Visa Sponsorship

[ILovedThe90s]

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?

Why has DH's uncle asked his nephew to sponsor him, rather than his brother (your FIL)?

Because FIL sold/gifted his house to his other son (DH brother), is staying at the house as a "guest" and so doesn't own a house. DH brother has sponsored other relatives so DH says it's our turn. I asked him this first of all!

Oh and FIL and DH uncle are brother in laws, MIL passed away a few years ago.

I do agree with your DH that the more information you provide the more likely it is to go through straightaway, but as someone else has said all the information we provided was on the basis that we are funding my in-laws stay, and will pay all their expenses for them. Our biggest concern was that it might not be granted due to the rick of overstay.

If he is funding his own visit there's no need to provide any of this as he should provide all his own financial info.

If what you've provided isn't enough (it sounds sufficient to me), they can always ask for more information.

ILOVEDthe90s,

The sponsorship form you have showed here is a recent introduction that was not required before.
ANYWAY, this sponsorship form is a CONTRACT between you and the UK government where you say that you are TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE for your relative, and if government happens to to spend any public funds on your relative, the government will come and get this money from you.

Why would you want to sign anything like that???

If your relative is well off he will have not problem showing that he can pay for his own trip, and he DOES NOT NEED THIS SPONSORSHIP FORM.

Do not send any documents to him unless you genuinely want to pay for everything.

OP, despite what your husband says you will be responsible for any medical or other bills that you relative doesn't pay. The govt is (quite rightly) cracking down on foreigners using the NHS for free so if your relative needs any medical attention while he is visiting it will have to be paid for. If he can't pay, you and your DH will have to if you sign the document you linked to.

My goodness OP there's a lot of drivel on here. I work in immigration law.

It's much easier to get a visit visa from somewhere rich than it is from Bangladesh, and now there's no right of appeal, you need to get it right first time (you can reapply but once they've decided it's a no, you're often pouring money down the drain.)

The days of just popping to the Embassy with a visit visa app are long gone. I would genuinely recommend you ask a UK based solicitor or OISC regulated firm to prepare the application for you - that way there's no need for your DH's family to handle any of your documents, the solicitor can do it. A reputable solicitor won't charge too much for a visit visa app, and they will know a lot more than some of the internet experts here.

If you need recommendations PM me. (I'm not a solicitor so I'm not trying to drum up work, promise!)

Thanks Laura, DH sent the info already on Friday. I didn't give my passport info or sign the form, I refused, and my name is on the mortgage statement and council tax bill. If anything happens, I will say I didn't agree to the sponsorship. All our savings are in both our names as well.

I would be vary wary of sponsering someone who is willing to take 10k from his bil on the grounds that 'if you don't ask, you don't get'. He sounds like his moral values are iffy. Does your dh really not see anything wrong in his attitude?

I think you should get proper legal advice as to what exactly your dh will be agreeing to legally. Then you can withdraw sponsership if it turns out he'd be liable for nhs bills etc.