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General visitor visa or family visit visa for partner?

Family member & Ancestry immigration; don't post other immigration categories, please!
Marriage | Unmarried Partners | Fiancé/e | Ancestry

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Dawie
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General visitor visa or family visit visa for partner?

Post by Dawie » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:33 am

Hi there

I'm currently living in South Africa and am a British citizen. I'm planning on visiting my family in the UK in a few months time and plan on taking my unmarried partner with me. However she requires a visa to visit as she is a South African citizen.

It's not clear from the guidance notes whether or not she should apply for a general visitor's visa or a family visit visa. I know if she were officially my spouse then she would definitely need a family visit visa because we are visiting my family. However would an unmarried partner count as a spouse for this purpose or should she apply for a general visitor's visa?

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

rbk1597
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Post by rbk1597 » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:34 am

if you have documentation to prove your relationship (which should have subsisted for more that 2 yrs) then you can apply for family visit. By the waywho is sponsoring?

Dawie
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Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:54 pm
Location: Down the corridor, two doors to the left

Post by Dawie » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:38 am

rbk1597 wrote:if you have documentation to prove your relationship (which should have subsisted for more that 2 yrs) then you can apply for family visit. By the waywho is sponsoring?
There is no need for a sponsor as she is financially independent although I'm not sure if you can apply for a family visit visa without nominating a sponsor.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

rbk1597
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Post by rbk1597 » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:50 pm

You are mistaken, in ukba speak, a sponsor is the person who is inviting/hosting the visitor even though she is financially independent, but she will be hosted, so there is a sponsor there. (a visitor will be visiting someone)
Both general visit and family visit requires you to nominate a sponsor. actually family visit is classed under general visit. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visit ... gavisitor/
Without that, then you better apply for tourist visa.

Dawie
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Posts: 1699
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:54 pm
Location: Down the corridor, two doors to the left

Post by Dawie » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:18 pm

In that case the "sponsor" will be my family member. However the main issue here is does she apply using form VAF1A or VAF1B.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

rbk1597
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Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:44 am

Post by rbk1597 » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:31 pm

if the sponsor will be your family member, and you have documentation to prove the subsitence of your relationship with you unmarried patner, then use family visit VAF1B
if you dont want to bother about proving your relationship, then use general visit VAF1A, but still she would need to expalin the link/relationship in the form.
In my opinion, family visit VAF1B is better coz you will have right of apeal in the event that her visa is refused for any reason.

Dawie
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Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:54 pm
Location: Down the corridor, two doors to the left

Post by Dawie » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:33 pm

Cool, thanks for your reply. We've been together for over 2 years, but have only been living together for just over a year so I guess it will have to be form VAF1A.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

geriatrix
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Post by geriatrix » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:48 pm


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