How can my girlfriend maximise her chances of getting into the UK on a tourist visa?
I am a British citizen, currently living in Japan on a working visa. My girlfriend is a Japanese national, but has only lived in Japan for the past year (before that she lived in the Philippines).
We'd like to go back to the UK to visit my family this Christmas, but we're a bit worried about visas.
Before getting my working visa (which my company sorted out before I moved here permanently) every time I came to Japan I just turned up at the border and was given a 3 month tourist visa. I (probably naively) never even thought about the possibility of being denied entry.
However, my girlfriend was looking at the visa application documents online and it suggests bringing bank statements and other supporting documents. This, to me, suggests that there is a chance that my girlfriend will be denied entry.
She is studying the language while she tries to find a full time job, but the studying is all self-study and private classes so she isn't tied to any institution providing her with proof she is a student. She is also currently only employed part-time, with a very variable income.
Will just turning up at the border be OK? Should we print out some bank statements just in case? Should we apply in advance in some way? Can I (a British citizen) 'vouch' for her in some way? If so, how? I assume I can't just follow her through immigration.
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Can I sponsor my girlfriend for a tourist visa?
You cannot sponsor your significant other to live with you, only visit. At the moment there isn't an unmarried partner visa available. Your partner should be your legal spouse or your fianc\xe9. As a general rule, you will have to complete an I-130 Form (Petition for Alien Relative).Is UK visitor visa difficult to get?
UK visa application is the most strict and highly scrutinized visa process. The UK Visas and Immigration receives thousands of visa applications every year that do not meet visa requirements. Once you have a UK visa refusal, it remains permanently in the records of the UK Home Office.How can I get my girlfriend a tourist visa?
As a U.S. citizen, you can bring your girlfriend here on a fianc\xe9e or fianc\xe9 visa. The alternative is to marry her abroad and then petition for her to get an immigrant visa. For the fianc\xe9e visa, you must prove that you had a face-to-face meeting in the two years prior to filing the petition.Can my girlfriend visit me in the UK?
Your friend or family member can apply for a visa so they can visit you in the UK. Visas to visit the UK are usually for up to 6 months.How to get my girlfriend or boyfriend a visa for the UK
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