hi every one my names jason and im in the uk could some body point me in the right direction about getting my girl friend ( a filipina ) a visa to visit me in the uk once or twice a month , her situation is like this she works and lives in norway she has a works visa for norway i tried to apply with her online when i visited her for a uk visa but was told she needs a biometric test if she has one how do we prove online that she has taken it ? any advice would be much grateful many thanks jason
Hello Jason, welcome here to the forum. As a first step please review the UKBA webpage Applying for a UK visa in Norway Please do follow the links there and the links at the bottom of the page under the heading 'More Information' It's important to look also to the UKBA webpage Visa application centre Simply put Jason, the application and payment must be done online. It's required to print out and sign the completed form As part of the online application you need to book an appointment at either the British Embassy Stockholm or the mobile biometric clinic in Oslo. When you attend your appointment, you will:- - submit a printout of your visa application form and your supporting documents - submit proof of your online payment - enrol your biometric information. If the Visit Visa is granted it is usually valid for a stay of up to 6 months max. A visitor visa may be short-term single-entry or long-term multiple-entry. However the holder may not stay in UK for longer than six months on each visit. Long-term multiple-entry visit visas can be issued for validity of 1 year, 2 years, 5 years or 10 years. You can choose to apply for a visa valid for any of these periods on the application form. Of course the visa fees get higher. The ECO will decide on visa validity. If the applicant is not a regular traveler or has no credible ongoing reason to visit then this will impact on visa decision. Also, unless there are compelling business or medical reasons, a visitor should not,spend more than 6 out of any 12 months period in the UK. The major complication with visit visa's is the need by the applicant to prove a non-immigrant intent. Means clearly demonstrating that they do not intend to remain in the UK on a permanent basis.(they will leave UK at the end of the temporary stay)
Not exactly to do with this thread, but would it be easier for a 59 year old widow who is visiting relatives to convince the ECO that they don't intend to remain in the UK, than for say a young single or newly married filipina?
Well, it's a good question and well connected with subject of visit visa. I think you'll not be entirely happy with the comments I give, but they are based on the rules, the discretional powers of the ECO's and my experience with many cases. Firstly, the example you give is actually a family visit visa as opposed to a general visit visa. These family visa's are viewed slightly differently from a UKBA perspective in many ways and generally have good success rates. Having said that, if the 59 year old widow was unemployed, living alone and was believed by the ECO to be somewhat dependent on the UK family connection, then the risk of refusal would be high. In the case of a newly married Filipina, if she was applying for a family visit to see her UK husband, I really doubt it would be granted. In my experience nearly all are refused. Except in those case where the Filipina spouse was under 21 (in the old days) when it was almost always granted. I take your point John, but elderly relatives can be just as susceptible to doubts about motives as younger applicants. It really comes down to what the ECO actually feels about the application and about the submitted evidence. The ECO's have full discretion based on ttheir feeling of what on the balance of probability will happen. Their reasons for refusal are many and varied. All visit visa applications should avoid any areas that create negativities (immigration rule wise) But should focus on those area that create positive thoughts on returning home. Any mention or indications of dependency is negative. Any indication of weak ties to the home country is negative
Well that's good news as she is employed and her Philippine employer would go hungry if she didn't return, as she cooks for them, drives for them and runs the food budget for them! They depend on her to the utmost and she has been employed by them since the year dot. And consequently, I would be very surprised if her employer would readily allow her to be away for any longer than a couple of weeks. She is also quite a prominant figure within her family community so she has a key social role back their in the Philippines. While on the one hand she would be visiting her daughter and grandaughter here in the Isle of Man, she has a grandson and two other daughters back in the Philippines. She doesn't depend on us financially. Personally, I couldnt see her wanting to stay here in the UK beyond simply visiting her daughter and doing a bit of sightseeing. I wonder if there is scope to work all of that into a covering letter?
