit for Thai GF of 1 year ish?

[bjfan]

Hello all,

I’ve visited Thailand quite a few times in the past 10 years and made a lot of “friends” along the way, some that were decent people and others that, err, weren’t, so I get that none of them are actually “different”.

Presently live and work in London, met a girl in BKK in May 15 while on 2 week holiday, came back in Sept for a week and Jan 16 for another 2 and went on a few internal holidays with her each time and now we’re all teerak I miss you etc. I’m coming back for a week in May this year and hoping to sort a visit visa beforehand for her to come back to UK for 3 months over the summer so I’d basically be picking her up from BKK and then taking her back after 3 months.

Putting whether it’s actually a good idea to one side, I’d welcome people’s thoughts on:

1. Is almost a year enough to prove genuine relationship? I have photos, 1 internal flight booking together and literally thousands of LINE messages I could screenshot?

2. If I’m “sponsoring” her should I register an account in UKVI website and "apply for someone else" or should I register in her name and fill it all in for her?

3. I’d prefer not to share my bank statements if possible, i like her but not quite there yet, could I just send 3 months playslips? One will show a recent £10k bonus which will pay for her stay? Is that enough money (better be!)?

4. She isn’t currently working and has never been outside Thailand but does have a few rai land and the family house in her name, is that and me promising to bring her back enough reason to return?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers

[pafish]

Good luck, getting her a visa will be (in my experience) a nightmare. Me and my Thai GF of 4 years are on our 3rd (and final lol) attempt. I've seen trained Dogs jump through fewer hoops then you will have too.

.

You will definitely have to show bank statements, you will also have to PROVE where your money came from (10,000 bunus will have to be proven it was a bonus, and not got through illegal means) and you will have to prove where her money came from also.

I have been with my Thai gf 4 years, have took her away to the islands in Thailand etc, have all the pics, online chats ect and they still didn't believe we were a couple. She has a full time respectable job etc, and they didnt believe she would return if granted a HOLIDAY visa LOL.

Oh and i have lived with English girlfriends that wouldn't have been able to answer some of the questions the Thai embassy asked my Thai gf. It really is ridiculous!

I can honestly say it is expensive to get a visa for a Thai Girl, and also very difficult.

Are you using a visa agent? If you don't mind me asking, how much was their 'fee'?

Like i said, the above is my experience, GOOD LUCK FRIEND!!

[rasg]

It's not that big a deal to get a visit visa.

I’d only known my GF for four months last year before applying for a visit visa with no bother. WE met in the 29th January and we applied for the first visa on the 12th June. Did the same again in October, this time applying for a 2 year visit visa which was granted in three days. Did them both myself with the help of the GF because you do need to supply a lot if info. Absolutely no point in using a visa company. They will only ask you and your GF to supply the info any way so you would end up doing 85% of the work.

With the help on here it's not that hard.

You will have to provide your bank statements and financial information if you want a visa. There is no way around that.

Reason to return and financial stability and earnings of £18,600 or more are essential as is accommodation.

You need to apply for someone else.

My GF was working in a hotel restaurant at the time and sending money home but I started to support her after a while when I found that I spent more on my car each month than she earned in total.

On both her visits here she overstayed by quite a few weeks and I simply explained the reasons why on the next visa application with no issues.

One last thing. I have given my GF the visa paperwork in three folders each time to take to VFS in Bangkok and she hasn’t ever looked in any of them unless I sent her extra paperwork to put in to add to the application.

From the basic information you have put on here I think you will get the visa. One thing. How does pay for food etc if she doesn't work?

Edited February 20, 2016 by rasg

[beano2274]

She applies not you, you supply the letter of sponsorship. Are you sure the house is in her name or is she on the Tambian Baan,

[bjfan]

Thanks for the replies.

By the sound of it the biggest hurdle will be reason to return.

pafish - no agent I'm just weighing it up atm.

rasg - sounds encouraging, but you don't mean she has to earn £18k?? And a valid last point, but ask no questions hear no lies?!

beano2274 - I haven't actually seen the deeds so don't know but if she's telling fibs about that I think it sorts itself out. What's tambien baan btw, like the electoral roll?

Thanks again

[beano2274]

Tambian baan is the house registration it just means she is registered there does not mean owns it.

If you sponsor her you need enough money, but 18000 is for a different type of visa for those who are married.

[rasg]

Happy to answer any questions.

Sorry. I've been so wrapped up in a settlement visa over the last few weeks I am wrong about the £18,600 figure. That figure is for a settlement visa. My bad. Sorry.

Your GF, or her sponsor, if that is what you will be, have to show is that you can finance the trip. I supplied bank statements, details of savings, mortgage statement, a photo of the house etc. Lots of photos of us together in and around Thailand with her family etc. My GF is the selfie queen and good photos, well presented, in my opinion, helped hugely with places and dates on the photos along with details of hotel and flight bookings. The second visa was a little more tricky as I was supporting her by then, but it was granted.

By the sound of it the biggest hurdle will be reason to return.

I think you are right on that one. Does she have kids? An ill mum or dad?

I personally don't think it is any specific thing that means a visit visa is granted. Rather a mixture of all of the information you provide. Some get to right, some don't.

Not the same for a settlement visa. It's far more specific.

Edited February 20, 2016 by rasg

[beano2274]

kids are not a reason to return to Thailand, a lot of young mothers give the kids to their mums and dads and try to get a good job away from the family home. An ill father or mother will not work, as the IO could ask why she does not stay in Thailand if her mother or father are soooo ill.

[bjfan]

So I'm guessing a sick buffalo isn't a reason either lol? Or the thought of British winter?

Would it help if I was to book return flights in advance? Bizarrely it's cheaper to book 2 singles for her part.

Thanks

Edited February 20, 2016 by bjfan

[rasg]

They mention that you shouldn't book flights in advance in case you don't get the visa.

A couple of things I forgot to mention was a quite formal letter from me to my GF inviting her to visit me in the UK.

I also roped my sister into the first visa as she has a holiday home inviting us to spend time there with her and her husband last summer.

If I can help I will. Shoot me a PM if you want help with the wording etc.

[7by7]

If your girlfriend can show that, on the balance of probabilities:-

• she is a genuine visitor with a genuine resaon to visit
• she can afford the visit, from her own resources, yours, a third party's or any combination of these
• she will be adequately accommodated during her visit
• she will return to Thailand, or at least leave the UK, when or before her visa expires

then she will get the visa.

Have a read of

• the pinned topic UK visit visa basics, which is a little out of date but the essentials haven't changed
• Standard visitor visa from UKVI
• Visitor supporting documents guide.

Then if you have any further questions come back to ask.

[bobrussell]

Employment and a letter from the employer confirming permission to take time off. Owned property helps a lot too!

[evadgib]

2. If I’m “sponsoring” her should I register an account in UKVI website and "apply for someone else" or should I register in her name and fill it all in for her?

Either/or is ok providing you clarify in the column on the final page of the application.

HTH

(Worked for me recently!)

[HauptmannUK]

I think many replies are overly-pessimistic.

Beginning of last year I got a 6 month visitor's visa for my then-girlfriend. She was unemployed at the time with a few thousand baht in the bank. Only assets were some farmland. No children under 18. Visa was granted in 3 days.

I supplied a 'sponsor's letter' giving a brief timeline of relationship.

6 months of my bank statements

Council tax bill

Letter from my employer confirming my job and salary.

Title deed for my house

Deeds for girlfriend's land.

Water bill to confirm address.

Handful of pictures showing us together in Thailand and a couple of random print-outs of Skype calls over the preceding few months to show we were in regular contact.

I don't think they are interested in vast numbers of photos, motorbike registrations documents etc that many seem to submit. I think they are more interested in you as a sponsor (i.e. are you 'responsible' citizen who can support the visit and make sure she goes back in accordance with the visa regs). Apart from the deeds for her land, I supplied no details about my girlfriend other than what is asked for on the application form. Her occupation I listed truthfully as 'self-employed agriculture' and her mobile number as a contact. They didn't contact her.

Got married toward the end of last year and applied for a spouse visa, which was again granted very swiftly (less than a week). For the spouse visa didn't submit anything about her (no land deeds, no job details) because I figured she's leaving Thailand to stay in the UK so UKVI are only really going to be interested in me as her sponsor and not what she leaves behind in Thailand.

In both cases I completed the application form online, as if I were my wife, and just sent the printouts and document pack for her to sign and submit.

I must say that 'random chance' probably also plays its part....

Edited February 22, 2016 by HauptmannUK

[theoldgit]

I don't think they are interested in vast numbers of photos, motorbike registrations documents etc that many seem to submit. I think they are more interested in you as a sponsor (i.e. are you 'responsible' citizen who can support the visit and make sure she goes back in accordance with the visa regs). Apart from the deeds for her land, I supplied no details about my girlfriend other than what is asked for on the application form. Her occupation I listed truthfully as 'self-employed agriculture' and her mobile number as a contact. They didn't contact her.

Whilst it's fair to say that any sponsors evidence will form part of the overall picture, I don't think it's right to assume "they are more interested in you as a sponsor", not all applicants have a sponsor. Whether a sponsor is a responsible citizen or not is highly subjective and not something an ECO could accurately assess, whilst a sponsor could support an applicant during their stay they couldn't be expected to ensure that the applicant conform to visa regulations and return home at the conclusion.

The most important thing an ECO will need to be satisfied is that there are sufficient "pull factors" in the applicants home country for them to leave the UK at the conclusion of their visit.

I do agree that bombarding the decision maker with reams of unnecessary evidence could be counterproductive, these include such things as Council Tax bills & Title Deeds for any UK property.

[HauptmannUK]

I don't think they are interested in vast numbers of photos, motorbike registrations documents etc that many seem to submit. I think they are more interested in you as a sponsor (i.e. are you 'responsible' citizen who can support the visit and make sure she goes back in accordance with the visa regs). Apart from the deeds for her land, I supplied no details about my girlfriend other than what is asked for on the application form. Her occupation I listed truthfully as 'self-employed agriculture' and her mobile number as a contact. They didn't contact her.

Whilst it's fair to say that any sponsors evidence will form part of the overall picture, I don't think it's right to assume "they are more interested in you as a sponsor", not all applicants have a sponsor. Whether a sponsor is a responsible citizen or not is highly subjective and not something an ECO could accurately assess, whilst a sponsor could support an applicant during their stay they couldn't be expected to ensure that the applicant conform to visa regulations and return home at the conclusion.

The most important thing an ECO will need to be satisfied is that there are sufficient "pull factors" in the applicants home country for them to leave the UK at the conclusion of their visit.

I do agree that bombarding the decision maker with reams of unnecessary evidence could be counterproductive, these include such things as Council Tax bills & Title Deeds for any UK property.

I take your point. But where an applicant has no funds/assets then presumably UKVi are going to be looking hard at the sponsor; i.e. do you have a regular job, sufficient funds to support the applicant etc.? Also, are you genuinely resident in the UK at the address you state (hence Council Tax bill and house deeds)? Anyway, that was my way of rationalising it all and the visa applications were successful.

Obviosuly if the applicant is self-funding the visit then it would be different criteria.

[7by7]

<snip>

I think they are more interested in you as a sponsor (i.e. are you 'responsible' citizen who can support the visit and make sure she goes back in accordance with the visa regs)......

Obviously, if the sponsor is providing the funds for the visit and the accommodation then they need to show that those funds and that accommodation exist.

But, ECB12.2 Undertakings from sponsors, MPs etc

Applications for entry clearance are sometimes supported by undertakings from a sponsor, Member of Parliament or other third parties. However, only the undertaking of a sponsor on maintenance and accommodation is mentioned in the Rules (see following sub-section).

Any other undertaking by a sponsor or any third party undertaking is unenforceable. No such undertakings should be sought by the ECO. Offers to provide such undertakings should not be accepted.

Which means that an undertaking or guarantee by the sponsor that the applicant will return home at the end of their visit is, because it is unenforceable, meaningless and will be ignored.