Application for someone who extended her stay

[bobdole]

Hi all,

I would like to ask for advice, please. I have EUSS, and so does my spouse, who is from China. We have two small kids.

In July 2022, my mother-in-law came to visit on a six-month visitor visa with a two-year multi-entry. The pandemic was not completely over, and as China was particularly impacted in the latter half of 2022, traveling back to China would have been extremely complicated. We were able to apply for a visa extension to the Home Office (through a facility set up during the pandemic), which was granted.

In January, before the visa expired, we traveled to a third country for 10 days and then back to the UK with my mother-in-law. The border officer made it clear that he had grounds to refuse entry to my mother-in-law but eventually allowed her to reenter. She managed to fly back to China in late May or early June 2023.

My spouse is now about to submit an application for my mother-in-law to visit us again. We are wondering whether we should summarize what happened (apart from providing all the necessary documentation e.g., certificate of visa extension etc.), and if so, how and where to raise it (there is a box for “extra information” in the initial visa application form). My mother-in-law has a husband in China, a house in her name, etc., and no intention to remain in the UK.

Would you have any advice to offer me to increase the likelihood of a successful application?

Thank you so much.