UK Visiting Visa Service providers

[sdm]

Hi Everyone,

I want to get a UK visit visa to bring my girlfriend over to England to meet my parents and also see if she can tolerate the .... English climate! I have head of a few people that provide services to help secure visit visa's for the UK which are pretty difficult to get.

my question is have any of you used these services and could you recommend any in particular? They can be based in PI or UK just wondered if anyone had any recommendations?

all advice welcomed,

SDM.

[raynaputi]

No agencies can guarantee a visa. Decisions are based solely on all the documents you submit. We strongly advice to do the process yourself (or your gf), instead of paying huge amounts to agencies, unless you really have no time in doing it. What agents usually do is just gather documents from you anyway. I've known some members here who used agencies in the past but still got their applications refused.

[Dedworth]

Good luck sdm

[Arthur Little]

... *visit visas tend to be "a bit of a lottery", unfortunately ... as any agency worth its salt should explain to you when you're applying for one. And the MAIN reason this is the case, is because *they've - all too frequently - been abused in the past by people who have then outstayed the validity of the dates for which their visas have been issued.

However, if your girlfriend can provide [adequate] proof that she fully intends to go back to the Philippines afterwards ... e.g., has a job to return to - by means of obtaining a letter from her employer(s) to this effect - then it will certainly enhance her chances.

Good Luck in your joint efforts.

[fred]

I dont know why certain members here don't get together and start an agency with reasonable prices..
They are very well qualified!

[stevewool]

What a great idea, thats got to be worth a pint the next time we meet , cheers

[sdm]

... *visit visas tend to be "a bit of a lottery", unfortunately ... as any agency worth its salt should explain to you when you're applying for one. And the MAIN reason this is the case, is because *they've - all too frequently - been abused in the past by people who have then outstayed the validity of the dates for which their visas have been issued.

However, if your girlfriend can provide [adequate] proof that she fully intends to go back to the Philippines afterwards ... e.g., has a job to return to - by means of obtaining a letter from her employer(s) to this effect - then it will certainly enhance her chances.

Good Luck in your joint efforts.

Hi, the biggest obstacle may be that she does not have a proper job, she has a Sari Sari store at the front of her parents place, she does own land however which is a plus. She also is the only breadwinner in her family as she looks after her elderly parents.

Thanks for your reply

[sdm]

Good luck sdm

Thank you!

[sdm]

Hi,

Yes I know they can still be refused, I am worried that if I do it wrong or compromise her position and it gets rejected, that it might make it harder if we apply again.

Thanks for your reply,

[Terpe]

UKVI has re-vamped and rationalised the whole Visit Visa process.

Their latest publication/guidance can be found at this link:-

Visit guidance

Some bedtime reading for you. It's not really complicated but if you have questions just fire them off. Plenty of good folks here to help.
Personally I'd hold fire on using an agency until you've understood the requirements and weighed up the risks.

A decent registered Immigration Advisor will certainly cost you and the visit visa is low cost and speedily decided.
If you really don't have the time or motivation then by all means engage a OISC registered UK advisor. But do be aware that they will be asking you to supply documents and written responses to immigration questions anyway.

The major complication is the need by the applicant to prove a non-immigrant intent.
Means that applicants wishing to come to the UK under a tourist visit must clearly demonstrate that they do not intend to remain in the UK on a permanent basis.
Immigration law places this burden of proof firmly on the applicant.
In order to grant a temporary visa, the ECO must be satisfied that the applicant has strong social, economic and family ties abroad that would compel them to leave the UK at the end of the temporary stay.

Unfortunately, in most cases it becomes difficult to overcome this presumption.

The key issues then for your g/f to seriously consider are:-
- Valid reasons to return home that outweigh reasons to stay
- Financials to cover visit duration.

In addition to demonstrating that she knows you and that you have some form of relationship/connection, she'll need clear reasons to return home with strong/complelling ties to her home country.
Such ties can differ from country to country, city to city and individual to individual.
Some examples of ties can be a job, a house, social and family relationships, a bank account, possessions etc

The ECO will be looking to see if the aspects of your g/f's life that bind her to her home country outweigh those aspects that may cause her to be unwilling to return to her home country, or to attempt to change or extend her visa status, so don't go overboard on the romantic issues.

I'd suggest including a letter from your parents supporting the application. Just a simple letter saying how much they're looking forward to the visit of your g/f etc

If you're intending to be a sponsor you should provide an invitation/supporting letter to confirm the support you'll be providing in terms of financial assistance and/or accommodation.

If you intend to totally support the visit both financially and with accommodationthis here is a listing of fairly typical supporting documents that you should provide:-

- 6 months Bank statements
- 6 months pay slips
- Proof of address (eg utility bill, Council Tax etc)
- Accommodation details (including owner's agreement / rental agreement)
- Sponsors passport copy (Photo page, any relevant stamp pages)
- The main reasons for wanting the applicant to travel at the specific time

Good luck