Permission for Step daughter to join us in the UK

[munavar]

I am uk national and my wife who is an Uzbekistan citizen is settled here with me in the UK.
My step daughter (wifes daughter), is 16 years old and is currently still living with family in Uzbekistan. She has just received her own passport now that she has turned 16.
Her original father who is from another country (Tajekistan), has had no contact with her since she was 3 months old, he has not made any contrubution to her upbringing and he has made no attempt to contact her. He was not married to her mother and left them both when she was 3 months old saying that he would return but never did. After 1 year he called my wife saying that he had married someone else and would not be returning, but his name is on her birth cerificate and also on her passport.
Could anyone advise us if she will require a letter from her original father giving his permission for her to join us in the UK as his name is on her birth certificate & passport? As nobody knows where he is it would be impossible to get a letter from him. Would a letter from myself stating that i want to look after her and support her be sufficient?
Finally, what other documentation would she require to get her visa?

Many Thanks

[Gentile81]

Hi I have just been through a similar situation in Uzbek to get my step daughter here in the uk, her father now lives in Russia and although we had a letter of consent we still really had to get the parental rights removed as the British Embassy refused the visa even with a letter of consent, see parental responsibility/ sole responsibility paragraph 279, we appealed the decision here in the UK and it was clear that removal of P Rights of the absent father is the absolute proof.
I hope this helps

[munavar]

Thanks for your message, i think that we will need to consult an immigration lawyer for clarification of what we are to do as my stepdaughters father cannot be found and therefore cannot sign over sole parental right to her mother.

Once again many thanks.

[vinny]

Can your wife show sole responsibility?