Tourist Visa For UK

[caller]

I had a look on T-UK and there have been many threads about Siam Legal for all sorts of issues, including visas.

The feedback about their effectiveness is mixed with folk having different experiences, but with a general view that their fees are excessive. The legal bods on the forum expressed concern that they appear to have no legally qualified UK immigration advisors and the usual advice is that if choosing to use an agency, ensure it is a OISC registered UK based immigration specialist. But the general advice is to do it yourself (and they have stickies advising how).

Big Boy, I don't believe the company next to or near the VFS office, that poaches and rips-off the less clued up, is Siam Legal.

[Big Boy]

You are correct caller, I've checked back through my records and the company I was thinking of was Visa World.

Apologies for misleading you kendo.

[kendo]

It's all a bit late, everything has been submitted already we met up for a beer yesterday.

This company claim to have multiple offices also, they haven't guaranteed a successful application.

Kendo.

[caller]

I doubt he has to much too worry about Kendo, over 90% of visit visa applications from LOS are successful, as some folk who know about such things on that forum keep saying. Expensive visa though.

[Arcadian]

Tourist visas are a big topic where I live, mainly women trying to get their partners to the UK. Those that fail are normally for the reasons already stated, no proof of intention to remain. There is an appeal process which when given the reasons for failure often result in success when the applicant reads the reasons carefully. I don`t believe anyone here has used a locally based lawyer as the process is quite straightforward if you tick all the boxes.

[Governor]

I had a look on T-UK and there have been many threads about Siam Legal for all sorts of issues, including visas.

The feedback about their effectiveness is mixed with folk having different experiences, but with a general view that their fees are excessive. The legal bods on the forum expressed concern that they appear to have no legally qualified UK immigration advisers and the usual advice is that if choosing to use an agency, ensure it is a OISC registered UK based immigration specialist. But the general advice is to do it yourself (and they have stickies advising how).

Big Boy, I don't believe the company next to or near the VFS office, that poaches and rips-off the less clued up, is Siam Legal.

If I may just make a point here, whilst I would certainly recommend using an OISC Registered Advisor in the UK, in fact by law you have to be registered if giving advice in the UK, there is no requirement, or benefit, to be registered if you are an agent in Thailand, also there is very little, if any protection to you the customer.

I know of two agents who I would always recomend, both based in Pattaya unfortunatly, one is registered and one isn't, the one that isn't is a retired Immigration Officer who has worked for many years as an ECO around the the world and has a wealth of knowledge.

I do agree that most applications don't require the services of an agent, there is a wealth of knowledge on this, and similar, forums.

[kendo]

I would just like to report back that my friends girlfriend got granted her visa with no issue's at all.

On her first visit she is only allowed to stay for three weeks but can fly back to Thailand then back to the UK for the rest of her six month visa.

My friend also has been told on any future tourist visa she will be able to come in for the full six months, also you can tag a settlement visa on to that so giving you a full 12 months to get hitched or your (ball and chain) happy days.

She will arrive here on the 21 June the whole visa process was about ten weeks through the agent.

Kendo.

[Big Boy]

Thankfully a happy ending, but did your friend say what the agent did for his money that he couldn't have done himself?

[Governor]

I would just like to report back that my friends girlfriend got granted her visa with no issue's at all.

On her first visit she is only allowed to stay for three weeks but can fly back to Thailand then back to the UK for the rest of her six month visa.

My friend also has been told on any future tourist visa she will be able to come in for the full six months, also you can tag a settlement visa on to that so giving you a full 12 months to get hitched or your (ball and chain) happy days.

She will arrive here on the 21 June the whole visa process was about ten weeks through the agent.

Your friends girlfriend in all probability got issued with a six month multi entry visa, the fact that in her application she probably advised that she intended to visit for three weeks, which is a reasonable length for a visit, doesn't mean that's as long as she can stay, though she could be questioned by the IO at The Border if her tickets didn't match up with her application, of course plans do change.

I also doubt very much if she has been told that on any future tourist visa she would [automatically] be allowed for the full six months, each application is considered on the facts within the application and will be considered on merit, the UKBA just wouldn't say that she could stay for six months in the future.

If your friends girlfriend is in the UK on a tourist visa she cannot just tag it on to a settlement visa, a settlement visa has to be applied for in the country of residence.

I really worry if an "agent" is giving out this sort of advice.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... you-apply/

[caller]

I agree with Governor, it doesn't appear Siam Legal have advised your friend correctly about the visa usage and the advice about the settlement visa is 100% absolute bullshit.

Its worth noting that from next month, getting a settlement / residence visa and subsequent ILR for the UK will get a lot tougher!

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... -migration

[kendo]

What he has told me (maybe i did not make it clear sorry guys ) is if he gets a second tourist visa he can apply for a settlement visa to start just after the six months of the tourist visa is up she can fly back to Thailand for a few days and then return on the settlement visa for another six months.

He has also been told by the agent if you have a couple of tourist visa's and your circumstances don't change they have to grant a settlement visa if you plan to marry under the human rights act.

I will make sure i will help him next time around as i hate paying for something i can do myself and if i can help someone i am only to happy too.

Kendo.

[caller]

What he has told me (maybe i did not make it clear sorry guys ) is if he gets a second tourist visa he can apply for a settlement visa to start just after the six months of the tourist visa is up she can fly back to Thailand for a few days and then return on the settlement visa for another six months.

He has also been told by the agent if you have a couple of tourist visa's and your circumstances don't change they have to grant a settlement visa if you plan to marry under the human rights act.

Kendo, is he aware that all you have quoted above is factually inaccurate?

Out of curiosity, was the agent from Siam Legal Thai or British?

[kendo]

This agent is Thai, I will be meeting up with him and his girl next week.
I will make sure he does it with my help next time around although things have changed a bit since I got my wife's first visa.

Kendo.

[chopsticks]

What he has told me (maybe i did not make it clear sorry guys ) is if he gets a second tourist visa he can apply for a settlement visa to start just after the six months of the tourist visa is up she can fly back to Thailand for a few days and then return on the settlement visa for another six months.

He has also been told by the agent if you have a couple of tourist visa's and your circumstances don't change they have to grant a settlement visa if you plan to marry under the human rights act.

I will make sure i will help him next time around as i hate paying for something i can do myself and if i can help someone i am only to happy too.

Kendo.

The tourist (visitor) visa and settlement (fiancee) visa have different requirements and issue of a visitor's visa is not a pre-requisite or necessarily of any advantage to the settlement visa application process.

I don't think she will be able to travel on the visitor's visa then switch later to a settlement visa as you have to submit your passport while the settlement visa application is being processed which usually takes several months.

The best solution is to first get married either in UK or Thailand then apply for the settlement (marriage) visa which is valid for 2 years and has almost the same requirements and costs as the 6 month fiancee type.

[Governor]

It is quite worrying that "agents" like this are operating, I think your friends girlfriend got her visa because the application was sound, and in my view despite the advice of the "agent".

As chopsticks has said the application for a settlement visa is very different for that of a visit visa pre-requisite or necessarily of any advantage to the settlement visa application process, it is a fact that many settlement visa are issued without the applicant previously setting foot in the UK.

You will probably be aware that the requirements for a settlement visa are being tightened up from the 9th July, and that includes the reliance of Section 8 of the Human Rights Act, it's a long process and certainly not the case of returning of returning to Thailand for a few days.

Agents like this really are a menace, I wonder how much he charged.