Seeking Advice on Applying for a Five-Year Visa for My Parents

[Philipgp85]

Dear All,

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

I would like to seek your advice. My parents are both over 65 years old, and they visited us for the first time last year. We applied for a six-month visa, and they stayed with us for about three months.

I am now considering applying for a five-year visa for them. Given their age, it is quite inconvenient for them to visit the visa application centre every time they need to apply for a visa. A five-year visa would be much more practical, allowing them to book flights and visit us at any time within a year for up to six months. For instance, they could come for three months at the beginning of the year and another three months later in the year.

I wanted to ask if it would be acceptable to apply for a five-year visa after their initial six-month visa. Has anyone had experience with this, and if so, were you successful?

I look forward to hearing your advice.

[AmazonianX]

There are reports of successful application of what you described above; it does not have to be 6months ---> 2years ---> 5years etc.
Ensure requirements are met and provide information or evidence.

[Philipgp85]

Thank you very much for your time and for reviewing my query.
I have consulted a solicitor in India to apply on my behalf. However, he keeps insisting that the chances of obtaining a 2-year visa are much higher than those for a 5-year visa. He has also warned me that I might lose the application fee if I apply for a 5-year visa, suggesting that it is not worth taking such a significant risk and that I should apply for the 2-year visa instead.

I am feeling very anxious and unsure about how to proceed after listening to his advice. Could you please guide me on what additional documents or evidence I could include to strengthen my application and improve my chances of securing a 5-year visa instead of settling for a 2-year visa?

[Ticktack]

Thank you very much for your time and for reviewing my query.
I have consulted a solicitor in India to apply on my behalf. However, he keeps insisting that the chances of obtaining a 2-year visa are much higher than those for a 5-year visa. He has also warned me that I might lose the application fee if I apply for a 5-year visa, suggesting that it is not worth taking such a significant risk and that I should apply for the 2-year visa instead.

I am feeling very anxious and unsure about how to proceed after listening to his advice. Could you please guide me on what additional documents or evidence I could include to strengthen my application and improve my chances of securing a 5-year visa instead of settling for a 2-year visa?

There's no increase or extra document for an extended visa validity. Yes, most people try to build up that trust with the HO before they risk a lengthier visa (more money).

Contrary to myself, in this case I'll go with the solicitor. The reason for this is, your parents got a 6 months visa and stayed here for 3 months. Did they declare that they would be here for 3 months in their visa application?
2 years would be appropriate as that would allow them build more trust. I'm basing this on this scenario. Then you could skip 5 years and go for 10 years.

Or you could just go for the 5 years. It's entirely up to you.