UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

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AndyKK
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by AndyKK »

It seems very difficult here.
I did the same thing in Thailand a number of years ago. I owned my own house and business, it was still done with difficulty there too, I paid an agent on the agreement of only paying the $200 fee if she got the visa.
One thing I would ask if you are (and others) are applying for tourist visa to the UK why not just let her apply alone, as going on holiday, but put the assurance and money in her bank account instead of putting yourself forward to bureaucracy of UK immagration.
Is it possible?
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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armchairlawyer
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by armchairlawyer »

AndyKK wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:48 pm It seems very difficult here.
I did the same thing in Thailand a number of years ago. I owned my own house and business, it was still done with difficulty there too, I paid an agent on the agreement of only paying the $200 fee if she got the visa.
One thing I would ask if you are (and others) are applying for tourist visa to the UK why not just let her apply alone, as going on holiday, but put the assurance and money in her bank account instead of putting yourself forward to bureaucracy of UK immagration.
Is it possible?
Genuinely wealthy Khmers can of course get a visa by showing evidence of their land etc. In other cases, it is best to go the "sponsor/bf" route. That can be problematic if he is a bit financially embarrassed, otherwise he will always get her the visa eventually. The thing is to pay close attention to what they say in the refusal letter. You did well getting a good agent for a $200 fee. Well worth the money. I don't know of any good agents for UK visas in Cambodia but there are a few in Pattaya.
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fax
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by fax »

AndyKK wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:48 pm why not just let her apply alone
Then what does she need you for?
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AndyKK
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by AndyKK »

armchairlawyer wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:57 pm
AndyKK wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:48 pm It seems very difficult here.
I did the same thing in Thailand a number of years ago. I owned my own house and business, it was still done with difficulty there too, I paid an agent on the agreement of only paying the $200 fee if she got the visa.
One thing I would ask if you are (and others) are applying for tourist visa to the UK why not just let her apply alone, as going on holiday, but put the assurance and money in her bank account instead of putting yourself forward to bureaucracy of UK immagration.
Is it possible?
Genuinely wealthy Khmers can of course get a visa by showing evidence of their land etc. In other cases, it is best to go the "sponsor/bf" route. That can be problematic if he is a bit financially embarrassed, otherwise he will always get her the visa eventually. The thing is to pay close attention to what they say in the refusal letter. You did well getting a good agent for a $200 fee. Well worth the money. I don't know of any good agents for UK visas in Cambodia but there are a few in Pattaya.
That is where I did venture looking fo a good agent. And they were of course Thai, no visa no fee. Actually they accompanied us to Bangkok and went through the whole process. It certainly was worth the small fee.
But here I have known not too wealthier lady's manage to obtain their passports and visas by themselves to holiday in Europe. There opens another door from country to country.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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AndyKK
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by AndyKK »

fax wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 1:01 pm
AndyKK wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:48 pm why not just let her apply alone
Then what does she need you for?
Fax I understand what you are saying but that is not the case. I am looking at it possibly different then what you are implying. If it's going to cost x amount to do. She may have a better chance doing alone with that x amount in her bank account.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by CaptainNemo »

Doc67 wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:40 am My friend applied on behalf of his girlfriend on two occasions. Both failed. He is an upstanding bloke, owns a mortgage brokerage, earns well in excess off £100k. Pays all his taxes. No criminal record. He is 56.

She has no real estate property here, and no children. She is an artist (pictures, portraits etc) and has no demonstrable income stream. Her family supports her in terms on accommodation. She is 23

He applied twice for a visitor visa only and answered all their questions. They knocked him back with excuses that were easy to make, i.e. insufficient proof of income (for her), insufficient proof of intention to return. There is no appeal or review of their decisions, you just have to make a new application and pay the fee over and over again. The first refusal took a while, the second as much quicker. It was like the application had a black mark on it from the get-go. He applied himself and not through a solicitor.

I agree absolutely that you should seek professional UK based legal advice before making an application and get all your ducks lined up. They say all applications are treated on their merits but I can't help feeling that once you are knocked back any further information or clarifications are looked at as a changing of the 'story' and this means that the first 'story' was inaccurate.

I wish you luck, please update us with the outcome.
He needs to buy her land in her name, and business for her to officially run, and then after 6 months, should be fine.
It was so easy 20 years ago when my Mrs did it - we never would have got anywhere in the current system as we were then - we were effing lucky even then really.
I don't envy anyone going through it nowadays. Could never get her parents over though, too old and frail, and they didn't like the type of land deed they had.
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armchairlawyer
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by armchairlawyer »

CaptainNemo wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 2:44 pm
He needs to buy her land in her name, and business for her to officially run, and then after 6 months, should be fine.
It was so easy 20 years ago when my Mrs did it - we never would have got anywhere in the current system as we were then - we were effing lucky even then really.
I don't envy anyone going through it nowadays. Could never get her parents over though, too old and frail, and they didn't like the type of land deed they had.
The business (or a job) for sure. And the key is to provide government documents to prove the registration of the business. If it's a job, you again need to provide the registration of the business and the ID of the signatory of the letter. IMHO, land is not relevant, unless it generates a lot of income and, if so, this needs to be proved by governmental documents. BTW, all Khmer documents need to be translated and stamped by the translator. The shop opposite Larry's does this well (cost $7 per page). He also is good at getting Oz tourist visas for a reasonable fee but he can't do UK ones.
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by CaptainNemo »

fax wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 1:01 pm
AndyKK wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:48 pm why not just let her apply alone
Then what does she need you for?
Each UK visa application is by the applicant alone anyway, the only part the UK citizen involved plays is in qualifying the applicant to be able to apply, by being a prospective spouse or (financial) sponsor, and qualifying past the income thresholds. The applicant will be interviewed on their own and will have to make their own case for their visa application, and if they aren't fluent in English, and prepped for the kinds of tough questions they may get, then they could trip up and get rejected.

Looking at it objectively, I don't think it is a terrible system - it's harsh but fair, and it will be a relief on accommodation prices and pressure on public services when EU citizens have to comply with the same standards non-EU citizens too.
You have to weigh it up against the benefits an applicant can get if they're successful - the ability to work in the fifth largest economy in the world, and benefit from its education system, which is arguably joint best in the world with the USA; not to mention eventual access to a flexible and generous tax and welfare system.
It's a shame the country has been dragged down over the last 20 years since it was infected with New Labour and it's waking nightmare politics that have lowered quality of life and driven up cost of living; hopefully that damage will be reversed soon.
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Re: UK Visa for Cambodian Girlfriend?

Post by Kammekor »

armchairlawyer wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:39 pm
Kammekor wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 12:30 pm I seriously doubt a Schengen visa in your passport will remove a blacklist for the UK.

Two independent systems.
When I said absent blacklist, I meant assuming she is not on a blacklist.
OK,sorry... maybe a Schengen visa helps for a UK visa, don't know.
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