UK Visit Visa - questions about supporting documents

[ipeterrobinson17]

i have read the 'supporting documents guide' at www.gov.uk, and it prompted a number of questions as i think about what i need to get ready.

 

1) bank statements - i have not received monthly paper bank statements for a long time so will they accept a good printed copy from online banking or am i going to have to order copies from the bank?

 

2) earnings - i am self-employed / business owner so need to provide 'business registration documents' - again, is a good printed copy sufficient or am i going to have to try to get something posted out to me which looks more official say from Companies House? I've got the same issue regarding rental income as my monthly payment receipts from the management company are sent to me by email.

 

3) evidence of relationship - apart from visits, most of our relationship is conducted using LINE, some chatting but mostly daily video sessions. i am going to make a summary of all the video chats we have had but what is the best way to provide them with this information ?

 

thanks in anticipation

[theoldgit]

First if all you need to keep in mind that this will be the applicants application for entry clearance and it's they who need to satisfy the decision maker that their application is genuine and that the proposed visit is affordable and, probably most importantly, they will leave the UK at the conclusion of their visit.

 

To address your specific questions:

 

1. If you're financing the proposed trip then it's for you so provide evidence, via the applicant, of your ability to do so. Whilst there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that ECO's have accepted online statements, the rules do say that original statements must be submitted. The rules to allow for online statements providing that the bank stamps them and certifies that they truly reflect the state of the account. It's really up to the applicant and yourself whether you want to take a chance, it will probably boil down to the strength of the rest of the application. The applicant should of course provide their own financial details.

2. I would think, but don't know for sure, that copies would be sufficient, providing that there's a paper trail of funds reaching your bank account.

3. Regular visits are of course important, you need to be able to show you've actually met, travel out of Thailand would also be good if the applicant can show evidence of that. If the applicant is using the strength of your relationship as a reason to visit the UK they will need to demonstrate that you are in communication, both sides instigating sessions would be of benefit. ECO's to live in the real world and I'm sure they use modern forms of communication themselves, so logs of your Line chats should be acceptable.

 

I'm assuming that the applicant ticks all the other boxes, a visit of a reasonable length and is able to demonstrate their ties here in Thailand, accommodation, employment, studies and the like, these are equally as important as the financial side, in my opinion probably more so.

[jbatch83]

My wife and I have Just applied and received her 5 year visit visa.

 

The documents we provided were:

( all copies are in colour) 

 

1. Full copies of both Passports

2. Her id card both sides

3.Marriage cert both thai and English

4.The name change document thai and english 

5. Blue house book Thai and english

6.My Bank statments

7.Photo document from 2008 to present showing us  together and with friends and family from both sides.

8. A letter of invitation from me stating where she we will be living when here.

9. My House and land register.

10; Kids uk passport photo page and birth cets.

 

This is the second time we have applied and been accepted But on this occasion they wanted further Info from wife about me and my work which was just a phone call from some Guy at VFS and it lasted about 5 minutes.

 

All in all we submitted the application on the 4th July and received it back yesterday in the post 3 weeks laters.

 

I Hope this helps and good luck 

 

[theoldgit]

@jbatch83
I think that the phone call to your wife would have from from a member of the UKVI staff located at the UK Embassy not VFS staff, they take no part in the decision making process.
It might help others if you gave a little more detail about your position, are you based in the UK or Thailand?
It's worth pointing out that the UKVI specifically advise against including photos with supporting documents.
I'm pleased your wife's application was successful, that's one less thing to worry about for the next five years. [emoji41]

[rasg]

9 hours ago, ipeterrobinson17 said:

1) bank statements - i have not received monthly paper bank statements for a long time so will they accept a good printed copy from online banking or am i going to have to order copies from the bank?

 

2) earnings - i am self-employed / business owner so need to provide 'business registration documents' - again, is a good printed copy sufficient or am i going to have to try to get something posted out to me which looks more official say from Companies House? I've got the same issue regarding rental income as my monthly payment receipts from the management company are sent to me by email.

 

3) evidence of relationship - apart from visits, most of our relationship is conducted using LINE, some chatting but mostly daily video sessions. i am going to make a summary of all the video chats we have had but what is the best way to provide them with this information ?

 

1. They did back in 2015 when my wife applied for two visit visas. My online Santander statements that I printed from include my name and also the Santander logo etc. They were fine for a visit visa but the Settlement visa almost a year later was different where I had the bank stamp the first page of each month and stapled each month together.

 

2. I am self employed and just provided them with a letter from HMRC with my details and NIC number at the top.

 

3. I just printed out some of the logs from Whatsapp and Skype. I printed them myself on the laser printer using very thin paper and double sided them too. If I'd printed the lot ot would have run to 500 pages.  I've only known one instance were I think UKVI actually read them from a poster on here last year when somebody was refused because of what had been said in a Whatsapp log.

[7by7]

It is worth remembering that the Visitor: supporting documents guide is in 3 sections.

 

Section 1: documents you must provide – all visitors.

The applicant's passport.

 

Section 2: other documents you may want to provide – all visitors.

 

"May want to provide," not must provide. these are suggestions; you don't have to provide them all, only those you feel relevant to this particular application.

 

10 hours ago, ipeterrobinson17 said:

1) bank statements - i have not received monthly paper bank statements for a long time so will they accept a good printed copy from online banking or am i going to have to order copies from the bank?

The guidance says that all documents must be originals, not photocopies. There is some dispute over whether or not a printout from an online account counts as an original. A dispute UKVI seem reluctant to settle as when asked they simply refer to the guidance!

 

As theoldgit says, anecdotal evidence suggests that printouts of online bank statements are acceptable for visit visa applications, but you may want to have each page certified as correct by your bank if possible; they may charge you a fee for doing this.

 

10 hours ago, ipeterrobinson17 said:

earnings - i am self-employed / business owner so need to provide 'business registration documents'

No, you don't. You are not the applicant and, if relevant, it is the applicant who needs to provide these.

 

Section 3: Additional documents for specific types of visitors

 

Only relevant if the applicant falls into one of the categories listed.

[trigpoint]

My partner of 8years applied  for Visitor visa and I was the sponsor,   I submitted up to date bank balances printed of the  internet as we live in Thailand so don't have monthly bank statement, they were  totally  ignored, not even  acknowledged as acceptable or not. They even  cast doubt  on our living  together in the condo for 5 years despite  a letter from the building  manager to confirm  this. 

[brewsterbudgen]

My partner of 8years applied  for Visitor visa and I was the sponsor,   I submitted up to date bank balances printed of the  internet as we live in Thailand so don't have monthly bank statement, they were  totally  ignored, not even  acknowledged as acceptable or not. They even  cast doubt  on our living  together in the condo for 5 years despite  a letter from the building  manager to confirm  this. 

So she didn't get the visa? What was the reason given for the refusal?

[7by7]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

So she didn't get the visa? What was the reason given for the refusal?

Discussed at length in 

 

[ipeterrobinson17]

Thanks for all helpful replies, I think my natural laziness kicked in and I was hoping I wouldn't need to do too much!

I am funding visit but I think main weakness is lack of verifiable evidence for 'reasons to return to Thailand' so I already warned gf that we might well get refused at least once.

Sent from my HUAWEI P8max using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[rixalex]

My wife has already had seven successful 6 month visit visas over the last ten years, and is now applying for another. My question is regarding submitting photos as evidence of relationship and air tickets as proof of travel plans.

 

She has always included this stuff on all previous applications but i notice in the advisory blurb they say not to send it. Photos seem like as good a way as any to prove a relationship and already paid for return plane tickets as good a way as any to prove an intention to return. Can anyone confirm that we shouldn't include this stuff. Having done lots of successful applications already there is a feeling of, it it ain't broke, don't fix it, but on the other hand, i guess no point sending stuff that will be totally ignored.

[theoldgit]

As you say the UKVI specifically advise against sending photos and flight tickets, the instructions to Entry Clearance Officers advises that any sent shouldn't be considered when making a decision on the application.

 

Flight tickets might mean something to those who have saved to pay for them and intend using them on a round trip, but refundable ones are meaningless and it could be argued that an unused return half of a cheapo ticket could be a cheap price to pay by somebody who is anxious to get to the UK and then disappear under the radar.

 

Photos prove that people were together at the time the photo was taken, assuming they're not Photo shopped, but little else, I suspect that ECO's were overwhelmed with albums full of photos which may well have meant something to the applicant but added nothing to the strength of the application.

 

I suppose at the end of the day it's for the applicant to decide if they feel they want to include evidence that they're specifically advised against sending, but there's always a danger that the decision maker missing a piece of meaningful evidence whilst sifting through everything else.

[rixalex]

24 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

As you say the UKVI specifically advise against sending photos and flight tickets, the instructions to Entry Clearance Officers advises that any sent shouldn't be considered when making a decision on the application.

 

Flight tickets might mean something to those who have saved to pay for them and intend using them on a round trip, but refundable ones are meaningless and it could be argued that an unused return half of a cheapo ticket could be a cheap price to pay by somebody who is anxious to get to the UK and then disappear under the radar.

 

Photos prove that people were together at the time the photo was taken, assuming they're not Photo shopped, but little else, I suspect that ECO's were overwhelmed with albums full of photos which may well have meant something to the applicant but added nothing to the strength of the application.

 

I suppose at the end of the day it's for the applicant to decide if they feel they want to include evidence that they're specifically advised against sending, but there's always a danger that the decision maker missing a piece of meaningful evidence whilst sifting through everything else.

 

With regards photos perhaps not adding much weight to an application, all i would say is that photos of two people together dating back over the last 15 years or so (with those people visibly ageing - this is what marriage does:-)), and in a variety of different locations... well, you would have thought would be hard to forge even with the wonders of photoshop, and might offer a bit more insight to a relationship than a bit of paper from a bank.

 

Who are we though to question the wisdom of the powers that be...

 

Thanks for advice. Will do as you suggest.

 

Edited July 31, 2017 by rixalex

[rasg]

For my wife's first VV we sent a photo book of our first few months together that I gave my now wife for her birthday . It contained photos of us with her family and photos from all over Thailand but each photo had it's location and the date it was taken. Proving our relationship wasn't easy as we had only been together for a few months.

 

When the no photos guidelines came in I did things a little differently and sent a couple of dozen, six up to an A4 sheet with dates and locations and double sided them so it was only a few A4 sheets. For FLR I added a couple more sheets of our wedding photos because there were photos of us with my family too and to show we had actually got married. I will continue to do the same.

[7by7]

7 hours ago, rixalex said:

My wife has already had seven successful 6 month visit visas over the last ten years.................

Then why are you concerned this time?

 

They have accepted your relationship and that she is a genuine visitor seven times before; has anything changed to make them doubt it this time?

 

UKVI explicitly advise against purchasing tickets until one has the visa, and the supporting documents guide says

Quote

Section 4: documents you should not send unless specifically requested

photographs (other than passport photographs required in section 1)

Why include stuff they specifically say is not required?

 

ECOs have an extremely limited amount of time to spend assessing each application, a matter of just a few minutes; as theoldgit says, wading through evidence they don't need, or even want, means they could miss something vital!

[bobrussell]

The only reason why I would consider sending photographs would be to reduce the risk the ECO might decide to doubt the relationship. Many years ago it was a factor in refusal of a visa for my gf (now wife). Insufficient evidence of a relationship.

I can understand why they would be less than happy with a short novel covering a couples relationship but it was a whopping change of policy from needing photos to not sending any!

If you do put them in then stick them at the back and explain where they are in the covering letter. They can be ignored by the ECO or glanced at should they want too!

I have to say I would not bother but at worst it is a few pages of A4!

Work on getting the application concise but thoroughly cover the important bits especially why the applicant is likely to return to Thailand. Make the ECO's life easy and don't drown them in trivia. Applications are not granted on Kg weight!!

 

[rixalex]

14 hours ago, 7by7 said:

Then why are you concerned this time?

 

They have accepted your relationship and that she is a genuine visitor seven times before; has anything changed to make them doubt it this time?

 

UKVI explicitly advise against purchasing tickets until one has the visa, and the supporting documents guide says

Why include stuff they specifically say is not required?

 

ECOs have an extremely limited amount of time to spend assessing each application, a matter of just a few minutes; as theoldgit says, wading through evidence they don't need, or even want, means they could miss something vital!

Even with seven successful visa applications, there's still an element of worry with every new one. May be irrational. Or maybe it's because i remember reading - probably on here - some time ago, about someone who had many successful applications and then got rejected. I think the feeling was a bit of complacency had slipped in to the way the application was put together. I don't think we are complacent but it is true that our applications have got lighter as we have started trimming stuff that we have learned is unnecessary, and that then leads to feeling like our case is weaker.

 

You are right though - why include stuff they specifically say is not required? Besides force of habit, no reason.

[theoldgit]

I have to agree that there is always a danger that complacency sets in when helping my good lady prepare her visa applications.

 

We both know she's a genuine applicant and complies with all the rules/hurdles that the UKVI presents her with, but we try to take as much care with her latest application as we did with the first, but I/we, me more that she, still worry a tad.

 

I do worry that the decision maker, who 7by7 rightly points out has only a very short time to make a decision on the application in front of them and, like all of us can make the wrong decision, they're not infallible and can and do make mistakes, it's just if a mistake is made when assessing a visa application there is very little an applicant can do to correct it, apart from reapplying and paying again.

 

We do try to make the decision makers task as easy as possible by only including what they ask for and trying to guide them through the decision making process.

[Jip99]

22 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

I have to agree that there is always a danger that complacency sets in when helping my good lady prepare her visa applications.

 

We both know she's a genuine applicant and complies with all the rules/hurdles that the UKVI presents her with, but we try to take as much care with her latest application as we did with the first, but I/we, me more that she, still worry a tad.

 

I do worry that the decision maker, who 7by7 rightly points out has only a very short time to make a decision on the application in front of them and, like all of us can make the wrong decision, they're not infallible and can and do make mistakes, it's just if a mistake is made when assessing a visa application there is very little an applicant can do to correct it, apart from reapplying and paying again.

 

We do try to make the decision makers task as easy as possible by only including what they ask for and trying to guide them through the decision making process.

 

Agree entirely, but it is not easy to change much of the 'template' after 10 years and 6 visits .

 

 

Focus as always should be on the 3 key criteria, and I find it inconceivable that even the most incompetent ECO would fail to recognise a genuine relationship in these circumstances. The financials remain simple and the evidence of property in Thailand with a long track record of returning makes flight risk negligible.