Sponsorship Undertaking form SU07/12

[penco]

I am currently going through the the UK Visitor Visa application for process for my Thai GF (she's in Thailand and I'm in the UK). The process seems to have changed a bit since July 2015 when I last (and successfully) applied for a UK Visitor Visa for her. I'm going through the online application form and that's nearly complete but last year I had to print off and filll in (and post to Thailand) a “Sponsorship Undertaking” form SU07/12. Is this form no longer necessary?

Secondly my Thai GF returned to LoS in January this year after 5 months in UK and now I'm applying for another 6 month visitor visa, hopefully having her over from next month. She squandered 5 months here last time and made very little progress learning English, so this visit is to further cement our relationship and also an opportunity for her to fully immerse herself in the English language, get some fluency sufficient to get A1 so we can get married (in Thailand) and apply for a settlement visa. What do people think is the likelihood that she'll be refused another visitor visa as it's been so soon since her last trip? Needless to say she's a penniless lady from Isaan so I'm paying for everything, this may or may not have a bearing on the ECO's opinion as to whether she should be granted another UK Visitor Visa.

[rasg]

The good bit is you never needed the SU/07 last year and don't now for a VV. I completed it and sent to for three visas unnecessarily.

 

Can I ask if you asked for five months last year when you applied for the VV? If you didn't and she stayed for longer than originally requested you need to explain why she stayed so long in your next sponsor letter. What was her original reason to return?

 

We successfully applied for a VV last June when my (now) wife stayed for 14 weeks but we originally requested a month and almost immediately applied for a further 2 year VV very quickly for Christmas here and she then stayed for 11 weeks. A Settlement visa followed very shortly. 180 days in a year is the guideline from UKVI but they don't like it if they think you are trying to bypass the Settlement visa process with numerous Visit visas.

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by rasg

[theoldgit]

Without wishing to be pernickety, you don't apply for a visa for your girlfriend she does, it's her that needs to satisfy the ECO that her proposed visit is genuine, affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities, she will return home at the conclusion of her visit.

 

As rasg asks when she applied for her last visa did she indicate that she expected her visit to last for five months, or did she say she expected to stay for, what may be considered the normal, couple of weeks or so? Whilst staying for five months when you've indicated maybe one is perfectly legal, it could cause the ECO to doubt the credibility of any "reasons to return" in future applications.

 

As has been pointed out a person wouldn't normally be allowed to stay in the UK for more than 180 days in a twelve month period, whilst this a convention rather than a rule, she would need to have pretty strong reasons to exceed it.

As has also been pointed out an SU07/12 will not be required when your girlfriend applies for a visit or subsequent settlement visa.  

[7by7]

5 hours ago, theoldgit said:

<snip>

As rasg asks when she applied for her last visa did she indicate that she expected her visit to last for five months, or did she say she expected to stay for, what may be considered the normal, couple of weeks or so? Whilst staying for five months when you've indicated maybe one is perfectly legal, it could cause the ECO to doubt the credibility of any "reasons to return" in future applications.

Indeed, so if she did stay longer than stated in her application she should explain why she did so and how she was able to do so; particularly if she said she had to return by a certain date due to work or similar.

 

5 hours ago, theoldgit said:

<snip>

As has also been pointed out an SU07/12 will not be required when your girlfriend applies for a visit or subsequent settlement visa.  

 Without wishing to be pernickety () form SU07 is not usually required for standard visit or for family (i.e. spouse, partner or child) settlement applications; but may be.

 

There is no need, though, to supply one with the application; in the unlikely case of the ECO wanting it they will ask for it.

 

I cannot recall ever hearing of this happening; can anyone?

Edited September 9, 2016 by 7by7
Typo correction

[penco]

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

 

She (we in reality) applied for a 6 month visa and she stayed for 5 months (visa started the day she applied and flights were too expensive to get her here sooner) - she didn't say 2 weeks and stay 20 weeks.

I'll skip the SU 07/12 but I'll send all the usual i.e. sponsorship letter, letter of invitation, proof of my funds, my passport, photos together, my Thai visa stamps, mortgage statement etc etc

[theoldgit]

Just to clarify, visas are a standard length the basic one has a validity of six months and would be issued with that validity even if the applicant had indicated that they wanted to stay for one day.

 

Whilst it's perfectly legal to stay for the full six months, when assessing a future application the ECO would be looking at previous travel to the UK, and indeed elsewhere. When you say she previously applied for and was granted a six month visa, she would normally be expected to give details of her intended travel plans, if she indicated that she intended visiting the UK for a full six months then all well and good , if however she indicated that her travel plans were for a shorter period, and her reasons to return coincided with those plans, then she should explain why she stayed longer than previous stated in her covering letter, otherwise that could bring any further reasons to return into question.

 

The UKVI' in their advice on supporting documents, specifically advise against including photos unless they ask for them.

[penco]

We applied for the previous stating very clearly that she was going to be staying for the full six months, so no explanation for apparent overstay is necessary. I sent photos last time because the first application was refused as I hadn't provided proof of a relationship i.e. only written proof no photos.

She applied last week and dropped off the supporting docs passport etc at Trendy. They phoned her yesterday to confirm the details of the application and asked her if we intended to get married. It would have been obvious that the application was completed by me on her behalf as her English is rudimentary but the whole application was completed in English. the online application form seemed to be more intrusive than last time as it requested the address and contact details of her child (as is often common in Thailand, her child lives in Isaan with the grandparents). Last time they didn't ask for this.

 

Now we're waiting to find out the result.

 

Anyone know how long it takes for the UK Visitor Visa to be approved/denied? I seem to think it took about a week last year after the docs were dropped off.
 

[7by7]

The latest figures from UKVI show that for visit visa decisions made in July 89% were decided within 5 working days, 99% within 10.

 

But, of course, past performance does not guarantee future performance; it all depends on how busy the entry clearance section are at the time.

[penco]

Cheers 7by7. In fact she heard this morning that the decision's been made and her docs are being sent to her (I hadn't realised she decided to stump up the extra to have the docs returned to her by post/courier). So that's less than a week (she submitted the docs last Friday afternoon).

Fingers crossed it's good news.

Thanks for your assistance and everyone else who replied.

[rasg]

Well worth the extra few baht to get it delivered if you are a long way from Bangkok.

 

Good luck!