UK Visitors Visa for Chinese National - Advice Needed

[budakhan]

Hi everyone!

I'm really hoping that someone on here will be able to give me info/advice on UK visitors visa's. I've tried talking to the UKBA but not had much luck...

I'm a British citizen and my girlfriend is a Chinese citizen, we met when I worked in China for a while. Now I'm back in the UK and we're planning for her to come to the UK to study for a masters degree in Sept 2014 on a student visa.

However since that's a year away we're thinking about her coming to the UK on a visitors visa until then. She's currently working in Shanghai and has a UK visitors visa which is valid until Feb 2014. We plan for her to quit her job in Shanghai and come stay with me in the UK, then return to Shanghai in Feb 2014 and apply for another 6 month visitor visa which will allow her to return to the UK until she applies for her student visa.

The part of our plan I'm unsure of, and need advice on, is her applying for the visitors visa in Feb 2014.

When she applies for the 2nd visitors visa she won't have a job in China, but I'll sponsor her providing all my financial info and also book her a return flight. I'm also hoping she'll have an official offer from a UK uni by then.

Given that she'll be financially secure whilst in the UK, have a return flight booked and is open about her future plans to study in the UK is there a good chance that she'll be approved for a visitors visa? or will not having a job in China to return to damage her chances?

any info/advice would be much appreciated!

thanks in advance

[vinny]

Hi,

I'm looking to sponsor my girlfriend (Chinese national) for a 6 month visitors visa which we'll apply for mid-Jan 2014 and then a student visa for a course starting in sept 2014.

I'm really struggling to find definite answers about the requirements I have to meet for sponsorship though and I'm hoping someone on here might be able to help...

I'm British and was in permanent employment up till Feb 2013, I then took a 6 month break. In mid-Aug 2013 I set up my own limited company where I subcontract my services out to other companies and then invoice them. I currently have a 6 month contract (mid-Aug 2013 - mid-Feb 2014) for my services with one company and I'm expecting this to be extended for another 6 months in the next few weeks. My accountant has set me up a PAYE scheme so I do receive a monthly salary, but its quite low, and also receive dividends from the company.

My questions are:

what is the level of salary do I need to be on to successfully sponsor my girlfriends visa?

is there a level of savings that can be counted instead of salary?

will the fact I will only have 5 months worth of payslips when we apply for a visitors visa in mid-Jan have a significant bearing?

If anyone can give me some guidance on this I'd be greatly appreciative, I've tried border agency and two immigration/visa agencies so far and still can't get any answers.

[vinny]

It's unfortunate that they have removed the prospective student route.

With a British boyfriend and jobless, how can she convince them that she intends to leave at the end of her visit (41(ii))?

If she intends to subsequently study, then she may have to further convince them that she will leave and be able to apply for a student visa from her home country.

[budakhan]

Thanks for the reply, sorry wasn't sure the old thread was relevant as some of the situation/plan has changed.

unfortunately she will be jobless, she finishes at the end of Jan.

But she has completed her IELTS, is studying for (maybe passed by Jan) her GMAT and has signed up to an agency which is applying for universities for her.

I'm hoping with this information they will be convinced of her intentions and the 6 month visitors visa would give her a good chance to view universities before accepting an offer.

If it helps her case I may also book her return flight before she applies so she can show those details as well.

What do you think?

any advice on the sponsorship questions?

Thanks

[vinny]

See also Sponsoring a general visitor.

How will she fund her expensive overseas fees as a student, if she requires sponsorship as a visitor?

[alis92005]

My cousin apply visitor visa on 24 Feb 14 and waiting for decision. I send her sponsor and Home Office lady call me for confirmation about her details.
Anyone else receive call from Home Office as a sponsor? Please share if anyone had same experience that will be much helpful for me and her. What that mean they will issue her visa or what??????