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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Visa Sponsorship

34 replies

ILovedThe90s · 12/11/2015 06:52

DH wants to sponsor his uncle and aunt to come to the Uk for around 6 months. We won't see much of them as they will be visiting family all over the uk during their stay. They have no intentions of overstaying or anything like that, his uncle has a successful business back home and will want to return.

So i agreed. Then last night DH informed me we have to send copies of our passports, annual salaries, savings accounts, house deeds, council tax bill and so on to his uncle in order for him to make the application. I was horrified. I spend all this time making sure our details are safe and secure, then we post them to a third world country that is rife with corruption and extortion. So I freaked out.

DH thinks I'm being unreasonable. He says this is what people do and no one gets negatively affected.

I'm worried that his uncle will tell people our details and we will be blackmailed or pressurised into giving money to relatives. At the very most, I'm worried about kidnapping risks next time we visit.

So I gave DH a floor plan of the house, a copy of the council tax bill, a copy of our mortgage statement and a copy of his passport but not mine. His has expired so I'm not worried about that one. He is sending his own statement of earnings. I refuse to give mine or my passport.

AIBU?

OP posts:

Original poster

ILovedThe90s · 12/11/2015 06:54

Oh and as I do all the online banking, he won't know how to print out statements and I'm refusing to give those as well (not that we have much in them, but still)

OP posts:

MumOnTheRunAgain · 12/11/2015 06:55

No you're not!

If they are from a third world country how are they funding their visit?

Enjolrass · 12/11/2015 06:56

Where are they coming from that you are worried you will be a kidnapping risk?

Can you send the details direct to embassy they are applying to?

Can they come for a time period less than 6 months, that they won't need a visa for?

Wether Yabu really depends on why you think it's such a security risk.

I didn't realise you needed to give so much paper work for someone to visit.

Buxtonstill · 12/11/2015 06:58

If it is the UK embassy that requires this information, they can ask you for it. Which country are they from?

charlestonchaplin · 12/11/2015 07:02

Mumontherun Everyone in the third world is dirt-poor, obviously. Did you miss the bit about them running a successful business?

RitaConnors · 12/11/2015 07:05

Can't you just cross out the account numbers? That's what we did when we were applying for visas and my dh is a corporate accountant so he is quite careful with our financial information.

Where do you have to send the information too? Ours had to go to Manila.

Thistledew · 12/11/2015 07:16

Yes, unfortunately you do have to provide all of that information, or risk the visa being refused. It's what you should expect if you vote for a government that has a stated aim of reducing immigration to a minimum- they will make it increasingly onerous to get a visa, even a temporary one.

I would also suggest that you say they are coming for 5 months, rather than the full 6 that the visa would allow, so that there is no chance of them overstaying their visas if travel plans are delayed.

They will have to show that they can leave their business for that length of time without causing it any problems, but also that they can't leave it indefinitely, and that it will require them to return to continue to run it! Good luck.

Original poster

ILovedThe90s · 12/11/2015 13:00

The country is Bangladesh. When we visited there a few years back we were warned by his relatives about not visiting the same area more than twice as it would be a kidnapping risk (for ransom money). My FIL came back after a week because of death threats, he was planning on staying there for 6 months.

His uncle is considered well off. But he still asked my FIL for £10,000 to pay towards his sons wedding. As a gift. FIL said no and it got a bit tense. So just on that basis alone I don't like to send personal info!

OP posts:

Enjolrass · 12/11/2015 13:04

Oh wow! That's awful!

Yanbu do not give your personal info to them, especially after the wedding incident.

Can you not send them straight to the embassy?

Benzalkonium · 12/11/2015 21:51

I would check independently what the documents necessary are. I would be sceptical about the need to send house deeds for example.
The whole idea of sponsorship is to ascertain whether or not the prospective visitor is trustworthy.

Do you trust them?

That is the question.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 12/11/2015 21:59

I'm not convinced that those docs are actually needed, certainly not docs related to your house.

MrsSparkles · 12/11/2015 22:10

Benzal We've just done a visitor visa for in-laws and as they were staying with us we needed to show that we had room for them to stay, and that we owned our house. My husband sent his salary details (but not mine). There is a lot of documentation required as you are effectively saying you're responsible for them.

I have to say I've always said there's no way I'd do it for any other friends or family other than them.

alteredimages · 12/11/2015 22:13

It looks like they are applying for a visit visa on the basis that you and your DH will be providing accommodation and supporting them throughout your stay. It is possible that the rules have changed, but I have successfully applied for a family visit visa for DH three times, most recently in May. If they are only saying that you will provide accommodation and that they will pay for the trip then they only need copies of your passports, proof of address (I think they ask specifically for a utility bill or council tax now) and an invitation letter. I didn't even send an invitation letter the last time.

Have you agreed to meet the entire cost of their trip? If not, it is their financial info that they should be submitting, usually in the form of six months' worth of bank statements.

Chchchchangeabout · 12/11/2015 22:19

I would not be sending details of household income and savings to family members. None of their business.

Sallyingforth · 12/11/2015 22:56

I'd want to check exactly what my responsibilities would be if something goes wrong during the visit, e.g. if one of them falls ill and needs hospital treatment.

MrsTerryPratchett · 13/11/2015 00:06

Wouldn't it be the UK who would want this information? Why would Bangladesh want it?

DH sponsored me and the details went straight to Canada. The UK weren't interested...

misssmilla1 · 13/11/2015 00:19

Its UK immigration who want all this, not overseas countries. You'll be being asked to send it, as your relatives will need to collate and send in for the visa application. And yes, you will need to provide proof of employment, salaries, proof of the address and you live there etc.

It's the govt.'s way of trying to weed out people who come in

toffeeboffin · 13/11/2015 00:36

You need to know what you are actually signing them up for OP. Sounds like an awful lot of detail for a six month visit.

Have you read the paperwork? Can you actually read it, if it's in Urdu or Hindi? You need to check this out, sounds suspect to me.

BobbiPins · 13/11/2015 06:30

All these details are completely unnecessary.
I have done that myself many times.
The person coming to the UK does not need an official "sponsor" as such, the visitor visa is the same for tourists and for family visitors.
The UK authorities need to get a clear picture of the following:

what the visitor does in his home country, how he makes a living, is he a high or low risk to stay in the UK illegally - that is up to your relative to prove; nothing you can do here;
what is the purpose of his trip (visiting relatives in a normal reason)
where is he staying (write addresses of all the places he will be staying at)
how long he is staying for (this is more for information purposes; the visa is issued for 6 months regardless)
Make sure he does not starve to death when he is in the UK (must show he has money to support himself during the trip or that there is someone willing to feed him)

My husband and I were paying for my grandmother's trip - all we did was writing a letter, saying:

"we are inviting our granny to stay with us for this length of time, we live at this address, we will be covering all the expenses associated with her trip, we are employed as [job title] at [name of the company].
If you have any further questions you can reach us at this phone number and this email address".

THAT WAS IT. They never even called us, visa was issued without any questions.

The list of documents they must provide are here: www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/documents-you-must-provide

travellinglighter · 13/11/2015 06:43

"Mumontherun" you really need to broaden your horizons. Do you think everyone in 3rd world countries is living off un food parcels. Poshest house I've ever stayed in was in the worlds second poorest country and I was actually in the servants quarters.

StackladysMorphicResonator · 13/11/2015 10:37

YANBU! Your DH's uncle is scamming you, those documents ARE NOT REQUIRED! See the link that BobbiPins has helpfully provided.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 13/11/2015 10:49

I'd be a bit concerned that you are sponsoring his application if he's not actually staying with you - as BobbiPins says, usually you write to certify that you will cover all expenses and he'll be staying with you, and contact details incase they need to reach out.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 13/11/2015 10:49

Original poster

ILovedThe90s · 13/11/2015 14:02

www.gov.uk/government/publications/sponsor-a-visa-applicant-form-su07

OP posts:

Original poster

ILovedThe90s · 13/11/2015 14:15

DH was saying that the more info you require, the better the chances they will get a visa. I originally was concerned about the "care" part as if they fell ill during their stay, would we be expected to pay their NHS bill? DH said that's not up to us, the same as if they got a fine for whatever reason, they pay it not us.

DH thinks I'm over thinking it and over worrying. He says that his Uncle earns a lot of money and has no need of ours. When I brought up about him asking for help to pay for his sons wedding, DH says that if you don't ask you don't get, that's all he's doing. And if he asks us he'll say no. I asked DH if he could not just write a letter derailing where he works and contact info but DH said he's done a covering letter but also has to send proof that we can maintain them.

He's sending the info this afternoon and I can't do anything else about it

OP posts:

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