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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to ask if anyone here knows anything about tourist visas?

42 replies

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 16:51

OK, so my mum is not British and needs a family visitor visa to come visit me here in the UK.

She has never stayed longer than a couple of months and she doesn't usually visit more than once a year. The last visa actually went unused because she didn't get time to come over.

However, this time (we have met now after 11 months) there are some serious issues that I am facing and I would like her to stay for 3 months to help me through it.

Do you suppose this will cause her problems to get further visas to come visit me? I know the UKBA is strict about people using tourist visas to stay for too long in the UK, and this is what concerns me.

Just to clarify, my mum finances all her visits to the Uk and has never (and will never) access public funds.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 15/03/2014 21:27

Liquid funds, yes, my dad always travels here with his latest bank statements and pension statements (he is a pensioner who has both a private and a state pension). For good measure when he was coming a lot he brought the title deed to his home (proves ties to his own country) and of course, has his credit cards, debit cards and some, but not a lot, of cash on him.

He does have travel insurance, although at his age it is very expensive. But again, at his age, it covers repatriation of his remains in the event of his death abroad, certification of death, etc.

Believe me, in 12 years it has only raised an eyebrow once, and that was, they very nearly left and then turned around, only because of the extreme situation, which, as soon as they explained and provided the number to the onco unit, were ushered through to the point where their bags were collared and someone took them to the taxi rank to get to the hospital asap.

Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 21:32

My mum doesn't have travel insurance and while she does carry a return ticket and cash when she travels, she never carries property papers or bank statements.

OP posts:

34DD · 15/03/2014 21:34

i would be careful of mentioning either now or in the future visa applications that she can supervise her work from the UK

I'm sure that I read somewhere that someone was refused a visa because although they were here to visit there family the fact that they were supervising their business from the UK was seen to be working and there were refused entry when they arrived

i may be wrong but i wouldn't mention it if they ask how is she going to support herself

if she is allowed to stay for 6 months you can always buy a ticket that is flexiable so that you can book it for two months and then pay to change it to 6 months when she has arrived and had no problems entering if you see what i mean

34DD · 15/03/2014 21:38

what i mean by above is that if you are worried then book the ticket for 2 months in the same way that you would have done previously

make sure its a ticket that can be changed if you book direct with the airline its not normally a problem you just pay a admin fee and any flight differences

if she is allowed 6 months at the point of entry then she is allowed six months

if she has not had a problem in the past in entering / leaving then its unlikely she would have a problem in the future as long as she always leaves on time

Once she is in and has 6 months stamped in her visa it wont matter if you change her ticket so that she returns home at the end of the 6 months visa or goes home the next day

Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 21:41

Ah I see what you mean, but when I said supervise I meant that she can answer a couple of emails to explain the work to someone else in case it's urgent.

She doesn't work when she comes to the UK. She does spend some time on hobbies which include writing but that's not part of her work.

OP posts:

HauntedNoddyCar · 15/03/2014 21:54

Given that your dm has a positive visiting history and reasons to go home I wouldn't be at all worried. She's not doing anything different and has always complied with her conditions.

I wouldn't however say 2 months if she is going to stay 3. If there are differences between the details she gives to the ECO when applying for this visa and what her intentions are and this is discovered, it may be enough for them to consider that the facts were materially different. Unlikely but possible.

I don't think you have anything to fear in being honest here.

HauntedNoddyCar · 15/03/2014 21:59

Oh hang on. Do you mean a visa (applied for outside the UK) or leave To enter which is granted at the point of entry? Will depend on her nationality.

Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 22:00

See that's the problem.

When she applied for the visa she only intended to visit for 3 weeks. Once she came to visit me, I found myself in a bit of a mess and I have now asked her to stay on if she can to support me while I sort it out. Which is why we are extending her ticket until May.

This isn't a habit, but she has had to do this on one previous occasion where she came for two weeks but ended up staying 2 months (I was very sick and she didn't feel comfortable leaving me alone).

OP posts:

Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 22:01

No, no I mean visa. And she currently has a visa (6 month, multiple entry). But once it expires she will obviously at some point apply for a new one. I don't want this extended stay to cause problems with that application.

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Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 22:02

The last she visited me was 18 months ago and only for 2 weeks. So she doesn't really have a pattern of extended stays.

OP posts:

HauntedNoddyCar · 15/03/2014 22:09

OK. Lots of people use visa when they don't mean it :)

She's never lied and there were demonstrable reasons why her plans changed but she stayed within the conditions. There's no embarkation control so unless her passport was stamped going home, there is probably no reason for it to be flagged up. I don't see a major issue tbh.

nickymanchester · 15/03/2014 22:09

It didn't cause my MIL any problems. On the application form she said that she was coming to stay for a month but she was still given a 6 month visa anyway. She then stayed with us for 4 months before returning home.

This didn't cause any problems at all when she applied for her next visa to visit us.

These are family visas though, not tourist visas.

Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 22:15

I don't really think there's a difference between family visitor and general visitor visas because they are both technically tourist visas and subject to the same conditions.

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Terrortree · 15/03/2014 22:53

You should really get the correct visa as it indicates the intention. So theoretically she could cause herself problems if in the initial visa application she stated her intention to stay for three weeks, and would have provided proof of that, but then stays later because of family issues.

So theoretically, she could find herself in difficulties. The main thing is to mitigate it - keep copies of her original flight itinerary, receipts with dates showing when this decision was made to change her plans, and also a copy of a doctor's note if you have one. That would satisfy most UKBA officials and at worst she'd get a mild rebuke for not getting a family visa.

On the other hand, she is permitted to stay for up to six months, has a proven track record of being reliable and a good reason for changing her intention. Chances are she's considered a low risk visitor to the UK and no-one would question her change of plans. It's perfectly possible (and permissable) to come here for three weeks, decide you like it so much so stay on for a few months!

Original poster

LilJinx · 15/03/2014 23:23

She does have the correct visa- not sure why you think she doesn't?

Even people who come to visit their families have to come on a visitor(tourist) visa, they can't really get any other sort of visa just because they have family in the UK.

The last time she stayed longer than expected was because I was sick and since it was a couple of years ago I have not saved any doctor's notes etc.

This time she is staying longer because of an unexpected personal crisis that I need her here during. I honestly can't prove this to the UKBA, it's just one of those things.

OP posts:

nickymanchester · 16/03/2014 13:35

Even people who come to visit their families have to come on a visitor(tourist) visa, they can't really get any other sort of visa just because they have family in the UK.

Actually, it is a different visa and a different application form is used.

The main difference is that with a general visitor visa the applicant must show that they can support themselves. With the family visit visa then the family members who live in the UK can show they have enough money, the applicant doesn't have to - they just need to show sufficient ties to their home country.

Original poster

LilJinx · 16/03/2014 13:45

^^ No, that isn't necessarily the case.

Even a family visitor applicant can show their own finances instead to show they can support themselves.

And family visitor is for people who are relatives of British passport holders, not people who are in the UK on work visas.

The application forms are almost identical.

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